Man with No Equals

 Baba Saheb - Man With No Equals

Courtesy:Google pic

“The man standing mighty holding the Constitution of India” is the figure that dawn on our mind as we come across the name  Bharat Ratna Dr. B.R Ambedkar. Popularized as the father of Indian Constitution, Ambedkar had a political as well as intellectual life brimming with pious political motive and a soulful quest to inculcate his fellow beings with humanity. Nonetheless, Ambedkar’s identity has strangely been restricted within a stereotypical profile as the Messiah of the Dalits in India. His immense contributions in the field of Economics and his exemplar personality as a true legislator, Feminst thinker have never been channelized into discussions so often that, his conspicuous absence in mainstream literature and history, often begs a question. 

Born in 14th April 1891, as the last child of Ramji Maloji Sakpal and Bhimabai Sakpal in a Mahr family, Ambedkar had an upbringing unusual from that of other children in his community. At an early age itself, his father realised his appetite for knowledge and supported him with his meagre income. Further, Ambedkar’s intellectual pursuits were sponsored by the Maharaja of Baroda, who was greatly impressed by his intellect and passion for academics. Armed with a double doctorate in Economics from the prestigious Columbia University in the US and the London School of Economics, Ambedkar’s profound academic background was used by him for instrumenting policies that catered to the welfare of the common man in India.

Ambedkar and his quotes

Ambedkar’s vision for an egalitarian society; where all individuals are treated equally, emerges from having had a profound academic background and a cosmopolitan outlook towards life. B.R Ambedkar’s contributions in building a stable Socio-Economic foundation for India, are unparalleled and exceptional, aiding even in the formulation of present day economic and social policies. It is an injustice to reduce Ambedkar to his immediate identity and deny him his rightful position in Indian Society. More often than not such a multifaceted life was reduced to one or two aspect of his rich and fulfilling life, namely his sustained effort towards upliftment of Dalits and his contributions towards framing of Constitution of India.  . 

But in the 21st Century, something tangible is happening. Ambedkar remerges with vigour and vitality and his thoughts and writings are finding new followers. An Ambedkar consciousness is awakening in our universities, in minds of men and women, who are finding constitutional morality vastly at odds with social morality. The nation is rightly rediscovering Ambedkar and his missions and it is our duty to push the Ambedkar caravan ahead…for a better egalitarian future. This article, aims to throw light into rediscovering an unexplored Ambedkar, with a purpose of initiating an intellectual discourse, where the often-neglected dimensions of Ambedkar, as a renowned Economist, Policy Maker, Feminist thinker are put to discussion. 

An Economist of unparalleled originality

“Ambedkar is my Father in Economics……His contribution in the field of economics is marvelous and will be remembered forever….” 

[Professor Amartya Sen, 6th Indian Nobel Laureate(year)]

Ambedkar’s prowess as an economist of originality can be recognized from the above-mentioned statement by Prof. Amartya Sen. He had a profound understanding of the reasons behind the deep-seated problems that affected the socio-economic environment of Indian Society. All his writings were related to the contemporary problems and they were rich in content and were closely linked with interconnected disciplines. Ambedkar was critical of the Indian social structure that was built on the concept of caste system. Being an academician who got global exposure, he vehemently argued against archaic ideologies that propagated casteism in the Indian soil. In his intellectual discourse “Annihilation of Caste”, Ambedkar strongly opines that true economic development cannot stand in isolation from an established pillar of social democracy. In fact, “Annihilation of Caste” is a constructive critique against certain societal structures that prohibited the growth of Indian economy. His well-versed knowledge about Indian myths and scriptures, prompted his scientific temper to open a discussion on Caste and its intangible ideologies that penetrated deeply within the Indian psyche. According to him, the ideologies of Caste promulgated the concept of Graded inequality in a society, which prevented an individual’s upward mobility in a social ladder. This resulted in contingent poverty, whereby, an individual belonging to the lowest rung of caste structure is denied his basic right to acquire capital and power. Ambedkar thoroughly criticized such injustices and devoted his life to fight for justice and equality.

Ambedkar believed in shaping administrative policies that would ease governance and thereby profit the common man. India being an agrarian economy, Ambedkar’s views on agriculture is worth pointing out, where he voiced in favored the nationalization of land whereby, the exploitation of the poor farmers could be averted. Further, he opined that population growth and disguised unemployment resulted in the lack of productivity in India. His support for industrialization back then could be seen as measure to increase productivity and modernize Indian economy. He was instrumental in bringing about several agrarian reforms to benefit the poor farmers.

Being a country as vast and diverse as ours with uneven socio economic resources, Ambedkar perceived the importance of having a sound fiscal relationship between the Centre and State to be the backbone of cohesive federal polity. According to him, good administration depends on good finance, for finance is the fuel to the whole administrative machine. With this view in his mind, he laid foundation to the idea of setting up a Finance Commission in India. His vision of sharing collective responsibility between the Centre-State and his ideas of better democratic institution remains relevant even today. One of his theses, “The problem of Rupee- its origin and its solution” became the guiding tool for the RBI Act 1934 and the other “Provincial decentralization of Imperial Finance in British India” later paved way for the establishment of a strong Centre-State fiscal relationship, that persists today in our country.

People Centered Policy Maker

In 1945, while discussing the functions of Comptroller and Auditor General of India, Ambedkar pointed out the importance of judicious spending of public fund. He argued that the money which was collected from the common man in the form of tax must be spent keeping in view the rules and regulations binding public expenditure. Thus, he favored for an economy which should thrive on faithfulness, transparency and wisdom. His principles on expenditure of public fund are known as Ambedkar’s Canon of Public Expenditure.

Ambedkar’s path to modernity was envisaged on the concept of providing free access to utilities without discrimination. Under his stellar leadership, Central Water Commission and Central Electricity Authority was convened, to study the optimal use of resources in India. He formulated his vision for water projects keeping in mind the Tennessee Valley scheme of USA. It was Ambedkar   who was behind the idea of building the first multipurpose river valley project known as “Damodar Valley Project”.  As part of National water policy, his objective was to control floods in surrounding regions and help farmers through irrigation. His initiative laid foundation to building Bhakra-Nagal Dam in Punjab which is the highest gravity dam, Hirakud Dam (longest major earthen dam) and Sone river valley project.  

In his short spell as a Labour Member of Viceroy’s Executive Council from 1942 to 1946, Ambedkar championed for introducing several welfare and social security measures protecting the interest of the working class. He was pivotal in establishment of the Employment Exchange and argued for the machinery for fixation of minimum remuneration, fixation of working hours from 12 to 8 etc. The Indian Trade Union Amendment Act, The Factories Act, The Payment of Wage Act, The Coal Mines Safety Amendment Bill 1944, The Coal Mines Provident Fund and Bonus Scheme Act, 1948 saw light under his stewardship.

As a Feminist Thinker

Ambedkar identified women as equal and capable of bringing potent socio-economic changes in a society. With his legal prowess, he framed laws protecting the interest of women who remained subservient to the patriarchal norms of the society and gave them legal insights to break from the bondage of patriarchy. He embarked on a legal journey battling against the wrongs of the society, which led him to draft bills specifically safeguarding the rights of women. In 1928, he was instrumental in placing the Maternity Benefit Bill in Bombay legislative Assembly.  He urged women to have equal rights to property and a committee was setup under his leadership, to study the Hindu Code Bill which encompassed matters regarding equal right to property, orders of succession among different heirs to property of a deceased, maintenance, marriage and divorce. 

His journals “Mook Nayak” and “Bahiskrit Bharat” opened an independent space for women writers to discuss the plight of women in India and for echoing their voice for a dignified social status. As a law minister in British India, Ambedkar pushed for legislation on family planning and took measures for the enactment of Universal adult franchise for women in India, thereby providing a fundamental right for women to take political decisions. Ambedkar followed the path of Savitri Phule who pioneered the Indian feminist movements and advocated for the importance of imparting education to women. 

The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, embodies his understanding of women empowerment in Indian context. This revolutionary jurisprudence gave women the right to divorce and maintenance in some cases, the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, which gave women the right to inherit family property, the Hindu Adoption and Maintenance Act, 1956, which allowed them to legally adopt a child etc. In charting the history of women empowerment in India, Ambedkar’s role was not limited to armchair activism. He ensured that both at government and legal space, measures are enacted to safeguard the interest of women. His view on developing a collective, fraternal organization that is led and managed by women- promoting education, creating self- awareness on social issues, is critical in transforming Indian Society. 

As a Constitutionalist

When the British left India in 1947, one of the major issues faced by the political leaders in India was the making of a constitution. Most of the powerful and Independent nations of the world functioned on a fulcrum of laws, designed specifically in their socio-political-economic interest. India being in a nascent form of its political imagination, it was important, to have a book of law for its governance. Dr. B R Ambedkar’s name was collectively suggested by the Constituent Assembly of India, for drafting the Indian Constitution, owing to his immense wisdom in Political governance and his cogent understanding of the matters of law governing Nations and Nature. Thus on 29 August 1947, he was elected chairman of the drafting committee of the Indian Constitution.

This legal luminary laid the stones of constitutional road map for India, sowing seeds of Justice, Equality, Liberty and Fraternity on its either sides with a hope that they will thrive well in Indian Soil. He broke the obstructionist and archaic laws of the land and tried to shape the course of Modern India, infusing the principles of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity as cohesive whole in pushing the constitutional goals of Socio- Economic- Political justice. His insight into the contradictions that exists in our society and the importance of cultivating a constitutional morality in the minds of its citizens could be realised through his own words that “Constitutional morality is not a natural sentiment. It has to be cultivated. We must realise that our people have yet to learn it. Democracy in India is only a top-dressing on an Indian soil which is essentially undemocratic.” 

Indian Constitution is not just a book of law steering the administration of India, but it is a social contract by the people, of the people and for the people of India, keeping in mind that their fundamental rights as citizens of this country remains safeguarded. Article 32, of the Constitution gives judicial respite when our constitutionally guaranteed rights are being denied and where the social contract between ‘we the people of India’ is infringed. Rightfully considered as the “Soul of the Constitution”, this article in itself is one of the greatest contributions of  Dr. B R Ambedkar, as the Captain who steered the wheels of the drafting committee of Indian Constitution. 

Conclusion

Dr. B R Ambedkar makes us all wonder how a man can be so self-actuated to his immense potential, undeterred and ongoing with full of passion and certitude against the immensity of adversities. He envisioned a society where dignity of an individual is not determined by the Caste to which he is born but by the quality of his thoughts and actions. His views were fashioned much ahead of his time and even in the 21st Century, it finds a cardinal space for dialogue in our society, where the undercurrents of casteism and gender inequality still prevail. His core conviction in inducing the moral principles of Justice, Equality and Liberty in Indian Society, makes him an extraordinaire with rare vision in the history of India.

CHINDAMBARASMARANA

 

"ഷാഹിനയ്ക്ക് മിണ്ടാൻ കഴിയും മുമ്പേ ഞാൻ അവളുടെ തീപ്പൊളളിച്ചരണ്ടു പോയ കവിളിൽ അമർത്തി ഒരുമ്മ കൊടുത്തു."

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This is one of my favourite lines from the poet's autobiography titled Chindambarasmarana. Written in an ordinary layman style devoid of the heftiness of any poetic interferences, Balachandran Chullikad has allowed his readers to know about him and an era when he barely was aware that he was laying foundations to his poetic career while living from hand to mouth, feeding his hunger using his eloquence for expressions. There are no pompous decorations of self as an acclaimed poet, but there are instances of vivid descriptions of his unapologetic humane weaknesses, intimate moments, the troubled waters he sailed through disdaining his family.

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Sounding undisguised as ever, Chidambarasmarana is a closely knitted affair weaved out of the poet's worldly experiences. A deeply touching work.

ETHIRU

"Ethiru" by M.Kunjamman offers a profound academic exploration of the economic injustices meted out to the sub-altern, dalit and adivasis in the society. Written in a scholarly language, his writings unearth the deep seated casteist intrusions of a highly polarised society into the personal development of an individual who belonged to a dalit community. The book begins with an anecdote about a day when kunjamman was served porridge on soil and how the landlord's dog too wrestled with him for the same porridge. Little Kunjamman doesn’t give up. He accepts his struggle as the struggle between two dogs!

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Though written with a personal touch, the book is not just throwing light upon kunjamman's life. It is a deduction of his academic experiences, scholarly research and interaction with his community. He clearly manifests the struggle for land rights and land ownership of the adivasis and the dalits and sarcastically criticizes the left ideologies for their lack of empathy for the downtroddens. He breaks light to the fact that only the rich and the upper caste get seated in the top rungs of the political parties irrespective of whether it is politburo or the planning board and it is their decisions that get manifested into actions. 

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Kunjamman envisions the adivasis and dalits to become a property owning democracy and advocates them to shape their life to par with a capitalist society. Sometimes found as an utopian idea, but his academic expertise as a Professor of Economics and his indepth know-how give way to the thought that only wealth can save man from the clutches of caste or religion. "Ethiru" is indeed the fight of Kunjamman. An intelligent piece of work

ATTENTION PLEASE!

Attention Please, is a Brilliantly crafted movie, successfully maintaining a spine tingling effect till the very end. Rarely, does one come across the politics of identity being dealt with such ingenuity. And what a terrific performance by the actor, Vishnu Govindhan!

It was the dawn of another much awaited weekend, as i sat glued to the phone screen, scanning through the movies enlisted in the OTT platforms. I confusedly swiped them one after the other, unable to narrow down to a film or a series. That was when, Attention Please, grabbed my attention. I suddenly googled the movie to find out the ratings, irrespective of the fact that at times, I do end up disliking movies with great reviews.

Attention Please, started off like the story of five young men, strayed away from their passions of making a mark in the film field and ended up taking odd jobs to make a living. What thought out like a movie with the usual undertones of disappointment and existential crisis in the lives of these men, slowly takes the track for a more serious plot, of Identity; or the Politics behind your Name, Color or Talent. The identity that plugs onto your flesh and blood, that questions your being and your very existence in a society that blankets itself with reformed thoughts of renaissance and at the same time, hiding the whisphers of casteist ideologies perforating within that world.

What is interesting to notice is that the entire story is being narrated from the point of a character who unleashes the culminated feelings of his supressed emotions from being erased from the mainstream, through the words and actions of others. It is a relief to not see a story being narrated from the perspective of a higher caste hero; ensembled as a saviour and hero for the downtrodden.

Refreshingly scripted with the right amount of twists, the movie never disappoints its viewer. Even the background sounds as and when the actor narrates the stories, keeps the viewer in edge. The movie shoots us with the question on who determines the standard of rules governing someone's talent and merit and their interconnections with class.

MANDELA- A QUICK GLIMPSE

Mandela, the Tamil Political satire that got released in the Netflix platform has been garnering attention for all the right reasons.  This Yogi Babu starring film throws light on the socio-political experiments that have always been put into practice by our Political parties at the time of elections. Set in the backdrop of a village that is earmarked by a culturally caste conscious population, the movie tries to portray how such a state of mind among its people could be manipulated and wooed to settle down for freebies and petty politics.

Yogi Babu’s character is the thread bearer of the movie. Ignorant and unaware about his constitutional rights, he is portrayed as someone who neither remembers his birth name nor cared enough to think about it. However, his identity/ Caste is revealed to the viewer through the job he practices and thereby his place in the lower rungs of that society is point blankly revealed in the very beginning of the movie itself. Therefore, it’s an irony that he gets to decide in which direction he needs to pull the thread. Whether he pulls the thread in the right direction or not is something that is left for the audience to watch.

The movie stands out because of the fact that it doesn’t try to preach for a social reformation or make a political statement. There are several scenes in the movie that simply reflects how things work in our society. One among those being the scene where the character runs around from one office to another to apply for his Aadhar Card. The film has got everything power packed in it to make any sensible person realize how political parties make use of Caste, culture and Identity of an individual as their trump card. If you are to take the movie for a serious discussion, it does have a lot to tell you. But the satirical approach adopted by the film maker, makes it more appealing to watch without making its viewer get overtly hurt or disturbed by violence or bloodshed, which are otherwise quite common in any movie that deals with politics of caste or identity.

Mandela is a simple yet thought provoking movie by Madonne Ashwin. The film brilliantly reflects how deeply caste and identity of an individual is intertwined in our society and how precisely the elite political class makes use of it for their gain. The movie has hit the floor at the right time, when the General election Hungama wafted in the Covid hit atmosphere. Now, if you are looking for something worth enough to watch for two hours, then Mandela is a Promising satirical ride. It neither sermonizes by promising to clean the dirty politics nor sounds cliché in its theme. It simply is plain and direct like a mirror that reflects the society in its true essence.

KUVVI- THE STORY ABOUT WAITING.

 

Kuvvi

The sun was like a small bright spot, emerging out from the cloudy shadows of  Perambal. Kuvvi, sat on the periphery of the rocks that were dampened by the rain from the previous nights. He never liked the rain and the dampness that came along with it. But this time, he had no choice, but to sit on the wet rocks and wait. He had been waiting there since some days. His eyes, heavily thoughtful about something. Raju, his neighborhood friend, had never seen Kuvvi being pensive like that.

He told Kuvvi, “Stand up, it is drizzling. Let us go and take cover under some roof.”

               Kuvvi did not respond. He sat there nonchalant, as though he did not hear the words of Raju. He was lost in the abyss of his memories. The memories about a life that got shattered in a split second by the twist of a finger-tip. Gloom enveloped his eyes as the memories began to rush over to his mind. He looked tired.

               Perambal was once home to Kuvvi. The place where he resided along with the family of his master. A small rural hamlet, lined by shafts, that were home to the plantation workers. They would toil hard and come back to their shafts to make peace with the day. It was a small place that contained their happiness and sorrows. Kuvvi lived in one of these shafts that lined the muddy hills.

Every morning he would wake up at 6 and make noise so that his master would wake up and take him for the morning walk. It was a leisurely morning routine he enjoyed very much. Some days, karuppi, the little daughter of his master also accompanied them. They walked along the muddy pathway, channeling the plantation hills. The lush green velvety blanket, which was covered with mist, was something of a scenic pleasure, that made Perambal, a symbol of beauty. Kuvvi would sniff around the moist laden leaves when the shrill voice of Karuppi reaches his ears. “Kuvvi….Kuvvi”….he turns towards her, as her shrill voice reaches his ears. The little girl with a tiny round face, glowing with happiness, came running after him.  Together they would roam around the hilly area enjoying the beauty of the fresh mornings.

 Kuvvi would run towards the horizon, to see the sun waking up slowly from its sleep to brighten up Perambal. He would look at that sight for a brief moment, only to later roam around the hilly areas, sniffing the tiny wild flowers that decorated the hills. His master never put a chain around Kuvvi’s neck. He trusted Kuvvi and knew very well that Kuvvi had already become a part of his family and that he would never run away from them. In fact, kuvvi was a known face to the people of Peramabal. He was liked by everyone and they knew that he would never be a nuisance for them.

               Sarasa, the old woman who went every morning to the plantation to pick tea leaves, made fun of Kuvvi. Jokes that are light hearted and not hurtful! She would ask him, “Hey, Kuvvi, why do you pee only at some specific spots? Kuvvi would wage his tail at her at times. But when the question got repeated every day, he learned the art of paying little attention to her monotonous question.

Karuppi, the little daughter of the Master, was his best friend. Aged seven, she was life to him. The little one played hide and seek with Kuvvi. She would hide in some place, when Kuvvi turned away his head. She would then call out his name. Her shrill sound echoed inside the roof. Kuvvi would come running to sniff her out from the place where she was hiding. Both of them would jump out of joy when Kuvvi found out Karuppi from her hideouts. They continued playing until one of them got tired. Then, they would take rest by the huge tree that gave shades to their home. Kuvvi would lie on the ground, his eyes looking eagerly at karuppi, when she strolled around the tree picking up the dry leaves strewn on the ground. Occasionally she would touch the barks of the tree and hug it. Kuvvi never understood, why the little girl hugged the tree and he felt jealous.

Later in the afternoon, karuppi would give a piece of her fried fish to Kuvvi during the lunch. She gets scolded every time by her mother for that humble act. Karuppi, nevertheless continued the act of giving a daily dose of love, in the form of fried fish to Kuvvi.

Their life went on that way, unperturbed by anything. His master would go to work every day at the plantation factory. When he returns home, kuvvi would run towards him, waging his tail. Sometimes, the master would buy snacks from a small tea-shop at the town. On such days, kuvvi would be brimming with happiness, as his master happily gave him a small portion of the snacks. Every evening, he stood by the tree, waiting for his master to return with the evening specials. Some days, he will be disappointed by his master, when he returns empty handed. Then the master would console Kuvvi, by telling that, “Eda, I will get you something tomorrow.”

How can a poor plantation worker buy snacks every day? Kuvvi never thought that. And his master made sure that, neither Kuvvi nor Karuppi knew about their penury. “You somehow know the magic of living happily with so little you got”, said Kamala, wife of the Master.

It was one such odd day for Kuvvi and her family. Thunder and lightning filled the air. There had been heavy rainfall in Perambal since some days. The place, had never witnessed rain with such a magnitude. The rain lashed out bending the long blades of the grass which had earlier stood in attention with pride, immersing them in the depth of water. Kuvvi, felt uneasy when the long gusty wind began to blow hard twirling the trees in a to and fro motion. Something bad was going to happen, a strange feeling trickled down through his body.

Karuppi got frightened as the loud thunder echoed in the air, sending their small shaft to a shiver. She ran towards her mother for safety. Kamala rubbed karuppi’s hair, consoling her telling that lightning and thunder are the Gods of Nature and that they cannot harm them. The master looked worried of how he will go to work the next day, if it continued raining like that. He couldn’t think of sparing a day’s work. He stood by the door, lost in his thoughts, as it showered heavily outside. It had been some days since he went to work.

Chandran from the next-door home, called out to the master. “Hey, it is raining non-stop.”

“Yes”, replied master with a heavy voice followed by “I am thinking if I will be able to go to work the next day.”

“Yes, it seems difficult, if the rain continues like this” said Chandran.

“It’s always difficult for the poor”, thought the master in despair. Kamala, came towards him at that moment, as though she read these murky thoughts getting clouded in her husband’s mind.

“It will be fine, the next morning. You need not worry”, she assured her husband. Even then the master looked disturbed. She asked him to get inside and have the dinner. The master suddenly looked for Karuppi. The family used to dine together. “She has fallen asleep” said Kamala as she arranged the food on the plate- White rice and long-bean mezuku, with a toast of mango pickle to add more taste to the dinner. The master ate the food half-heartedly, quite unusual of his ways. Because he was a person who always appreciated anything that kamala cooked for them. Kamala knew very well, why her husband looked so anxious. They lived on the meagre amount that the master got from the work. And he had a loan to pay back.

Once they finished having their dinner, Kamala went and gave Kuvvi, a portion of the food, with left over fish curry from the previous day. Kuvvi, did not mind which day the fish was cooked, as long as it was fish. However, on that day, he did not feel like eating. He stood beside the food, not evening taking a look at it. Kamala bursted out at him, for not eating. She yelled at Kuvvi telling, “Why? Can’t you eat the food because it was mixed with the fish curry from the other day? You used to eat them noh? She kept asking Kuvvi.  Kuvvi however, stood adamant by not even taking a look at the food.

Outside, the rain poured heavily when they extinguished the lanterns and went to sleep. Darkness engulfed the home, just like the thoughts that engulfed the mind of Kuvvi and his master. Somehow, both of them could not sleep that night. The master looked at his wife, sleeping peacefully beside him. He wondered, how she could sleep like that.The master got out from the bed. No sooner did he begin to walk towards the door, when a loud sound exploded, leaving everything blacked out.

Morning broke out feverishly. Kuvvi ran here and there, looking for Karuppi and his master. He could not find them. The hills that once looked friendly and home to him, now looked like a distant place.  Everything so familiar and similar seemed to have been washed off. He looked at Perambal, the beauty, which has now been swept under the wreckage of nature. The dark clouds have bent over the hills, wiping out the beautiful mornings from its face. Kuvvi looked around and thought, Yes, there were no beautiful mornings, no shafts, no master, no karuppi to be found anywhere. He wondered, if he got lost in some strange place. Thoughts began to weigh heavily in his mind.  Did the master and family abandon me? No, they can’t!

The dampened air resonated with the siren of the ambulances. Its loud noise rolled over to the ears of Kuvvi, as he sat by the wet rocks, impatiently looking at the bunch of strangers, running around the place, helping the poor who somehow miraculously saved their lives. He wanted to ask them if they had seen his master and family. But he couldn’t utter a word. He got apprehensive if they would understand his language. Words got stuck in his throat. The loud voice of the huge vehicles, that were throwing out the mud from the debris and digging out lifeless bodies that were once familiar and smiling faces, caught Kuvvi’s attention. He had never seen such vehicles before in his life.

Perambal, a once beautiful memory, now seeped into Kuvvi, like an aftermath of grief that got trickled down from his eyes. It’s been day three since Kuvvi has been searching for his best friend and his Master. Everybody now began to notice the dog that was patiently waiting by the side of the dampened rocks, where once his small house stood. At times, he looked doubtful if Master and Karuppi were playing hide and seek with him. Lost as though in a dream, he hears the shrill voice of karuppi calling out his name, “Kuvvi…Kuvvi”, the little girl with a small round face came running towards him. Kuvvi suddenly took a leap from the wet rocks and ran forward, hoping against hope, that he would find out his Master and karuppi from their hideouts!

സംസ്കാരത്തിലേക്ക് ഒരു തിരിഞ്ഞുനോട്ടം

           ആഫ്രിക്കൻ ഭൂഘണ്ടത്തിൽ നിലനിന്നിരുന്ന ഇഖ്‌ബോ സാംസ്കാരിക വൈഭവത്തെ പിൻബലമാക്കികൊണ്ട്  അതിശയകരമായ  തന്മയത്വത്തോടുകൂടി പ്രശസ്ത എഴുത്തുകാരൻ ചിന്നുവാ അച്ചബെ എഴുതിയ കൃതി ആണ് " സർവവും ശിഥിലമാക്കുന്നു അഥവാ Things fall Apart എന്ന മാൻ ബുക്കർ പ്രൈസിന് അർഹമായ നോവൽ.  വെള്ളക്കാരന്റെ അദിനിവേശവും തുടർന്നുണ്ടാക്കുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങളും ആണ് പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ ഇതിവൃത്തം. പുസ്തകത്തിലെ മറ്റേതൊരു കഥാപാത്രത്തിനും നൽകിയ അതെ പ്രാധാന്യം  ആഫ്രിക്കൻ സംസ്കാരത്തിനും എഴുത്തുകാരൻ നൽകുന്നുണ്ട്.

             പുസ്തകത്തിന്റെ പേരിൽ നിന്നു തന്നെ വായനക്കാരന്  പരോക്ഷമായി നോവലിന്റെ ഉള്ളടകം സൂചകമാകുന്നുണ്ട്. എന്നാൽ നോവലിലെ പ്രധാന ഭാഗങ്ങളിൽ കണ്ണുകൾ ഉടക്കുന്നതിന്  മുൻപേ തന്നെ,ആഫ്രിക്കൻ സംസ്കാരത്തിന്റ  പച്ചയായ ചിത്രം എഴുത്തുകാരൻ  വരച്ചുകാട്ടുന്നു. ഇരുപത്തിയൊന്നാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ നിന്നു കൊണ്ട് തിരിഞ്ഞു നോക്കിയാൽ ഇത്ര കണ്ട് വിപുലവും എന്നാൽ എളുപ്പത്തിൽ  സംഗ്രഹിക്കാൻ പ്രയാസവുമായൊരു സാംസ്കാരിക പ്രത്യാശാസ്ത്രത്തിലാണോ ആ ജനത ജീവിച്ചു പോന്നത് എന്ന് ഒരു നിമിഷം ചിന്തിച്ചുപോയേക്കാം. സംസ്കാരമെന്നത് അങ്ങനെയാണല്ലോ? നമ്മുടെത് പോലെയാകണം  മറ്റുള്ളവയും  എന്ന് വാശി പിടിക്കാനാവില്ലലോ. 

           കാലാകാലങ്ങളായി ശീലിച്ചുപോന്ന സംസ്കാരത്തെ ഒരു നിമിഷം കൊണ്ട് പിഴുത് എറിയുവാൻ നമുക്ക്  സാധിക്കില്ല. എന്നാൽ കൃത്യമായ ഇടപെടലോടുകൂടി  സൂക്ഷ്മമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ വരുത്തുവാൻ സാധ്യമാണെന്ന  ഉദ്ദാഹരണമായി ചരിത്രപരമായ  ഈ നോവൽ മാറിക്കഴിഞ്ഞു. നിഷിതമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ എന്നതിനപ്പുറം ബൗദ്ധികമായി  നെയ്തെടുത്ത മാറ്റങ്ങളായി ഇവയെ സമീപിക്കാം.

                     ഒരു പുസ്തകത്തെ പറ്റി എഴുതുമ്പോൾ അതിന്റെ കഥയോടു ഒരടി അകലം പാലിക്കണം എന്ന് പലപ്പോഴും തോന്നാറുണ്ട്. വായനക്കാരന് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ  വായനാനുഭവം തന്റെ അവകാശമാണെന്ന്  മാനിക്കുന്നെന്നത്  കൊണ്ടു തന്നെ കഥയെ പറ്റി ഞാൻ എഴുതുന്നില്ല. അത് നിങ്ങൾ വായിച്ചറിഞ്ഞോളൂ.

  ഈ പുസ്തകത്തിൽ എന്നെ അതിയായി ആകർഷിച്ചൊരു വസ്തുത അന്യമായികൊണ്ടിരിക്കുന്നൊരു സംസ്കാരത്തെതിനെ കുറിച്ച് ആഴത്തിൽ   അറിയാൻ സാധിച്ചെന്നുള്ളതാണ്.ആഫ്രിക്ക എന്ന ഭൂഘണ്ടത്തെ ഒരു വ്യക്തിയോടു സാമ്യപ്പെടുത്തിയാൽ, ( പ്രധാന കഥാപാത്രം )ആ വ്യക്തിയിൽ ഉണ്ടാകുന്ന മാറ്റങ്ങൾ ~ അയാളുടെ ജനനം, തുടങ്ങി ജീവിച്ചു വന്ന കാലഘട്ടങ്ങളിൽ ഉടലെടുക്കുന്ന രീതി, ഒരു പക്ഷേ ഒരു ഗ്രീക്ക് ട്രാജിക് ഹീറോ കഥാപാത്രത്തിന് സമാനമായി പ്രകടമാകുന്ന ഉയർച്ചയും താഴ്ചയും, അത് പോലെ അവിസ്മരണിയമായ  ഒരു പ്രക്രിയായി  നോക്കി കാണാൻ സാധിക്കും. കാലമത്രയും അയാൾ  അടിയുറച്ചു വിശ്വസിച്ചുപോന്ന സംസ്കാരത്തിന്റെ വളർച്ചയുടെ ഗതി അത്യുന്നതമായ വായനാനുഭവം സമ്മാനിക്കുന്നു.കാത്തുപോന്ന  സംസ്കാരത്തിന്റെ ഊർന്നു പോയ വേരുകൾ അടറിത്തിയെറിയുമ്പോൾ അനുഭവിക്കേണ്ടി വരുന്ന ദാരുണതകൾ തികച്ചും തന്മയത്വത്തോടു കൂടി  ഈ നോവൽ വ്യക്തമാക്കിത്തരുന്നു. വർഷങ്ങൾക്കിപ്പുറം ഇന്നും  ഇത്തരം പിഴുതുമാറ്റലുകൾ  ആവർത്തിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു എന്നത് നമ്മൾ മറന്നുകൊണ്ട് ഓർക്കുന്ന ഒന്നാണ്.

        മന്ത്രവാദത്തിൽ അടിയുറച്ചു വിശ്വസിക്കുന്ന ഒരു ജനത. ഒരു കുഞ്ഞ് ജനിക്കുമ്പോൾ അതിന്റെ ജീവിതം സന്തോഷകരമായിരിക്കുമോ അതോ അത് നാശത്തിലേക്ക് ആണോ നീങ്ങുന്നതെന്നത് കുട്ടിയെ പ്രതിനിധാനം ചെയ്യുന്ന "ച്ചി" അഥവാ പരദേവതേയെ  ആശ്രയിച്ചിരിക്കും എന്ന് കരുതുന്ന മാതാപിതാക്കൾ. ഇനി അഥവാ ആ കുഞ്ഞുങ്ങൾ ദാരുണമായി മരണപ്പെട്ടു പോവുകയാണെങ്കിൽ അവയെ  തീർച്ചയായും പ്രേതലോകവുമായി ബന്ധിപ്പിക്കുന്ന എന്തോ ഒരു ഘടകം അവരിലുണ്ട് എന്ന വിശ്വാസവും,  ആ അദൃശ്യ  ബന്ധം മുറിച്ചു മാറ്റുന്നതിന് അവർ ശീലിച്ചു പോന്ന പ്രത്യേകതരം വിശ്വാസങ്ങളും അനുഷ്ഠാനങ്ങളും,നമ്മളിൽ അതിശയം ഉണർത്തും. ജീവിതത്തിൽ ഏത് പ്രതിസന്ധിയുണ്ടായാലും അതിന് പ്രതിവിധി  നല്കാൻ അബ്ബാല എന്ന് പേരായ വെളിച്ചപ്പാടിന് ദൈവഹിതം അരുളാൻ സാധിക്കും എന്ന് കണടച്ചു വിശ്വസിക്കുന്ന ഒരു കൂട്ടം ജനങ്ങൾ .  

             കാച്ചിൽ ആണ് പ്രധാന ഭക്ഷണം. അവർ അത് കൃഷിചെയ്യുന്നതും വിളവെടുക്കുന്നതും  പോലും അവരുടെ പരദേവതകളെ പ്രിതിപ്പെടുത്തികൊണ്ടാണ്. പരദേവതയുടെ ക്ഷോഭംപൂണ്ടാൽ അവരുടെ കുലം തന്നെ നശിച്ചുപൊകും എന്നവർ ഭയന്നുപോന്നിരുന്നതിനാലാണത്. ആഴ്ചകളോളം നീണ്ടു നില്ക്കുന്ന കാച്ചിൽ ഉത്സവം, അതിനു മുന്നോടിയായി  ആചരിക്കുന്ന ശാന്തിമുഹൂർത്തവും അവിസ്മരണിയമായ ആചാരാനുഷ്ഠാനങ്ങൾ തന്നെയാണ്.

           ഇത്തരം സംസ്കാരങ്ങളിൽ ഒരു പെണ്ണിന്റെ പദവി എന്താണ് എന്ന് അറിയുവാൻ എനിക്ക് ആകാംക്ഷ തോന്നി. ഒരു പുരുഷനു എത്ര പേരെ വേണമെങ്കിലും ഭാര്യയാക്കാം. ഈ ഭാര്യമാർ അയാളുടെ കൂടെ എതിർപ്പ് ഒന്നും കൂടാതെ ജീവിച്ചു പോന്നു. ഭർത്താവിനെ പേരേടെത്തു വിളിക്കാം എന്നതലാതെ പ്രത്യേകിച്ചു അവർക്ക് എന്തെങ്കിലും സ്ഥാനമാനങ്ങൾ ഉള്ളതായി കണക്കാക്കിയിരുന്നില്ല.  ആദ്യ ഭാര്യക്ക് മറ്റു ഭാര്യമാരേക്കാൾ  മുൻതൂക്കം ലഭിക്കും എന്ന് മാത്രം. പല ചടങ്ങുകളിലും ഭാര്യമാർ ക്രമാനുസരേണയാണ്  പങ്കെടുക്കുന്നത്. ഭർത്താവ് തന്റെ ഭാര്യമാർ പ്രത്യകം പ്രത്യകം ഉണ്ടാക്കുന്ന ആഹാരം ഭക്ഷിക്കുകയും അവരോടൊപ്പും ശയിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നു. അവർ ഒരുമിച്ച് ഭർത്താവിനെ കൃഷിയിൽ സഹായിക്കുന്നു, തങ്ങളുടെ കുട്ടികളെ ഒരുമിച്ച് വളർത്തുന്നു. ഈ സ്ത്രീകളുടെ ഇടയിൽ എന്തെങ്കിലും പക്ഷഭേതപരമായ വഴക്കുകളൊന്നും തന്നെ കാണാനും സാധിക്കുന്നില്ല. അതുകൊണ്ട് തന്നെ അവർ അത്തരം കുടുംബ വ്യവ്സഥകളിൽ അടിയുറച്ചു ജീവിച്ചിരുന്നു എന്ന് വായനക്കാരന് മനസ്സിലാക്കാൻ സാധിക്കും. മനുഷ്യൻ പ്രത്യക്ഷപരമായി ഒരാളിൽ മാത്രം ഒതുങ്ങുന്നില്ല എന്നതിന്റെ സാക്ഷ്യപ്പെടുത്തൽ.

           പ്രധാന കഥാപാത്രത്തിന്റെ രണ്ടാം ഭാര്യ തന്റെ സ്വന്തം ഇഷ്ടാനുസരണം മുൻ ഭർത്താവിനെ വേണ്ടന്നു വെയ്ക്കുകയും തുടർന്നു ഈ കഥാനായകനെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കുകയുമാണ് ചെയ്യുന്നത്. തന്റെ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പിൽ പൂർണ്ണമായ സ്വതന്ത്ര്യം അവർ ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നുയെന്നത് എന്നെ അതിശയപ്പിച്ചു. സാധാരണ ഗതിയിൽ നിന്നും തികച്ചും വ്യത്യസ്തം! അവരുടെ വിപുലമായ വിവാഹ ആഘോഷങ്ങൾ അവരുടെ ഗോത്ര സംസ്കാരവുമായി ഇടകലർന്നിരിക്കുന്നു.

                      ഇത്തരം സംസ്കാര പശ്ചാത്തലത്തിൽ എന്തെങ്കിലും മാറ്റങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ടു വരാൻ ശ്രമിച്ചാൽ അത് എത്ര കണ്ട് പ്രക്ഷുബധമാകും എന്നത് വ്യക്തമാണ്. അവരുടെ സാംസ്‌കാരിക മൂല്യങ്ങൾ നമ്മളിൽ നിന്നും തികച്ചും വ്യത്യസ്തമാണ്. എന്നാൽ അതിലെ തെറ്റും ശരിയും എന്താണ് എന്നത് വേർതിരിക്കാൻ വായനക്കാരന്  സാധിക്കുമോയെന്നനിക്കറിയില്ല. അവരിൽ പ്രകടമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ കൊണ്ടു വരുന്നതും അവരുടെ മണ്ണിൽ പുതിയ ഒരു സംസകാരം കാൽവെയ്പ്  നടത്തുന്നതും  ശരിയോ തെറ്റോ എന്നത് ചിന്തിപ്പിക്കുന്നൊരു വസ്തുതയാണ് .

         നോവലിൽ ബ്രിട്ടിഷ് സംസ്കാരം എങ്ങനെ അതിന്റെ വേരുകൾ ആഫ്രിക്കൻ മണ്ണിൽ ഊന്നിയതെന്നും എത്രത്തോളം കുടിലമായി  അവരുടെ മതത്തെയും ആചാരങ്ങളെയും അവിടെ പ്രതിഷ്ഠിച്ചതെന്നും എഴുത്തുകാരൻ കാണിച്ചു തരുന്നു. സ്വന്തം ആചാരങ്ങളെയും പരദേവങ്ങളെയും സംരക്ഷിക്കുന്നതിന് വേണ്ടി മനുഷ്യൻ തമ്മിലടിക്കുന്നത് ഇന്നും ഇന്നലെയും തുടങ്ങിയ കാര്യം അല്ലയെന്നും അത് മനുഷ്യരാശിയോളം നീണ്ടു നില്ക്കാൻ കെല്പുള്ള ഒരു ആചാരമാണെന്നും നോവൽ കാട്ടി തരുന്നു.

            കാലഘട്ടങ്ങൾ എത്ര താണ്ടി വന്നതായാലും മനുഷ്യന് അവന്റെ സംസ്കാരത്തെ ഒരിക്കലും തളളി പറയുവാൻ സാധിക്കില്ല. 21ാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ നാം ജീവിക്കുമ്പോഴും മേൽ പറഞ്ഞ കാര്യങ്ങൾ  തികച്ചും വസ്തുതാപരമായ ഒരാശയമാണ്. അമ്പരചുംബികളായ സൗധങ്ങൾ നമ്മൾ കെട്ടിപ്പടുക്കുമ്പോഴും മറ്റൊരു ആചാരത്തെയോ സംസ്കാരത്തേയൊ ഉന്മൂലനം ചെയ്യാൻ ശ്രമിക്കുമ്പോഴും സംസ്കാരം എന്നത് അത്ര വേഗം പിഴുതെറിയാൻ പറ്റാത്ത ഒന്നാണെന്ന് വ്യക്തമാകുന്നത്  21ാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ ജീവിക്കുന്ന നാം 19-ാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൽ നടന്ന സംഭവത്തെ കുറിച്ചു ഇന്നും വായനയുടെ ഭാഗമാക്കുമ്പോഴാണ്.

            

NOT A BOOK REVIEW

NOT A BOOK REVIEW

     
                There is a calm wind blowing outside accompanied by a heavenly shower. The best time, for the mind to brood over anything and to dig deep into the canyons of your creativity to see if anything worth would sprout out from beneath the brain onto the blank white paper. Words, are sometimes elusive, putting you on a phase called “writer’s block”. I looked at my shelf to take note of the books that are chattering to one another trying to grab my attention. They are eagerly waiting to recite their tales.

‘The Book Thief’ suddenly took a leap out from the top of the shelf and jumped into my hands. Oh Slowly! I screamed at it as I tried not to miss catching hold of it. While I stood quiet shockingly in disbelief, at what had just happened a few seconds back, the Book Thief giggled at me, saying it was the No:1 International Best Seller, with an air of pride. Of course! I smiled. The glistening hard cover of the book decorated in grey and white hues, with the name printed on it in bright red color, caught my attention. I slowly flipped through its pages, trying to breath in the fragrance of the bright black words poetically layered on its fading yellow pages.

“This is a story that will live with you”, a strange voice uttered cautiously into my ears. And I replied that, I was looking exactly for something that had a soul and that would live with me once I finished reading it. Liesel Meminger; a small German girl, slowly caught hold of my hands and led me to accompany her in the journey that is to follow here after. I heard faint voices from every corner of the book, each character making its introduction to me. Their voices are not faint anymore as I gradually become a part of their lives.

            I thought I took a swift journey backward. Some sort of a time travel? Now, I stand in Nazi Germany. Loud voices reverberating “Heil Hitler”, echoed in the air. I could see flags embroidered with Swastika gliding in the German air. Liesel did not give much attention to it, I wondered why, although I was engrossed in what I had just seen. She took me to her foster parents, who seemed to me initially like two individuals who got married to each other just to shout at each other. But I realized that some iron ladies did have a voice in Germany, loud enough at least to make a point to their husband!

            A small home, in the working-class background, where people toiled hard to make both ends meet- that was where Liesel took me to. I witnessed how she began growing up listening to the music born out from the Accordion that her foster father played for her. She was the apple of his eyes and I knew it the very first day I met him. I sat along with them, listening to the stories that her father recited to her every mid night. He knew of her fears and her deep-seated pain and the music that flowed from his Accordion soothed her wounded soul. Who wouldn’t love to have a father like that?

             Rudy Steiner, the boy of a kind, came running to Liesel. He hardly noticed my presence. I realized that he was a boy who was unafraid to make decisions. And regarding Liesel, I guessed, he had already taken a decision. His gangly blue eyes glittered as he spoke to Liesel. She knew it and ignored it. In fact, they knew each other so well. They played together, went to the same school and together rode on their bicycles. He accompanied her in all her mischievous tasks and she was there to cheer him up when he ran like Jessy Owens. It was endearing to witness how beautifully and slowly their story was developing, amidst the chaos in the outside world. Certain love stories are weaved that way. And I wanted them to be together irrespective of what was going to happen in their life. Because I knew deep inside that, something was bound to happen.

            The presence of Max Vandenburg, a Jewish young man, brought along with him the changes that were about to unfold. He came like a nightmare. A German family giving refugee to a Jew and that too during the reign of Hitler. Fear ran through my spine as I saw the impoverished face of Max. I wondered how long he had been that way. Max reminded me of everything that was lost and gone forever. I noticed that there was so much similarities between Liesel and Max. They both nightmared. And I hardly slept as I apprehended the presence of German Gestapo at the door steps of Liesel’s household anytime to grab the Jew who was hiding in the basement.

            Liesel grew up and so does Max, slowly loosening the grip from their fears and finding recluse in the world of books and words. By then, Liesel had already begun her journey as a Book Thief. Stealing books, seemed to her like a master craft. Or were the books actually waiting for Liesel? Anyways I will leave that for you to find out just like how I leave you to find out what would happen to the beautiful love story that was developing between Rudy and Liesel. Max dreamt of taking Hitler on a fight one day and thought of living a normal life; an embodiment of the collective Jewish psyche.

I could hear the music flowing out from the Accordion and the waves hailing Hitler resonating in German air. The music clashed against the slogans. There were long parades of Jews to the Concentration camps. Words, words, words!!! the words of Hitler thundered in the air! I understood that words had the power to hypnotize anyone. I got suffocated in the tumultuous Nazi air that was burning in flames leaving behind only ashes. I ran helter-skelter not knowing where to hide. Heaps of dead bodies mounted over one another, reminding me of the dearth of humane emotions and the brutality that human beings were capable of. I wanted to run back to the present. But I couldn’t. I heard the voice of Death whispering to me that I had already been warned in the beginning that this story would remain with me. And I stayed back there in the midst of rubbles. This time my mind guiding me to find out a soul that was still breathing.