When she was here in 2007 in search of her roots
Pillay first visited the village in 1970. When she returned in 2007, she was fulfilling her father’s last wish: visit his native village, worship at the family deity’s temple and find the relatives he had left behind. On Oct 9, the Norwegian Nobel Committee named the 85-year-old South African, a former UN human rights chief, its 2026 Peace Prize winner for her work promoting peace and international law.
“She is my aunt, and we are related by blood,” he said, recalling how an unlikely reunion unfolded. “We spoke at length, and she was delighted to find her relatives,” Kumar recalled. Pillay left them her postal address in Durban, beginning a correspondence that has continued ever since, he said. He said his grandmother had long spoken about the family’s South African connections. “It is a moment of pride for all of us,” he said. Kumar said villagers planned banners and a social media campaign to celebrate their famous relative. “We are planning to invite her when she comes to India,” Kumar said, adding it was an honour for the village.
For M Venkatesh Kumar, Pillay is more than a celebrated jurist. The Nobel Committee’s recognition of Pillay’s Tamil origins reinforced that history. Chief minister Vijay has congratulated Pillay, while Tamil leader Pazha Nedumaran has called for a state felicitation. If Pillay returns, this time no photograph will be needed.
On Monday, Rajkumar and his family cut a cake in celebration.