My Village - Pavithreswaram -

I am not an extraordinary man in any way. I do believe that I am a mere ordinary man. The circumstances under which I grew up were also very ordinary. I am not from any aristocratic back ground, rather, am from a middle class family more so from a low middle class family if classification is based on material accruals. Farming was the main occupation of most of the people in my village, though there were a few small business men,mainly doing coconut and other seasonal cash crops business. They were also not very rich if we compare the business men of today. There was no industry in Pavithreswaram. but in the nearby village called 'Poreekal',there was a cash nut processing factory owned by the famous TKM Group of Kollam. The only service class,which I understood in my early childhood is of 'teachers', as we had a few teachers in our village. As I grew up, may be at the age of 10 or so I learned that there are Village officers, accountants in village office etc. who are all falling in the category of service people. Teachers' profession was considered to be one of the dignified positions and they were viewed with great respect. My village,at that time, had a school with primary and middle school sections. This school was about one and a half Kilometers from my Home. Needless to mention that we all had to walk down to the school on those days. In fact, the secondary school, I studied must be at- least 4 KMs distance which we walked down. That was the practice on those days and affording 50 pause per day for bus trip was much beyond imagination of children like me.

My village, with a very quite life was occupied by lower middle class family who lived on daily earning. One important thing to be mentioned is that on those days I did not find a single person in my village who did not believe in God. Of course,there were marxists but they were all temple or church goers. May be that they neither knew the hard tenets of Marxism nor did they gave any importance to the hard tenet. Almost all the family had the habit of evening prayers as per their faith or worship. People on those days were almost peace loving barring a very few. There were no communal hatred, thanks to God, even today my village is free from this menace.

My village even today maintains the natural beauty of Kerala, the God's own land. The greenery, though it has considerably diminished, still pleases the eyes. No pollution, quite a peaceful oasis,away from the Hurley-burly of a busy town or a city is still very dear to my heart and I adore my village. My memories are still fresh of my maiming cattle, taking them away to nearby stream for a bath,etc.etc.. I still remember the day when my little nephew Raju was brought to home at the age of 3 to stay with us who followed me where-ever I went and in fact, he was my favourite and this continues.

The villagers were very keen to send their wards to school though the earlier generation lagging behind in education. But, people were more or less literate. The Public library existed at Pavithreswaram even before I born illustrates it. People in Kerala on those days were also politically conscious, but unfortunately, today the generation is over-conscious and lacks far sight. Being in Kerala, my village is also not free from the clutches of this trend. The concept that hard work alone can bring prosperity is missing from the minds of younger generations which is a dangerous signal. Sooner it is corrected, the better.

The older generation of Kerala believed in duty,beauty and fortune, so also people in my village.

Now people are failing in duty which does not add to beauty but can only invite misfortune.

I cross my fingers and hope for the best as the outcome.

Posted on 09th of January 2011.

My Village - Pavithreswaram -

My recent visit to home town (from 5th Sept to 27th Sept.2010

I am not a very frequent visitor to my home town. It is not because that I do not like to be there, but it happens like that. The home where I born,where I had my childhood spent, where I had the good fortune to experience the love and warmth of my parents, is a place very close to my heart. Infact, there is not a single day in life passing without remembering my home and my parents though memory is only now left of my Father and Mother. Ofcourse, that is the course of life one has to undergo without any exception. This visit is more important because of the fact that I had the opportunity to be there for more number of days than earlier visits. The reason is simple. Now, I am retired from my job and I did not have much to do in Bharuch where my presence was not inevitable. More over, my younger brother Babu also wanted our presence in his house as Mersy, his wife had been to Kuwait to take care of Manju and the new born for a month.
We,myself and my wife Pearline, never turned a blind eye to needy when needed and what to speak when it happens to be our blood which we value the most. I do not know what others feel.

It was on the 5th Sept. 2010, at about 6.30 am we started from Ankleshwar to Kollam, my home district. On 6th at about 6.00 pm we reached Kollam. Johnachyan,my elder borther alonwith Siju was in the Rly.Stn. to receive us as usual. We had the news even before we started that our eldest brother Thankachyan was hospitalised in Puthoor as there was a relapse of his old sickness. After reaching home and having a fresh up and some refreshment, we straight away went to the hospital to see my sick brother. Our eldest brother is a self-made man and for that matter I should say that all of us five brothers are of the same lot, may be with a slight variations here and there. Ofcourse, it it is nature's law that each one is a unique personality. Diversity, of course, is the charm of life. My eldest brother is slightly short tempered and adamant also. May be that his prolonged illness made him so. It took another week for him getting discharged from hospital. So, the first week of ours was spent mainly hospital visit etc.
On the following Sunday, as usual we attended the Qurbana at our Church and also had offered
special rememberence 'Qurbana' for our parents as our Mother's anniversary also was a few days ago. The 'Dupa prarthana' at our parents tombs was also got done.

Our stay was mainly in Babu's place. After a few days, stay, we were saddened by the news that our 'Bruno' was attacked by stray dogs at the servant's place and that his condition is very serious. We got upset, particularly Pearline lost her control as Bruno was too much attached her and infact, he is not a dog for us. I cannot explain. Those who know only knows the depth of the relation existing between Bruno and our famlily members. My son, Dickey rushed from Rajkot in the night and with the help of Kaushikbhai, our neighbour, done everything possible to save Bruno's life. God must have heard our prayers.

Ofcourse, as it is the case in almost our visits to Kerala, went to Parumala Church,Manarcad and Puthupally and light candles and offeres prayers.
We had a short visit to my eldest sister's place as usual.

On 27th Sept.2010, at 2.00 pm, we started from Home to begin our return journey.
It is a very hard experience for me to say bye to my brothers and all dear ones every time when I leave home. No exception this time also. I value relations beyond many things. I am short of words.

We reached back home on 29th Sept.2010 at about 6.30 am.
Ofocurse, Almighty God guided us.

Published on 17th Nov.2010.







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Some stray thoughts

Sometimes, I think, why those about whom we think most, do not appear to be concerned about our caring. Is that beyond a certain period, we have no say in their life ? It certinly cannot be.
Nurturing is incomplete if not guided reasonably towards a goal; a goal in cofirmity with the norms of the family, that of the society and above all which allows one to live a life keeping head above. Is it that everything being followed in the society, from time immemorial, are to be viewed so silly and blemish ? No, it cannot be. While one has every right to live a life of his choice, it is certainly not out of place for the guardian, who he might be to, to have some longings. I do not know whether my thoughts are extreme or natural, or coming out from the interiors of the heart of heart.
Posted on Aug.28, 2010.

Childhood memories-1

Memories still seem fresh of those days when I was a child of just 3 or 4 years old.
That day, the Saraswati Puja Day, holding my Appachan'(Dad's) fingers and walking towards the nursery,a day when I started my schooling. I was,perhaps, the shortest child in the group of about 30. My first Guru,Unni Asaan,caught my finger and made me write on the sand the letter 'Hari'. I paid him 'Guru Dakshina'- eight anna (today's 50 paise). I still feel the sweetness of the 'Palanthodan Pazham'( a variety of banana-small in size) which my Guru gave on that day. I did not cry like other small children on the first day, but I was happy. Holding again my Appachan's fingers I returned home. My Amma (mother) was waiting at the door-step and when I entered, she took me in her arms and hugged me.

Today,at the age of 62 I still feel the warmth of fingers which held my fingers to the nursery and the fingers which caught my finger and made to write on the sand the first letter and the arm which took me and hugged. I can only cherish my sweet memories.

July 24,2010