Day 7 - Ernakulam.

We're up with the lark as usual and were ready well in time. The idea was to beat the traffic and that's exactly what we did by setting off from the guest house by 0830h. Consequently, we'd reached the venue almost an hour and a half earlier and was pleasantly surprised with the RTO staff giving instructions about maintaining good road discipline to about 200 ladies and gentlemen who'd got their learner's licence but were soon going for the test! It's a pleasant revelation and I did compliment the RTO personnel for their safety drive.

Our meeting started off at 1100h and my Maman was quite sure that the strength wouldn't exceed 30 from past experience but the number of participants did exceed well beyond 60, at the final count. The interaction was nice, the enthusiasm was palpable but we've a long way to go in this district. The panchayats are yet to get their training aids and we emphasised upon this aspect so that we could get our team to charge the trainers which would eventually trickle down to the learners.

We need to have a crackling co-ordinator out there and this point has been put down as the foremost point on my check off list. The present one is too lax and is found wanting in 'crowd control' - I mean people take her for granted, she needs to be more effective!

The proceedings were wound up by 1430h but we'd to get back into the lousy traffic of the city to help out a lady staff of ours, grappling with a legal problem. So my Maman went to meet her advocate and I dropped in at my cousin's - another advocate - office. She's has had her toe nail removed and had her right foot bandaged!

We're off to Thrissur by about 1600h and reached the city by sunset time. I got dropped at the private bus stand to catch the bus for Guruvayur while the team had proceeded to the government guest house for their night stay. Lekha's younger sister, her two sons and mother-in-law had arrived from Tirur earlier in the evening. When I'd pressed the doorbell, I found the two mothers exchanging notes and I too joined in the conversation, narrating my experiences thus far in the 'yatra'.


Tailpiece.

Lekha and her sister were told of my experiences after supper, that was a trifle late as they'd been to the temple when I'd arrived.

Day 6 - Idukki.

It's a bright and sunny morning to begin with. We're ready ahead of schedule and were at the venue at the appointed time. The crowd took time to trickle in but by the time the proceedings had begun in right earnest at 11 AM, the hall was packed.

The seven panchayats that have been selected for the first phase of the e-literacy programme have got the necessary training aids and must get on with their act in right earnest. They've promised to achieve their targets by end-May and the nod had to be given to the revised estimates. Meanwhile, Vaazhathoppu, one among the seven, on its own initiative will give it a 'booster thrust' beginning with a public meeting tomorrow. They've modified their means to achieve the target by planning to carry even 'table tops' to the field, to teach the learners.

They're given the go ahead without any reservations from our side as getting the target population completely e-literate was the ultimate aim which the panchayat plans to achieve by end-Apr. The students of the local engineering college especially, those of the National Service Scheme have pledged their wholehearted efforts for the programme! A heartening situation indeed!!

Since the panchayat was told about my Maman's inability of attending their meeting slated for tomorrow because of the 'yatra', he was invited to speak a few words on the occasion of a mass run conducted at Cheruthoni's main square this evening. Our departure for Ernakulam was consequently delayed. After dinner enroute, we reached the government guest house by about 2200h.

After a quick session of debrief and the highlighting of our activities for tomorrow, it's decided that we needed to take off for Kaakkanaad tomorrow morning at 0830h. It's gonna be a long day!


Tailpiece.

(a) This afternoon, Anchita, a young lady who was part of the audience, at the end of it all, comes to me to ask about my relationship with my Maman - we don't discuss these things as a rule, generally. She was given the clarification and she gave me a 'know all' look, perhaps she'd noticed our resemblance!
(b) Tomorrow, the 'yatra' will reach Thrissur by sunset. I shall be making a quick dash home, look up mom and Lekha and get my personal effects changed and rejoin the team on Sunday morning.
(c) Elias, the 65 year old co-ordinator of ours at Idukki is another follower of my grandfather. His loyalty is touching!

Day 5 - Kottayam.

Had got up by 6 AM and was ready well in time. After making my customary morning call home, it's breakfast followed by a quick exit for the conference hall at the panchayat's main building, which was the venue. The patriarch, Vasudevan chettan, joined us not long after and the audience had steadily started building up.

The overview of the training capsule had to begin and it did at 1030h, since the meeting was scheduled at 1200h as the minister was attending at that time. The proceedings went off fine but in this district, the programme has to take off in right earnest in all the six panchayats that have been selected under this phase. The feedback was carefully updated and the revised target has to be re-established, perhaps, to the end of next month.

We'd left the venue, on completion, by about 1500h and set off straight for Idukki. The journey up the ghats towards the hilly district was superb and we were subject to the spectacular natural beauty that was in abundance. The lush green deep valleys, a thick forest habitat, the numerous hairpin bends on a well surfaced road coupled with plenty of birds playing around the abundant flora and the traffic was unbelievably low on density, thankfully!

Our stay was at the government guest house and from the balcony of our room we could take in the breath taking beauty of the famed 'arch dam' of the Idukki project and also the check dam. To add to the spectacle, it was a full moon.

Was there anything else to ask for?


Tailpiece.

Heard the news about the BBC having aired the documentary on the sad Delhi rape that had shaken the entire country, not very long ago. The following queries/facts perplex me:-

    (a) Why was the channel allowed to interview the guilty?
    (b) Whose idea was it and more importantly, what was the expected outcome/ what was the reason
          for making this documentary?
    (c) The identity of the victim that was kept confidential by the Indian media has gone kaput with
          the BBC documentary having spelt that out. Wasn't that a wrong decision in the first place?
    (d) Does the government's ban on screening the movie an effective/implementable order in these 
          days of satellite coverage that has unrestricted reach?
    (e) Would the BBC have acted similarly, if the victim was a British citizen?
    (f)  And isn't the BBC cocking a snook at us/our intelligence when it says that it will not air the
          documentary in India while it's airing it all over? 

Sad, the poor young lady is not being spared even after her gruesome death!

Day 4 - Alappuzha.

Afrozji and Sadiyaji, our guests on the 'yatra', had arrived by 9 AM at the government guest house soon after which we were off to the Maaraarikulam north and south panchayats, to see the activities on the ground. The visit and the subsequent interactions shall remain etched in my mind for a long time to come because of the spontaneity, the enthusiasm and the charm among the womenfolk who'd gathered around. The touching fact was that their simplicity was writ large on their faces.

The progress of the e-literacy campaign could be gauged as the trainers went about their work of teaching the nuances on the 'tablets' provided to them for the purpose. To see the activity - that we at the Foundation had etched on the drawing board - gaining progress on the ground, slowly but steadily was a tremendously satisfying experience. By the time the two interactions got to be over, it was time for our guests to set off for the Kochi airport and they were sentimental while bidding their farewell. While being swept off the feet in the manner the team was interacting with the people, they were emphatic that we visited them at Indore!

The post lunch session at the Collectorate was touching and informative. There were elderly people, who'd been on the forefront with my grandfather on his library and literacy programmes, on the dais as well as in the audience offering us their blessings and showed their genuine happiness in seeing us leading this campaign from the front.

As I touched the feet of one of the elders, while seeing him off, he'd tears in his eyes and said, "I feel that PN Panicker is blessing me by placing me at an exalted position to receive the kindness of his grandson". Earlier, he'd paid a glowing tribute to my Maman's perseverance and sustained hard work!

It's around sunset that we could leave Alappuzha after securing and settling the accounts by virtue of the yatra. We're at the government guest house at Kottayam, by about a half past 7 for tomorrow's interaction.


Tailpiece.

A fantastic feedback by our co-ordinator on the progress of the campaign covering the eight panchayats. Remedial measures could be passed on at the venue itself. Alappuzha should be a contender for one of the top three districts to achieve cent percent e-literacy in the first stage of the campaign as I reckon! Good luck to them!!      

Day 3 - Pathanamthitta.

After the first two days of the Arabian Sea awash districts, it was the turn of the hilly district of Pathanamthitta that we'd our tryst with. Our setting off from Kollam had got delayed due to unavoidable circumstances and then Kannan, our 'saarthi', had put in boosters - in the literal sense - to traverse the traffic packed Kollam - Kottarakkara stretch!

We're at the venue with almost five minutes to 11 and quickly let the 'pilot' team set up the hall, packed with about eighty odd people by then. The guests reached the dais on the dot and the proceedings began without much ado. The eagerness to try their luck in attaining hundred percent e-literacy was evinced by the seven panchayats that come under the first phase of our efforts!

After lunch and another question and answer session of about an hour, we'd wound up and set off for Alappuzha. The drive from Changanasserry to Alappuzha was full of nostalgia with Maman and I remembering our numerous trips with the family, up and down the waterway between the two towns, eons ago. Incidents came flitting from the family 'archives' within our minds!

The drive was undertaken to avoid the mad(?) rush in the morning to keep up the timeline even though we'd our reservations in the government guest house at Pathanamthitta and it was worth every moment that we'd shared during the trip. In the evening, after a quick wash and change at the government guest house, we'd gone to pay our obeisance to the Mullakkal devi kshetram - the deity is the powerful, 'vana durga' under an open roof, subjecting the goddess to the vagaries of the weather, giving her tremendous powers, as perceived by her faithful followers!

Maman, also did tell me that this temple used to be frequented by my grandmother when the family used to stay at Ambalapuzha before shifting to Thiruvananthapuram.

And to me, it was like following her footsteps yet again!


Tailpiece.

We walked through the old main road of the town of Alappuzha just for old times sake, before supper. It was a comparatively early night this time!

   

Day 2 - Kollam.

We'd set off from Maman's home at 7 AM. The tempo traveller was late by half an hour to reach the Foundation's office but we'd set out by 0830h finally. The day was bright, sunny and humid but the vehicle kept us nice and cool. We're to have breakfast enroute at Kazhakootam, which was changed to Attingal then Chathannoor and ultimately, Kollam as we'd to meet a deadline.

At Chathannoor, the revival of a fresh water pond was shown to the expert from New Delhi, who has given a very favourable response. The fact that the Panchayat showed a keen interest to take up the project helped tip the scales for the nod. The activities will definitely revive the unit, which has been lying idle for quite a while, mainly due to a lack of application of minds by the managers on the field with no clear directives from the top due to some misunderstanding- a sad fact that I acknowledge!  It needs more of indulgence on my part!!

We reached the venue - the hall at the Public Library - in time with the meeting beginning as scheduled. The local patriarch graced the occasion and paid glowing tributes to PN Panicker's spectacular work in enlightening Kerala through his library and literary movements. This was followed by the team's audit of the e-literacy movement thus far. While encouraging progress has been made by many panchayats, what was alarming was that there were a few that haven't been able to rise to our expectations with respect to the 'speed of execution'. This tardiness needs to be arrested and steps are being evolved which will crystallise in the form of 'a simple but definitive action plan, with emphasis on achieving milestones failing which, penalties will be introduced' by Wednesday!

We accept it with all humility that it's not gonna be an easy task, especially, while asking elected representatives to provide time bound results as political ramifications need to be borne in mind. In other words, a few feathers will be ruffled in the process. Period!


Tailpiece.

(a) The evening boating on the Ashtamudi Lake was a soother but for the bright sun even after 1600h. Heard about the ecological threat to the flora and the fauna in and around the lake. Sad! Would the setting up of a dedicated 'Water Authority' help in the long run? The preliminary discussions have been initiated but it has to go a long way, the first and foremost being to get all the stakeholders, on board, together to agree to discuss the vexed problem!!

(b) Maman and I'd missed breakfast in the process of meeting the deadline of time. A late lunch, however, saved the day. But I ensured that the rest of the team did have their's on arrival at Kollam!     

The 106th Birth Anniversary of PN Panicker.

We'd received the bad news that three of the guests who're to sit on the dais, along with the Honourable Governor, were gonna be missing from today's function in the dying hours of yesterday. After initiating the firefight, Maman and me had gone off to bed for an uneasy sleep, though. The changes that were being sought had to get the Governor's personal clearance, after our letter was received, which could only take place around 0930h today!

There was no point in fretting over things that were beyond our control.

Consequently, we're up with the lark and found our way to a guest's house who, too, had put in his word to the Governor's secretary regarding the proposed changes. Meanwhile, we'd invited a distinguished ex-diplomat to fill in one of the chairs and it was gracious of him to accept the last minute swap graciously. Showed his humility and bigheartedness, coupled with his tremendous respect for my grandfather!

The quick visit to the Raj Bhavan, the explanation of the changed situation to the security staff and the uneasy situation that gave us a restless night was history. The programme rolled on like clockwork and the duration of one hour just passed off in a jiffy. Incidentally, my 'vote of thanks' was just about okay.

The lunch and the subsequent workshops were nicely organised with an overwhelming attendance despite it being a Sunday and I did thank the 'nice people of Thiruvananthapuram' for that.

We'd spent the evening at Thiruvananthapuram as we're to be at Kollam, the next district headquarters, by 0930h tomorrow as the Yatra gets going, in right earnest. Will be on the road, literally, for the next fortnight, celebrating Muthachan's 106th birthday with the people of Kerala and along with it, we'd be taking stock of the e-literacy programme, that's on stream currently.


Tailpiece.

(a) Got the opportunity to mingle with my aunts, cousins and their little ones. Was saddened by the fact that age was playing its quiet role, making active individuals of yesterday infirm and unsure of their steps ahead! Why does time have to be so harsh?

(b) Day 1 of Yatra. We made a late night trip to the Aattukaal devi temple. But for the traffic while entering the temple, the trip went off smoothly.