Outright churlishness!

The LDF has been at the Cliff House - the official residence of the chief minister at Thiruvananthapuram - blockade for about a week. It's to pressurise Oommen Chandy to resign on account of the solar scam. And the protestors have already hit a roadblock and are now resorting to churlish means to vent their anger at another carefully planned(?) venture having gone haywire!

It all began like this. Last Tuesday, Sandhya, a housewife staying in the vicinity had difficulty in seeing off her school going child thanks to the roadblock brought about by the protestors and the police barricades placed to counter it. And she, very naturally, vent her spleen on the protestors saying that they'd no right to put the public through untold suffering. Her doubt was as to what purpose the blockade was serving when the chief minister was away at Kollam on his 'mass contact programme'.

The leaders at the protest site were taken aback at the genuine anguish of the lady and tried to shift the blame on to the police for having set up the barricades but she'd have nothing of it and ended her tirade with the sucker punch that a people's movement, that the protestors were claiming their efforts to be, must essentially have the backing of the people and proclaimed her intention of getting the other ladies of the area organised to fight against the blockade.

Chittilapally Kochouseph, an industrialist and a philanthropist was quick to announce a gift of Rs. 5 lakhs to the lady for having taken a just and firm stand against the politicians' misdemeanour. 

The LDF ensured that the free movement of the people through the thoroughfare was ensured the very next day but has begun a venomous smear campaign against the housewife who'd the temerity to stand up to the might of the party. Sample a few of their actions:-

    (a) a banana plantation, nearby, owned by the lady was vandalised.
    (b) in the meeting held subsequently, leaders vied with each other in calling both the housewife
         and the industrialist some 'colourful' names.
    (c) has asked the transport commissioner to book the lady for not wearing a helmet on that
         fateful day.

Outright churlishness. What else can one say?


Tailpiece.

Nothing made headway today as there seemed to be a general lethargy in services, post the 'ekadasi' celebrations and it so happens that today is a Saturday, heralding the commencement of a long weekend! We'll never change!!

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

Section 377 of the IPC was enacted by the British 153 years ago, in 1860, that terms consensual anal sex as an unnatural offence and provides punishment equivalent to that for the offence of rape under Section 376. It even outlaws oral sex between a man and a woman, while reiterating that only penile-vaginal sex was not "against the order of nature". The 'crime' can fetch a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

In Jul 2009, the Delhi High Court had brought out a historic judgment that decriminalised same sex relationships because Sec 377 IPC impinged upon the fundamental rights of an individual guaranteed by the Constitution and it's this judgment that the Supreme Court has overturned now.

I shall not dwell on the legal angle as the experts in the field are already at it but it's my opinion that the Parliament must bring about a legislation that would give the LGBT(Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders) community to live in our society without fear of discrimination or destruction. What is their mistake for having been born in this manner and who's given us the right to conclude that they're inhuman/abnormal? In the matter of sexual preferences, human beings can be divided into three categories - heterosexuals, homosexuals/lesbians and bisexuals.

I must narrate three personal experiences related to this topic:-

  (a) Some years ago, I was on my way to attend an evening function and enroute, was waiting for
        the green light to come on and at that precise moment saw two guys kissing passionately. I
        must admit that the sight gave me revulsion but calmly, thinking about it later I'd come to the
        conclusion that I'd not 'grown up' enough as a human being. In other words, I was still party
        to a mindset ingrained within me that 'same sex was bad'.

  (b) A senior, who's the father of two daughters and a good instructor, had committed suicide
        once his family had disowned him and he'd to put in his papers because of his bisexual
        orientation. Even the family was ostracised by the rest of the community simply because
        they're related to such a man!

  (c) A couple, that I'm friendly with, had reacted violently once they'd come to know of their
        only son's homosexual orientation. They'd wanted me - his favourite uncle - to advise him to
        get married!

I'm proud to say that I've a few wonderful friends who belong to this group. I can appreciate their fears about the repercussions if the society around them were to know about their sexual orientation. And feel impotent and sad that I can be of no help to them even though I feel that they must be allowed to live in this world without any fear whatsoever and with dignity.

And that's the reason why I support a speedy piece of legislation, with the support of all the political parties, where their right to live is assured.


Tailpiece.

Guruvayur has come to a standstill today - it's a sort of an unannounced 'Sunday routine' because the following are remembered:-

     (a) 'Ekadasi' - many, many eons ago Lord Krishna imparted the knowledge
                            contained in the Bhagwad Gita to Arjuna, reluctant to fight the people whom he
                            revered and loved at the battlefront at Kurukshetra.
     (b) It also commemorates the birth of 'Narayaneeyam' written by Melpathoor Narayana
           Bhattathiripad during his illness - which is nothing but a collection of hymns in praise of the
           lord - while he prayed at the temple premises.
     (c) Remembering 'Guruvayur Kesavan', the temple's elephant who'd died a day prior to the day of
           the Ekadasi. 

And the temple will be open for the devotees throughout the night!

 

On the roll at 3 AM.

The day had started at 2, this morning. After going through my morning chores, I'd hit the road in my Chevy by 3. Unnikrishnan, a gulf returnee and who'd thousands of kilometers under his belt, was my 'saarthi' upon the family's insistence. I must admit that I wasn't very happy to see my car have someone else behind the wheel but the way Unni had handled the vehicle as he eased her out of the porch allayed all my misgivings.

He was a greenhorn insofar as the route was concerned but since our destination did not have too many diversions, that tricky aspect was sorted out. But we did go around in circles as we tried to negotiate out of Thrissur town and a turn negotiated at my bidding set us back by a few kilometers, though it had no impact in the final reckoning. We'd reached Ettumanoor, the destination, around 6 and since Unni was seeing the place for the first time, I'd insisted upon him to visit the famous 'Siva temple' as he was a keen temple-goer and because I did not want to be too early at my grand aunt's house, upsetting their early morning chores. And boy, didn't I give my uncle a start when he'd opened the front door to find me seated on one of the sofas in the courtyard and chided me for not having rung the doorbell on arrival. But frankly, it's hardly a wait! My folks and especially my aunts from Thiruvananthapuram were thrilled to see me.

The ceremony was simple, with each activity impregnated with meaning and the elderly 'karmi' took pains to explain the nuances. And it took about an hour and a half before we all sat down to have breakfast around 10 o'clock. An hour later, after getting interesting snatches from my grand uncle's diaries that he'd meticulously penned, I was on my way back satisfied having spent the day in a  worthwhile fashion and was back home by about 3 PM.

Meanwhile, Lekha was back after attending her cousin's wedding and had given me a debrief of the entire event.


Tailpiece.

I'd gone by my inner calling and to relive the times spent with my grand aunt who'd showered me with love and affection during her lifetime. When her sons thanked me for fetching up, I'd to gently remind them that it was my duty to be there as a mark of respect and love to the departed soul and a great person!

PS.

The person who'd have been damn glad by the day's proceedings would have been my ammachi, Mrs. PN Panicker for the following reasons:-

      (a) she was very, very fond of her kid sister, Kalyanikutty(the feelings were mutual, actually).
      (b) she used to encourage me to go to Ettumanoor at the slightest pretext.
      (c) when she'd passed into the mist of time on 25 Jul '91, my folks had kept me off from the
            devastating news because I was doing an important course(?) at the Staff College at Ooty
            and therefore, had missed out on all the ceremonies connected to her last rites.
      (d) by my going through the nuances for her sister, she'd have pardoned my absence then!
       














    

It's pouring guests!

Lekha's cousin, Lekshmi, is getting married at the Guruvayur temple tomorrow. Her folks have been fetching up all through the afternoon and prior to settling down at the hotel complex where all the guests are being accommodated for the night by the bride's parents, everyone has been dropping in at 'The Quarterdeck' to have a look see at the way our nest has been shaping up.

Much has been achieved but much more needs to be done and seeing the influx, the ongoing work has been given a respite as it would have made things difficult. My position was tricky as however much I'd wanted the pending work to get over, it was not to be as the guests could not be left unattended and made to feel unwanted!

And as my neighbour had put it, we'd a 'deluge of guests' and felt privileged and honoured. The high strength was the cascading effect of the wedding party as highlighted earlier.


Tailpiece.

Tomorrow, Lekha and I'd be heading in different directions. While she attends Lekshmi's wedding, I'll be off to Ettumanoor about 200 km south, to partake in the 12th day's ceremony of my grand aunt last rites. 

Musings.

Life has been meandering on without any extraordinary event taking place but it has kept us occupied throughout, so much so, that our world seems to have shrunk within the four walls of our house. The only contact with the outside world is through the telephone calls that come by, the television, the radio and of course, the net. My walks, both in the morning and in the evening, have been invigorating exercises, occasions to run minor errands and to observe people!

My musings, today, are based on my observations of people whom I've come across over the past ten days of our being here and here I go:-

   (a) The caring patriarch.

    He's known to everyone as 'Hariyettan'. All of 87 years, he's a stickler for orderliness and is very,
    very observant. To cite just a sample, he tells me that the security light of my house had been
    burning till a half past 5 this morning and that I'd left for my walk at a quarter to 6! He's been
    helpful by giving tools, accessories and  the details of the right source to the boys at work at my
    place. In other words, he's been very protective about us and ever willing to help which are
    contrary to what was painted about him by some others. Perhaps, we've become his favourites!

    It was his family's day of conducting the entire 'puja' today at the Guruvayur temple and he was
    the heart, soul and the driving force of the stellar show.

    Bash on regardless, chetta! Here's wishing that you're bestowed with good health and happiness
    for the years to come and a huge thanks for everything.

    (b) The 'ogre' effect.

     I've always wondered as to what persona I present to the others and would love to put across
     myself as one who minds his business, can do no harm and can be relied upon in case any help
     was required. So, it bewilders me when I notice quite a few of the fairer sex bracing up,
     straightening imaginary creases off their clothing and dart an occasional glance towards me
     as they pass by. Why, of course, my eyes are casually on them - I'm observing people, you see!

     Do I give them the 'ogre' effect, I wonder?

     (c) A flurry of xeroxing activity.

      Since every single activity like applying for a new ration card, getting a cooking gas connection
      or a telephone connection requires 'a proof of identity' and 'a proof of residence', the small
      bookshop-cum-photostat shop is a place that I frequent to xerox many of the documents. The
      outfit is manned by two young ladies who cutely refer to me as the 'new Captain sir' in their
      neighbourhood and one of them admitted, while the other nodded in consonance, that they now
      know me thoroughly from the personal documents that have been scanned.

      How I wish that I could be like 'Mr. Walker of Denkali', of the favourite Phantom comics of
      childhood who moved around incognito while giving the roughnecks shivers down their spines?


Tailpiece.

Slowly finding my feet in the new environment. But the surprise with which people used to ask me as to why we're going to settle down in a new place used to make me wonder as to whether I was taking the right decision. From the experiences thus far, I do not think that I've erred! 


 
     



        

The news round up!

Of late much has been happening and many of them have been significant events. I'd like to go over each one of them and find out as to what can be made out of them.

 (a) Nelson Mandela.

 The icon of the anti-apartheid movement has passed into the mist of time. Much has been written
 about him and any attempt at it on my part will be like carrying coal to Newcastle and hence, I
 desist. But the single quality of his that has fascinated me is his forgiving attitude to all those who
 were responsible for his 27 long years of incarceration in prison. To err is human but to forgive is
 divine, it's said.

 RIP Nelson Mandela. You shall continue to shine as an eternal beacon for being an extraordinary
 human being and a great leader!

 (b) The Assembly elections.

 The results of the recently concluded elections for the five state legislatures have been true to
 predictions and have been discussed and analysed threadbare. So, no more of it from my side but
 I'd like to share my queries about the whole exercise and they are:-

       (i) Why didn't the Delhiites give Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party the working majority
            to rule them? Do they think that good intentions are fine for rhetoric, but governance
            requires the craftiness of the well entrenched political parties?
       (ii)Why do people like Digvijaya Singh mutter contrary to their body language
            when asked to comment about Rahul Gandhi being ineffective as a leader? Sycophancy
            has touched a new low.
      (iii)Will the elected representatives give their people a governance free of corruption and
             nepotism?
       (iv)And who'll rule Delhi? I'm waiting to see that clincher!

  (c) Avoidable goof ups.

  Farooq Abdulla recently made a mess of himself when he gave that classless statement about
  employing women into his personal secretariat. As a minister and a senior leader looked up to
  by his party men, he should have been more dignified. But what I'd like to remind him and people
  like him who've similar mindset is that if they're clean in their dealings and if they respect the
  fairer sex, no one will have the temerity to implicate them through false allegations.

  It isn't hard to notice that most, if not all, of the guys implicated in the cases of sexual harassment
  have had questionable attitudes towards women.

  So, to my mind, Farooq Abdulla was only questioning aloud about his own behaviour! I must say
  that it's good to be introspective!!


Tailpiece.

The Quarterdeck continues to attain her full operational status in a slow but steady manner. There are lesser things that are strewn around but what worries me is the nagging ulcer on Lekha's right foot which looks quite offensive. She meets her doctor on the 20th.    

The morning sights and sounds of Guruvayur.

I accept that it would be presumptuous on my part to say that what I've witnessed, over the last couple of outings, as the morning sights of this place is the complete picture of Guruvayur @ morning. But in the same breath I must hasten to add that the general picture that I'm gonna etch more or less encompasses the prevalent environment.

I must begin by pinpointing my centrum which is a kilometer and a half from the temple that has contributed to the name of the place. And though it's smack beside highway NH 17, the enduring environmental backdrop has an unmistakable rural hue. The early morning call of the rooster, the chirping of the birds and the dwindling task force of men and women who make their morning forays to milk the cows of the various households seem to be enduring factors.

The workforce, responsible for construction activities are already up with the lark and can be seen having their simple breakfast of either idlis or dosas - and mind you, a large number of them have migrated from the neighbouring Tamilnadu because for them, proverbially, two birds are being killed with a single stone viz. :-

        (a) a satisfactory life that assures them their daily bread and butter.
        (b) their proximity to Guruvayurappan - the ultimate, to whom they can pour out their angst
              without any loss of face.

Many men and women still prefer to have their bath at the ponds - situated within the compounds of the numerous temples that dot the landscape - near their homes and pray to their gods, wearing the wet clothes, before making their way back.

To me, the first impression is that there has been been a time warp in and around this area. The people's steadfast adherence to the traditions and a general 'feel good' ambience make this place unique by itself.

Devotional music and the strains of the 'naadaswaram' rent the air almost continuously, giving it that unmistakable stamp of a vibrant temple town. 


Tailpiece.

The roadside teashops with the 'one-yarder tea' and heated discussions predominantly on politics and other happenings among the regulars, before they set off for their day's routine, dot the landscape making Guruvayur vibrant.

There's a sizeable muslim population in the municipality and the religious amity that exists among the groups is noteworthy.