The Roman metropolis had more than 25 city libraries
in the late imperial period. It was probably the only example of a fairly
expansive library system, which we could point out in the past. Intensive
research and education at all levels and in all branches of knowledge makes the
services of library inevitable. In recent times institutions of scientific and
professional training have multiplied manifold to keep pace with the explosion
taking place in the sphere of knowledge. Rational functioning of modern life
has become impossible without library. Knowledge that is already available is
essential in the general struggle for survival, to keep pace with technological
development, for rational planning and intervening in a world, which is
becoming smaller and smaller through modern methods of communication. The
library is the instrument, which collects and make available both knowledge and
documentation.
The colonialists and under their direction, the rulers
of the princely states showed interest in establishing educational institutions
including libraries. A library of five or ten thousand volumes thrown open for
free access to the public of a town may be used a thousand times.
There was great enthusiasm in starting
libraries, but it was found difficult to manage them properly. As a social
institution rural libraries in Kerala were very vibrant and effective in
educating and informing people. These libraries were the centers of the
community’s social and political life and they led the cultural and literary
activities of the society. Committed library activists did their job
voluntarily and selflessly. During a period when the circulation of newspapers
and periodicals was limited, these libraries and reading rooms served as
windows to the world of knowledge for the rural population. They were also the
information centres of the village. For the oppressed and the underprivileged
sections, these institutions proved to be the first step towards social
emancipation. The public space created by the rural libraries was politically
and socially also a liberating one. But do our rural libraries keep up this
momentum now? Do our libraries continue to play a vital role in the society’s
social and political upheavals? The answer is, unfortunately in the negative.
In 1946, some of the youngsters under the leadership
of Nanappa Kaimal Naduvammuri, O.I.G. Kaimal Ollarikkat, L.N. Gokulan Master
Kannampilly (later shifted from Kumbalam to the Sevamandir Post Basic School at
Ramanattukara,) Abu Haji Ponnappilly, Xavier Poovumpally, and Natarajan Master
Charanthara resolved to start a village reading room and they erected a thatched
shed in the premises of Kunjipareeth Murikkelil at Kumbalam south. The
Islanders donated their old books for the library. Thereafter the reading room
cum library was shifted to various rented premises. The government bestowed
grant-in-aid to the library. In 1963, a
small plot, 2 cents, was purchased from Shri. Annappa Swamy and put up a
library building with a tiled roof with the grant-in-aid and other amounts
collected from the public. Shri. T.R. Raghava Panicker, Thandasseril
(Thalasseril), the headmaster of the adjacent Girls High School too encouraged
the development of this library. In 1987-92, a double storied modern building
with concrete roof was erected. The library is housed in the first floor and
the ground floor is rented out at 4000 rupees per mensum, which fetched a
reasonable income for payment of salary to the librarian, sweeper and maintenance
of library building. The Library Council of Kerala has recognized this as an ‘A’
grade library and it is receiving grant-in-aid. I reliably understand that the
grant given is not enough to purchase new and important books in various fields
and therefore the grant has to be enhanced considerably. A committee would be
formed to select books and periodicals from the publishers directly.
The Malayalam daily news papers like Mathrubhumi,
Desabhimani, Janayugam, Madyamam, Janmabhumi and English news papers like Times
of India Peoples Democracy and Gruhalekshmi magazine are supplied free of cost
and they have good readership in this library.
Short stories, poetries, dramas, life-history,
auto-biography, classics, fiction, historical books and science books were also
read. Epics, Geetha, Bible, Koran are available for reference. Other important
newspapers, career guidance magazines, agricultural magazines, children’s
magazines, and film magazines are to be subscribed in this library. I have
noted that more than 80% of the Islanders are regular subscribers of daily
newspapers in Malayalam. Some of them subscribe English daily newspapers like
Indian Express, The Hindu, Times of India and Deccan Herald.
The library encouraged the youngsters to write short
stories and poems and gave them opportunities to present them in the library
hall. Shri. Mohandas Chaniyil, one of the voracious readers of this library and
a former principal of Govt. College Trippunithura, is the moderator for such
events. Talented young members of this library published their books like “Farrah – a Kashmiri Girl” by Srijith and
“Rathri-Mulla Chuvannappol” by
Mirraj.
Shri. Vikraman (Kaimal) Master, Kannampilly (Lekshmi
Vilasom), is an intelligent, and a good teacher. He is a soft spoken, slim and
simple in his attire. He used to teach in the Girls High School at Kumbalam. He
was an active member of the ‘Deseeya
Vikasana Samithy’, (National Development Committee of Kumbalam). At a very
young age he exhibited his talents to compose the ‘Vanchipatt’. Shri. Damodharan Poti, the then Minister of PWD came
to inspect the Kumbalam-Thevara ferry area to assess the suitability to
construct a bridge to the mainland. For that event the folk song composed by
him was sung in the canoe while the minister was taken to Kumbalam. This young
talent was appreciated by all. The minister congratulated Vikraman Master
personally. Due to that inspiration he wrote a few poetry books; 1. English
Grammer ‘Ottamthullal’, 2. ‘Thalam’, 3. ‘Malayala Vyakarana Ganam’, 4. ‘Neethimante
Raktham’ and 5. ‘Annathe Soothram’.
All these books were published by N.B.S. He was awarded a fellowship by the
Ministry of Human Resources, Kerala. His name is mentioned as a poet in
Samastha Kerala Parishit Directory. I humbly tender this little bouquet of
roses, an appreciation, in recognition for his love and contribution to
Malayalam literature.
Shri. Premoose Perincheri, one of my contemporaries in
Sacred Heart College at Thevara, is a noted Malayalam novelist from Panangad. Shri.
Sarasan Chittel has written a few plays and he successfully staged them in
festival grounds. They are all members of this library. The rural libraries organize
cultural programmes also as part of their anniversary celebrations.
There were actively functioning drama clubs and
literary clubs at Kumbalam. Dramas and other cultural programmes used to be
frequently staged. Many drama actors and literary workers in Kumbalam began
their career in these clubs. In 1960s Netaji Arts Club was founded by Raghava
Kaimal Thalasseril, Majeed Murikkel and others and started functioning in the
building belonging to Rajan Embramthiri at Kumbalam south.
The PKM Arts Club with a reading room was started
functioning in 1988 in the central area of Kumbalam. Kaladharan Pallipurath,
Subranabian Moolakkal and Gokulan Vathuveettil were the founders of this club. The
club promoted sports and games as well as other cultural activities. They used
to conduct a popular football tournament; and a lot of teams from the nearby
districts participated in it. Another Reading Room sponsored by the Communist
Marxist party is functioning near the panchayat pond at Kumbalam. Sree Narayana
Arts Club functioned in the plot given by Narayanan Master Pazhayakolil. There
is another National Library and Reading Room at Kumbalam north area founded by
youngsters like A.P. Anthony. Lawrence Kelanthara, Ouseppachan Thayamkeril
(East), Sudhakaran Vazhavelil and others. Another library is functioning near
Kamoth area at Panangad. The politicians and social activists were the organizers
and leaders of the rural library movement. They considered this work in the
broader frame of their political and social activities.
The
enthusiasm of the earlier generations of library activists is also lacking
today. Most of the rural libraries function only in evenings or mornings,
during which readers went to libraries and reading rooms in search of serious
writings on important social issues.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRS
An autobiography
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@google.com
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
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