THE AGHAST NATION(AL)ISM

In a democratic country one can afford to speak anything but something against the democracy. This is a widely accepted notion among all the people of India.Here, Im going to write about the spirit of nationalism without much historical reference.

Today, I had an opportunity to hear Mr. Ajit Sahi-The Editor at large of Tehelka. He was speaking about 'Propaganda'.Many issues were discussed. Among those, he said something about Kashmir as well. It seems, he had gone to Kashmir and met people in the grassroot level and had long-long sessions with them.When he asked them about their political(?) aspirations, he had been told that they just dont want to remain in India.They dont want to join in Pakistan either.Independence-That is the lone demand.Nothing else is accepted.
All right. It is not a crime to speak up a person`s aspirations. Even in Kerala, in Calicut, I have met some intellectuals, who were so vigorously argued that Kerala should get seperate Nationhood.I dont know what right is it according to the constitution of India.But it is tolerated. The issue is different.
I dont think that crores of people sat together just before independence and met Lord Mountbatten to tell that they want to remain in India. Even now, many people living in the earstwhile Travancore prefer the 'Raja`s rule'! So nationalism is essentially a spirit in which you take care of the majorities aspirations. You try to find everything that unite you right from a language to an animal. So in a complex society like India, it is quite idiotic to expect support from every corner when you come up with a huge project like nation.Just out of luck, certain issues will immediately be discussed and solved. Certain issues will not surface at all. Certain issues are ignored as well. So as far as the state is concered, it will be illogical to wait for the consent of every citizen before their area`s induction to the map proposed.
Let us see what the state do. If it is unjust, we will fight it out. But we will never leave the state. Because it is our home.

sense of the aged and sensibility of the children

Today I was caught up in a traffic near an interior city of Calicut. Crossing the vehicles parked off in the front, I zig zaged on my bike and moved forward only to stop near a procession. I had been asked to stop. I asked whether I can go through the side. They said nope! Only then I looked closely the colour and the tune of the procession. It was all children lined up so meticulously with some parents guarding them. It was a procession of 'Balasanghom'-The children`s organisation affiliated(?) to CPM.I dont know who had formed and affiliated it! All the children had had whilte and red flags and they carried some placards as well. They jubilantly flashing their cards and flags without knowing what does it mean. Placards were carrying hi funda slogans such as -"Godmen are dangerous", "Girls are not inferiors", et cetera.

It took me back to my childhood days. Probably Balasanghom would have been the first organisation in which I was enrolled. It happened when I was 9 or 10 years old. I was asked to to go for some programmes arranged for 'children' in the nearby Manakkad Govt. School. I went with some of my friends. Some guy with beard had come and sang some songs in clumsy voice with gawky gestures. I could not enjoy it all and moreover I disliked the idea of treating me as a child. I had a kind of suffocation and some how escaped from there. Even after that incident,since my father was an ardent CPM activist, I had to reduce myself as a subject of intense pressure and attend many of the programmes many times.

CPM, as a political party has wide range of offshoots and affiliations in many areas including agricultarists and labourers. But what is the logic of building a children`s organisation? Is that to build the party? Or to catch them young? Or to rear them as communists right from the small age? Or to inculcate the prolitarean values? What nonsense? If it is not, what else is nonsense?

Had the party arranged a nice play ground for the children to play and laugh out louder, had the comrades made the arrangements to support laymen`s children financially, had they been kind enough to give the starving children atleast one square meal a day, had they allowed them to remain as children, they would have done a wonderful job. Both as communists and as human beings!

retrieving friends,avoiding friends

I was on my way to the city(Calicut) and trying to escape from the hectic traffic. Usually, I ignore the calls when I get on my bike. Not because I dont like to attend calls but because it causes great inconvenience as you have to find a place to park your bike and remove helmet and get the phone from the pocket with great difficulty. So I prefer to call back to those missed numbers when I reach somewhere.

My friend Radhika is a person who calls me regularly when I climb on my bike.It could be accidental but getting her calls during rides become almost a routine now. Well, today I got a call when I was near Commissioner`s Office and as usual, I was on my bike. For strange reasons, I stopped the bike and check the number. It was quite unknown.But I thought of taking the phone.

"Sheri-ne...." -a long call from the other end. Quite unsual sound. The next question was whetherI recognise her? Out of embarrassment, I said yes.Not one yes, I said two yes.Then immediately she asked who is she? I thought I was caught red handed. I was almost on the verge of telling her a sorry but just asked whether she is Shyni. Out of anger, She said noooooooo...! Then very honestly I pleaded her to reveal her identity.

"Dhanya is my name"-She said. I was just blank and couldnt make her face and just heard what she said. She had spoken about twenty minutes with giving all minute details. Groping in darkness, I just concluded my responses in hums.And finally she said she had revomed her uterus last month. That was a shock to me and I remembered one of the stories written by K.P.Ramanunni about a lady`s uterus removal and her sons thoughts about it. Probably Dhanya would be the first girl in our age group who removed her uterus . But she had an energetic voice and she didnt care the deal at all.Good sign and very rare to hear those positive voice.

After sometime, I was thinking, what made her to call me? We were not at all good friends. We were not studied in a class either.She was my friend`s friend`s friend.And She remembered me after long 15 years. It is indeed a time to cheer up. Just because of knowing that people are not erasing memories of togetherness, however frivolous it is.

കടലിനപ്പുറത്തെ ഓണരുചികള്‍

ഓര്‍മകളുടെ ഭാണ്ഡത്തില്‍ ഒത്തിരിയൊത്തിരി കരുതലുകളുമായാണ് നാട്ടില്‍ നിന്ന് വേരറുക്കാത്ത ഓരോരുരുത്തരും അന്യദേശങ്ങളില്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞു പോകുന്നത്.നാടിന്റെ മണമുള്ള എന്തിനെയും പൊന്നുപോലെ കാക്കും കാലം. ദശാബ്ദങ്ങളുടെ കുടിയേറ്റത്തിലൂടെ ലക്ഷങ്ങള്‍ സാന്നിധ്യം ഉറപ്പിച്ച ഗള്‍ഫ് നാടുകളില്‍ നിന്ന് വിഭിന്നമായി മലയാളികളുടെ ചെറുസംഘങ്ങള്‍ കുടിയേറിയ ചില നാടുകളും ഈ ഭൂഗോളത്തിലുണ്ട്. അതിലൊന്നാണ് മാലിദ്വീപ്. ടൂറിസവും മല്‍സ്യവ്യവസായവും പണത്തിന്റെ പുളപ്പ് പകര്‍ന്ന് നല്‍കിയ ഈ നാട്ടില്‍ കാര്യമായി രണ്ടു മേഖലയിലാണ് മലയാളി എത്തുന്നത്. അധ്യാപകവൃത്തിയും ആതുര ശൂശ്രൂഷാ രംഗവും. നവംബര്‍^ഡിസംബറിലെ അവധിക്കാലം കഴിഞ്ഞ് മാലിയില്‍ തിരിച്ചെത്തുമ്പോള്‍ ആദ്യം ചെയ്യുന്നത് നാട്ടില്‍ നിന്ന് കരുതി വെച്ച മലയാളം കലണ്ടര്‍ മുറിയിലെ ചുമരില്‍ ആണിയടിച്ചുറപ്പിക്കലാണ്. നിത്യവും പണികഴിഞ്ഞെത്തിയാലുടന്‍ ഓരോ ദിവസത്തിന്റെ ചതുര കള്ളിയിലും ചുവന്ന മഷി കൊണ്ട് വെട്ടുന്ന ഒരു സുഹൃത്തുണ്ടായിരുന്നു.മാലിയിലെ വിദൂരമായ 'കുഡാഫിരി 'എന്ന ചെറുദ്വീപില്‍ നിന്ന് തലസ്ഥാന നഗരിയില്‍ താമസിക്കുന്ന എന്നെ വിളിച്ച് 'എടാ, ഇനി 108 ദിവസം' എന്നൊക്കെ അയാള്‍ പറയുമായിരുന്നു.ദിനാന്ത്യങ്ങളില്‍ നടക്കുന്ന കൂട്ടല്‍^കിഴിക്കല്‍ അഭ്യാസത്തിനിടെ അറിയാതെ അറിയാതെയാണ് ആഘോഷങ്ങളെത്തുക. നാടിന്റേതെന്ന് പറയാവുന്ന ഒരു മത്തിപോലും മാലിയില്‍ കിട്ടില്ല. നാട്ടിലെ സാധനങ്ങളെത്തുന്ന 'ഓര്‍ക്കിഡ് മഗു' വിലെ 'ഈവനിംഗ് കഫെ'യില്‍ റിസോര്‍ട്ട് സപ്ലൈക്കുള്ള സാധനങ്ങള്‍ക്കൊപ്പം ചിലപ്പോള്‍ മാത്രം വരുന്ന കപ്പക്കും ദിനേശ് ബീഡിക്കും പിടിയും വലിയുമാണ്. ബസ്മതി അരിയുടെ ചോറും ചുവന്ന പരിപ്പും മാത്രം തീന്‍മേശയില്‍ ആവര്‍ത്തിച്ച് അരങ്ങേറുന്നതിനിടയിലാണ് അവിടെ ഓണമെത്തുക.ഇലയില്‍ ഊണും പായസവുമായി കാറ്ററിംഗുകാരുടെ സദ്യയുണ്ടെന്ന് ഞങ്ങള്‍ മാലി ടീച്ചര്‍മാര്‍ ആദ്യമേ അറിയും. ഒട്ടുമിക്കവരും ബാച്ചിലേഴ്സ് ആയതുകൊണ്ട് അവര്‍ ബുക്കിംഗും നടത്തും.ഓണം സ്വാഭാവികമായും വന്നെത്തുക ഏതെങ്കിലും പ്രവൃത്തിദിനത്തിലാകുമെന്നതിനാല്‍ വലിയ ഒരുക്കങ്ങളെക്കുറിച്ചൊന്നും ഞങ്ങളാരും ആലോചിച്ചിരുന്നില്ല. എങ്കിലും എല്ലാ തിരക്കിനിടയിലും ആഘോഷങ്ങളെ മാറ്റിവക്കാന്‍ കൂട്ടാക്കാത്ത സ്മിതയുടെ ഫോണ്‍ കോളിന് ഞങ്ങള്‍ എന്നും ചെവിയോര്‍ത്തു.സ്മിതുടെ ക്ഷണമൊത്താല്‍ പിന്നെ ഒന്നും ആലോചിക്കേണ്ടതില്ല. കോണ്‍സെന്‍ട്രേഷന്‍ ക്യാംപിനെ ഓര്‍മിപ്പിക്കുന്ന കുടുസുകളിലാണ് താരതമ്യേന മെച്ചപ്പെട്ട വേതനമുള്ളവര്‍ പോലും താമസിക്കുക. മാലിയുടെ സ്ഥലപരിമിതി തന്നെ കാരണം. ഇതെല്ലാം മറികടന്നാണ് സ്മിതയുടെ ഓണസദ്യ. ആയിടക്ക് നാട്ടില്‍ പോയി വരുന്നവരോടൊക്കെ ചേനയോ മത്തനോ കൊണ്ടുവരാന്‍ സ്മിത ഓര്‍ഡര്‍ കൊടുക്കും. അങ്ങനെ ഉത്രാടമാകുമ്പോഴേക്കും ആ കൊച്ചുമുറിയില്‍^അവിടെത്തന്നെയാണ് അവളുടെ ഭര്‍ത്താവും നാലുവയസ്സുകാരി മകളും കഴിഞ്ഞിരുന്നത്^പച്ചക്കറിയും പലവ്യഞ്ജനവും നിറഞ്ഞിരിക്കും.സ്മിതയും അധ്യാപികയായിരുന്നു. കുടുംബത്തിന്റെ ഉത്തരവാദിത്തങ്ങളും ട്യൂഷന്‍ തിരക്കുകളും അവളുടെ ഒഴിവു സമയം അപഹരിച്ചു. എങ്കിലും ഓണം മാത്രം അവള്‍ മറന്നില്ല. ആ കുടുസു മുറിയില്‍ ഞങ്ങള്‍ പത്തിരുപതുപേര്‍ക്കായി കരുതിയ ഇലയില്‍ വിളമ്പിയ ഓലന്റെയും പുളീഞ്ചിയുടെയും രുചി നാട്ടിലുണ്ട ഒരു സദ്യയിലും ഞങ്ങള്‍ അനുഭവിച്ചിട്ടില്ല.

Chasing Purchase:An Onam Experience

Over decades, Onam has got the status of the celebration of Malayalis. Forget the crude (subtle) hierarchies in the society for the time being. You are welcome to have a glass of payasam from my home. You can also prepare the so called elite recipes at your kitchen. (Please, don’t buy red meat and avoid eating biriyani. Only vegetables, fruits, curd, butter milk etc will make you feel good.)
Onam is essentially a festival with an agrarian hang over. It thrives on the memories of a bygone feudal era. Its spirit lies in living one’s life with sowing reaping. So how can we celebrate Onam now? Now a days are we planting even a single sapling?
Now, Onam is nothing but great grand shopping festival.It has reduced its charm to purchase coupons and offers. It is all about two take three free.So it would be ideal if malayalis could get together in shopping malls and streets to celebrate the Onam of these days. Instead of making ten course lunches, they can surf through offers and de-stress themselves by accumulating piles of clothes and kitchen utensils.
Being a person who lived abroad for sometime, I can tell with clarity describe with coherence that Onam is being celebrated in its right spirit in far away places where Malayalis fled in search of prosperity. Malayali Diaspora took their celebrations along with them. I have seen people struggling to get a plantain leaf to serve hot rice on the auspicious day of Thiruvonam. Keeping the memoirs of their homeland in their minds, they would always look for a chance to come back to Kerala. They forget( it is habitual) what exactly happening at their home land and return only to see people running to shops to purchase Onam!

my party and their party

Recently I met one of my acquaintances at the University Campus. He works there as an Engineer and hails from my native place. Pleasantries gave way to serious(?) talks. He was a genuine person with honest ideas. He, like thousands of others still strongly believes that `the party` is the sole defecto authority which we are obliged to. Our main tug of war was about the recent developments in CPM, especially in Orkkattery and our place, Cheruppa.He was telling(yelling) that he accepts a person(communist) as long as he remain inside the party. And finally wind up his talk adding that the true communist stand is nothing but the official party’s stand. Hearing this I thought of the mindset of the comrades who have made up their mind to remain in the `official party`-CPI, in 1964. How would have they analyzed the attitude of the then `splitters`? I couldn’t resist myself raising this point to him.Realising its complexness, he said he is in a hurry and had to leave.

But didn’t forget to tell the rhetoric that `our discussion should be continued`! At that point, I had that wild fear whether he would suggest me to raise these issues at the respective `branch` to overcome my confusions.

Comrade, let your official party and officials save you.

What if the revolutions blooms through officials?

kolapparambu

It was Manyettan`s invitation this time to go to Kolapparambu.Without thinking twice I agreed.Called up our News Editor but leave denied as usual.Had to use some tricks and it worked out.Freedom for two days!
Kolapparambu is a hill locked village which is very hesitant to keep up to the mad pace of this world.It was just one year back, our ancestoral home got power connection. But remember many celebrities including foreign nationalities had come and stayed at our den even decades ago.Memory is still vivid when Sheelechi comes down with Charles Obi Obani Woko-a Nigerian-the then hubby of her.He was skeptical and suspicious thro and thro and bit scared of the environment.He asked whether we had a rifle with us.When we said many of us didnt even see it, he got surprised.
Kolapparambu, our home and land has kept a high power magnet there to take us back from time to time.It doesnt matter whether you live in the surroundings or abroad.It will pull you back.
Like any other ancestoral homes, we have thousands of stories related to Kolapparambu. It could be about my Grandma`s death when she gives birth to her son or animated stories told by elders about supernatural beings.Its milieu is close knitten with our fantasies.The wall and even the bushes around tells stories about our love, lust and agony.
Manukkuttettan is a legend living in Kolapparambu.He celebrated his life throughout.Never gone out for any blue collar jobs.Never felt insecure.But never struggled to make a living.He has a declared policy.The Idea is this: Never do anything legitamate.That make you tired and you wont get anything.So do something against the state.He tread a path which other failed.He made wonderful spirit and drank half of it everytime.The rest, he sold.He called it `PONTOSKY`.Meaning-Whisky made in `pontha`(Bush).I`ve tasted many spirits.Tequila, Scotch, Arrack (Srilankan and Indian),Cognac...the list is endless.But to be honest, His hand-made-drink is par with any world standard.This time also we had a wonderful time with him and he preached about his philosophy of life in his own words.They were corse.But noble and truthfull than all the philosophies we had known.Cheers,Manuttettan!

Adieu,TK!

T.K.Ramachandran,popularly known among his comrdes,students and well wishers as T.K too is gone.His absence will obviously make it very difficult to live in this world.Why?Reasons are plenty but can be comprehended into two to three sentences. He was a true crusader.A crusader against the right wing facist forces of his own country.He didnt write too much.But when he writes, it was precise.He never wavered.He was so adamant on his stands because he was thro and thro clear about his idealogy.He was a great friend to many and they were his company at his flat.The company included acadamicians to activists.All were shown in though not given an excited welcome.He was an activist among acadamicians and an acadamicians among activists.So, he never apty fit himself into any groups.
If he hadnt quit his mediocre job in the bank in his early youth and spent time for research and acadamic work, how would have his life developed? It will be absurd to expect his in the bank managers chair with piles of files behind.At all junctions, he chose the right path-the path which not every one chose to tred.He was all alone in his route.He might have met a couple of people on his way. But they all failed in the marathon.Some were opted to stop.Somewhere exhausted and some perished.Some got disillusioned and took their lives.But TK,preferred to move on like a rolling stone.Apparently, he gathered no moss.
What would have happened to the so called KP Appan and his cooterie if TK had decided to write enormously for our weeklies?He would have deffinitely given the crown of the prince of critique. He never buttered our editors to publish his articles. Rather he often said excuses when the editors approached him for his essays.
A channel reporter had said just after his death from Kochi that he was chain smoker and that too had contributed for his sudden demise.I dont know whether that fool know him.Can you imagine a TK without wild smell of virginian cut tobacco? Never.Tobacco, beard, wrinkled dress, typical word formations,child like smiles,adorno,althusser were all the inevitable part of TK.You can spot a lion in the forest if you are lucky enough.You can see the same animal in the zoo also.But seeing the lion in the forest makes a lot of difference.
Personal memories,though not plenty are vivid to this writer.His comrades are the true heir apparents to write the personal note on him.Let them do it.Let us light up the lamp of his memory to not compromise on the cause of our life long fight.
RED SALUTE,COMRADE!

love thy misery

It is fun to watch people(when you get bored of watching yourself!).Some are loving.Some are caring. Some are idiots and Some are lethal.But the strange thing is some are really fell in love with their own miseries. I know a couple of people around me who are not ready to change their troublesome milieu. They often say `but for the society, I would have changed my plans`.In fact they are waging war with their own shadows. Habit maketh a man. True.Here in this case, these fellows have tied themselves up in the labyrinth of sorrows. They started enjoying it like an addict enjoying the serpent`s venom. Be very cautious of them.If you are going to befriend them,keep all kinds of non steroid anti inflammatory analgesics and pain balms. They will give you a permanent head ache!

invigorating wanderings

Life has often tied up with nonsense.Be it a wish or work, when u get separated from it and see it from a distance,u feel the absurdity.For me life is nothing but a genuine endeavor to plunge into this nothingness and realize the my-self and my milieu.



I`ve been thinking of a trip to Kollur for more than six months and had to wait till last week to materialize it.Journey was planned and continously postponed for more than a couple of times.Even the railway ticket had been booked once but had to cancel it.

Well, this time,it was a kind of back packing.On 9th of July night after the usual desk work, I went back home.As pre planned, Aneesh was waiting me to drop me at Rly Station.The train was at around 12.30am. He dropped me there at around 11.30 and the train came on time.(It was Okha Express).The ticket was to Byndoor-a new station enroute Goa.The train came bit late as usual and passengers with big bags ran helter-skelter.I stood at the platform comfortably as I had a reserved ticket with me.



Train journeys brings back the horrible memories of my teenage-early youth travels in unreserved compartments.During those days journeys were at night as usual. There were only 3-4 compartments in Train. Those general compartments were(are) meant for the ragpickers and laymens. Sometimes, the reserved compartments and the A\C sections will be almost empty.But the penniless were not allowed to step in.You will be fined or throw out by the TT. During those nights, when struggling to put ur foot down, I think about the rotten system. In fact the Train is a genuine representative of the burgoise system. You have been provided facilities according to the weight of your pocket!

I had travelled upto Mumbai in Konkan route.But the inner time machine has not tuned properly to get down at the designated stations. It`s not a big job when I go to Trivandrum or Bangalore or vice versa.I could get up just before a couple of the real station when I travel on those routes.So I was had to remain cautious to not miss my station-Byndoor.My plan was to ask some fellow guys about the distance from Mangalore to Byndoor.I woke up realizing the train was on a long halt.I thought it would be Mangalore.As my berth was on the top tier, I had to seek someones help to find the station. The fellow who sat near the window looked at my face and said it`s Uduppi.Then it came Byndoor and I get down there.Luckily got Omni which was going to Kollur.It costs me only Rs.60.
Mookambika was wonderful as it used to be.Same people, same building and same charisma.Every jouney is an experience till you reach your destiny.Once you are there, then again you think about heights to conquer or valleys to slide.So, I dont want to comment about the ambience of Mookambika. The temple and Devi deserve a seperate piece.It might happen in future!