Novel Attempts

In Malayalam a general feeling has emerged recently among writers and readers
that novel is the medium most suitable for the comprehensive depiction of the human condition of this historical juncture.The close acquaintance with the translations of novels from Latin American countries,Turkey,Portugal and Spain published during the last five years might have worked behind this.More than that the influence of 'Atujeevitham' the novel by Benyamin which has been very widely read so as to become a house hold name among the literature reading public in Kerala might be there. Anyhow it is an interesting fact,and a little bit funny in certain cases that hundreds of people,among them a large majority making their maiden attempt in writing,some of them at the age of 65 or 70, are seriously involved in writing novels.

A meaningless Megashow

In Kerala politics has become something like a drama with a message which is not a message at all. Chief Minister V.S.Achyudananadan is the only character in it capable of arousing interest and enthusiasm among the people.All other leaders of both the U.D.F and L.D.F have lost their credibility.They all miserably failed in attracting crowds in the recent Assembly election Campaign.Even Mr.A.K.Antony whom the U.D.F confided the strenuous job of detaining the V.S wave cut a sorry figure. What in fact do the youngsters for whom V.S has become an emotion expect from this strong old man?I think for them he is a replica of those brave invincible heroes who single-handedly fight ten or fifteen villains and make them flee for life in the big screen.Not only the youngsters but the common people as a whole believe that V.S. would be able to put all those embodiments of corruption and arrogance known as political leaders behind the bars,if once again he is given the chief ministership.
People take no serious interest in political philosophy of the parties and their election manifestos.They know that corruption is rampant among the leaders and they want to see they are punished for looting the public money.They have the strong conviction that except V.S there is none in the political scenario of the state to wage a war against corruption.Their political knowledge and interest end there.It shows that politics is loosing it’s grip over the society.It is loosing it’s meaning.Ultimately it is becoming a big show in which reality is replaced by virtual reality.
One can say that in Kerala finally politics also has become postmodern.

Random notes

Reaching at a genuinely new and appropriate form of narration is the most difficult step in the process of writing a novel.A literay work can fall in the category of novel only if it depicts in detail the evolution of several issues and struggles that formulate the spirit of an age. Innumerable styles have been experimented by novelists in the construction of plot and at times a writer may feel that all the possibilities have been totally exhausted.He/She will have to swim in troubled waters for hours and hours to reach the shore of conviction regarding the form fit for his/her work. Novel is an ambitious literay form.Every novelist tries to travel into the depths and breadths of all areas of human experience and knowledge connected with the plot of the novel.Among novelists some have an inborn ability to keep safely in their memory all the minute details of external realities they witness at any stage in their life.But those who are deeply interested in the inner plays of human mind are generally indifferent towrds such details.Writing a novel is more laborious and painful in their case.Milan kundera,s ‘TheCurtain’ An essay in seven parts brought out in book form by Faber and Faber (2007)presents many a brilliant observations on the history and value of the novel in Western civilization. To have an understanding of a critical historical situation ,Kundera says,we need a great novel that grasp the human content of that situation.Nothing can make up the absence of such a work.’

Waiting for a Paradigm Shift

Unless a paradigm shift takes place in the attitude and approches of the Marxists in India they will soon get pathetically marginalised in the political life of even Kerala and Bengal.There are atleast three or four things that they should take seriously into consideration with a view to bring about a total change in the policies and practices of the Party.
The Party should admit the fact that unless it has a different agenda the people won’t attach any importance to it’s criticism of the economic policies of Manmohan Singh Govt.It is quite evident that the peoople do not expect a revolution armed or otherwise and they have begun to believe that if India moves forward in the direction of development it has chosen at present things will change for the better.The communists can at the maximum tell the people that the Central Govt. is becoming a slave to America.People know that but they are lead by a blind belief that whatever might happen India could save herself. More than that there is a wide spread feeling that there is no effective alternative to Multinatinal Capitalism and it’s manifestation in all fields of life which is named Globalisation. Everybody knows that even the Marxist leaders have begun to say openly in a mocking tone that talking against America and globalisation for anything and everything is meaningless.In such a situation the Party should formulate realistic policies and programmes taking into consideration all the economic,social and cultural changes that have taken place in the world in the era of globalisation.Otherwise it will have to practise against whatever it preaches and it’s functioning will become totally outdated in the nearest future.Even otherwise there is no meaning in continueing in an ideologically schizophrenic condition.
The party leadership from top to bottom should get trained to behave with due human consideration to the common man. Passing resolutions in high level meetings admitting that there is impertinence in the behaviour of some local leaders is meaningless.Leaders should not be trapped in the dilema of not knowing what is impertinence and at the same time declaring that impertinence will not be tolerated.
The Party leaders of all ranks should learn to be thoroughly democratic and truthful in all their dealings with the people.During the last six decades after independence the vast majority of Indians have got familiarised with all the positive and negative aspects of Democracy. Their mindset has become totally antagonistic towards any sort of authoritarian rule.At present no one including the communists won’t have the self confidence to argue with strong conviction in favour of Stalin’s Russia or Mao’s China.They also will admit that freedom of expression is as important as any other primary necessity of life.
As I wrote this much my mobile phone rang.A close friend during my college days was over the phone after many years.Our lengthy conversation reached many contemporary issues and at one point he said :Hereafter You should never waste your time thinking and writing about politics.Politics has become a different discourse in which only professional politicians need take interest.It is a business of the politicians,by the politicians and for the politicians.All others should abstain from this.Of course at times it may interfere in your life.Show the prudence and intelligence to save yourself.Apart from that you need to do nothing and even if you wish You won’be able to do anything meaningfully.

Kanam and Kaippad

Kanam and Kaippad two documentary films scripted and directed by Babu Kambrath are the results of extremely careful and committed directorial efforts.Both the films got national and international recognition.Kanam tells the life story of a midland hill and Kaippad gives us an authentic visual description of agiculture done in marshy lands near estuaries where the river joins the sea.I felt a personal attachment to these films because some of the scenes in Kanam were shot at Madaippara and almost all the scenes of Kaippad were shot at Muttukandy near Payangadi.I am familiar with both these places for more than five decades and in my creative writings their role is more important than that of any of the characters in them.Both the films are very much lively and fully capable in creating a keen ecological awareness among the viewers.These films take us to the inner rythms of nature which we usually miss in the hurry and haste of day to day existence. Here we see the birds, plants,flies,fishes and human beings participating enthusiastically in the celebration of life being conducted by nature.If you view things from a different angle you may find an element of over idealisation of nature in these films.But what we have to remember is that when the notion that everything on this earth is there for men to squeeze out it’s essence for his pleasure or to make the most profitable sale controls our very sense of nature even the most irrational mystification of nature is totally agreeable and justifiable.What Babu Kambrath has done in his films definitely demends our admiration and praise.These films teach us how unfamiliar and beautiful are infact those realities which we think quite familiar and mundane.That is the magic of art!

Two Points

Last day I had a long informal discussion with Mr. Kanai Kunhiraman,the renowned sculptor,on several issues related to creativity.Among the many things Kanai said two points struck me the most.
1. When a style is repeated it becomes a design.Design has nothing to do with creativity.It results in the mechanical reproduction of a work with slight modifications or variations without moving a step forward in the direction of a new creation.Many of our writers and painters forget this and mock thier own creativity imitating themselves for decades.
2. If you use words as the medium of your creative expression you have the right to express yourself in all the literary forms.In fact you will have a natural inclination to do so and you should not curb or prevent it.That is unnecessry and foolish.
These were ideas I myself had pondered a thousand times.But,when Kanai presented them in his own words I felt them to be quite refreshing.

The Poison behind all Poisons

Participating in a conference organized by the India Vision as part of their Anti Endosulphan Campaign at Govt.College,Kasaragod on 20th December 2010 Leela Kumari Amma a one time employee of the Dept.of Agriculture responsible for the aerial spray of Endosulphan in Kasaragod area said:We were ruined because we opted big life for small life and over production for production.Her speech was very precise,sharp and to the point.She remembered the days when vegetables for daily use were cultivated in the plot adjacent to every house using only cow dung and other organic manures.She said that Endosulphan was nothing but poison labelled pesticide.
Beautiful small life and production just enough for one’s own needs are good old ideas forgotten by everybody.It is very difficult to bring back and incorporate them in our life because everybody is hasty to grab everything and anything that appears in the market. Everybody wants to prove that he/she is fashionable and capable of acquiring anything that the market presents before him/her as signs of good living.As no philosophy or political ideology is alive and active in the public sphere nothing can prevent the people from this rat race and as far as everybody is ruled by the mad craving for possessing all the latest objects and amenities a life beautifully tuned to the rhythm of nature will remain a colourless distant dream ignored by the social psyche.The irresistible market forces that perpetually generate new wishes and needs,most of them quite irrational, is the most dangerous poison about which we in general are almost unaware.Until a new order or system evolves democratically for the social monitoring of all the developmental activities and attitudes having a direct or indirect impact on the public life no welcome change can be expected .