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accepted notion among all the people of India.Here, Im going to write about the spirit of nationalism without much historical reference.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.