A few months ago, I was invited to speak at a gender conference in Thiruvananthapuram. That conference was inaugurated by Kerala Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan.

As part of the microcosm of civil services, I had heard of Muraleedharan, but I was yet to witness the magic. That morning, I was enthralled by her persona and enamoured with her taste in handlooms, but it was what she said — her clarity and candour — that left me spellbound. In that instant, I knew that I had found an idol.

The next day, at a dinner with batchmates working under her, I spoke about how star-struck I was. I revelled vicariously in knowing more about her through their lens, their appreciation adding to my resolve to hang up my boots with the same elan that she exuded.

Then, my news feed buzzed with Muraleedharan’s post. In a Facebook post, she calls out an alleged insult by an unnamed visitor linked to her skin colour: “Heard an interesting comment yesterday on my stewardship as chief secretary — that it is as black as my husband’s was white,” she wrote. To put it into context, Muraleedharan took charge as the Chief Secretary from her husband, a historic moment for the state.

In........

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