‘Spiritual’ Sketches…

Let’s start with the simple facts. Mullapperiyar is a 115 year old dam and is on the verge of collapse. It is constructed over the river Periyar a west flowing river running completely through Kerala and its tributary flowing towards Tamil Nadu. The dam was constructed in 1895 and was supposed to be de-commissioned in another 50 years and possibly replaced. Since nothing of that sort can be expected in this country, lets not go into that.

The dam is presently under the control of Tamil Nadu government, thanks to a treaty made by the British Government who thought that India will be under their control till apocalypse and Madras Presidency will remain like that till alien race from outer space invades it! The agreement lease made between the Maharaja of Travancore and the Britsh government is supposed to last for 999 years. A 999 year lease agreement for a dam built for 50 years! However, the region being part of the Western Ghats is experiencing large amounts of tremors and the now 115 year old dam is slowly cracking apart.

The people are having sleepless nights, the student attendance in colleges and schools are slowly going down and agitatons are slowly beginning to achieve pace. Diplomatic talks are also on the way between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Amma, as the Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha is being called, remains insensitive on the issue as her sole concern is the water from Mullaperiyar tributary and the votebank-people depending on it. Oommen Chandy, who hails from the Kottayam district of Kerala, is making statements, meeting people, organizing Film Awards and posing for photographs with the re-assuring words that ‘everything that has to be done for avoiding the catastrophe will be done OR I trust the Prime Minister.” While Mr. Chidambaram is doing everything to help his homestate, Mr. Anthony (former CM of Kerala and the present defence minister in the Centre and affectionately called ‘Nirguna Parabrahmam’ (Ultimate God of Uselessness) by the people of Kerala) is making statements of ‘National Integration’ and ‘Politican Unity’. I hope he understands that when the dam breaks, he will be coming back to Kerala in a boat to visit his constituency, Cherthala!

The issue has been disturbing me for a while, as I have many friends in the areas where there will be problem in case of a catastrophe. Also, my father works in a college in the very same district and whenever we speak these days, he tells me that everybody is scared! All I can do from here is to make people aware of this impending danger of the dam… Online petitions, Facebook Posts and so on and so forth.

Suddenly, on a ‘spiritual high’ I drew something funny. The idea has been going on in the back of my head for a while ever since that song was released. I swear, my research topic for PhD has no connection with this! It is just something I had always done ever since Plus-Two and hence the PhD topic, it is not otherwise.

Flop Song

P.S : -  I have nothing against the people of Tamil Nadu as I have many friends from the region and I somewhat speak the language myself. I have always been interested in that state since Kerala and Tamil Nadu have lots of things in common. Having visited the state many times and also being an ardent fan of their films, I will be the last person to instigate any sort of regional hatred towards the Tamil people! Its only the insensitive nature of their government is what instigates my anger and this humble cultural/political production!

Sunlight

It was a small house with a big courtyard to play around. I was around 4 years old but had already started going to school (may be because I was difficult to be managed). There was a small pond in front of the house and a gravel road and across the road a small stream and beyond the stream a big field used for sugarcane cultivation! I lived in that house with my parents and younger uncle for maybe a year or so. My uncle (younger brother of Mom) was a third parent for me as he ferried me off to (play) school every morning and hid behind a pillar till I settled down to play with my pals. He took me around on his cycle most evenings (his cycle had a small seat fixed for me in the crossbar) and one of his spots was the Panikker’s Studio. I played with whatever was handy at that time while he chatted with his friends. It might have been one of those times that someone decided to pose me for a photo. It was a good one.

I remember the small stream. My father used to take me for a walk through that road and occasionally make me wash my feet in that water. It used to have clear water, flowing furiously and sometimes I could spot a fish or two.

The gravel road was long. It had a small bridge going across it before the road turned to left. One of my memories is that of my grandparents walking past that while me and my mother watched. Before the turn, they’d stop and give me (or Mom, no Me!) a final wave!

Recently, (a year ago) I went through that road again when I had a chance. My uncle was with me. We were trying to explore the area as both of us were there after a long time. The road was tarred. The field was gone and was replaced with concrete bungalows. There was no sign of the stream. The house that we stayed look like it was uninhabited.

In my memories… everything was lit up. Early morning sunlight… evening sunlight… sunlight coming through the trees and reflecting in the stream…

This place was dark.

No more a memory!

Dammit!