We
used to get enough paddies for our use and the balance was sold in the open
market. Jacob and I used to supervise all the work like - tilling the soil,
sowing, replanting, weeding, manuring and harvesting. It was very interesting
to watch the re-planting of seedlings, and the harvesting with sickles, and
trampling out grain on threshing floor. There was such a festive air as women
worked to the accompaniment of folk songs sung aloud by Thanka, (a gorgeous
woman, wife of Purushan who was the grandson of Ayyan Nurukanni), one of the
best singers among the women workers. While cutting with sickles and binding the
grains the other women workers joined her for the chorus. Folk songs like
-
“Ponnriyan Padathe. Chudum Konde..e….
Illimulam Kaderi Pokum Katte…e--.
Yi Pavizha Padathu Neeyum Vayo…o…..
Yi Pavizha Padathu Neeyum Vayo…o….”
Hoyyaro…
Hoyyaro… Hoyya. (Chorus)
Here, the workers in the
paddy fields are beckoning, “the winds that carried the heat from the paddy
fields, grown with Ponnriyan paddy, into the
bamboo forest.” The summer heat is unbearable and “the workers are requesting
the winds to carry the heat from their workplace also, which is ready for
harvest.”
Yet
another folk song that lingers on my mind is as follows: -
“Yellarum Padathu Swarnam Vithachu.
Yen Yente Padathu Swapnam Vithachu.
Swarnam Vilanjathum Nooru Meni…
Swapnam Vilanjathum Nooru Meni…”
She
sang, “Everyone sowed gold in their paddy fields; but she sowed dreams in her
paddy field. However, both yielded
hundred percent.”
This
song was written by a well-known lyricist Shri. Vayalar Rama Varma. This film
song was sung by a veteran playback singer Smt. P. Suseela.
These
songs bring to my memory those picturesque scenes in my tiny village during the
harvest season. These simple joyous expressions on their faces are all things
of the past! Years later during my travel in and outside Kerala I observed that
this was a very common sight – “Women donned in their work attire, a ‘Kaily Mundu’, coloured check
dhoti, and a colourful blouse with a ‘Pottu’ a red round bindhi or any other
mark and colour of their choice on their foreheads singing out during the times
of replanting and harvesting, all this colour and music transformed the entire
paddy field into a stage performance.”
This is a typical picturesque scene prevalent in most parts of India and
the South East.
These
men and women in the paddy fields belonged to the lowest castes in the caste
ridden society. They lived in miserable huts
often sheltered the livestock as well as the family. Their doors so low one had to stoop to enter and the huts were poorly
lighted. Their clothing was coarse and
their food was scanty. They had to work hard and their compensation was small.
They had little opportunity for travel, education and amusement. I have heard a
few landlords punished them severely for slight offences and were deprived of
medical aid and in some cases, of spiritual comfort.
They were down trodden, who were socially, culturally, economically and
educationally backward. They did not have any platform to express their
feelings of love and affection towards their beloved heroes, leaders and
brethren and also express their love of nature. They recognized their
dependence on Mother Nature to produce their crops, and in time of drought they
offered sacrifices and psalms of praise to persuade the spirits to grant
favourable growing seasons and bountiful harvests.
They
did not have another stage to air out
their grievances against atrocities meted out to them by their landlords,
kings, police or any other officials who governed them. So singing was an ideal
medium for them to open up through a melodious note.
I
cherish to re-create the environment but the prohibitive labour charges and
lack of sincere, devoted and efficient workers deter me from doing so. Those
years of total uncompromising dedication is a story of yester years. Mechanization is the one and only dependable
alternative to improve agricultural production.
Excerpts from
MEMOIRSR
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
