Wow! Another Harthal

Kerala is going to face another harthal on Friday, 29 April 2011. Harthal is conducted by the ruling party. The strike is against central government's attitude of supporting Endosulfan, a highly poisonous insecticide that has affected the health and growth of a mass in Kazargode. Interestingly, other parties except Congress have supported this movement. The reason for conducting this strike is very significant. But have Keralites observed a strike in its real sense?

Harthals are always days to celebrate in 'God's Own Country'. All will be set to enjoy the off day with drinks and special food. Sleeping till noon, drinking, watching TV and eating pop corns- that is what is called harthal for a Malayali. Local channels will broadcast new movies to increase their TRP rate on this day. Companies and educational institutions have declared holiday on Friday because of the strike. Most of the people who work far away from their native will be back at home to enjoy the holiday. This time, they are getting three days off since the next two days is already off for many. So it is really a small vacation time.

In other states, harthal is not even cared by public. It is just another usual day for people there. Any political party can observe strike here. People accept it full heartedly not because they are so enthusiastic to react against social injustice; but the laziness to go out and work. So, in Kerala, politicians know their duty is finished by simply announcing the day of strike. And it is sure that people of this state will make it a huge success by enjoying themselves at home and thus keeping all the lanes empty!

When It Rains...

It’s an exclusive planet,

It’s a gift of nature,

With all special memories,

With fine touch of rainy feathers!

Elephant hills,

Covered with mist and snow,

The hump I always admired,

The hills to which I talked most!

Blocks of bricks,

Bungalows of luxury,

Crystal clear pool,

Children’s park to slide…

Dancing peacocks,

Singing cuckoos!

Hilarious hostel rooms,

Hauling girls!

Getting out,

Yelling high,

Enjoying fullest,

Fearing nothing!

Waving evergreen lawns,

Winking at colorful flowers,

Walking through the wet roads,

Wondering about Mother Nature!

Chatting all the way,

Clapping all the while,

Everywhere its aroma of fresh soil,

Every species enjoying!

Raindrops,

Rhythm of showers,

Reviving thoughts,

Reflecting memories…

(I started writing poetry one year back. I wrote my first poem on a rainy day from the land of elephant hills; Ettimadai. Everything is perfect there except human beings)

Memoirs After A Summer Shower

The aroma of soil after the first rain made me think about my childhood. I don’t know how these rain drops have the ability to rewind our memories. Anyhow, these summer showers always remind me of my summer vacations. I can say in pride, that I’d wonderful vacations in my native. Before seven years, I and my family stayed in a town, a little far away from where I stay now. In summer, we used to be in my grand ma’s house for the entire two month.

Summer vacations were simply a time to enjoy and have fun for me and my cousins. A gang of ten of same age-that is the best way to explain about my cousins. We used to get together in the month of April and May. In those times, we were not bothered about TV programs as Doordarshan was the only entertainer. Computer, Internet, Facebook, mobile phones and SMS offers were a topic of discussion in those days. Even now, when we are together, I prefer to keep away my cell phone!

Well! Coming back to vacation… We were not troubled by vacation classes or summer camps. Our camp was in grandma’s house. We get up early morning to go for ‘mango hunt’ in our courtyard. This also includes shouting at neighbors who come to ‘take away’ our mangoes. After getting bags full of mangoes, we come back and get ready to have a bath. Then its ‘devotional time’… We all will march to our family temple. As soon as we reach back, my mother and aunties will be ready with breakfast-yummy dosas!

Then it is play time! We have a variety of outdoor games ranging from hide and seek to cricket. In between, we take rest; have mangoes and lots of water. Soon after lunch, we will shift to indoor games. Later, at 4 pm, we’ll have tea with a bunch of jackfruits. Again, back to outdoor games.

By 5pm, we’ll be ready for swimming. We have a pond, where experts in swimming will dive from the bank and rest will practice with two coconuts tied together making us float on the top of the water. For almost two hours, we’ll have fun in water. By that time sun will disappear and so elders will ask to finish our bath.

My grand ma prefers early dinner for kids. As soon as we finish our bath, plates will be ready for us to have dinner. Then we’ll have long hours of chats, reading Balaramas or watching ‘Jai Hanuman’. By 10pm, all will be half sleepy and there ends the day!

Scribbling all these memories made me go back to those days. Now when my little cousins say vacation is boring, I feel pity for them. Cartoons, reality shows, cell phones and computer games make their days. Summer camps and special classes boom today because of this boredom. I’m lucky that I’d a wonderful school life and holidays.

Rain is all over now! I’ve to check my mails, watch news bulletin and IPL T20. Back to mechanical life….

A Big Massacre

Massacre! Massacre! Happening again and again… More than 600 lives were taken this time. It is not what you think! Should ‘life’ always mean human being? If you had ever thought so, you are mistaken! There are other forms of life. Even then, it is not only the beings that can move… Many silent lives making no sounds live here. You call them trees. They lead a still life helping other survivors of this planet giving air, holding water, food, timber, shade, etc etc…

Well! Coming to the point, around 600 trees are slaughtered within 20 kms in Malappuram district. From Nilambur till Pandikad, (which is also the border of Kerala) huge trees on both sides of the roads are cut down in the name of road renovation. Most of the trees were planted by British before 100 years. The greenery of this place has attracted tourists from other states. As of now, majority of trees are ‘killed’ and a few numbered trees are left waiting for their slaughter.

Not many people, however, support this slaughter as they loose the cool and cozy atmosphere. “There was a big tree in the middle of this Wandoor town. Now it’s gone. And so when I go home to have lunch, I come back late in the evening as it’s hard to stand under this damn hot sun” says Santhosh, an auto driver. It is not that the roads here are jam packed with vehicles. There is traffic; but the lanes have not been in such a state that vehicles can’t move at all.

What have these silent beings done to authorities? They only supported other lives to grow. It takes years for a tree to grow and a few seconds to slaughter it. We had never given life to any of these and so we can’t be its killers too. Even if we kill it, they won’t cry! They simply die with a smile in front of us. It is their silent curse that will haunt us in coming days, which no air conditioner can substitute!

Beware of Gurus

Many times, culture is measured according to educational level. But is culture really related to literacy rate? If so, people in Kerala will be the most cultured people. However, this theory is proven wrong when we take the case of so called God’s own country. With a literacy rate of 93.91%, Kerala has the highest number of literates in India. Unfortunately God’s own citizens turn to the character of beast in many cases.

Keralite women are the ones who are expected to be safe in the country without worries of sexual harassments as the state owns a mass of educated ones. However the facts state that, compared to many other under educated states, Kerala women are never safe. The incident that happened a few weeks back in Thrissur, where a girl named Soumya was raped and killed has now almost disappeared from the medias and minds of the people. This episode happened in a place also known as the cultural capital of Kerala. A handicapped man pushed Soumya out from the moving train and he also jumped out to rape her. The train was stopped by some ‘good hearted’ fellows. Still these travelers simply stood as audience watching this man’s heroic activity! And the strangest reality is to make their side clean, Malayalis stick firm to the fact that the accused is a Non-Keralite!

Then what these cultured people have to say on the very new incident of a Head Master raping more than 30 students in Malappuram! It is an upper primary school and so you can guess the ages of the girls studying there. They can’t be even called as girls-these are only kids. The headmaster, P Saidallavi, is a product of God’s own country. A master, who has to teach right from the spelling to the definition of culture, has really taught the world and his fellow disciples what he mean by the word culture.

According to Indian culture, teachers or gurus are to be treated and respected as God. We are bound to obey and respect them. But the case of this headmaster tells us that we should even fear our little girls’ acquaintances with their male teachers too. Not all teachers belong to this category. Yet, until and unless we can walk safely as woman (hope it won’t be a Utopian dream), it is better not to let any girl go astray behind any man who smiles at her!