EDITORIAL Harvesting the Season`s Gifts

Transcription

EDITORIAL
KERALA CALLING
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Harvesting
the Season’s Gifts
Perhaps the one form of rejoicing that has always found open acceptance in a
society is celebration. Life without celebrations is meaningless. Society without
festivals and celebrations becomes insipid. Since time immemorial festivals
have become a part of our culture. Festivals light up all our senses and serve
an important function of bringing together all and reminding us of our roots
and origin. Kerala, a land of festivals, is known all over the world for its
enchanting beauty, traditions and celebrations.
Onam, the vibrant and colourful harvest festival, is celebrated with great
vigour and enthusiasm by all Malayalis. It is an indicator of the rich and
glorious past. It becomes a reason for celebration and an occasion for a family
re-union among the Keralites all over the world. Today Onam is not just the
festival of Keralites, but has also acquired a national status. It is even celebrated
across the seas with fervour.
As it is the harvest season, the God’s own country can be seen in its
magnificent best. Once, the major population of our State survived on
agriculture. With a bountiful harvest, the celebrations gain zest and
momentum. This fact is entailed in the numerous festivities observed in Kerala.
And it is not unnatural that a festival which promotes togetherness attracts
commercial interests in this era of market economy. Now, this is also a time
marked for high-tech marketing.
The Government is keen to keep up the festive mood in all means. Steps
have been taken to ensure the quality of essential commodities at fair prices
through the Onam fairs. The Government is committed in providing essential
requirements to the reach of everyone. Quality products and subsidised pricing
are the twin advantages. School children are given free rice. Onam kits for
BPL families are distributed freely. About eighty thousand tribal families are
provided with 12kg rice each, free of cost.
Whatever may be the fables and legends behind the celebrations of Onam,
all people exchange the message of oneness at this festive time. More than the
traditional significance of a national festival, the occasion is also the right
opportunity to highlight the true values of community relations. It is also a
time for sports, festivities and celebrations in Kerala. It synchronises with the
tourist week celebration which promotes both internal and international
tourism.
In all this frenzy of shopping and entertainment, Onam always is an
indicator of an elevated state of mind. The celebration is one of the best ways
to unite. The true gifts of the season are not in a colourful display or a grand
meal; they are in your heart, the relationships built, and the new dimensions
added to your life and the unwavering commitment to the society.
COVERSTORY
Dr N. Prasantha Kumar
A fest foreseeing
T
he word ‘Onam’ brings a set of memories to
every Malayali psyche. Regarding Onam as a
harvest festival or even as a national festival is a
very simple representation of the celebration.
Onam represents a worldview we have lost: a
radical perspective of the races and their
characteristics. Onam symbolises a time when
gods and demons were judged by their deeds
and not by their creeds. Even from the angles
of history and myth Onam is surcharged with
political connotations beyond comparison.
Let us begin with the mythical significance
of Onam. It is associated with the annual visit
of the demon King Mahabali from the Hades
to his former kingdom with a view to personally
witnessing the welfare of his subjects. The myth
of Bali raises many ethical and political
questions. It is linked to the rigid political
structures and the order of governance
prevalent in the three worlds inhabited
by gods, men and demons. The
geopolitical maps of racial inhabitation
were hard and fast. The norm or the
order was simple and direct: each race
must confine itself to the space
allotted to it. Crossing the borders,
especially with the intention of
usurping power, was considered taboo.
It led to ethical and political disorder
which was finally set right by the
incarnation of Vishnu. The incarnations of
Vishnu are prefigurations which re-establish the
order of dharma in the worlds. Bali usurped
the thrones of the earth and the heaven and
controlled the three worlds and unsettled the
world order. In spite of being an Asura and
antagonistic to the Devas, Bali was immensely
popular as a ruler who cared for the welfare
of the subjects. This suggests that even a
dictator can rule a welfare state and win
the support of the people. People are more
interested in their welfare than in the political
appropriateness of the governance or the
decision-making process. Bali’s regime was an
8
KERALA CALLING
Prior to Onam, the ritual of new grain or yam is
conducted in almost all temples. It is only a ritualistic
enactment of tenants’ submitting the best of the yields
to the landlords.
September 2008
the welfare
order in disorder which was corrected
into an order in order by Vamana, the
incanrnation of Vishnu. The temporal
site of a golden past and spatial site of a
heaven on the earth are two spatiotemporal “methemes” in the mythical
structure of all cultural communities.
Vamana’s act in sending Bali back to
the Hades may be religiously correct.
When the religious aura is taken out of
the Vamana – Bali encounter, the episode
brims with questions of moral and
political propriety: is it right to
dethrone a ruler who is anxious
of the welfare of his people? The
pigmey-sized
Vamana pushed Bali down to
the hell. The act raises issues
of stature and greatness on
the one hand and the
problematic of national /
local welfare and
cosmic welfare on
the other. Ethically
and politically the act could
not be justified from the
angle of the native subjects;
it might be justified from the
perspective of the subjects
colonised by Bali and his Asura
race. Bali’s act was a metaphor of
colonial expansion and Vamana’s
intervention was a providential
form of decolonisation. The
colonialist’s welfare measures do
not, in any way, diminish the
political injustice of colonisation.
As explained, the mythical and
religious aspects of Onam can be correlated to the
external colonisation and the problematic of
liberation. Likewise, the ritualistic and artistic
dimensions of Onam can be linked to the feudalistic
and patriarchial organisation of Kerala society.
Feudalism was a kind of internal colonisation wherein
the tenants were internally colonised by the landlords.
Patriarchy is also a type of interior colonisation where
women are sexually colonised by men.
The tension between landlords and
tenants or between men and women
constitute a dialectic. The rituals of
Onam are oblique attempts to
perpetuate feudalism or patriarchy. It
is, as Louis Althusser observes, an
instance of “politics by other means.”
For, feudalism and patriarchy can be
expressed in identically structured
paradigms.
Some of the rituals of Onam are
related to the harvest. Prior to Onam,
the ritual of new grain or yam is
conducted in almost all temples. It
is only a ritualistic enactment of
tenants’ submitting the best of the
yields to the landlords. The rituals
without its ceremonial grace were
repeated at the landlord’s homes in a
serious atmosphere. The rituals only
herald the large scale harvesting that
takes place with Onam. Illam Nira or
Niraputhari performed in temples was
more related to the feudalistic
organization of the agrarian Kerala
society than to its religious or
liturgical significance. These kinds of
rituals are common to all agrarian
societies. The ritual of Onappudava
PHOTOS : JOSHI MANJUMMEL
September 2008
KERALA CALLING
9
Elizabeth Mathew
L
ooking outside through the balcony
of her son’s tenth floor flat, eighty five
year old Narayani Amma sighed.
Tomorrow is Thiruvonam day. But
nobody living in this house is
bothered about it. No busy
arrangements on the eve of Uthradam
day. What is wrong with Malayali…
Time has changed and now all are
busy. Nobody has time to go through
all these traditional rituals. They are
all addicts of fast food culture.
Everything is available at the nearby
supermarket she was told. There is no
time for them to prepare ona sadhya
or onam specialties. ‘Amma if you
want I can arrange one ona sadhya at
the nearby hotel for you’, said her son
sarcastically when she enquired about
the arrangements for Onam. After her
death no one in this family will
celebrate this festival of Kerala, she
was sure. But at the same time she is
also having the hope that her elder
10
KERALA CALLING
PHOTO : JOSHI MANJUMMEL
again fortifies the feudalistic
organisation of the society and the
phallocentric structure of the once
matrilineal Hindu upper caste family.
The ritual renews and strengthens the
relations between the Karanavar and
his dependants within the family and
the landlord and the tenants outside.
It only ensures the perpetuation of
feudalism and patriarchy. The ritual
related to Athapoov or floral carpet
underlines the greatness and the
relevance of nature and conventional
flora rather than the modern. It is an
attempt to landscape one’s resistance
to the hegemonic and oppressive
structures prevailing in the society. As
the French thinker Michel de Certeau
explains, even routine or “the practice
of every day life” can be used as a form
of resistance to disguised hegemonies
in society. Athapoov also symbolises
an attempt to decolonise the
landscape in the quest to re-invent an
identity. A ritual can be appropriated
as a form of resistance in a colonial
situation. It exemplifies what Simon
During calls “politics that does not
look politics.” This is an apparently
innocuous, but deliberate attempt to
consolidate native resistance to
cultural and political invasion.
The ritual of Onathappan is again
a ritual disguised as resistance. It must
be noted that what has been practised
as rituals have latent cultural and
political connotations. The rituals
intrinsically embody the political
dualism, despite the cultural unity
they apparently create. The rulers
often use the rituals as a means to
consolidate their power structures
whereas the subjects use the same
rituals as powerful articulations of
their dissent and resistance. This is
the paradox of ritualistic significance,
especially in postmodern or
postcolonial societies.
The art/sport forms associated
with Onam are also related to the
Hopepermeates...
son and family will visit her on
Thiruvonam day….
The case of Narayani Amma is not
an isolated one. There are many senior
citizens living in flats and small houses
in cities of Kerala who are unable to
cope up with the present day Onam
celebrations. Onam according to
them was a harvest festival full of fun
and joviality, colourful and vibrant…
It was a feel good, do good and be
good time for all Malayalees.
But even today Onam is one
tradition the enterprising Keralite
takes with him to different regions of
the world where he settles down. Even
though the spirit and mode of
celebrations changed it is celebrated
September 2008
in one way or other by Keralites
residing in different parts of the
world. It is not only celebrated by
Keralites but also by Indians from
other states as well as people of other
nationalities.
Traditionally Onam comes when
the state's granaries are full and fruits
and vegetables mature to be harvested
providing plentiful food for people in
Kerala.
The festival is being celebrated by
all sections of the society, with
pageantry, song, dance and games. In
the villages of Kerala, celebrations
start from atham, 10 days earlier to
Thiruvonam. But in cities and
elsewhere the day is celebrated
cultural identities of the rulers and the
subjects. The pulikali, for instance,
originated from an ideology that
considered certain groups of people
subhuman: their duty consisted in
humouring or cheering the masters.
The padayani or pattu with its
alliterative incremental repetition and
dramatic structure is also intended to
humour the dominant groups that
rule the society. The thiruvathirakali
or thumbithullal, exclusively practised
by women, are specimens of art forms
that treat women as sexual objects.
The body language of the players, like
the manipravala narratives, are so
structured as to satisfy the male gaze
and male sexual fantasies, especially
that of the upper caste conservative
Hindu male. There is a rather abrupt
end to these arts with the
disintegration of feudal structure of
Kerala society. Though feudalism was
socially and legally abolished, it
reappears in other forms in the society.
This has a parallel at the national/
international level: the former
imperialist nations continue to exploit
and control the former colonies as
donor states dominating international
financial institutions. Likewise, the
former feudal structures have
reorganised themselves as revivalist
forces and have been working to
revive the rituals associated with
Onam.
Ritualising Onam
depoliticises the political signifiers
associated with it.
Kerala is a multicultural society in
which the identities of cultural
communities are defined in terms of
cultural differences. The cultural
constructs like race, gender, class,
religion, language or sexuality define
the cultural identity of groups and
individuals. It is but true that the
cultural constructs are appropriated
by dominant groups to deny equity
and justice to others. But they define
the power relations among the
different cultural communities.
Ritualising a celebration is a kind of
appropriation that alters the political
significance of the event. For, ritual
elaborately on a holiday or weekend
falling near the Thiruvonam day.
Legend has it that Onam
commemorates the arrival of an
ancient beloved king called Mahabali
to see his subjects once every year. In
our villages people celebrate this
festival with all its jollity even today.
For them Onam is a celebration of
ten days. It comes in the month of
"Chingam" according to Malayalam
calender. People put ‘pookkalam’
(flower mats) in front of their houses,
to welcome the King. There will be
competition for the laying of flower
mats. They will wear new dresses, will
be visiting almost all temples which
they can, they will be performing lot
of dances like Thiruvathira kali,
Thumbi Tullal etc. to name a few and
the most important thing is the grant
lunch they will be having on the
Thiuruvonam day. Whatever may
happen they will not miss the Grant
lunch. There is a saying in Malayalam
that Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam
which means, "We should have the
Thiruonam lunch even if we have to
sell out all our properties". They
give that much importance to the
lunch on the Thiruonam day.
But this festival welcomes not
just the mythical monarch. It is
a time of homecoming for the
Malayali diaspora spread all over
the world. Members of the family
unite to relive the legacy of a
people’s monarch. Those who
cannot reach home will celebrate
the festival in their own way in
the respective places where they
are put in. Truly it is a time of
greater emotional bonding
among the scattered subjects of
Maveli. It is a festival of hope and
in this fast-changing world, it is
heartening to know that Onam,
though highly commercialised in
Kerala, continues to be
celebrated in a traditional
manner with mirth and amity all
over the world wherever Keralites
reside.
is a terrain where both oppression and
resistance can be oriented, severally
and differently. When Onam is
ritualised with a view to reviving the
hegemonic structures of the past, the
rituals are to be resisted by the process
of secularisation. Secularising or deritualizing is a kind of generalisation
or levelling that depoliticizes the
motives and message of the process.
It is a process that resists the penal
power and hegemony associated with
revivalism.
The opposition to revivalist
tendencies in Kerala comes from the
small cultural groups that work in the
villages and towns. It is a kind of
localised and horizontal resistance
initiated by groups associated with
library and literacy movements. It is
not coincidental or accidental that the
annual meetings of the village library
or the cultural societies take place
during Onam days. The festivals and
celebrations organised by such groups
Contd. on page 43
The writer is a Freelance Journalist
September 2008
KERALA CALLING
11
Contd. from page 11
A fest foreseeing...
Pradhamans
Pine Apple
Pradhaman
Ingredients
Pine apple- half kg
Scraped coconut - 2
Ghee - 3 teaspoon
Jaggery - 400 gms
Cardamom powder- one teaspoon
C hopped cashew nuts - one tablespoon
Method
Peel the pineapple and chop. Cook with enough water.
Mash well. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Stir well. Pour
strained jaggery syrup. Pour the third, second and the
first coconut milk respectively. When it thickens, off
the burner. Fry nuts in two-teaspoon ghee and add to
the payasam. Sprinkle cardamom powder serve hot.
Wheat
Pradhaman
Ingredients
Broken wheat- 400 gms | Jaggery-1 ½ kg | Coconut- 3
Nos. | Cashewnuts, kismiss- 25 gms each | Sago- 25 gms |
Cardamom-10 Nos | Dried ginger powder-1/2 teaspoon |
Cumin seed, powdered- ½ teaspoon.
Method
Fry nuts and kismiss in ghee. Cook broken wheat . Boil
jaggery in a cup of water and strain. Wash sago and cook
in a thick bottom vessel add cook wheat and sago. To
this, pour the third coconut milk and heat. Add the second
milk when it thickens a little. Then add the first milk.
Do not allow boiling. Remove from fire and add powdered
ingredients. Serve hot after adding fried nuts and kismiss.
act as catalyst forces that organize resistance to revivalist
hegemonic structures. The boat races in southern parts
of Kerala are instances of secular celebrations of Onam.
The festivals organized by the Tourism Department not
only provide colour and splendour to Onam celebrations
but also create a context to secularise the festivals of Onam.
Such interventions have their limitations. But the space
they provide to forces or groups that oppose revivalist
forces is invaluable. They also level the geographical
disparity associated with Onam celebrations.
There are some geopolitical differences in the
celebration of Onam in Kerala. Onam is more ritualistic
in Southern and Central Kerala comprising of the erstwhile
Travancore and Cochin states. But Onam is less ritualistic
in northern Kerala constituted mostly by the erstwhile
Malabar state. But the rituals of Onam in Malabar bear
the stamp of the community that perform the ritual. There
seems to be a hierarchical distribution in the temporal
sites allotted to the rituals of each community: lower castes
perform the rituals on days before or after Onam, while
the higher castes perform their rituals on Onam or days
immediately preceding or following Onam. Different types
of theyyam or Kummattikkali clearly show the identity
of the community that enact them. The cultural difference
of the rituals and the spatio-temporal differences in their
enactment are clear indications of the geopolitical
differences in the identity of the cultural communities.
Secularising Onam erases the geopolitical differences and
fortifies the forces that oppose the revivalist tendencies.
The geopolitical differences are the outcome of cultural
insulation and absolutism.
Myth, history and fiction are all narratives; there is
hardly any difference among them. Contemporary
historians like Dominic LaCapra and Hayden White rule
out any differences between history and fiction. As a form
of narrative, myth is also a kind of history or fiction.
Postmodern historiography conceives of cultural memory
as a form of genealogy or at least, an alternate history.
The myth of Onam is a matrix of cultural memory which
is equivalent to the unrecorded history of a cultural
community. In a secular community, it is better to view
Onam as the celebration of a set of cultural memory rather
than some myths or rituals. It is part of our collective
unconscious; it is the identity of the cultural diaspora called
Malayali. It is a sustaining force that contributes to the
collectivity, legacy and identity of our community. It is
only obliquely about a golden past. Onam fortifies the
cultural bonds of the community, especially at times of
crises like that we encounter now. Celebration of Onam
is a paradigm of cultural resistance to the invasion of
Mcdonald menu and Cola. When the present is miserable
and the future is bleak, Onam offers a context for a sojourn
to the spatio-temporal sites of idealised living and cultural
cohesiveness.
The writer is Campus Director, Sanskrit University
September 2008
KERALA CALLING
43
Elizabeth Mathew
L
ooking outside through the balcony
of her son’s tenth floor flat, eighty five
year old Narayani Amma sighed.
Tomorrow is Thiruvonam day. But
nobody living in this house is
bothered about it. No busy
arrangements on the eve of Uthradam
day. What is wrong with Malayali…
Time has changed and now all are
busy. Nobody has time to go through
all these traditional rituals. They are
all addicts of fast food culture.
Everything is available at the nearby
supermarket she was told. There is no
time for them to prepare ona sadhya
or onam specialties. ‘Amma if you
want I can arrange one ona sadhya at
the nearby hotel for you’, said her son
sarcastically when she enquired about
the arrangements for Onam. After her
death no one in this family will
celebrate this festival of Kerala, she
was sure. But at the same time she is
also having the hope that her elder
10
10
KERALA
KERALA CALLING
CALLING
again fortifies the feudalistic
organisation of the society and the
phallocentric structure of the once
matrilineal Hindu upper caste family.
The ritual renews and strengthens the
relations between the Karanavar and
his dependants within the family and
the landlord and the tenants outside.
It only ensures the perpetuation of
feudalism and patriarchy. The ritual
related to Athapoov or floral carpet
underlines the greatness and the
relevance of nature and conventional
flora rather than the modern. It is an
attempt to landscape one’s resistance
to the hegemonic and oppressive
structures prevailing in the society. As
the French thinker Michel de Certeau
explains, even routine or “the practice
of every day life” can be used as a form
of resistance to disguised hegemonies
in society. Athapoov also symbolises
an attempt to decolonise the
landscape in the quest to re-invent an
identity. A ritual can be appropriated
as a form of resistance in a colonial
situation. It exemplifies what Simon
During calls “politics that does not
look politics.” This is an apparently
innocuous, but deliberate attempt to
consolidate native resistance to
cultural and political invasion.
The ritual of Onathappan is again
a ritual disguised as resistance. It must
be noted that what has been practised
as rituals have latent cultural and
political connotations. The rituals
intrinsically embody the political
dualism, despite the cultural unity
they apparently create. The rulers
often use the rituals as a means to
consolidate their power structures
whereas the subjects use the same
rituals as powerful articulations of
their dissent and resistance. This is
the paradox of ritualistic significance,
especially in postmodern or
postcolonial societies.
The art/sport forms associated
with Onam are also related to the
son and family will visit her on
Thiruvonam day….
The case of Narayani Amma is not
an isolated one. There are many senior
citizens living in flats and small houses
in cities of Kerala who are unable to
cope up with the present day Onam
celebrations. Onam according to
them was a harvest festival full of fun
and joviality, colourful and vibrant…
It was a feel good, do good and be
good time for all Malayalees.
But even today Onam is one
tradition the enterprising Keralite
takes with him to different regions of
the world where he settles down. Even
though the spirit and mode of
celebrations changed it is celebrated
in one way or other by Keralites
residing in different parts of the
world. It is not only celebrated by
Keralites but also by Indians from
other states as well as people of other
nationalities.
Traditionally Onam comes when
the state's granaries are full and fruits
and vegetables mature to be harvested
providing plentiful food for people in
Kerala.
The festival is being celebrated by
all sections of the society, with
pageantry, song, dance and games. In
the villages of Kerala, celebrations
start from atham, 10 days earlier to
Thiruvonam. But in cities and
elsewhere the day is celebrated
Hopepermeates...
September
September 2008
2008
cultural identities of the rulers and the
subjects. The pulikali, for instance,
originated from an ideology that
considered certain groups of people
subhuman: their duty consisted in
humouring or cheering the masters.
The padayani or pattu with its
alliterative incremental repetition and
dramatic structure is also intended to
humour the dominant groups that
rule the society. The thiruvathirakali
or thumbithullal, exclusively practised
by women, are specimens of art forms
that treat women as sexual objects.
The body language of the players, like
the manipravala narratives, are so
structured as to satisfy the male gaze
and male sexual fantasies, especially
that of the upper caste conservative
Hindu male. There is a rather abrupt
end to these arts with the
disintegration of feudal structure of
Kerala society. Though feudalism was
socially and legally abolished, it
reappears in other forms in the society.
This has a parallel at the national/
international level: the former
elaborately on a holiday or weekend
falling near the Thiruvonam day.
Legend has it that Onam
commemorates the arrival of an
ancient beloved king called Mahabali
to see his subjects once every year. In
our villages people celebrate this
festival with all its jollity even today.
For them Onam is a celebration of
ten days. It comes in the month of
"Chingam" according to Malayalam
calender. People put ‘pookkalam’
(flower mats) in front of their houses,
to welcome the King. There will be
competition for the laying of flower
mats. They will wear new dresses, will
be visiting almost all temples which
they can, they will be performing lot
of dances like Thiruvathira kali,
Thumbi Tullal etc. to name a few and
the most important thing is the grant
lunch they will be having on the
Thiuruvonam day. Whatever may
happen they will not miss the Grant
lunch. There is a saying in Malayalam
that Kaanam Vittum Onam Unnanam
which means, "We should have the
Thiruonam lunch even if we have to
imperialist nations continue to exploit
and control the former colonies as
donor states dominating international
financial institutions. Likewise, the
former feudal structures have
reorganised themselves as revivalist
forces and have been working to
revive the rituals associated with
Onam.
Ritualising Onam
depoliticises the political signifiers
associated with it.
Kerala is a multicultural society in
which the identities of cultural
communities are defined in terms of
cultural differences. The cultural
constructs like race, gender, class,
religion, language or sexuality define
the cultural identity of groups and
individuals. It is but true that the
cultural constructs are appropriated
by dominant groups to deny equity
and justice to others. But they define
the power relations among the
different cultural communities.
Ritualising a celebration is a kind of
appropriation that alters the political
significance of the event. For, ritual
is a terrain where both oppression and
resistance can be oriented, severally
and differently. When Onam is
ritualised with a view to reviving the
hegemonic structures of the past, the
rituals are to be resisted by the process
of secularisation. Secularising or deritualizing is a kind of generalisation
or levelling that depoliticizes the
motives and message of the process.
It is a process that resists the penal
power and hegemony associated with
revivalism.
The opposition to revivalist
tendencies in Kerala comes from the
small cultural groups that work in the
villages and towns. It is a kind of
localised and horizontal resistance
initiated by groups associated with
library and literacy movements. It is
not coincidental or accidental that the
annual meetings of the village library
or the cultural societies take place
during Onam days. The festivals and
celebrations organised by such groups
Contd. on page 43
sell out all our properties". They
give that much importance to the
lunch on the Thiruonam day.
But this festival welcomes not
just the mythical monarch. It is
a time of homecoming for the
Malayali diaspora spread all over
the world. Members of the family
unite to relive the legacy of a
people’s monarch. Those who
cannot reach home will celebrate
the festival in their own way in
the respective places where they
are put in. Truly it is a time of
greater emotional bonding
among the scattered subjects of
Maveli. It is a festival of hope and
in this fast-changing world, it is
heartening to know that Onam,
though highly commercialised in
Kerala, continues to be
celebrated in a traditional
manner with mirth and amity all
over the world wherever Keralites
reside.
The writer is a Freelance Journalist
September
September 2008
2008
KERALA
KERALA CALLING
CALLING
11
11
COVERSTORY
K. Kunhikrishnan
Memoirs
Mesmerizing
E
very festive occasion evokes
nostalgia in me: nostalgia of my
childhood in a remote village in the
northern part of Kerala, in Kannur
district. My village, Peralam, is near
Payyanur to be precise, a part of the
famous Karivellur- Peralam
panchayat. The village was
surrounded by a rivulet on the sides
of which, there vast acreage of paddy
fields and during monsoon, when the
rivulet gets flooded the paddy fields
also used to get submerged and the
vastness of the water, which remained
there at least every year is fresh in my
memory.
My house was located at the edge
of the paddy lands and from home
we could see the flood waters, like a
sea of milk, but with remains of life
tree trunks and corpses of animals
floating and flowing.
The floods were the main reason
for praying for early Onam and
Puthari, our festival of the new crop
of rice. Prior to that there was Nira:
the month of Chingam used to have
in our agrarian society three festivals,
Nira, Puthari and Onam. No other
month has three festivals and every
day used to be thrilling. On Nira day,
ready to be harvested paddy corns
were covered with eight auspicious
leaves and hung in the rooms with a
lot of fanfare, and the big feast follows.
There were several dishes and the
sweet paayasam, which as a child, I
12
KERALA CALLING
could have as much as I wished! It was
just some rice and curry on other days
and on the days of the monsoon it
used to be a minimal quantity in my
kinnam and pinjanam, that too
because in my house I was an only
child, and probably my mother and
grandmother sacrificed their share of
the meal to feed me. All that our poor
household had, was some paddy
fields, the yields of which were barely
sufficient to feed enough mouths.
Come Puthari, the celebration is
even bigger. Freshly harvested rice is
powdered and made into a ball with
sugar or jaggery and some spices and
the ball called Puthariyunda is
something to be relished at the
auspicious time in the morning, when
there a cracker burst in the temple
announce the Muhurtham. From the
temple the prasadam is received in the
form of one ball and that is mixed
with what is prepared at home.
During the entire month of
Chingam, I was forced to read or
chant aloud the Krishnagatha; you
have to finish the book in that month.
You can not stop on the left side page.
You can not skip the pages, because
elders at home knew that I was at
some mischief, especially my
grandmother, as she had almost
known the book by heart, through
years of listening to it. Not only that,
during the month we had to decorate
the front portion of the house with
flowers. It was my duty to collect the
September 2008
flowers from the adjoining fields or
compounds. In the paddy field there used
to be beautiful violet flowers, which we
called Kaakkappoo. Then there was
Thumbappoo in the compound itself and
several others of different hues and shades
and sizes. One particular flower, we called
Hanuman Kireeedam was most welcome
as with it the mat container called Kuriya
could be easily filled, though my mother
or grandmother used to frown at my
effortless work, whereas filling it
thumbappoo or Kaakkappoo would take
ages! During the Onam days, decoration
with flowers used to be elaborate and those
wonderful displays
were worth
documenting. On Onam day, there used
to be the theyyam called Onathar, which
was by a child. It used to be one of my
classmates and I really admired him for
the capacity for dancing in steps to the
accompaniment of drum and singing. It
was such a colourful sight. My birthday
also came during Chingam and Paayasm
used to be special variety made of rice
powder and jaggery and if the birth star
came before paddy harvest it used to be
real good feast, which were also served to
the neighbouring children.
Two vivid memories remain in my
mind about my childhood Onam. One is
that the Onathar Theyyam did not visit a
neighbouring house, which was very well
off. The head of the house had come back
from Singapore after working there
for several years. He had a beautiful
daughter, who had perhaps fallen in
love with the handsome gentleman
accompanying the theyyam during
one of the visits earlier! It was heard
that they used to meet once in a while,
in the hillside bushes and trees, which
were vacant lands. The orthodox head
of the house became so enraged and
cruel when he came to know of this
affair. So when the theyyam visited
the house on an Onam day, the man
with the help of some of his workers
tied the gentleman around a coconut
tree and the helpless man was beaten
up mercilessly. The boy who was
wearing the theyyam costumes and
make up ran away and his wailings
and cries for help resulted in saving
the man after quite some time and
the man was rushed to the hospital
by the good Samaritans in the village,
who turned against the Singaporereturned broken English speaking
person. He was almost hated and
ostracized by everybody and no one
came up to marry the girl!
Onam was great for me for the
unique gift that I used to get and it
was a nice mundu and a half sleeve
closed shirt- Onakkodi. Sometimes it
used to be more that two or three,
depending on the finances and
moods of my uncles. One particular
year, in my V standard, I got a very
nice soft mundu and shirt, from my
maternal grandfather’s brother, who
was very fond of my mother- the
eldest daughter of his late brother. He
specially sent it to me through some
messenger, with some little cash.
Usually schools used to reopen after
the holidays, on the next day after
Onam. My elementary school
compound was separated from my
house only with a maidan- an open
ground, so common those days.
Everyone in the class and school, boys
and girls used to come wearing the
new Onam dress. My mother was of
the view that I could save that dress
for a special occasion if I wore that
new dress, for school, it would get
spoiled! She cajoled me to wear
September 2008
something of a lesser quality. When I
went to school everybody was
resplendent in their new Onam dress
and I felt crestfallen! I also boasted of
my special new shirt and mundu and
no one would believe me: if I really
had one, I must have worn it and
hence I was surely bluffing.
There were only a few minutes left
for the school bell and I rushed back
home to get my new dress. My
mother was not at home and my
grandmother did not know where it
was kept. I started crying aloud and
narrated the insults(!) I suffered at the
school. My grandmother could not
help and I was advised to wait till my
mother returned, as I refused to go to
school without that dress! The wait
was eternal and the classes had begun.
It was also the day when examination
results were announced and answer
papers given back. The headmaster,
who had enrolled me to the school
and very fond of me, did not find me
in the class while my slate and books
were there! My classmates had
explained the reasons of my
predicament. I was first in the class
and had secured more than 100 per
cent in my mathematics, as I answered
beyond the choices. I was crying
despite my grandmother cajoled and
persuaded me to go to school and I
did not budge. After a while, all my
class mates landed home and said that
the headmaster had summoned me.
My grandmother told them that I am
refusing to go for want of the new
dress.
I had so much of love and respect
for my headmaster and hence I went
back to the class. He was such a loving
man and he very affectionately chided
and advised me that I should never
worry about what others say and not
get cowed down, when I know that
truth is on my side. He had taught
me many, many things in life and this
is one of them that I eternally cherish
and during every Onam day I recall
that incident.
The writer is former Dy Director General,
Doordarsan. e-mail: kkunhikrishnan
@gmail.com
KERALA CALLING
13
COVERSTORY
Dr M.V. Vishnu Namboodiri
Myths
the ou
M
essage
M
O
PHOTO: DALU PARAMESWARAN
nam is the state
festival of Kerala. From
time immemorial, the
festival has been
prevailing in the
community. During
the Sangha period
Onam was celebrated
throughout South
India. References to
Onam can be
found
in
‘Madhuraikanchi’,
which is part of the
Sangha
songs
‘Pathupattu’.
In
Madurai, Onam was
celebrated as a great festival.
In Thrikkakkara, Onam
was celebrated for 28 days, it is
said. Later it was reduced to 10 days
beginning from ‘Atham’ (13th lunar
mansion). Almost all the rulers of
14
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
Kerala gathered at Thrikkakkara to
take part in the ‘Avani Onam’. The
rulers of Kochi and Zamorins
performed quite recently rites and
rituals
connected
with
Athachamayam.
Today
Athachamayam is performed in
Thrikkakkara under the auspices of
the people. The myth of the
incarnation of Vishnu as Vamana is
the background of Onam festival.
Vamanan is Thrikkakkarayappan.
During the Onam season, the effigy
of Vamanan is made of sand and
worshipped.
Mahabali pooja
The myth related to the Kerala
King Mahabali and the annual visit
of Mahabali from the other world to
see his subjects is propagated as the
origin of Onam. How can one say that
Mahabali is the King of Kerala? In
symbolic of co-operation
and happiness in the
society.
The new rice is at
first used on an
auspicious day. It is called
“Puthari”. It is the
representation
of
agricultural prosperity.
These days are the
beginning of Onam
season. All types of
vegetables are also found
in plenty during these
days. The very nature is
showing its happiness by
supplying numerous
flowers – making the
land a heavenly one.
lding
s
Onavillu
Chingam is the
month in which Lord
Sreekrishna was born. In
Hindu
houses,
days after rainy season. After the
‘Kallakarkidakam’ (the worst season),
it is the turn for Chingam. After
‘Metavishu ’(the festival of vernal
equinox), the rain comes slowly.
During Karkadakam (4th sign of the
zodiac), the fields begin to show
seedlings and happiness enters the
minds of the farmers. They take a few
‘Katir’(spike of rice corn) on an
auspicious time and decorate their
houses with them. It is called ‘Nira’.
In temples too the katir is presented
and after worship, these are
distributed among the people. It is
A sumptuous feast is the characteristic feature of
Onam. Even today this practice exists. Presenting
new dress to dear ones is also a custom. New dress
is also given away to servants. Earlier, ‘Chittadas’
(child’s dress) were given to young children.
September 2008
PHOTOS : MURALI PAYYANNUR
different parts of India, Mahabali is
worshipped but not in the month of
Chingam (5th sign of the zodiac).
More research is required to that
effect. Mahabali pooja is there in
MadhyaPradesh. In the Brahmin
houses
of
North
Kerala,
Mahabalipooja is performed during
the month of Tulam (7th sign of the
zodiac), known as the invocation of
Valiyachandra. On the previous day
of Amavasi (new moon), before
sunrise, a pot full of water is kept
ready and rituals are done for three
days. On the third day, the same water
is poured back to the well. It is
symbolic representation of the
reception of Mahabali from Pathalam
(hades) and sending back to the same
place. Worships are done for Mahabali
and Vishnu.
Most of the festivals are related to
seasons. Onam is during the sunny
KERALA CALLING
15
PHOTOS : MURALI PAYYANNUR
importance is given to the month
itself. A pot-full of water is kept in
one room of the house which is
representing ‘Nirakudam’ (a full
water-pot). Besides a white double
cloth, Krishnappattu (a verse written
by the poet Cherusseri) and a bow
made of bamboo is also kept. It
represents Onavillu. Lord Sreekrishna
in his child’s dress plays with a bow
might be the belief behind this.
Formerly Onavillu was used for
some martial arts. Today it is seldom
find. It is made in a different way. The
outer layer of palm or areca nut palm
is used for making the bow.
A sumptuous feast is the
characteristic feature of Onam.
Even today this practice exists.
Presenting new dress to dear
ones is also a custom. New
dress is also given away to servants.
Earlier, ‘Chittadas’ (child’s dress) were
given to young children
Onakkali
There are a lot of pastimes
connected with Onam.
Variations are found
according to the
age and gender
of the persons.
Girls often
indulge in
plays like
kaikottikkali,
K o l a t t a m , Thumbi
thullal
etc.
Kaduvakali,
K o r a t h i y a t t a m , Va t t a k k a l i ,
Onathallu etc. are the pastime of
men. Some of the artistic
performances during the days of
Onam are Onathullal or Velanthullal,
Thalayattam etc. In Thrissur,
Kummattikkali is very famous. It is
performed in the accompaniment of
drum. They use artistically designed
masks. They cover all over their bodies
with a type of grass. In Kummattikali,
Mother kummatti, Srikrishna, Siva,
Kirathan, Darikan, Naradan,
Mahabali, Bali, Sugreevan, Vishnu
etc. are presented. The performers
visit houses singing funny songs and
they get gifts from the house owner.
The myth of Oneswaran
Whatever be the myth on Maveli,
the art and literature of Kerala
abounds in Onam and Maveli. In
Kolathunadu, there is a practice of a
local deity called “Onathar”, visiting
houses and dancing on the day before
Onam. The community called
‘Vannan’ performs it. A young boy
16
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
performs the dance accompanied by
drum and other instruments. In the
left hand there will be a bow. In the
song accompanies the performance,
the myth of Maveli and the origin of
Onam festival are unrolled.
Mahabali was an Asura King who
ruled over the land. Feeling jealous of
the King, Indra requested Vishnu and
consequently took the incarnation of
Vamana and requested Maveli three
measured feet of land. Maveli readily
accepted the request. Two feet was
sufficient to measure the entire land
and the third foot was placed on the
head of Mahabali. The Mahabali was
sent to Pathala and he was allowed to
visit his subjects Thiruvonam day of
the first Malayalam month every year.
This is the myth of one of the folk
songs. Another song elaborates
description of the feature and dress
of Onathar.
In places of Kozhikode, during
Onam Oneswaran visits houses. The
myth of Mahabali is behind the
practice. Oneswaran is decorated with
tender coconut leaves, crowned,
holding a bell and an umbrella made
of palm leaves. The accompanying
person will beat a drum called
Murichenda. Oneswaran does not
speak. Hence in a few places he is
called Onapottan. It is the right of
‘Panas’ to perform this.
Onappattukal
A lot of folk songs are prevalent
in the category of Onappattukal.
Most of them describe the rituals,
ceremonies and pastimes of Onam.
In one of the songs it is described
that during the reign of Maveli,
COVERSTORY
Meheboob Sultan
athetsspirit
Exprecreate
T
he city’s largest expat community is in a festive mood. Onam, the biggest
festival of the Malayali community from the South Indian state of Kerala,
is just round the corner.
Abu Dhabi, and indeed the UAE, shares a special bond with the people
of this community who comprise, according to an unofficial estimate, 65
per cent of the 1.5 million Indians who have made this country their home.
Though not following the traditional 10 day long festival, the community
members in the city made sure they did not completely miss out on the
fun.
Residing in the UAE for the past 10 years, Mini, who runs a Music
Institute, says that she has been keeping alive the spirit of Onam despite
being away from home. “Laying out intricate floral designs are difficult
here because of the lack of availability of flowers, but we make sure we put
up at least a small Pookkalam and also invite our friends every year for
Sadya", she said.
Rejith, who works at a travel agency, says, "Being a bachelour means
my Onam celebrations are at a good restaurant where I get traditional
food. This is the time of the year I feel homesick the most... there are many
nostalgic moments about the festival."
Meena Sharaf, employed in an insurance company, says Onam is also a
time for helping other communities "understand our culture and tradition."
As for any Malayali, Onam is very special to me, wherever I am, whether
I am in India or in any part of the world. It is my passion, it is my beloved
festival, and it is strongly bonded to many of my dearest memories, a string
of nostalgic memories. But Kerala has changed a lot, Keralites changed a
lot. The spirit of Onam is gone...Onam is different now, so somewhere we
lost the meaning of Onam. The Onam is now celebrated in more
mechanical way. With no heart involved. With no spirit and no compassion
still it gives me an opportunity to think more about my state, my town,
my village, my friends as any other Malayali.
The writer is Research Officer, Abu Dabi National Oil Company
September 2008
people were equal and never even
spoke a lie. The belief that Maveli
visits Kerala on Thiruvonam day is
described there. People wish to receive
Maveli with grandeur and do the
needful for that. They make
pookkalam (decorating figure with
varicoloured flowers) in front of their
houses.
Onam is celebrated throughout
the world. But we forget the goodness
of us after globalisation. During
Onam, art form like cinematic dance
came to the society. We cannot expect
the retention of traditional practice.
When we go astray from that a lot of
values will be lost. In Onam, a
philosophy is developed in which
people love each other and a collective
life
through
Onakkali,
Onappookkalam, the prizes given out
and the Onam feast. If we lost that it
is equal to annihilation of our culture.
The idea and concept of Onam is now
generating a nostalgic feeling of the
lost or losing goodness in the society.
KERALA CALLING
17
COVERSTORY
Meheboob Sultan
athetsspirit
Exprecreate
T
he city’s largest expat community is in a festive mood. Onam, the biggest
festival of the Malayali community from the South Indian state of Kerala,
is just round the corner.
Abu Dhabi, and indeed the UAE, shares a special bond with the people
of this community who comprise, according to an unofficial estimate, 65
per cent of the 1.5 million Indians who have made this country their home.
Though not following the traditional 10 day long festival, the community
members in the city made sure they did not completely miss out on the
fun.
Residing in the UAE for the past 10 years, Mini, who runs a Music
Institute, says that she has been keeping alive the spirit of Onam despite
being away from home. “Laying out intricate floral designs are difficult
here because of the lack of availability of flowers, but we make sure we put
up at least a small Pookkalam and also invite our friends every year for
Sadya", she said.
Rejith, who works at a travel agency, says, "Being a bachelour means
my Onam celebrations are at a good restaurant where I get traditional
food. This is the time of the year I feel homesick the most... there are many
nostalgic moments about the festival."
Meena Sharaf, employed in an insurance company, says Onam is also a
time for helping other communities "understand our culture and tradition."
As for any Malayali, Onam is very special to me, wherever I am, whether
I am in India or in any part of the world. It is my passion, it is my beloved
festival, and it is strongly bonded to many of my dearest memories, a string
of nostalgic memories. But Kerala has changed a lot, Keralites changed a
lot. The spirit of Onam is gone...Onam is different now, so somewhere we
lost the meaning of Onam. The Onam is now celebrated in more
mechanical way. With no heart involved. With no spirit and no compassion
still it gives me an opportunity to think more about my state, my town,
my village, my friends as any other Malayali.
The writer is Research Officer, Abu Dabi National Oil Company
September 2008
people were equal and never even
spoke a lie. The belief that Maveli
visits Kerala on Thiruvonam day is
described there. People wish to receive
Maveli with grandeur and do the
needful for that. They make
pookkalam (decorating figure with
varicoloured flowers) in front of their
houses.
Onam is celebrated throughout
the world. But we forget the goodness
of us after globalisation. During
Onam, art form like cinematic dance
came to the society. We cannot expect
the retention of traditional practice.
When we go astray from that a lot of
values will be lost. In Onam, a
philosophy is developed in which
people love each other and a collective
life
through
Onakkali,
Onappookkalam, the prizes given out
and the Onam feast. If we lost that it
is equal to annihilation of our culture.
The idea and concept of Onam is now
generating a nostalgic feeling of the
lost or losing goodness in the society.
KERALA CALLING
17
COVERSTORY
T
hiruvananthapuram, the otherwise
subdued city, buzzes with live dance
performances and musical nights at
the University Senate hall, art and
craft fair and naadan bhakshya mela
at the Kanakakkunnu Palace, mimics
parade and magic shows at the VJT
hall. The picturesque floats procession
with thousands witnessing it. The
spectacular illumination sparkling all
the way from Vellayambalam to East
Fort makes the already gorgeous
city looks like a radiant bride on her
wedding day... As one of the
innumerable Keralites living outside
the country, memories of
Onaaghosham in the city where I
grew up evoke homesickness and a
lingering nostalgia.
Onam as I remember, was all
about togetherness. We all flocked at
the grandmother's house in one of the
city's suburbs. We used to have
incredible fun blithely indulging in
onakkalikal, onapaatukal and even in
a lighter version of onathallu. We
stayed outside the house most of the
time, swinging until we nearly fell off
the swing feeling dizzy, pulling each
other's legs and laughing like crazy.
The mood was upbeat with so much
love and merriment in the air.
In New Jersey, where I live, we are
fortunate to have some Malayali
friends out here who are equally
excited about Onam and determined
18
KERALA CALLING
K.L. Vineetha
m
a
n
O
in a Land
Beyond
Pathala
to celebrate it in all possible ways. Since Onam happens to be in
the summer months of August or September, the trees around us
would no longer be adorned with their stunningly beautiful spring
flowers. So, we go to the farm markets nearby and buy
big
bouquets full of freshly picked flowers in
different hues and sizes. We arrange the
pookkalam in a park near the entrance to
our residential complex with curious
onlookers surrounding us. For me and my
friends who usually wear western clothing,
this is an opportunity to flaunt our
elegant Kerala sarees, matching
jewelry pieces and the make-up
perfected with pottu and
sindooram on our foreheads. The
menfolk and the kids clad in
traditional attire happily join us in
the floral decoration.
Now when we prepare
the sadya over here, we need to
be on top of everything from the
size of the vegetables being cut
September 2008
PHOTO : RATHEESH
to the amount of salt and spices and the overall
flavour. I dearly miss my mom's appetising,
sumptuous sadhya. Though we don't match up to
the culinary talents of our mothers, we too get rice
and vegetables from the Indian grocery store and
make kuthari choru, a variety of curries, pickles and
payasams. Then we sit together and devour the
sadya served in plastic plantain leafs.
In certain areas of New Jersey and New York
where Malayali associations are more established, the
thiruonam day is a cross-community, cross-cultural
day that promotes and celebrates the common bonds
among malayalis . Celebrations are on a large scale with
hundreds of people participating in cultural and entertainment
programmes. However, in our small and sweet gathering of
about thirty people, the amusements mainly include singing
Malayalam songs, playing games like dumb charades, musical
chair and watching Malayalam movie on the DVD player. At
the end of the day, although exhausted, our hearts are filled
with the sheer joy of experiencing yet another Onam.
We are delighted to celebrate our marvellous festival
September 2008
year after year. It really is a celebration
of all that is good to enjoy the feeling
of togetherness, preserving and
communicating the feeling of
nostalgia among the Malayalis in the
city.
I do reminisce on the elaborate
revelries back in Kerala. The
luxuriant, carnival-like setting in
Thiruvananthapuram city and
elsewhere certainly enhances the
magnificence and befits the spirit
of Onam. As I write this, sitting half
a globe away from Maveli's own
naadu, those tiny, glistening lights
from my good old city dance before
my eyes exuding the unparalleled
charm and splendour of Onam, the
biggest festival for any Malayali.
The writer is a freelance journalist in New
Jersey, U.S.A.
KERALA CALLING
19
COVERSTORY
O
nam is heralded as a harvest
season with feasting, boat racing,
singing and dancing. It is supposed
to be the national festival of the
Keralites. Even after centuries the
festivities remain rooted in tradition
but commercial and consumerist
tendencies have overtaken the
rationale of this harvest festival.
In commerce and business, the
preparations for Onam have gone
beyond the borders of Kerala. The
business community in India attaches
more importance to this otherwise
ritualistic festival. For them the
festival season in India starts with
onam and passes through Deewali
and Christmas. Being the first fest and
20
KERALA CALLING
V.S.Bindhu
One thing that is common to this new-generation of
youngsters is the amount of money at their command.
Consequently, their demand and shopping profile is at wide
variance with what Onam was supposed to be.
And the companies have responded accordingly.
Kerala being a consumer state many
products are test-marketed here with
much fanfare. Thus goes onam as the
season for discounts. Just forget about
the little games the people used to play
and the floral carpets in the
courtyards, it is time to talk business.
Everyone is in an effort to get a
pie from the flourishing market, from
the Airlines to the pan shops. Airlines
September 2008
make it a time to woo the passengers
with the delicacies of the sadya. Those
who can not serve the full course
onasadya at least provide the payasam
to the passengers.
The people of Kerala now earmark
their annual purchase to this
auspicious occasion such that the
community get-togethers like
marriages, family shopping and even
s
r
e
w
o
l
F that
shopping
ed cides
PHOTOS : JOSHI MANJUMMEL
Not
travel plans are scheduled for these
days. The marriage season alone
fetches crores of rupees which is spent
by way of jewellery and clothes. After
the cold and wet Karkkidakam there
is a flowery season which is considered
propitious even by the nature.
Onam is the time when the king
comes to see the well being of his
subjects. And now it is the turn of
NRI subjects to return to their
homeland to see the King. Nowhere
will you find a festival immersed in
myths, folklore and traditions which
later turned towards an occasion for
Keralites to celebrate plenitude and
togetherness.
For those Malayalis who can not
return to their native place localised
celebrations galore outside the State.
Even there, the markets are ready with
all sorts of Kerala specialties. In Gulf
countries the South Indian restaurants
serve lunch with up to 26 vegetarian
onam items set on plantain leaves.
Most premises stay jam-packed and
take-away and home-delivery orders
are at their peak. Then the local social
and community centres host massive
feasts to mark the annual harvest.
The Indian supermarkets and
vegetable shops in U.S.A., South East
Asia and Gulf countries do good
business with imported exclusive
onam food products and flowers from
Kerala. The imported items include
spicy curry powders, pickles, banana
and plantain leaves, drumsticks,
ginger, pumpkin, beans, curry leaves
and curry powders. The most soughtafter goods are fresh vegetables and
fruits imported from Kerala. Then
there are the traditional mundu and
sarees. In some cities Kerala Shopping
festivals have become a routine in the
onam season. Visitors, mostly those
interested to know the culture of
Kerala are expected to these exclusive
shows. Filling these stores is itself a
big commercial activity and it is done
through exports from our little Kerala.
Back in the state where the IT and
BPO centres are beginning to take
root, came a new breed of young
professionals with substantial
disposable income. The cultural and
demographic profile of the state has
September 2008
begun to change along with them at
least
in
cities
like
Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The
older generation of farmers, traders
and government officials are
increasingly giving way to a new breed
of young, upwardly mobile and
affluent NRIs, entrepreneurs and
professionals.
One thing that is common to this
new-generation of youngsters is the
amount of money at their command.
Consequently, their demand and
shopping profile is at wide variance
with what Onam was supposed to be.
And the companies have responded
accordingly. Consumer durables have
occupied a major share from the
Malaylees’ pockets be it the purchase
of television, the music system, fridge,
washing machines, air conditioners,
cooking grill or gas stoves. Just for an
example, a multi national company
has stated that Kerala accounted for
14 to 15 per cent, amounting to Rs
175 crore, of its national turnover of
Rs 4,900 crore during last year. The
Southern States put together, had a
total share of 27 per cent.
One to one offer in this sector is
common. What is astonishing is the
entry of even the auto makers with
huge discounts and exchange
facilities. Banks have responded with
festival offers for buying houses, cars,
bikes, scooters and also offering
personal loans at very attractive rates.
Contd. on page 41
KERALA CALLING
21
to early development stages of
fish, shrimp, crab and other
animals, the most severe effects
being decreased reproductive
capacity and impaired larval
development.
Moves against depletion
The first international
discussion on the issue was by the
governing council of the United
Nations
Environment
Programme (UNEP) in 1976.
Then followed the Vienna
Convention in 1985, which
resulted in a frame work
agreement commits its parties to
take general measures to protect
human health and the
environment against human
activities that modify the ozone
layers.
Discovery of the Antarctic
Ozone hole in late 1985 was an
alarming signal. Governments
recognised the need for stronger
measures to reduce the
production and consumption of
CFCs and Halons. The Montreal
Protocol in substances that
deplete the ozone layer was
adopted in September 1987. It
envisages to phase out production
and consumption of ozone
depleting substances on the basis
of periodic scientific and
technological assessments.
Accordingly, the Protocol
was adjusted to accelerate
the phase of schedule in
London in 1990,
Copenhagen in 1992,
Vienna in 1995,
Montreal in 1997 and
Beijing in 1999. This
year’s theme of world
ozone day is ‘Montreal
Protocol – Global
Partnership for Global
Benefits.’ By adopting
ozone friendly life style
let us endeavour for the
healthier and sustainable well
being of our generation as well
as for the generations to come.
How can we be
ozone-friendly?
As individuals each of us can
initiate ozone friendly activities.
• Be an ozone friendly
consumer – Refrigerators,
sprays, fire extinguishers etc.
that are cfc are now available
in the market. We can buy
products labelled ‘ozone
friendly’ or ‘CFC free’.
• Be an ozone friendly home
owner – By disposing old
refrigerators and appliances
responsibly, that is cfc and
hcfc refrigerants should be
removed from an appliance
before it is discarded.
• Be an ozone friendly farmer
– By avoiding methyl
bromide soil fumigation
ozone damaging pesticide
can be replaced by biopesticide management.
refrigeration servicing
technician – By not releasing
refrigerants to the
atmosphere while servicing
appliances
• Be an ozone friendly office
worker – Water coolers, air
conditioners, cleaning
solvents, fire extinguishers,
sprays, foam cushions, paper
correcting fluid etc . Use
ozone depleting substances.
We can initiate a plan for
replacing them with cost
effective alternatives
gradually.
• Be an ozone friendly teacher
– By discussing
environmental issues like
ozone depletion and
remedial actions, teachers
can impart to students the
impact of this global threat
and spread the message of
conservation.
September 2008
Contd. from Page 21
Not Flowers...
The festive season of August to
October sees maximum real estate
activity in India. Kerala sets the trend
with Onam and Diwali is usually the
peak across the North and the West.
In a year of slowing down of property
markets across the country largely due
to rising interest rates and escalating
values, the market is watching the
Kerala Onam season with bated breath
to see if the festive season would
actually bring cheer to the real estate
industry as well.
Onam beckons corporates to
Kerala as no other festival does. While
it is usually the private companies who
go for aggressive promotion of their
products, this time even public sector
majors have joined the bandwagon.
Many major entertainments like the
Nehru Trophy boat race are sponsored
by such companies.
Even the players in the media like
the Malayalam channels and
newspapers fill their time and space
with advertisements. Onam festival is
the most crucial festival for any
Malayalam channel when looked
through the programmes as well as the
advertisements.
Traditionally, the film trade
considers Onam as one of the best
seasons to release a Malayalam film.
And for all top stars, an Onam release
is not only prestigious but also a must
for their survival in commercial
cinema. What stand on their way is
the advent of satellite television
channels which go all out for premium
movies in this season. Now, one of the
biggest problems facing the film
industry is to get the family audience
glued to their TV screens to come to
the theatre on festival days. The easy
way out is to release an Onam film a
few days before the festival mood
starts. But this year, onam coming
close to Ramzan has forced the
producers to delay the release of super
star movies.
For those who traditionally stick
to the past, the vibrancy in the season
is a different story and they need to
close the eyes because it is
omnipresent, even in the nature.
KERALA CALLING
41
COVERSTORY
Mini Chandran Kurian
T
he drumming of the rain on the
window panes is incessant. Do I
imagine it, or is it saying
something… Look at the colour of
the leaves, the grains of dust running
in liquid swirls down the veins, the
cemented roads broken into
submission by indifferent footfalls…
Somewhere else down south, the soil
awakens to the familiar sounds of
temple bells chiming, the notes of
bird song, the fragrances of moist
rich earth and harvested paddy…
Onam is in the air…
The monsoon leaves its muggy
imprints all over Mumbai city.
September signals the end of one
season and the beginning of another.
Onam is marked in red in the
Malayalam calendar, yet does not
figure at all in the fancy English
calendars that adorn most homes
and offices in this city. There is a
sense of isolation in that.
To the Malayali living in the steel
and grey metropolis of this city, the
stray references to Mahabali’s annual
visit in the national papers,
immediately evoke images of the
pookalam laid out at the entrance
of ancestral homes to celebrate the
coming of Mahabali, and he searches
hopefully for the seasonal thumba
flowers in the tiny floral bouquet
shops in the by-lanes of Mumbai…
The search is usually futile, and yet
the very act of hunting for a symbol
of the festival that once was central
to his existence, adds a special
meaning to the day. It is a harking
back to his roots, an immersing of
the soul in a pastiche of memories
that is both warm and comforting.
I find myself brightening visibly
as I make my way to the vegetable
market in the suburb of Matunga.
The trucks carrying baskets of raw
bananas, yam and koomb, covered
with bundles of fresh green plantain
leaves that will serve up the
traditional Onam sadya to the
homesick Malayalis of India’s
22
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
m
a
n
O
in the gateway
To the Malayali living in the steel and grey metropolis of
this city, the stray references to Mahabali’s annual visit in
the national papers immediately evoke images of the
pookalam laid out at the entrance of ancestral homes to
celebrate the coming of Mahabali, and he searches
hopefully for the seasonal thumba flowers in the tiny floral
bouquet shops in the by-lanes of Mumbai…
commercial capital, have already
entered the city’s limits the night
before. There is a palpable, barely
suppressed air of excitement that
hangs over the market. White
mundus folded up, mounds of
swollen vegetables and hands
rummaging through packets of crisp
banana chips… all around me are
various shades of green and the air
reverberates with snatches of
conversation in Malayalam… For a
few moments one is transported back
to one’s ‘native place’ as they called it
back in school.
No doubt, the Onam celebration
in Mumbai is but a pale shadow of
the pageant in Kerala, with its temple
festivities, and the snake boat races in
the backwaters… But sometimes, the
semblance of reality is enough.
Symbol instead of substance, part in
September 2008
lieu of the whole…
Television sets are turned on,
kasavu saris come out of the
cupboards where they have
been lying neglected, and
channels fill the corners of
poky flats. The small group
of guests gathered at the
square dining table
crammed with unevenly
chopped plantain leaves,
engages in cheerful
nostalgia…
A part of me wants to
belong to that time and
place, when they skipped
barefooted along the red
ridges of earth that separated
the dewy green paddy fields,
in happy anticipation of the
ten day Onam holidays
ahead, and ride joyously on
home-made wooden swings
strung from the sturdiest tree in the
courtyard… But a part of me holds
back, clinging to the identity that I
now possess, as a denizen of Mumbai
- the city of my birth, my seat of
learning, and my kurukshetra, where
I am free to carve my own destiny…
A dilemma of sorts, that is the lot of
most new-generation Mumbai
Malayalis.
Or perhaps, there is no conflict at
all. There is a bridge across the
distance that I straddle in my mind,
clasping a bouquet of borrowed
moments from my father’s childhood,
and drawing strength and security
from the land of my ancestors; even
as I set down roots and prepare to reap
a new harvest in this city that I now
call my home…
The writer is a Feelance Journalist in
Mumbai
KERALA CALLING
23
INDEPENDENCE
V.S. Achuthananthan
Chief Minister
The Nation celebrated 62nd Independence Day with pride.
The Chief Minister V.S. Achuthananthan inspected
the guard of honour at the Central Stadium in
Thiruvananthapuram and addressed the gathering.
Following are the excerpts of his speech.
Celebrations
with new mottos
M
y warm regards to all at this
auspicious moment of celebrating the
sixty second Independence Day.
I offer homage to the memories
of brave martyrs who sacrificed their
lives in the legendary struggle to wipe
out imperialism. Their memories
enkindle and stimulate generations
after generations.
This is a time when imperialistic
powers try to impose their supremacy
over other sovereign countries and the
social upheaval against it is increasing.
4
KERALA CALLING
We should be aware of the fact that
our country too is not free from
threats of imperialism.
We are celebrating Independence
Day this time with the gratitude that
we could keep away disappointment
from agriculture sector and bring in
vitality. During this period, we could
pass a new legislation to prevent the
bad habit of filling and reclamation
of paddy fields and wetland, a threat
to food security and environmental
balance. Many programmes have been
September 2008
started to make paddy cultivation
profitable. The State is procuring
paddy by giving Rs.1.50 more than
what the Centre declared. The stepby-step enhancement in the support
price, which was just Rs. seven two
years back, to Rs.10 acted as a
stimulus in increasing paddy
cultivation. We could create a role
model for the whole nation by
implementing interest-free-loan to
paddy cultivation. Agriculture
insurance as well as crop insurance
could be envisaged and implemented
effectively. Steps have completed to
start pension scheme for farmers.
A new action plan has been
envisaged and is being implemented
to put and end to our dependency
with other states for the essential food
materials by achieving self-reliance in
food grains like black-grain or bean,
vegetables, egg, milk, meat etc. As our
paddy production is a mere one fifth
of the actual demand, self-reliance in
this case will remain to be a distant
dream. But the production of paddy
from just above six lakh tonnes upto
10 lakh tonnes is not a pie in the sky.
The State could make a public
distribution system, which is a role
model to the whole country. With
that the price rise could be curbed.
But the Centre’s move to divide
cardholders into APL and BPL
destroyed the rationing system.
Making things worse, the Centre
stopped allowing rice share of APL
cardholders. This resulted in scarcity
and price hike of rice in open market.
By distributing subsidised rice from
Bengal and Andhra through rice
shops and maveli stores, the scarcity
and price hike could be checked to
some extent.
Procuring of rice by giving
supporting price is done not because
that there is surplus rice in the State,
but just for helping the farmers. But
our people are undergoing a terrible
injustice of refusing ration rice quota
of Centre by painting this appropriate
interference in poor light.
The cooperation of the whole
people is needed to tide over the
power crisis due to the heavy shortage
of monsoon rain and the cutting
down from Central Power Grid.
Our state is galloping towards
comprehensive progress. Vizhinjam
International
Container
Transhipment Terminal, a project
which was about to write off thinking
never would happen, is about to take
off. The first phase of this mega
project which gives job opportunities
to five thousand people directly and
about one and half lakh people
indirectly, will complete within three
years. Land acquisition, the stumbling
block in the Vallarpadam
International Container Terminal
project, could be completed ensuring
total satisfaction of the landowners.
Central permission for the project of
Kannur Airport could be obtained
and the acquisition is in progress
aiming completion of the project
within three years. KollamKottappuram National Waterway has
commissioned after removing the
blocks and hastened up the works of
the waterway from Kovalam to
Neeleswaram to complete within
three years. Steps have also taken to
Contd. on page 42
September 2008
KERALA CALLING
5
ETHNICFOOD
Indu Narayan
Contd. from page 5
Celebrations
with new mottos
develop National Highway into four lane.
Unprecedented progress is occurring in industry, IT
and tourism sectors. The public sector undertakings that
were at the brim of lock out could be made profitable
and those under loss have been engaged in joint ventures
with Central public sector undertakings as part of
renovation. The BrahMos missile manufacturing unit
in Thiruvananthapuram, the boggy fabricating unit at
Cherthala Autocast in unison with Railways, the joint
venture of Steel Complex and Steel Authority of India
in Kozhikode etc are examples for this.
The starting of Smart City project without
compromising State interests and the decision to start
IT Parks in all districts are indicators of progress in IT
field. Two IT parks are about to come in Alappuzha – at
Ambalappuzha and Cherthala. IT parks will soon be
started in Emarath in Kannur and Cheemeni in
Kasaragod. A cyber park will be established in Kozhikode
in line with the Technopark and Infopark for the IT
development of northern Kerala.
Permission obtained to establish a large coach factory
at Palakkad. The basic infrastructure facilities needed
for coach factory will soon be made available.
Though Kerala has the least number of landless
people compared to other states, tens of thousands of
families still do not have a shelter to stay. As a remedy to
these, the EMS Total Housing Project is going on,
targeting completion within three years. The 12,000 acre
land at Moonnar has been recaptured as part of the
intensive activates for recovering government land. A
total of 15,000 acres of land thus recovered will be
distributed to the landless.
The State Government is trying to give a little solace
to all other deprived classes by entitling them for pension
and welfare fund. Welfare pension scheme has been
extended to more groups. I have the gratitude that the
welfare pensions which were just Rs.100 or Rs.120 could
be enhanced to Rs.200.
Health insurance to make treatment free of cost for
the poor and a Minority Welfare Department in
accordance with Sachar Commission Report are other
things to be noted.
Terrorism, no matter whether it is in the name of
religion or not, will be crushed down in order to sustain
peace of life and progress. The public should cooperate
with the government and should be vigil in isolating
destructive elements.
Time demands popular vigil against issues like
atrocities against women and dowry.
Love, friendship, unity and mercy should be the
feelings which lead the society. Once again, let me wish
the whole people my Independence Day Wishes.
42
KERALA CALLING
Taste the sweety
Jackfruit Pradhaman
Ingredients
Jackfruit (ripe) - 250 gms | Coconut - 3 Nos.
Chopped coconut-2 tablespoon
Cardamom powder-2 teaspoon | Jaggery- 500 gms |
Cashewnut, kismis – 15 gms each | Ghee- 3
tablespoon | Cooked Sago- 2 tablespoon
Method
Chop and cook the jackfruit
well. Melt jaggery in a cup
of water and strain. Scrape
the coconut and extract the
milk without adding water.
Take the second milk by
adding one cup of water.
Then take the third milk by
adding two cups of water and
keep aside. Fry the chopped
nuts and kismiss till attaining a golden brown colour
and keep it aside.
Take the ghee in a thick bottom vessel and heat. Add
jackfruit, sago and jaggery syrup and cook. Add third
extract of coconut milk and cook till it thickens and add
the second extract of coconut milk, followed by the
first milk. When it begins to boil remove from fire and
add cardamom powder and fried ingredients.
Vermicelli Pradhaman
Ingredients
Vermicelli-200 gms
Coconut- 2
Ghee- 2 tablespoon
Jaggery- 500 gms
Cashew nuts, dates, chopped- 2 tablespoon
Method
Fry vermicelli in one tablespoon of ghee. Prepare jaggery
syrup by boiling with one cup of water. Strain and add
to the fried vermicelli. Scrape coconut and prepare the
first, second and third coconut milk in the same manner
as done for the previous payasam. Add the third milk
and boil. Then add second milk .After boiling a little,
add and the first milk. Fry the nuts in one-tablespoon
ghee. Garnish with chopped dates and nuts. Sprinkle
with cardamom powder.
September 2008
EDUCATION
K
erala has made notable
achievements in the realm of literacy.
The State has one of the highest rates
in education level; including female
literacy, among the developing world.
And it is equal to Finland which ranks
first in literacy among developed
countries. Literacy rates and female
status are interconnected: each
impacts on the other, as high female
status contributes to improved literacy
rates and educational and life
opportunities, while high female
literacy rates result in increased social
standing for women. Such synergy
produces outcomes beneficial to a
society, regardless of its developmental
status. Keeping aside the statistical
upper hand in female status in
education it is high time looked into
socio-economic status of women in
the State in comparison with the
national and international level.
Dr.S. Kunjamma
As adopted at the UN’s Global Education International
(UNGEI), Advisory Committee on the 13 June 2008 meeting,
at Kathmandu, Nepal, “a world where all girls and boys are
empowered through quality education to realise their full
potential and contribute to transforming societies where
gender equality becomes a reality.”
India and Kerala have many
divides revolving around religion,
caste, ethnicity, language, religion,
region, social identity, rural/urban,
literate/illiterate, etc. Majority of
Indian population lives in the rural
areas. The rate of literacy for the entire
country in 2001 was 65.2 per cent,
with the highest literacy in Kerala
above 90 per cent, lowest literacy in
Bihar less than 50 per cent, rural
literacy at 59 per cent, urban 80 per
cent, males 76 per cent, and females
at 54 per cent. This position on
Indian Languages and the Digital
Envisaging
Equality
6
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
Divide illustrate and describe the
multilingual nature of Modern India,
the challenges it has faced in language
planning since independence from the
British rule, and the challenges to the
maintenance of language vitality in
the context of digital divide, and the
path ahead to bridge the divide. It
may be appropriate to view the
education status of India in an
international perspective.
As adopted at the UN’s Global
Education International (UNGEI),
Advisory Committee on the 13 June
2008 meeting, at Kathmandu, Nepal,
“a world where all girls and boys are
empowered through quality
education to realise their full potential
and contribute to transforming
societies where gender equality
becomes a reality.” And as resolved by
the 5th World Congress of Education
International (EI), meeting in Berlin
last year, "Empowering girls not only
to believe in themselves but to
believe that they can
overcome many hurdles
makes a world of difference,".
The Fifth World
Congress of Education
International Calls on
governments to take effective
measures, including legal, to: Ensure
the right of every woman to receive
equal remuneration for equivalent
work or responsibility received by
male counterparts; Require employers
in both the public and private sectors
to provide equal pay for work of equal
value, whether or not the jobs are the
same; Ensure that the design,
methodology and implementation of
job evaluation systems are free of
discrimination and include in their
development the full participation of
the trade union movement; Give
priority when designing public
policies, programmes and allocating
resources,
including
timelines, to
ensure the
achievement
of the objective
of pay equity;
to have an
employment
policy that
eliminates
forms
of
i n s e c u re
employment.
Urges EI
m e m b e r
organisations to: Lobby
governments to ratify and fully
implement ILO Conventions
relevant to the achievement of
pay equity, in particular
Conventions 100, 111 and 156;
Remove
inequalities
and
discrimination from pay systems,
making them transparent and open
to scrutiny; allocate sufficient priority
and funds to achieve pay equity;
Collect relevant information on the
existence of a sex-based wage
differential in the education sector
and circulate to members. Make pay
equity a collective bargaining
objective; Train negotiating teams to
achieve language and/or measures that
guarantee pay equity; Train women
so that they are able to detect the
existence of pay inequity and
effectively present the case in support
of their labour rights.
Calls on EI to: Integrate the issue of
pay equity in all EI gender equality
activities, at international, regional
and national levels; Develop specific
tools and materials to assist member
organisations to conduct campaigns
on pay equity and job evaluation
systems; Strengthen its collaboration
with the Global Union Federations
and
International
Labour
Organisation on the promotion of Pay
Equity; Undertake joint work with
the Global Unions on pay equity as a
strategic objective, at international,
national and regional levels, such
work to include advocacy, training
and sharing resource materials. Ensure
the right to trade union membership
and the exercise of trade union
responsibilities for women in the
workplace. It is high time for a
progressive government to look into
whether it has had adhere the above
stated UNGEI stipulated calls. Then
only we can evaluate or discuss on the
power of education.
The writer is Head, Dept. of Linguistics,
University of Kerala
September 2008
KERALA CALLING
7
T
he Information and Public
Relations Department of the
Government of Kerala is all set to start
an Electronic Media Division for
promoting the Government PR. The
Cabinet has shown green signal for
the commencement of the new
division, considering the need of
incorporating state-of-the-art facilities
in disseminating of Government
information and also to cope up with
the ever-growing demand from the
media. The Division was mooted by
the K. Kunhikrishnan Committee,
headed by K. Kunhikrishnan, former
Deputy
Director
General,
Doordrasan which was assigned the
task of suggesting measures to
diversify the Information and Public
Relations
Department.
K.L.Sreekrishna Das, former Director
Public Relations, Press Information
Bureau, Thiruvananthapuram and
S.Biju, Chief Co-ordinating Editor,
Asianet were the members in the
Committee.
Soon after the declaration of the
formation of Electronic Media
Division, K. Kunhikrishnan spoke to
Kerala Calling. Here are the excerpts.
The Government of Kerala has
announced the formation of
Electronic Media Division
(EMD) as part of the Information
and Public Relations Department.
This decision has come on the
basis of the recommendations
made by the Committee headed
by you to study the diversification
of the Department. Could you tell
us the immediate impact of the
electronic media division on the
public?
26
KERALA CALLING
Staff Reporter
As the name suggests, the newly coming
Electronic Media Division in the Information and Public
Relations Department will cater the needs of various news
channels across the State. Besides, the Division will be
looking after the content management of the Government
web portal as well as the Department’s website, among
many other new initiatives. It includes visual
documentation of socio-cultural development process of
the State.
Electronic Media Division
New
wings
horizons
The Committee made the
recommendation after considerable
deliberations and study conducted
about the practices obtaining in other
state governments and media
organisations. The advent of
technology, which gets obsolete by
day, cannot be wished away, especially
by the Information and Public
Relations Department of a state which
is just not only highly literate, but also
very media-savvy. This can be
illustrated from the fact that the state
with a population of 31 million has
more than a dozen television channels
and more than fifty daily newspapers.
It is also notable that despite new TV
channels coming up, the readership
of newspapers has not gone down at
all. Everybody reads more than one
paper and watches as many channels
as possible to get a complete ‘picture’.
The convergence technology has
made it possible for fast transmission
of data and images. The I&PRD,
September 2008
Government of Kerala, has a
considerable strength of forward
looking and hardworking personnel.
In order to utilise their full potential
and talent, within the specific
parameters of Governmental
functioning, the Committee felt that
it is most essential to equip them with
modern technological gadgets. It is
also necessary that they are up-to-date
and able to function with a futuristic
outlook, so that they do not become
anachronic. The recommendations
for creation of a new electronic media
division was made from this
perspective.
This division is a new initiative in
Kerala. How various Government
departments will be benefited by
EMD?How can EMD be used for
reflecting the programmes and
policies of the Government?
The I & PRD of the Government
is just not its mouthpiece,
PHOTO: K. RAVINDRAN, I & PRD
INTERVIEW
hypothetically it should also serve as
the eyes and ears of all the
Government departments right from
the policy level to the grassroots,
where the nitty-gritties of governance
take place. The I & PRD is the
presentable face of the government.
Even normal human beings would
not like to have an ugly face, even if
it were so. To make the face more
presentable, every individual, within
affordable limits, resorts to cosmetic
changes wherever possible. The face
should also look fashionable and
attractive. In this case, it is the whole
Government and its policies and
programmes that should have the best
presentable image. For this,
presentation of data, text and images
has to be carried out in the fastest
manner, and also very effectively and
attractively packaged. This is a
specialised job which can be taken up
only by professionals engaged in
activities
of
information
dissemination and public relations. I
firmly believe that the policies and
programmes of the Government,
irrespective of political parities being
in power, would be reflected by
effectively utilising the Electronic
Media Division. It is a tool that has
to be put into use at an optimum
level. It is also imperative that every
organ of the government, I mean at
every level of governance, uses the
Electronic Media Division to the
fullest potential. During the course of
the functioning of the Committee,
the interactions we had, make us feel
convinced that the new Media
Division would meet the aspirations
of the people concerned. It is for the
Government now to effectively use
them, and just not dump it in the pits.
Right now, the Department is
engaged in the content
management of Government web
portal as well as the PRD site.
How can EMD accommodate
these wings under its folders?
This can easily be done as there is
no ambiguity about the objective.
Both are complementary and also the
two sides of the same coin. I would
think that by better management the
I&PRD website would improve
The I & PRD of the
Government is just not its
mouthpiece,
hypothetically it should
also serve as the eyes
and ears of all the
Government departments
right from the policy
level to the grassroots,
where the nitty-gritties of
governance take place.
September 2008
further and would become more
interactive for users. Interactivity
enhances the number of hits thereby
popularising the site and services.
The committee has suggested the
creation of a company under the
Department for starting a
Government owned TV channel.
What will be the contribution of
EMD in this direction?
Kerala has the highest number of
television channels per capita as
compared to channels in other
languages and states. It is also to be
reckoned that the Kerala market is
limited. As there are numerous
channels which generally cater to
limited interests, and at times vested
interests and also crass commercial
aspects the work done by the
governments in power periodically do
not get properly reflected through any
of the existing channels. Most
channels have their own agendas.
Along with the newspapers as well as
the general reflection of the Kerala
society at large, everything is
negatively politicised. The image of
the Government and the State takes
a beating in this process, despite the
phenomenally great changes taking
place through governmental
programmes. In order to effectively
outreach these programmes to the
targeted population, dissemination of
information is best possible only
through a television channel run fairly
and objectively. It should not be
sensational and it should not also be
politicised to swing and dance to the
tunes of the party or individuals in
power.
How EMD can collect the
feedback from the public on the
new initiatives of the
Department?
There is already a mechanism in
practice in the I & PRD for effective
feedback from the public. If the
merger of the various divisions takes
a healthy turn as envisaged, the
feedback and the redressal mechanism
of the grievances of the public can be
done in an excellent manner.
Manning of various positions should
be got done by people / officials who
empathise with the aspirations of the
public.
KERALA CALLING
27
WEATHER
S G Kutty
Fold
the umbrella
S
Climate changes
ome previously unanticipated
impacts of regional climate changes
are just starting to become apparent.
In Kerala, monsoon is often confusing
and occurring unpredictably. Now
droughts and floods are common.
The worst affected region in the
country due to the confused monsoon
is Kerala. Monsoon confusion already
struck the hydro-power industry, the
major source of state’s electric supply.
Drinking water will also become
dearer in near future. Are we prepared
to face these threats?
Over recent decades, Kerala has
seen a higher rise in temperature than
the global averages. The state has had
28
KERALA CALLING
some of the driest years, side by side
with years of abnormal monsoons and
heavy flooding in low lying areas.
Other parts of the world too are
witnessing climactic disturbances:
temperatures in the Brazilian Amazon
have recorded steady increase - bad
for people, bad for crops. Water use
is a related concern. In Kerala and
other parts of India, ground water is
being depleted because of declining
rainfall, excessive withdrawal of water
for irrigation (often induced by price
subsidies), relentless deforestation and
soil erosion.
Dry spell during the monsoon
season and heavy rains in the summer
September 2008
seasons are not unfamiliar to Kerala.
These phenomena are part of the
climate changes taking place across
the world. The WTO Cell of
Department of Agriculture and
Kerala Agricultural University
undertook a study on the impact of
the climate change in Kerala. The
team had based its studies on the
findings of various scientific bodies
during the past, apart from
conducting their own research.
Kerala experienced decline in
annual and monsoon rainfall and an
increase in temperature during the
past decades. The mean annual
maximum temperature over Kerala
has risen by 0.8 degree centigrade, the
minimum temperature by 0.2 degree
Celsius and the average by 0.5 degree
centigrade between 1961 and 2003
as per the study taken up by the India
Meteorological Department. The
maximum temperature shot up to 40
degree centigrade in Palakkad during
February and March 2004 and the
highest of 41 degree centigrade was
noticed on April 26, 1950. The year
1987 was the warmest year over
Kerala, according to the study.
According to one recent study by
WHO, climate change directly or
indirectly contributes to about
77,000 deaths annually in Asia and
the Pacific, which is about half the
total number of deaths in the world
attributable to climate change. The
1999 cyclone in Orissa which killed
an estimated 10,000 people and the
July 26, 2005, floods in Mumbai have
all been listed by WHO as some of
the disasters that can be linked to
changes in climate.
agriculture. For instance, the
atmospheric concentration of carbon
dioxide is now far higher than in the
last 650 000 years and has been
growing faster in the last ten years
than it has been since the beginning
of continuous measurements around
1960.
The warming of global climate is
now unequivocal. There are many
observations of increasing air and
ocean temperatures, widespread
melting of snow and ice, and rising
sea levels. Eleven of the last twelve
years (1995-2006) rank among the 12
warmest years ever recorded since
global surface temperatures are
measured (1850). Over the last 100
years
(1906–2005),
global
temperature has increased by 0.74°C.
Global sea level has risen by 17 cm
during the 20th century, in part
because of the melting of snow and
ice from many mountains and in the
Polar Regions. More regional changes
have also been observed, including
The mean annual maximum temperature over Kerala has
risen by 0.8 degree centigrade, the minimum temperature
by 0.2 degree Celsius and the average by 0.5 degree
centigrade between 1961 and 2003 as per the study taken
up by the India Meteorological Department.
Re-thinking health in a changing
environment should thus become a
priority for all health professionals and
policy makers. It should be presumed
that the current burden of diseases in
the health sector—mosquito-borne
diseases like dengue, malaria or
chikungunya in Kerala—are likely to
be worsened in the coming years due
to climatic changes. The recent
outbreak of chikungunya in the State
has already established how an errant
pattern of rainfall and environmental
factors can devastate a delicately
balanced public health system.
The atmospheric concentrations
of greenhouse gases such as carbon
dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and
nitrous oxide (N2O) have
significantly increased since the
beginning of the industrial revolution.
This is mainly due to human
activities, such as the burning of fossil
fuels, land use change, and
changes in Arctic temperatures and
ice, ocean salinity, wind patterns,
droughts, precipitations, frequency of
heat waves and intensity of tropical
cyclones.
Climate change will have three
main impacts on rural poor and their
livelihoods: increase environmental
risks, reduce livelihoods opportunities, and in consequence, stress existing social institutions. Its effect will
occur through hazards and mechanisms that may be historically familiar, and for which the rural poor have
often developed a rich repertoire of
strategies and adaption practices.
To strengthen the adaptive
capacity of the rural poor, therefore,
local governments and other external
actors need to strengthen and take
advantage of already existing strategies
that many households and social
groups use collectively or singly.
The responses of local institutions
September 2008
to climate change in developing
countries will be a key part of the
global response to both adaptation
and mitigation. Information on how
and under which conditions local
institutions can help reduce climate
change-related vulnerability, enhance
adaptive capacity, and promote
sustainable livelihoods through more
effective development policies and
programmes is currently sparse.
All adaptation practices occur in
institutionally rich contexts, and the
success of adaptation depends on
specific institutional arrangements.
Local institutions are therefore
necessary enablers of the capacity of
households and social groups to
deploy specific adaptation practices,
and without them rural poor will find
it far costlier to adapt in ways relevant
to their needs.
This discussion suggests five
major classes of adaptation practices
to the rural poor in varying measures
depending on their social networks,
access to resources, and asset
portfolios: mobility, storage,
diversification, communal pooling,
and exchange. Kudumbasrees,
Sthreesakthees, and local clubs can
take major roles. The integration of
modern and traditional knowledge
systems may ensure community
participation in natural resource
management. Traditional knowledge
can provide the building block for
development of local communities,
but it has to be scientifically validated
and returned to the stakeholder
community
Given the importance of
institutions to adaptation, it is critical
to establish how different kinds of
institutions reinforce particular
combinations of adaptation practices.
External interventions can reinforce
livelihood practices and local rural
institutions by supplying four types
of supports: informational,
technological, financial, and
leadership that reduce the costs of
collective action. The framework also
suggests that local institutions in the
public, civic, and private sector are an
appropriate mechanism to channel
external inputs that strengthen the
adaptation practices of the rural
poor.
KERALA CALLING
29
TECHNOLOGY
Gre en
S. Ambeesh Mon
Computing
New window
for nature
Computer industry look for the ways to reduce the resources they consume and
the waste they generate, to enable their products more recyclable and to make these
systems environmental and human friendly.
C
omputers are one of the most
influencing forces present in modern
times. We can see the use of
computers in all facets of human life.
In the past two decades, computers
have reshaped our personal,
professional and social lives.
Harnessing the power of computers
enables relative limited and fallible
human capacities for memory, logical
decision making and reaction to be
extended to almost infinite level.
Computers have left such an
impression on modern civilization
that we call it the era of ‘information
age’. Along with these valuable
benefits, computers expose us to some
threats also. The problem of electronic
waste, ill effects on human body and
increasing power consumption are the
major ones. So computer industry
look for the ways to reduce the
resources they consume and the waste
they generate, to enable their products
more recyclable and to make these
systems environmental and human
friendly. This is known as Green
Computing.
Definition
Green
30
Computing
KERALA CALLING
is
the
environmentally responsible use of
computers and related resources
through the implementation of
energy efficient Central Processing
Units, servers and peripherals as well
as reduced resource consumption and
proper disposal of electronic waste.
Green Computing is the study
and practice of using computers
resource efficiently as well as
environmental friendly.
Evolution of the concept
One of the earliest initiatives
towards green computing was ‘Energy
Star’, a voluntary labelling
programme conceived in 1992 by the
Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) in the United States. This
government programme was aimed at
promoting energy efficiency in
hardware of all kinds. Very soon
Energy Star label became a common
sight, especially in notebook
computers and displays. In October
2006, this programme was revised to
include
stricter
efficiency
requirements.
Also in 1992, the Swedish
Orgnisation, TCO Development
announced a programme to promote
September 2008
low magnetic and electronic emissions
from Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) based
computer displays. This became the
popular practice in Europe and was
later expanded to include criteria on
energy consumption and the use of
hazardous materials in construction.
The European Union further
advanced the electronic waste policy
by implementing the Waste Electrical
and Electronic Equipment Directive
in 2002 which holds manufacturers
responsible for e-waste disposal.
Similar legislations have been enacted
in some Asian countries also.
Green Computing: Approaches
and Techniques Green computer
designs aims at four primary
objectives:
• Reducing the resources consumed
and the waste generated by
producing computer components
• Developing
a
cleaner
manufacturing process
• Minimising the energy and other
resources that computers
consume; and Enabling the
computers and components to be
used longer
The major approaches aimed at
The increasing e-waste exports from
the U.S and other developed countries
to other parts of the world especially
to China, India and Kenya, imparts a
sense of urgency too to the green
computing drive.
t h e s e
objectives and
enabling
techniques are
discussed below.
Electronic Waste
(e-waste)
Management
Generally, e-waste consists of
any broken or unwanted electrical or
electronic appliance. Lead and
Cadmium in circuit boards and CRT
monitors, Mercury in switches and
flat screens,brominated flame
retardants in plastic casings are just a
few of the hazardous materials in
computers. These materials can cause
cancer to birth defects in users of
computers. Eventually the leak of
these poisonous substances from
thrown away computers can
contaminate water and air.
There are some options to manage
these problems. One is reducing the
amount of hazardous chemicals in
computers. The Electronic Products
Environment Assessment Tool
(EPEAT), formulated by the Green
Electronic Council, U.S is a
development in this direction.
Another technique is ‘Computer
Recycling’ which refers to recycling
or reuse of a computer or electronic
waste. This includes donating the
obsolete, but still functional computer
systems to some others, or having the
system dismantled in a manner that
allows for the extraction of the parts
and components for reuse.
Energy Management
A major feature of energy
management is computers and
computer peripherals such as
monitors and printers that turns of
power or switches the system to a low
power status when inactive. ‘Sleep
mode’ or ‘stand by mode’ is a
commonly used technique in modern
computers. Advanced Configuration
and Power Interface (ACPI) is a
widely accepted industry standard in
this regard. Also there are new
hardware technologies that save
power. For example, a Liquid Crystal
Display (LCD) monitor needs less
power compared to the conventional
CRT monitor. The newer display
technique using Light Emitting
Diodes (LED) is even more economic
than LCD. Another aspect related to
energy management is computers
powered by ‘green energy’. Today
there are environmental friendly and
non-polluting sources of energy such
as wind mills, photo voltaic panel etc.
reduce the space requirement at the
work place as well as the emissions and
traffic congestions caused by the
commuters. Teleconferencing and
video conferencing, the two major
means of telepresence enable live
exchange of information among
people and machine remote from one
another but linked by a
telecommunication network. Thus
mobility management has the
potential to reduce business travel, a
major source of green house gas
emission.
Green Computing is the
utilization of the amazing computer
technology with the triple bottom line
of economic viability, social
responsibility and environmental
impact. But at present it is almost
confined to developed countries and
there also government regulation is
the major part of the overall green
computing philosophy. So it is high
time for governments in other parts
of the globe took up appropriate
measures to practice green
computing. This is very much
Virtualisation
Computer virtualisation is the
process of running two or more
computer systems on one set of
hardware.Virtualisation makes it
possible to combine several physical
systems into virtual machines on a
single powerful system, thereby
unplugging the original hardware and
reducing the power and cooling
consumption. An example is the X86
processor architecture commercialized
in 1990.
Mobility Management
Computers help us to manage
mobility effectively and efficiently.
Modern
systems
enable
telecommuting, and telepresence. In
telecommuting, the daily commute to
the central place of work is replaced
by telecommunication links. This can
September 2008
imperative, considering the inherent
problems in the energy management
and health care systems of developing
and underdeveloped countries. The
increasing e-waste exports from the
U.S and other developed countries to
other parts of the world especially to
China, India and Kenya, imparts a
sense of urgency too to the green
computing drive. Another major
requirement is the commitment and
involvement of business and
computer users in this noble initiative
to make computing more ‘green’.
The writer is Lecturer, Institute of
Management in Kerala, University of Kerala
KERALA CALLING
31
FILMREVIEW
Madhu Eravankara
Concerns
exaggerated
P
ages from the day to day life of
many of the ordinary housewives in
Kerala adapted to screen with
extravaganza of words and visuals
Veruthe Oru Bharya is yet another
attempt to produce a family drama
with a host of moral lessons and
contemporary happenings. Following
the footstep of Sathyan Anthikad,
who is synonymous as the director of
family drama, Aku Akbar has tried to
portray a husband and wife who, to
some extent, represent a stratum of
the society.
Sugunan is a typical conservative
husband who thinks that it is the
responsibility of his wife to do each
and every household work. His wife
Bindu is immersed in housework
from dawn to dusk. Their daughter
Anjana, an eighth standard student
seldom helps her mother in household
chores. She is flirting with a boy next
door without anybody’s notice.
Sugunan is an overseer in a typical
electricity office where nobody cares
32
KERALA CALLING
about the customers. When the
customers are in long queue to pay
the electricity bill, the employees are
on ‘other duties’ including the
superintendent who is a strong
feminist.
Sugunan is very much conscious
of the misuse of electricity and it is
his habit to react whenever he notices
such incidents. This attitude puts him
in trouble on the occasion of the
marriage of his brother-in –law.
Bindu, tired of performing the
household duties, all on a sudden
revolt against Sugunan and eventually
leaves for her own house deserting
them. The pressure of being alone and
the fear and anxiety of the security of
his daughter take Sugunan to the
verge of mental breakdown. Bindu
happens to reach the house at the
right moment and everything is
patched up amicably.
The film gets a serious turn from
the second half. The spectators are so
familiar with the incidents in the first
September 2008
half as it has been often repeated in
many films since sixties in Malayalam
Cinema.
Sugunan’s
mental
breakdown is convincing visually but
Anjana’s trip to the reality show and
the incidents followed lack of
imagination.
The treatment of the film is not
on a real level. Neither the scriptwriter
K. Girish Kumar nor the director Aku
Akbar wanted it in that way too.
Exaggerations, melodrama and
sentiments are dispersed at ease in
FLORICULTURE
appropriate proportions so as
to suit to the family audience.
The character of Sugunan
and his associates in the
electricity office are essentially
set to create comedy and
sarcasm to the film.
Gopika is fabulous in her
role as Bindu. She has
identified with the character
so much in unmatchable
expressions and dialogue
delivery. Jayaram is as usual
with his mannerisms. Niveda,
appearing in the role of
Anjana needs special
mention. It is a pity that one
needs an extra humour
faculty to laugh listening to
the crackers of Suraaj
Venjarammodu.
The
meticulously composed
visuals by Shaji claim an
unusual charm, especially in
the second half. But the
editing by Ranjan Abraham
draws more attention in the
first half.
Even though Veruthe Oru
Bharya aims at entertainment
of the family audience, Aku
Akbar turns to be a social
critic too. It rules out the
accepted traditional norms
like a wife is to be absolutely
ruled by husband or a
husband is unmistakably
autocratic. The mobile phone
episode may be considered as
the most powerful part of the
film as it is an eye opener to
many of the parents, who get
mobile phone to their
children unaware of its
misuse
and
the
consequences. The mobile
phone chatting, which leads
to unhappy incidents, the
servant boy who teaches
Anjana the coin trick and his
attempt of kidnap all expose
grave concerns of our times.
And the uncomfortable
question lingers; are our
daughters safe both inside
and outside our homes?
Suresh Muthukulam
Bloomers
Sun-loving
T
he flower head that points east
towards the sun during the morning;
as the day wears on, the stem rotates
so that the flower head follows the path
of the sun. This is the true nature of
sunflower. As the name mentions it is
a unique plant because of its reaction
to sunlight which it follows the sun
across the sky or because the flower
head looks like the sun. Bursting into
bloom in summer it is an excellent
addition to any garden.
Sunflower adore full sun and warm
weather. A native of North America,
the plant needs plenty of direct
sunlight, a minimum of 6-8 hours a
day for healthy growth. They are likely
to stretch for the sun and fall over from
their own weight if grown in partial
shade.
Sunflower is the common name for
the genus ‘Helianthus annus’ (‘helios’
means ‘sun’ in Greek and ‘annus’
designates it as an annual)
Sunflower likes a soil that drains
well and contains a lot of mulch. The
better the soil, the more heartier and
robust the plant. Plant the seedlings
about 40 cm. apart. Add some lime if
the soil is acidic. Fertilize the bed with
rotten farmyard manure, dried cattle
manure, leaf manure or a balanced
September 2008
chemical fertilizer mixture for maximum
growth. The taller varieties may fall over
if not given support.
There are so many different looking
cultivars of sunflower. Most sunflowers
are tall (2.4 – 2.6 m) with rough-hairy
oval to heart shaped leaves and large
flower heads 20-30 cm. across. They
have yellow ray florets and purplish dark
brown disk florets. Tall varieties can be
grown as a base fence or used as a
temporary screen. Small varieties are
used good in masses in the flower bed
or in the annual border with other
bright coloured flowers. Dwarf varieties
can be grown in containers.
Some of the attractive varieties are
Autumn Beauty, Teddy Bear, Russian
Giant, Holiday, Italian White, Velvet
Queen, Sun Spot, Lemon Queen, Every
Sun, Titan Ring of Fire etc.
Sunflower is noted for its tolerance
to heat and dry conditions. Water the
sunflower freely for maximum growth,
but they can survive periods of drought.
Sunflower seeds are sold as a snack
food after roasting within heated ovens
with or without salt added. It is also used
to make butter, bread etc. The cake
remaining after the seeds have been
processed for oil is used as a livestock
feed.
KERALA CALLING
33
FLORICULTURE
appropriate proportions so as
to suit to the family audience.
The character of Sugunan
and his associates in the
electricity office are essentially
set to create comedy and
sarcasm to the film.
Gopika is fabulous in her
role as Bindu. She has
identified with the character
so much in unmatchable
expressions and dialogue
delivery. Jayaram is as usual
with his mannerisms. Niveda,
appearing in the role of
Anjana needs special
mention. It is a pity that one
needs an extra humour
faculty to laugh listening to
the crackers of Suraaj
Venjarammodu.
The
meticulously composed
visuals by Shaji claim an
unusual charm, especially in
the second half. But the
editing by Ranjan Abraham
draws more attention in the
first half.
Even though Veruthe Oru
Bharya aims at entertainment
of the family audience, Aku
Akbar turns to be a social
critic too. It rules out the
accepted traditional norms
like a wife is to be absolutely
ruled by husband or a
husband is unmistakably
autocratic. The mobile phone
episode may be considered as
the most powerful part of the
film as it is an eye opener to
many of the parents, who get
mobile phone to their
children unaware of its
misuse
and
the
consequences. The mobile
phone chatting, which leads
to unhappy incidents, the
servant boy who teaches
Anjana the coin trick and his
attempt of kidnap all expose
grave concerns of our times.
And the uncomfortable
question lingers; are our
daughters safe both inside
and outside our homes?
Suresh Muthukulam
Bloomers
Sun-loving
T
he flower head that points east
towards the sun during the morning;
as the day wears on, the stem rotates
so that the flower head follows the path
of the sun. This is the true nature of
sunflower. As the name mentions it is
a unique plant because of its reaction
to sunlight which it follows the sun
across the sky or because the flower
head looks like the sun. Bursting into
bloom in summer it is an excellent
addition to any garden.
Sunflower adore full sun and warm
weather. A native of North America,
the plant needs plenty of direct
sunlight, a minimum of 6-8 hours a
day for healthy growth. They are likely
to stretch for the sun and fall over from
their own weight if grown in partial
shade.
Sunflower is the common name for
the genus ‘Helianthus annus’ (‘helios’
means ‘sun’ in Greek and ‘annus’
designates it as an annual)
Sunflower likes a soil that drains
well and contains a lot of mulch. The
better the soil, the more heartier and
robust the plant. Plant the seedlings
about 40 cm. apart. Add some lime if
the soil is acidic. Fertilize the bed with
rotten farmyard manure, dried cattle
manure, leaf manure or a balanced
September 2008
chemical fertilizer mixture for maximum
growth. The taller varieties may fall over
if not given support.
There are so many different looking
cultivars of sunflower. Most sunflowers
are tall (2.4 – 2.6 m) with rough-hairy
oval to heart shaped leaves and large
flower heads 20-30 cm. across. They
have yellow ray florets and purplish dark
brown disk florets. Tall varieties can be
grown as a base fence or used as a
temporary screen. Small varieties are
used good in masses in the flower bed
or in the annual border with other
bright coloured flowers. Dwarf varieties
can be grown in containers.
Some of the attractive varieties are
Autumn Beauty, Teddy Bear, Russian
Giant, Holiday, Italian White, Velvet
Queen, Sun Spot, Lemon Queen, Every
Sun, Titan Ring of Fire etc.
Sunflower is noted for its tolerance
to heat and dry conditions. Water the
sunflower freely for maximum growth,
but they can survive periods of drought.
Sunflower seeds are sold as a snack
food after roasting within heated ovens
with or without salt added. It is also used
to make butter, bread etc. The cake
remaining after the seeds have been
processed for oil is used as a livestock
feed.
KERALA CALLING
33
OLYMPICS
T
he just concluded Beijing
Olympics saw an Asian Saga sphere
headed by hosts China. The former
sickman of Asia proved to the world
that they do not lag behind anybody
in every sphere of sports besides
stunning the world with their superior
skills in planning and execution of the
29 th edition of the sports
extravaganza. Though the credit of
claiming the first gold went to the
Czech Republic, China soon took
over and surged into the lead from
where they never looked back. In their
race for supremacy in the field of
sports, they made giants like the
United States and Russia sweat for
P. Kesavan
every gold. The hosts finished at the
top with 51 gold, 21 silver and 28
bronze notching up a ton in toto.
The mighty Americans and Russians
were relegated to the second and third
positions respectively. Though the
USA overtook the hosts with 110
medals, they were far behind them in
the number of gold medals with 36
gold, 38 silver and 36 bronze. In fact,
the Beijing Games was a nightmare
for Russia, as they even lost ground
in their traditional fields. They
finished as a distant third behind USA
with 23 gold, 21 silver and 28 bronze.
This is the first time since the 1936
Berlin Games, that the medals
Bye Beijing
Hello London
34
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
tally is led by a third nation other than
the USA or Russia. South Korea and
Japan completed the Asian Chorus,
by claiming the seventh and the
eighth positions respectively. These
front-runners were ably supported by
other Asian nations like Thailand,
India and Indonesia, thereby helping
the largest continent to finish with
over 80 gold medals out of the total
302.
India’s improved performance
Beijing saw a much improved
Indian as they not only realised their
dream of claiming an individual gold,
but also to claim two more
medals, the best by the over
100 crore population nation
in the 112 years of Modern Olympics.
Though India’s performance seems to
be negligible when we compare with
that of smaller nations in Europe,
Africa and the West Indies, it is as
good as three gold medals for this
medal-thirsty nation.
Abhinav Bhindra, a 24 year old
youth from Chandigarh became
India’s saviour and helped his
motherland to salvage lost prestige as
the eight time gold medallists in field
hockey could not even make it to
Beijing after falling the wayside in
qualifying matches. Nobody, not even
the most patriotic Indian would have
dreamt of Abhinav Standing as India’s
Abhiman at the victory stand before
the 10-metre air shooting finals. But
everything went right for Abhinav on
that day and he walked away with the
Gold pushing down his famed
opponents at the range. Abhinav shot
into an unbreakable lead with a tally
of 707.5 points and went straight to
the victory stand with India’s National
Anthem being played at the
background. Abhinav’s gold feat can
be worth emulated by those who
aspire for Olympic medals in future.
Continuous practice was behind
his success. He had a personal Swiss
lady coach besides the one provided
by the Indian Olympic Association.
In fact, the Swiss lady was first to
congratulate him on his gold medalwinning feat. India secured two
bronze also to make it three, the best
by us at an Olympiad. India’s second
medal was in wrestling which was
quite unexpected. When Susheel
Kumar got it for India, it took us to
the seventh heaven of happiness as it
came after a series of disappointments
in Badminton, Tennis, Wrestling itself
and in Boxing. India’s third medal
through Vijendar Kumar in the 75th
Kilogram middleweight category was
not unexpected as he was assured of a
medal in the quarterfinal stage itself.
In fact, the best performance by India
at Olympics after Abhinav Bindra was
by Sushil Kumar as he came from
behind with a bang to secure the
bronze. After hjis initial failure he
went on to defeat three opponents
September 2008
within an hour in his quest for a
medal. In between, India’s most
promising player in the women’s
event, Saina Nehwal, kindled hopes
for a medal before going down
fighting to a tougher opponent, Maria
Christia Yuliyanti of Indonesia in the
Singles Quartefinal. Another medal
prospect, Saniz Mirza, withdrew from
the women’s Singles before qualifying
early in the doubles. We reposed faith
in the duo of Leander Paes and
Mahesh Bhupati when they reunited
to fetch a medal in Men’s Tennis.
However, the pair went down to a
determinable Roger Federer of
Switzerland and his partner. Akhil
Kumar and Rajender Kumar raised
hopes in Boxing before equating early.
The biggest disappointment was Anju
Bobby George who committed triple
foul in Women’s Long Jump. The only
medal winner at Athens four years
ago, Rajya Vardhan Singh Rathore
was another disappointment as he
went out at the first round itself. In
fact, shooting which is a medalbearing event, brought us only
KERALA CALLING
35
HORTICULTURE
disappointment, with Anjali Bhargava
and Avinesh Kumar shooting wide
and had to quit early.
When Beijing proved a waterloo
to many it became a lucky ground for
several other upcoming stars. Michael
Felps of the United States and Usaain
Bolt of Jamaica are the find of Beijing
Games. Felps claimed eight gold
medals rewriting seven world records
in the process in swimming. He
overcame the 36-year old record of
Mark Spitz. Five of Felps’s gold were
from individual efforts. Usain Bolt
proved that he is a tornado from the
Caribbeans. He not only claimed a
spring double by winning the 100 and
200 metres sprints for men, proving
that he is the undisputed king of
sprints. He ran the 100 metres in 9.69
seconds making the event a nocontest one and set world records in
both the events.
The women’s 100 metres was an
all-Jamaican affair, as the three
sprinters from the United States
proved that they are not even a match
for the whirlwinds from the
Carribeans. The women of records,
Elena Dzinbayeva from Russia set
another world record in Paul vault
clearing a height of 5.05 metres in the
women’s event. Stefani Rice of
Australia who won two gold medals
in women’s swimming is another
upcoming star. Ethiopia and Kenya
showed to the world that there are no
opponents for them in long distance
running. Both the countries made a
clean sweep of the men’s and women’s
5000 and 10,000 metre races. Hosts
China had a bit of disappointment
amidst their forward march in the
withdrawal of world champion Liu
Shen from the Men’s 110 metres
hurdles. The failure of Blanka Witz
in women’s high jump was
unexpected. The world champion
from Croatia had to make won for
Hele Bowta of Belgium after going
undefeated in 34 metres. Women’s
long jump had a surprise winner in
Maureen High Magi of Brazil. Here,
the disappointment was Russia’s
Tatiana Lebadev who had to be
contended with a silver. While the
36
KERALA CALLING
USA and Russia along with
Jamaica and Kenya corned the
glory in track and field events,
Australia, Great Britain and host
China had to bite the dust in
Athletics. In dream events, Brazil’s
loss to traditional rivals Australia
by a margin surprised even a hardcore Argentinean fan. A gold medal
in Olympic Football went elusive
to Brazil this time too. Former
world number one in Men’s Tennis,
Roger Fedarer’s efforts to win an
Olympic gold went in vain.
However he has the consolation
that he won the doubles title.
The well-organised and wellcontested Beijing Games have now
become part of history. Much
water may flow under the Thames
Bridge when London hosts the
event four years from now. India
should change its strategy and so
for a vigorous companion to spot
upcoming talents and equip them
for the 30th Olympics. We should
concentrate on bringing in more
short-corner specialists to cash in
on the umpteen opportunities that
come our ways. Without rectifying
this defect, it would be a Herculean
task for us to beat teams like
Germany, the Netherlands,
Australia and Spain. We should also
give more concentration in events
like Archery, shooting, Boxing,
wrestling, weight lifting and power
lifting along with games like
Hockey, Tennis and Badminton.
The team selection would have to
be purely on merit. Without this,
we can only dream of claiming
more medals in Olympics by
emulating our neighbour China.
Twenty 20 cricket may also be
considered for inclusion at London
to satisfy the cricket fans.
The Beijing Games would go
down in history as one of the well
organised and contested in a
sportsman spirit upholding the
Olympic virtues. The 39 records
broken at Beijing find a parallel
only at Munich in 1972. Adieu
Beijing, wake up London.
The writer is former News Editor,
Doordarsan
September 2008
A
sh gourd (Benincasa hispida), also
known as wax gourd, white gourd or
white pumpkin is a popular vegetable
of Kerala grown in homesteads, rice
fallows and even in river beds. It is an
annual, climbing herb producing
large fruits which are fleshy, succulent
and densely hairy when young, but
thickly covered with white waxy
coating on maturity.
The importance of ash gourd as a
vegetable crop has been long
recognised due to its high nutritional
value, medicinal properties and
innumerable uses. Both the immature
fruits (ilavan) and mature fruits
(kumbalanga) of ash gourd are used
in a wide array of south Indian dishes
namely olan, sambar, aviyal, kichadi,
morukari, pulisseri, thoran, pulinkari
and a traditional chicken curry called
kozhiyum kumbalangayum. The fruits
are also used for making soup and
sweetened fruit drink. Petha, the
highly popular sweet with a delicious
and absorbing taste is a translucent,
almost clear candy prepared from ash
gourd fruits. The famous ayurvedic
preparation Kushmanda rasayanam
used as a nerval tonic and health
rejuvenator is prepared using fruits of
ash gourd cultivar called
Vaidyakumbalam or Neikumbalam.
HORTICULTURE
disappointment, with Anjali Bhargava
and Avinesh Kumar shooting wide
and had to quit early.
When Beijing proved a waterloo
to many it became a lucky ground for
several other upcoming stars. Michael
Felps of the United States and Usaain
Bolt of Jamaica are the find of Beijing
Games. Felps claimed eight gold
medals rewriting seven world records
in the process in swimming. He
overcame the 36-year old record of
Mark Spitz. Five of Felps’s gold were
from individual efforts. Usain Bolt
proved that he is a tornado from the
Caribbeans. He not only claimed a
spring double by winning the 100 and
200 metres sprints for men, proving
that he is the undisputed king of
sprints. He ran the 100 metres in 9.69
seconds making the event a nocontest one and set world records in
both the events.
The women’s 100 metres was an
all-Jamaican affair, as the three
sprinters from the United States
proved that they are not even a match
for the whirlwinds from the
Carribeans. The women of records,
Elena Dzinbayeva from Russia set
another world record in Paul vault
clearing a height of 5.05 metres in the
women’s event. Stefani Rice of
Australia who won two gold medals
in women’s swimming is another
upcoming star. Ethiopia and Kenya
showed to the world that there are no
opponents for them in long distance
running. Both the countries made a
clean sweep of the men’s and women’s
5000 and 10,000 metre races. Hosts
China had a bit of disappointment
amidst their forward march in the
withdrawal of world champion Liu
Shen from the Men’s 110 metres
hurdles. The failure of Blanka Witz
in women’s high jump was
unexpected. The world champion
from Croatia had to make won for
Hele Bowta of Belgium after going
undefeated in 34 metres. Women’s
long jump had a surprise winner in
Maureen High Magi of Brazil. Here,
the disappointment was Russia’s
Tatiana Lebadev who had to be
contended with a silver. While the
36
KERALA CALLING
USA and Russia along with
Jamaica and Kenya corned the
glory in track and field events,
Australia, Great Britain and host
China had to bite the dust in
Athletics. In dream events, Brazil’s
loss to traditional rivals Australia
by a margin surprised even a hardcore Argentinean fan. A gold medal
in Olympic Football went elusive
to Brazil this time too. Former
world number one in Men’s Tennis,
Roger Fedarer’s efforts to win an
Olympic gold went in vain.
However he has the consolation
that he won the doubles title.
The well-organised and wellcontested Beijing Games have now
become part of history. Much
water may flow under the Thames
Bridge when London hosts the
event four years from now. India
should change its strategy and so
for a vigorous companion to spot
upcoming talents and equip them
for the 30th Olympics. We should
concentrate on bringing in more
short-corner specialists to cash in
on the umpteen opportunities that
come our ways. Without rectifying
this defect, it would be a Herculean
task for us to beat teams like
Germany, the Netherlands,
Australia and Spain. We should also
give more concentration in events
like Archery, shooting, Boxing,
wrestling, weight lifting and power
lifting along with games like
Hockey, Tennis and Badminton.
The team selection would have to
be purely on merit. Without this,
we can only dream of claiming
more medals in Olympics by
emulating our neighbour China.
Twenty 20 cricket may also be
considered for inclusion at London
to satisfy the cricket fans.
The Beijing Games would go
down in history as one of the well
organised and contested in a
sportsman spirit upholding the
Olympic virtues. The 39 records
broken at Beijing find a parallel
only at Munich in 1972. Adieu
Beijing, wake up London.
The writer is former News Editor,
Doordarsan
September 2008
A
sh gourd (Benincasa hispida), also
known as wax gourd, white gourd or
white pumpkin is a popular vegetable
of Kerala grown in homesteads, rice
fallows and even in river beds. It is an
annual, climbing herb producing
large fruits which are fleshy, succulent
and densely hairy when young, but
thickly covered with white waxy
coating on maturity.
The importance of ash gourd as a
vegetable crop has been long
recognised due to its high nutritional
value, medicinal properties and
innumerable uses. Both the immature
fruits (ilavan) and mature fruits
(kumbalanga) of ash gourd are used
in a wide array of south Indian dishes
namely olan, sambar, aviyal, kichadi,
morukari, pulisseri, thoran, pulinkari
and a traditional chicken curry called
kozhiyum kumbalangayum. The fruits
are also used for making soup and
sweetened fruit drink. Petha, the
highly popular sweet with a delicious
and absorbing taste is a translucent,
almost clear candy prepared from ash
gourd fruits. The famous ayurvedic
preparation Kushmanda rasayanam
used as a nerval tonic and health
rejuvenator is prepared using fruits of
ash gourd cultivar called
Vaidyakumbalam or Neikumbalam.
Dr. T.E. George
The dilute juice of ash gourd is
beneficial in the treatment of peptic
ulcer and also acts as a blood
coagulant. Regular intake of ash
gourd juice early in the morning on
empty stomach is recommended for
fighting obesity as it promotes
metabolism and prevents sugar from
converting into fat. Shelled seeds of
ash gourd are used for de-worming.
The peels and seeds of ash gourd
boiled in coconut oil promote hair
growth and prevent dandruff and
scalp dryness. Peels of ash gourd fruits
are used for making fries and fritters.
Kerala Agricultural University has
released two high yielding ash gourd
varieties, KAU Local and Indu which
yield more than 25 tonnes per hectare.
While KAU Local produces oval to
oblong fruits with an average weight
of 7.1 kg, Indu has spherical fruits
Ash gourd
weighing on an average 4.8 kg.
Variety Indu is tolerant to the dreaded
mosaic disease. Many local cultivars
differing mainly in fruit size, from
small fruited Neikumbalam to very
large fruited Thadiyankay are also
popular among farmers. Ash gourd
can be successfully grown during
January-March and SeptemberDecember months. For rainfed crop,
sowing can be done on receipt of the
pre monsoon showers during May.
The crop prefers a warm tropical
climate and deep loamy soil. It is a
direct sown crop and seeds are sown
in either pits or furrows. The seed rate
varies from 0.75 to 1 kg/ha and the
spacing recommended is 4.5m x 2m.
In each pit, 4 to 5 seeds are sown and
after two weeks, thinning is done,
retaining only three healthy seedlings
and pulling out the rest. The fertilizer
recommendation for this crop is 70
kg nitrogen, 25 kg phosphorus and
25 kg potash per hectare, apart from
20 to 25 tons of well rotten farm yard
manure. Full quantity of farm yard
manure, half dose of nitrogen and full
doses of phosphorus and potash have
to be applied as basal dose. Remaining
half dose of nitrogen is to be applied
as top dressing in two equal split doses
High
Nutritional
September 2008
at vining and full blooming stages.
The crop is to be irrigated at 3 to 4
days interval. Since ash gourd plants
are trailing in nature and allowed to
trail over the ground, dry twigs and
leaves are to be spread in the
interspaces at the time of vining.
Weeding, raking and earthing up are
the other cultural operations to be
taken up.
Ash gourd fruits are harvested at
both immature and mature stages.
While young immature fruits are
tastier when added in curries, fully
mature fruits can be stored long, even
for several months. The plants are
susceptible to pests like fruit fly,
epilachna beetle and red pumpkin
beetle and diseases like mosaic, downy
mildew and powdery mildew.
Adoption of integrated pest and
disease management strategies will
however provide adequate protection
to the crop, as in the case of other
cucurbitaceous vegetables.
The writer is Professor & Head,
Department of Olericulture, College of
Horticulture, Kerala Agricultural University
KERALA CALLING
37
SOCIETY
Kavitha Martin
International Day of Peace
A call for
Humanity
“
T
here are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit. In the
long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit”, the great warrior
Napoleon Bonaparte's words remind us once again the importance of peace
and goodwill when we are getting ready for another international day for
peace celebrations world over on September 21st.
Peace is a word, concept that is becoming a rarity in many parts of the
world today. Peace initiatives, harmony and understanding for each other
are better in India when you look at the disturbances in many other parts of
the world. Though the occasional out breaks of intolerance cannot be
ignored.
In 2002, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared
September 21 as the permanent date for the International Day of Peace.
38
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
The International Day of Peace (Peace Day) provides an
opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create
practical acts of peace on a shared date. It was established by a
United Nations resolution in 1981 to coincide with the opening
of the General Assembly. The first Peace Day was celebrated in
September 1982.
Since then, Peace Day celebrations all over the world were
marked with UN efforts and progress toward peace. It has grown
to include millions of people in all parts of the world, and each
year events are organisd to commemorate and celebrate this day.
Events range in scale from private gatherings to public concerts
and forums where hundreds of thousands of people participate.
The impact if millions of people in all parts of the world, coming
together for one day for peace, is immense.
International Day of Peace is also marked as a Day of Ceasefire
– personal or political. This gives an opportunity to make peace in
one's relationships as well as impact the larger conflicts of our
time. This is a stupendous task on all of us, but we have to put all
our heart and soul to achieve this for us, for our future generations.
Reality, as of now, is far behind in many parts of the world and
the picture is not at all rosy though the efforts are continuous to
establish peace and curtail efforts hampering peace initiatives.
Kerala, one of the most sought after place by many in this
world as a tourist destination and powerhouse of cultural heritage
have also unfortunately fallen prey to communal discords many
times after independence.
The Government had started many initiatives to rehabilitate
the affected and improve the confidence of the marginalised in
many of the communal disturbed areas, the fact remains once
smitten twice shy on the part of those victimised. A combined
effort from not just the Government, but from all concerned and
society in large has to raise to the occasion to understand the fathom
of the issue and each citizen has to own up the moral responsibility
of creating an atmosphere of peace and maintain it for their own
well being and for their society's progress.
The effort by all those working towards maintaining and
ushering in peace and communal harmony should be aimed at
empowering peace and communal harmony by enlightening
individual lives. Only then the indifferences of caste, creed and
economic differences can be banished. Policy makers should take
the lead in spreading awareness on human rights, fundamental
rights, local governance, communal harmony, Right to
Information, Government schemes and programmes for the people.
Our efforts and policies should be towards reaching this goal.
The peace and communal harmony initiatives should not be
limited to any region or community, it should have global
significance. The U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has rightly
given the call saying,"On this International Day, let us promise to
make peace not just a priority, but a passion. Let us pledge to do
more, wherever we are in whatever way we can, to make every day
a day of peace."
And this brings to the mind the words of Winston Churchill,"If
the human race wishes to have a prolonged and indefinite period
of material prosperity, they have only got to behave in a peaceful
and helpful way toward one another."
September 2008
Not every
footstep
can lead you
through the
right path.
[email protected]
Annual subscription
Rs. 80/Send Rs. 80/- as money order to the Director,
Information and Public Relations Department,
Secretariat Annexe,
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KERALA CALLING
39
ENVIRONMENT
O
bserving international days have
some positive impact on our society
and environment, especially days
observed in connection with
conservation of nature and
environment. They will initiate
governments and decision makers to
think and act for the cause of
humanity and sustainability of life on
earth. One of such days that is
considered as a success story by the
United Nations is World Ozone Day.
Observed every year on September
16, it commemorates the eventful
Montreal Protocol signed by world
nations on September 16, in 1987.
The Protocol was to control measures
to restore the ozone layer. Ozone
depletion substances (ODS)
particularly Chloro Fluro Carbons
(CFCs) are considered as destroyers
of the life protecting stratospheric
ozone layer in the earth’s atmosphere.
Lonely planet earth is gradually
becoming uninhabitable to the
biodiversity – intricate web of plant
and animal life. Humanity now, has
understood that these global threats
are man made than natural.
C. Susheelkumar
Shield of atmosphere
Ozone layer exists in the upper
atmosphere or stratosphere that
extends from 15 to 50 kms from the
earth’s surface. It acts as an efficient
filter for solar ultraviolet –B (UV-B)
rays. Being highly energetic UV-B
and UV-C are dangerous to life on
earth. In stratosphere, ozone layer
screens out these most harmful rays
from the sun and only 2.3 per cent of
UV-B reaches the earth’s surface. By
filtering out dangerous part of sun’s
radiation and allowing only the
beneficial part to reach earth, ozone
layer is highly beneficial to plant and
animal life on earth.
Threats
In 1974, Professor F. Sherwood
Roidland spotted the major culprit of
ozone depletion as CFCs.
Chlorofluorocarbons popularly
known as CFCs, discovered in 1928
were considered wonder gases
(miracle substances) because they are
long-lived, non toxic, non-corrosive
and non-flammable. These were
commonly known as the freon gases
and are used as refrigerants in
Zero Ozone
Depletion
A reachable goal?
40
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
domestic refrigerators, deep freezers,
air conditioners, industrial
commercial
and
transport
refrigeration and freezing systems.
They are also used as blowing agents
to manufacture foams. Halogen is
used primarily in fire extinguishes.
Effects
Global climatic change caused by
the steadily mounting global
temperatures is a threat to the security
of mankind. Increased penetration of
UV-B to earth’s surface and global
warming interact to affect a range of
bio-geo chemical processes including
microbial activities, nutrient cycling
and greenhouse gas emissions from
soil. It also may affect many eco
system processes and changes in
species abundance and composition.
In aquatic eco systems high levels
of exposure in tropics and sub tropics
may affect the distribution of
phytoplanktons which form the
foundation of aquatic food webs. Less
ocean plankton means lower fish
harvests. UV-B can also cause damage
to early development stages of
fish, shrimp, crab and other
animals, the most severe effects
being decreased reproductive
capacity and impaired larval
development.
Moves against depletion
The first international
discussion on the issue was by the
governing council of the United
Nations
Environment
Programme (UNEP) in 1976.
Then followed the Vienna
Convention in 1985, which
resulted in a frame work
agreement commits its parties to
take general measures to protect
human health and the
environment against human
activities that modify the ozone
layers.
Discovery of the Antarctic
Ozone hole in late 1985 was an
alarming signal. Governments
recognised the need for stronger
measures to reduce the
production and consumption of
CFCs and Halons. The Montreal
Protocol in substances that
deplete the ozone layer was
adopted in September 1987. It
envisages to phase out production
and consumption of ozone
depleting substances on the basis
of periodic scientific and
technological assessments.
Accordingly, the Protocol
was adjusted to accelerate
the phase of schedule in
London in 1990,
Copenhagen in 1992,
Vienna in 1995,
Montreal in 1997 and
Beijing in 1999. This
year’s theme of world
ozone day is ‘Montreal
Protocol – Global
Partnership for Global
Benefits.’ By adopting
ozone friendly life style
let us endeavour for the
healthier and sustainable well
being of our generation as well
as for the generations to come.
How can we be
ozone-friendly?
As individuals each of us can
initiate ozone friendly activities.
consumer – Refrigerators,
sprays, fire extinguishers etc.
that are cfc are now available
in the market. We can buy
products labelled ‘ozone
friendly’ or ‘CFC free’.
• Be an ozone friendly home
owner – By disposing old
refrigerators and appliances
responsibly, that is cfc and
hcfc refrigerants should be
removed from an appliance
before it is discarded.
• Be an ozone friendly farmer
– By avoiding methyl
bromide soil fumigation
ozone damaging pesticide
can be replaced by biopesticide management.
refrigeration servicing
technician – By not releasing
refrigerants to the
atmosphere while servicing
appliances
• Be an ozone friendly office
worker – Water coolers, air
conditioners, cleaning
solvents, fire extinguishers,
sprays, foam cushions, paper
correcting fluid etc . Use
ozone depleting substances.
We can initiate a plan for
replacing them with cost
effective alternatives
gradually.
• Be an ozone friendly teacher
– By discussing
environmental issues like
ozone depletion and
remedial actions, teachers
can impart to students the
impact of this global threat
and spread the message of
conservation.
September 2008
Contd. from Page 21
Not Flowers...
The festive season of August to
October sees maximum real estate
activity in India. Kerala sets the trend
with Onam and Diwali is usually the
peak across the North and the West.
In a year of slowing down of property
markets across the country largely due
to rising interest rates and escalating
values, the market is watching the
Kerala Onam season with bated breath
to see if the festive season would
actually bring cheer to the real estate
industry as well.
Onam beckons corporates to
Kerala as no other festival does. While
it is usually the private companies who
go for aggressive promotion of their
products, this time even public sector
majors have joined the bandwagon.
Many major entertainments like the
Nehru Trophy boat race are sponsored
by such companies.
Even the players in the media like
the Malayalam channels and
newspapers fill their time and space
with advertisements. Onam festival is
the most crucial festival for any
Malayalam channel when looked
through the programmes as well as the
advertisements.
Traditionally, the film trade
considers Onam as one of the best
seasons to release a Malayalam film.
And for all top stars, an Onam release
is not only prestigious but also a must
for their survival in commercial
cinema. What stand on their way is
the advent of satellite television
channels which go all out for premium
movies in this season. Now, one of the
biggest problems facing the film
industry is to get the family audience
glued to their TV screens to come to
the theatre on festival days. The easy
way out is to release an Onam film a
few days before the festival mood
starts. But this year, onam coming
close to Ramzan has forced the
producers to delay the release of super
star movies.
For those who traditionally stick
to the past, the vibrancy in the season
is a different story and they need to
close the eyes because it is
omnipresent, even in the nature.
KERALA CALLING
41
Ramzeen
Rupali Mondal, West Bengal
Shridhar D. Shelke
PHOTOFEATURE
Greenvision
2008
Mother watching lovingly her
numerous new borns;
a moment from
the life cycle of spider,
brought Rupali Mondal the
first prize of Rs.5000 in the All
India Nature Photography
Competition, Greenvision 2008
organised jointly by I & PRD
and Greens, the nature club of
Government Secretariat
employees. Second prize of
Rs.3000 was given to Shridher
D. Shelke for capturing a
bonellis eagle with prey.
Akshay Harith S.
Joshi Manjummel
M.R.
Rupali Mondal
Bibhuti Bhushan Nandi
When Onam comes,
buses are more equal
Nature with
discordant notes
FORGET all past images, Kerala State Road Transport Corporation is greeting
Onam with 30 new deluxe air buses. On the road since August 28, they are all
built in the workshops of the Corporation itself. In the festive atmosphere of
inaugural ceremony, Transport Minister, Mathew T. Thomas, flagged off the buses.
The super deluxe air buses which are envisaged to provide better transportation
to ordinary people in economy rates, have state of the art facilities. Body of
international standard, mobile charging facilities, lap-top using facilities, air
suspension for comfortable journey, push back seats, specially arranged reading
lamps, beautiful interior with dust free panels etc. are the specialties of air
buses.
These air buses will lessen the difficulties of journeys in between Kerala and
neighbouring states.
Departing Differently
CAPTURING A GIRL collecting
water from a dying out pond
brought Sushaman Kadavil the
Rs.10,000 first place in this
year’s State Photography Award
instituted by Information and
Public Relations Department.
Sivan Malayattoor and Pradeep
Subrahmanyan won second and
third respectively.
The committee chaired by Rajan
Pothuval of Mathrubhumi
selected them from 173 entries
from all over Kerala. Varghese
Punaloor, Nemom Pushparaj, M.
Hariharan Nair and N.V. Joy
comprised the committee.
All tongues dropping manna in praising a departing Head usually has nothing special
about it. But when the words were coming from the souls and the receiver worthdeserving, it would be a marvellous moment in the mundane lives of government
employees. The PR Chamber of Information and Public Relations Department
witnessed such an event when the Department gave send off to their director,
Venugopal IAS for joining as Collector of Kottayam district. Not even a shadow of
peeve was in the air. The Director replied in a single sentence, “I loved you all.”
That alone was enough for the gathering to abide their hearts with happiness.
Sushaman K
P. Venugopal IAS (middle) receives a memento from ADPR P.K.Lal and
Joint Secretary, B. Sudhakaran
46
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
Media Awards
KUDUMBASHREE is, no doubt, the shree of Kerala women.
It always brings good omen. When Cherukara Sunnu
Lookose wrote a series on the success story of
Kudumbashree, he too was honoured. The best report in
the category of Development oriented reporting, this
staff reporter of Kerala Sabdham receives the State
Media award.
The winners are G. Vinod, Malayala Manorama (general
reporting), G.B. Kiran, Janayugam (news photography),
T.K. Sujith, Kerala Kaumudi (cartoon), K. Rajendran,
People TV (TV news), M. Manu Nair, Amrita TV (TV visual)
and P.R.Praveena, Manorama News (jury’s special
mention). The awards consist of a cash prize of Rs.
10,000, a plaque and a citation. In the function held at
Secretariat P.R. Chamber, Chief Minister,
V.S. Achuthanandan, issued the media awards for 2007.
Insurance Scheme
‘Malabaricus’ in Malayalam
FINALLY, the insecure lives of fishermen are going
to be safe. The insurance scheme for fishing
equipment of traditional fishermen has been
launched by Minister for Fisheries and
Registration, S. Sharma, in Alappuzha.
Two lakh fishermen would benefit from the
scheme. The government had earmarked Rs. one
crore for it in the budget. The insurance would
cover 75 per cent of the cost of boats, engines
and nets lost during natural calamities.
The premium would be 1.8 per cent of the value
of the equipment. The beneficiary would have to
pay 50 per cent of the premium and the
government would meet the balance. The scheme
is implemented by the State Insurance
Department, in collaboration with the Oriental
Insurance Company.
THE CIRCLE has completed. More than three centuries ago
Itti Achuthan, an apothecary, drafted a book about the
ayurvedic herbs in Kerala in Malayalam. In the years that
followed the same was published in Latin and later
translated into many languages. By then, the original work
was lost forever.
Now, things have come full circle and the seminal work about
the medicinal plants of Malabar has been translated into
Malayalam and published by University of Kerala. When poet
ONV Kurup recollected this in his introductory speech of the
ceremony of releasing the Malayalam translation of Horthus
Malabaricus, everyone in the august gathering smiled.
The book was released by Governor R.S. Gavai by handing
over a copy of the same to ONV.
The Minister for Education, M.A. Baby, opined that
universities in the State should start emulating their
counterparts across the world in publishing quality books.
Kadavil
Sivan Malayattoor
September 2008
KERALA CALLING
47
HAL goals Sithaamgoli
THE BEST always costs much. This is what our land value
indicates. Comparing to other states in India, the price
of land is more in Kerala, which, it is wrongly assumed,
prevents large-scale investments. Once again it has been
proven wrong with the arrival of the new unit of Hindustan
Aeronautical Limited as Seethamgoli in Kasaragod.
The proximity of Mangalapuram Port and the proposed
Kannur Airport made it the best bet for the Rs.90 crore
project of the Defence Department. And the State
Government could issue 200 acres of land on 99 years
lease tout de suite.
The factory is envisaged in 4000 sq. km. At first phase,
75 employees will run the office.
It is expected that the project will create products by
the end of 2009-10. Electronic instruments related to
communication, radar, navigation, computer, electronics
warfare etc will be manufactured here. Airborne
computers needed for the fifth generation aircrafts will
also be manufactured here. When HAL starts
manufacturing transport aeroplanes, the importance of
this unit will be multiplied. The factory will be under the
control of the Avionics Division of HAL, Hyderabad.
The message is clear. For developmental initiatives, there
is no hindrance an entrepreneur needs to face in Kerala.
Let the false assumptions never prevent our development.
P V Krishnan
LIFE & LINE
48
KERALA CALLING
September 2008
HAL goals Sithaamgoli
THE BEST always costs much. This is what our land value
indicates. Comparing to other states in India, the price
of land is more in Kerala, which, it is wrongly assumed,
prevents large-scale investments. Once again it has been
proven wrong with the arrival of the new unit of Hindustan
Aeronautical Limited as Seethamgoli in Kasaragod.
The proximity of Mangalapuram Port and the proposed
Kannur Airport made it the best bet for the Rs.90 crore
project of the Defence Department. And the State
Government could issue 200 acres of land on 99 years
lease tout de suite.
The factory is envisaged in 4000 sq. km. At first phase,
75 employees will run the office.
It is expected that the project will create products by
the end of 2009-10. Electronic instruments related to
communication, radar, navigation, computer, electronics
warfare etc will be manufactured here. Airborne
computers needed for the fifth generation aircrafts will
also be manufactured here. When HAL starts
manufacturing transport aeroplanes, the importance of
this unit will be multiplied. The factory will be under the
control of the Avionics Division of HAL, Hyderabad.
The message is clear. For developmental initiatives, there
is no hindrance an entrepreneur needs to face in Kerala.
Let the false assumptions never prevent our development.
P V Krishnan
LIFE & LINE
48
KERALA CALLING
September 2008

EDITORIAL Harvesting the Season`s Gifts

Transcription

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