Thrissur: The Congress candidate in Kaipamangalam assembly constituency continues to field a question he has been facing all along his life. Whenever he has to explain that he is not a woman as the name suggests, Shobha Subin is reminded of his mother.
One of the calls the debutant candidate received was from the Thrissur district collectorate asking for Sreemati (Ms) Shobha Subin. "Yes, I am Shobha Subin, but I am not a 'Ms' but a 'Mr'," he replied.
The Youth Congress state secretary is named in memory of his mother who was killed by his father. The 8-month-old infant found a guardian in his uncle Subramanian, a fisherman.
Why the name? When the boy was taken to SNS Lower Primary School at Palappetty a few years later, the teacher had the same question. "He lost his mother when he was 8 months old. We named him after his mother," Subramanian said.
"Other kids used to bully me, saying I had a girl's name and that I didn't have a father or mother. I often cried alone, but I liked my name. I insisted that my friends call me Shobha. When they did, I felt like my mother was with me," Shobha Subin said.
The boy grew up against all odds. His mother's sister Omana worked as a domestic help to feed him and his siblings. She never married. Shobha Subin did odd jobs – doing dishes, selling fish, carrying loads, rowing boats and casting fish nets – as he went to school and college. He is a law graduate.
He worked abroad for three years. After he returned, he became actively involved in politics. He married K M Reshma, a classmate, and moved to a rented house. The couple were blessed with a baby seven months ago.
When he was a third-grader, his father visited him. The convict on parole gave his son Rs 10. "As soon as I returned home, my granny grabbed the note and threw it in the stove. She hugged me and said, 'You have neither mother nor father'," Shobha Subin said.
Shobha Subin's selection as a Congress candidate to assembly was not surprising. He proved his mettle when he defeated the CPM area secretary in an election to the district panchayat recently. That upset with a lead of 387 proved Shobha Subin's popularity.
"I grew up on this beach. Even a candy was cause for celebration in my childhood. I did not have anyone to buy me anything. Whatever I have now, I owe it to god and my party colleague. My whole life is thanksgiving," he said.
