Monday, 25 August 2014

THE LULLABIES



Lullabies revive my memories of ‘Ammachi’ rocking the younger children to sleep. I observed that when ‘Ammachi’ hummed a tune, the child in the cradle gazed into her brilliant dark eyes. Perhaps, the child (Mariamma) knew that she was about to sing her to sleep. While she sang and hummed I used to sit close to her enjoying her closeness and listening to the songs. I too used to fall asleep in that serene and comforting warmth. When I wake up, I would find myself tucked into my bed. ‘Ammachi’ must have done so, when I fell asleep. Even now when I hear the song she used to sing to us my eyes swell with tears thinking of those endearing times we spent with her. One such ‘lullaby’ is as follows:-

“Omana…Thingal Kidavo……..
Nalla Komala Thamara Puvo..o……
Poovil Niranja Madhuvo…o…”

Through this very poetic song a mother admiringly looks on at her baby whom she is rocking to sleep.  She endearingly compares the child as “being a full moonfaced or a beautiful lotus flower or a fully opened flower filled with honey.” 

The lyrics of this song were composed by a poet namely Shri Irayimman Thampi.  He belonged to the Royal Court. This was composed for the new born Prince Swati Thirunal of the erstwhile State of Travancore. This soothing song was sung by a great playback singer, Smt. Janaki.


Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com


ELEPHANT: KUTTI-SANKARAN



 I am excited at the very sight of Elephants. One day, while standing at our gate Jacob and I saw Narayanan Vappan.  He was an old man who used to ferry commuters to and from Thevara and sometimes even to Nettoor, our neighbouring island. He was not his usual self, he seemed very pre-occupied. On enquiring he told us that he was given the task of guiding an elephant across the ‘Kayal’ from Nettoor to Kumbalam. The elephant was hired for the festival in the Siva Temple at Kumbalam. We were so energized on hearing this. We got ‘Ammachi’s permission to go to the ferry to watch the process. We had to wait there for about two hours. An elderly person at the ferry said that the elephant would be made to cross over only when the water is still. The ideal situation is when there is neither ebb nor flow in the ‘Kayal’. Otherwise he might be carried away by the under currents.

After a long wait Narayanan Vappan started to push his canoe out of the Nettoor banks with a long bamboo pole. The elephant began to follow the route of the canoe. They moved at a distance of five to eight meters between them. We noted the elephant walking through the shallow areas of the ‘Kayal’. He swam through a short area where the ‘Kayal’ was deep. Each time his legs sunk into the muddy waters he trumpeted so loudly out of sheer fear. I noticed that he kept his trunk always above water. It took half an hour for this huge, gigantic animal to reach the opposite bank. One marvels at how cautious even animals can be! While climbing on to the steps of the ferry he made sure that the granite steps were firm by feeling them with his long trunk.

I persuaded Narayanan Vappan to request the mahout to bring the elephant to our courtyard. I assured him that “Coconut and Choondal Palm leaves” would be given to him as was the usual practice. The mahout agreed to this deal and brought ‘Kutti-Sankaran’ (name of the giant elephant) to our court yard. The mahout placed his ‘Thotti’ and ‘Pulivadi’ on the elephant’s feet. This is a gesture by which the mahout communicates to the elephant. It signifies that no movement is expected without further directions from the mahout. After doing so the mahout gathered the grand meal of ‘Choonda’ palm-leaves we had promised him to give to ‘Kutti-Sankaran’. Shaping of his tusks made him look beautiful. ‘Ammachi’ gave us two bunches of ripe banana for the elephant. Since he was waving his large pinna I thought he was in a friendly mood. I was about to go towards the elephant when the junior mahout cautioned me that he was little naughty. Accompanied by the mahout we gave the banana bunches to the elephant. The elephant saluted us as if to say, “Thank you.” We were so thrilled that we gave him a few coconuts too. It was interesting to watch the elephant break open the coconut husk with its huge feet by stamping on it. He took the nut in his trunk and then struck it onto a granite stone to break it open to eat the kernel inside. He scooped it out with its trunk and ate it up in one gulp. The mahout was very pleased with us so he put Jacob and me on his back one by one by asking the elephant to lower himself to accommodate us on his back. The mahout made us feel very majestic atop an elephant, as if we were kings and lords on a battle ground.

The mahout asked us, whether we need his hair?” I said, “No thanks.” The people believed that an elephant’s hair adorned on ring finger would give courage. Likewise, claw or tooth of a tiger is used as a pendant would endow a person with ferocity. These things even though powerless this would help him psychologically to get over many obstacles.

Then a ‘Kuttalam’ (a big copper vessel) of water was filled and given to him to quench his thirst. He drank almost two fillings of water. When he had enough of it, he took two mouthfuls and sprayed it like a fountain on his body. Then he started to eat the ‘Choonda’ palms. What a lot they eat? He kept on eating most of the time. The elephants require a lot of calories of food to maintain their massive body. After resting for some time the mahout directed the elephant to carry the bundled ‘Choonda’ palm leaves on his tusk and holding it with his trunk. He gently moved out of the courtyard and then lumbered past on his way to Siva temple. It was interesting to watch the back side of an elephant’s body swaying. People say that it is a good omen to gaze at the elephant’s back with a mahout mounted on his back.

One of my favourite hobbies as a young child was accompanying a caparisoned elephant to many of the houses for ‘Parayeduppu’, an offering to the Gods or Goddesses made by individual families belonging to a particular caste or community. All of them had their own temples and different deities. During the ‘Parayeduppu’ each family according to their financial status gave paddy to the temple and rice flakes, jaggery and bunches of ripe bananas to the elephant. The children who accompanied the elephants also get a share of the sweet rice flakes mixed with jaggery and coconut gratings. I am sure the elephants enjoyed ‘Parayeduppu’ festival because of all the pampering they received.

Jacob and I used to go in the morning to the Siva Temple pond to gaze at the elephant having a bath. He was made to lie down in the pond on his side; the mahout scrubbed his body from top to bottom with a piece of coconut husk after which he would do the same with the other side by asking him to turn over. My days used to be so hectic with ‘Kutti-Sankaran’ or any other elephant around in our little village and I never found time for anything else till Narayan Vappan left for Nettoor with him. Elephants are highly intelligent and extremely social animals. They have always fascinated me from my early years and my fondness for this huge animal has grown more over the years. I used to go for trekking in sanctuaries in Sahyadri Mountains and hills and other places with elephants. It is an interest grown with the age, which continues with me even now.

Mahesh Muzhapilly, son of Amminikutty Amma of Chala Veedu, in Kumbalam is an elephant lover. He takes care of a few elephants   on his property adjacent to Kumbalam Siva temple. He lends them out for   temple festivals in Ernakulam and even to the temples in the neighbouring districts.  Kiran, one of the huge and attractive elephants he rears used to carry the temple deity on his shoulders. Mahesh is also  a veteran in the art  of making and supplying gorgeous ‘Nettipattom’ (caparison), ‘Alavattom’ , (a royal fan made of Peacock’s feathers), ‘Venchamaram’ (a brush or whisk of a yak-tail which is a royal ensign,) anklets, bell with chain, attractive umbrellas with golden or silver coloured laces and  all the other paraphernalia used in connection with temple festivals. Occasionally, his mahouts bring the elephants to Oli Mana. I used to pamper them with ‘Choonda’ or coconut palm leaves. They particularly relish the coconut and jaggery which I used to feed them with. They always left me in high spirtits when they gave me the royal salute before their departure.

HORRIFYING   DREAMS

I have seen mahouts who ill-treat the elephants badly with their ‘Pulivadi’, (a stick made of a branch of the Tamarind tree).  I have seen some of them beat the animal with a long wooden pole. Sometimes they pull his ears with a ‘Thotti’ (an iron holder fixed on a stick to pull). This pains him. There was one instance when an elephant retaliated by hitting the mahout with his trunk. On seeing this, I did not linger around. In an instant reflex I ran home as fast as I could. I wondered if it was the pain that made the elephant do so to the mahout or was it the ‘Musth’that he was experiencing. After that I used to have horrible dreams of an elephant chasing me. It must have been triggered off by these cruel scenes between the mahout and elephant that I was a witness to. In my dream I used to try to escape the elephant by running into the ‘Pumukham’ (a bower to enjoy the breeze and solitude) yelling out for help. This would stir ‘Appachan’ from his deep slumber in the adjoining bed-room. He would come in with a torch to find out what was happening. On hearing my terrific story of being chased by the elephant he started to search around in the dark for this mammoth creature. It was only when he looked under the cot did I realize it was only a dream. Then ‘Appachan’ would ask me to say, “The Creed” and the Lord’s Prayer, “Our Father” so that I could have a sound sleep.

Excerpts from

MEMOIRS

by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com


GENDER DISCRIMINATION - THE LAW OF NATURE



I remember an incident on the island which was shrouded in an aura of mystery. Two dead bodies surfaced on the banks of the Vembanad ‘Kayal’. I gathered that when the body was submerged under water, the air in the lungs would be replaced by water. The bacteria in the digestive system and the chest cavity would start to produce a lot of gases like, Methane and Carbon dioxide enough to bring it to the surface of water to float as a balloon. It would take at least twenty four hours to float.

Both the corpses seemed to be well dressed and looked quite decent. A whisper here, an insinuation there and these spread like wild fire. The excited local people gathered around the shore. One of the spectators concluded that it could have been a case of suicide. They might have jumped into the Vembanad Lake from a running train on the Venduruthy Bridge in Cochin. A politician popped up at the scene, made his presence felt, and vanished into thin air. A sensible person, very soft spoken, asked if anybody informed the police. As I was curious I went to have a closer look at the corpses. I saw the cadaver of a man lying face down in the water. I sighted a profile of his closely cropped hair and a side view of his moustache. The other body rested face up. It was the corpse of a woman. I saw her face up and long braided hair floating. She wore a sari and blouse. I wondered at the way the corpses rested. My curiosity and reasoning could not wait.

I asked Ammachi, “Why there was such a difference scene between man and woman?”  She lifted her head from the pages of a glossy magazine flapping in the breeze. Turning towards me and cocking her head slightly to one side, she asked me to narrate the incident. As usual she found the answer to all of my queer questions. She answered promptly, “It was the law of nature that made such discrimination.” She went on to explain, “The human sexes differed in a lot of ways. The features of each of the sexes differed; the woman is frail and inferior in muscle power and therefore the man assumed the role of a protector of the family. The woman’s body is designed for special purposes like pregnancy, child birth, feeding the new born, looking after them and imparting a wealth of knowledge to meet the challenges in future.” A woman should hold herself up with dignity and pride on being bestowed the gift of motherhood.  This is a boon of Mother Nature. I have noticed that in palmistry, it is the right hand which is looked at for men and the left hand for women. This is the principle adopted by the Ppalmists and the Chiriologist. Likewise, it is relevant to note again that thumb impressions too follow the same principle. That is, the impression of the right thumb for men and the left one for women is taken for execution of deeds and documents at the sub registry under the Registration Act.” In ‘Nadi Jyothisha’, which is Thumb Impression Astrology, the same guideline is adopted. The hormonal changes (from estrogen to progesterone) in their system make them moody at times. This is a serious block for them to take up serious jobs. Moreover the women might not get the safety and security of their homes in certain other environments. No doubt, the women are best suited for certain careers like teaching, medicine, nursing, airhostesses, receptionists and even chefs of hotels. I often wonder why there aren’t major quotas for such category of occupations or professions reserved for women.

However, I have come across courageous, resourceful and determined women, who have overcome all these barriers, attained their dreams and held responsible positions in life by their own merit.


Excerpts from

MEMOIRS
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com

RESERVATION OF QUOTAS FOR WOMEN IN PARLIAMENT

I am of the firm opinion that reservation of special quotas in the assemblies and parliament for women would result in inefficiency and corruption. These are not the training centers to groom speakers or rulers or statesmen. It is meant for the meritorious, experienced, exceptionally talented and mature persons, who are successful in one or more fields, and who are selfless with character and integrity. They alone should be accommodated in the Parliament and Assemblies where important businesses are transacted. The immature and unqualified spouse and children or close relative of a deceased Member of Parliament or Legislative Assemblies shall not be chosen to contest the election or by-election on sympathetic grounds. Moreover the term for a Member of Parliament or Assemblies or a minister shall be limited to two terms only. One should realize that there is no dearth for competent persons; be it for the post of the Prime Minister in this country.

“Devils rush in where angels fear to tread.” The parliament and assemblies should not be the abode of criminals, inefficient people and corrupt persons. The executive, the legislature and the judiciary shall be accountable to the people of this country, the real sovereign. The corrupt ministers, leaders and judges shall be dealt with all seriousness. Substitution of the parliamentary form of government with presidential form could also be seriously considered.

Reservation should be confined to the panchayat, the municipality and the municipal corporations alone, which are the stepping stones to the higher levels.

At this juncture, I would like to mention that merit alone should be the criterion for appointments to the higher levels of government posts in the executive and the judiciary and to higher levels of teachers to IITs, AIIMS, IIMs and other advanced courses. Reservation should be confined to the first appointment alone; otherwise it would result in inefficiency and corruption and would demoralize the candidates appointed on the basis of merit.


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Excerpts from

MEMOIRS
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com