Valiappachen was very fond of Malayalam poetry and it was a ritual to recite viplava kavithakal (revolutionary poems) by great Malayalee poets.
Kumaranashan the only poet who was given the title Mahakavi without writing a Mahakavyam was one of the favorites. Recently Rani one of my favorite told me she used to recite poems for Valiappachen while she stayed at Kayamkulam with my Minimol.
Thinking about the creations of Kumaranashan, it was his unique and fearless spirit of exposing social problems of caste, creed and inequality that made him special. Me and my family appreciated and adored the teachings of Sri Narayana Guru “One Caste, One Religion, One God for Man”.
The powerful pen which was mightier than all the swords put together changed and molded our life many a times.
I love Kollam my home town and my parents for the secular nature of our upbringing. I will never forget how we changed the timing of our long service at Church to accommodate the telecasting of Ramayanam by Doordarshan.
My house was like a Panchayat Ambhitheatre, one of the few homes in Uliyakovil, with a Television in the early 70’s, similar to the community Radio kiosk. Our home used to be house full when we returned from church, vantage positions taken and windows also occupied. Ladies and kids got seats inside; it was never first come first serve. At home we had preferential seats for ladies and elders.
The only improvement we did at home was to lay betelnut palm trunk, which is so long, split to 2 length along the diameter (Adakka Maram neduke pilarnu) so it can rest on the floor, Amma lay this on the floor alongside the front verandah and the living room inside. Guess why, we didn’t want the chairs to lean to the wall and then the oil soaked heads of Malayalee’s make mural on the walls.
I was a proponent of recitation in my school, reciting poems in English, Hindi and Malayalam was my pastime. I was always thrilled to recite poems. It was all by heart. Those days our memory was so sharp, now with the advent of technology I cannot remember my own mobile number.
We were very expressive with our recitation, singing them, to tunes which are easy to remember like the folk songs: does the tune of Jimukki Kammal ring a bell.
There was a session to read the newspaper, loud to Valiappachen, I was sure he had read it all in the morning but this was one way he made sure we practiced good reading habits and learned proper Malayalam.
Achadi bhasha (proper printers and writers Malayalam) Thank God, I did that 5 decades ago, now a days, it makes me sick reading the paper for more than a minute, all the controversies, foul language, fake paid news to tarnish one another or create confusion and hatred.
I still remember learning pathra dharmam by E. V. Krishna Pillai in school. Can’t blame anyone for anything these days as it’s all about survival, it’s all about business for survival and rating.
When we were all gathered around Valiappachen in the front verandah, there would be various discussions, about simple things of life, even buying a new pencil was a topic. Life was indeed very simple and everyone communicated with each other. We looked at each other’s eyes when we spoke, not on display screens of gadgets.
Valiappachen used to call us grandchildren Monomakaliye. A loving combination of Mon and Makkal together, can’t Google the definition.
While elders spoke about fish monger’s new Kotta, our own Ammini Chedathy’s Chatta and Mundu with the Chatta (her blouse) barely covering her stomach, we kids gathered the jasmine flowers that fell down and made garlands, with needle and thread, threading it straight through the stem of the flower or using the vaazha naaru (thread taken out of the plantain stem) and just tucked in our hair. Kids got priority to use it with a slide clipped to one side of the head with the flowers dangling by the side of the ears.
Very satisfying moments in life.
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