Shakthan Thampuran Palace, Thrissur

One day, I was about to visit this Palace when my father said he would give me a company. It took me by surprise for until then, neither had he shown any kind of inclination towards travel nor had he encouraged it. Besides, the palace was just stone’s throw away from my house.

Though I was happy to accept his offer, I was a bit apprehensive for he was a conventional and protective father. I was not really sure whether he could accommodate the mindset of a traveller in me. At the same time, I was happy that he offered to come with me. Hence, I kept all those thoughts for a while and set off with him to visit the place.

We reached by around 2 pm and in no time, I could see that he was enjoying every moment. It would not take more than an hour to see the palace, but the ambience and the company were too good that we ended up spending around three hours.

My Dad was too happy that he said “ I love travelling alone. I could not do that due to several commitments in my life.”

That got me thinking “ If such a small place can do such wonders what would a long travel can accomplish.” These thoughts just increased my yearning to travel.

Situated at Thrissur, the cultural capital of Kerala, the palace was built by Raja Ramavarma Shakthan Thampuran ( 1790 – 1805) and is now maintained by the Archaeological department.

Pic Credit : Artist Dinesh R Shenoy

Built in the Dutch and Kerala style, it was previously known as ‘Vadakkechira Kovilakam’ and was renovated by Shakthan Thampuran. Spotting this place is easy once you are in Thrissur as it’s in the North Bus Stand.

It wouldn’t take more than an hour to see the palace. But, it’s the well-maintained garden that would attract your attention. It was full of greenery.

Inside the Garden

Dad posing for the camera ( inside the garden)

There are several sections inside the Heritage garden and what interested me the most was the   ‘ Butterfly Garden’. Surprisingly, as the name indicates, there were butterflies all around.

Butterfly Garden

The Serpent Grove – Sarpa Kavu

A side view of the Serpent Grove

So, what is a ‘ Sarpa Kavu’ or Serpent Grove?

The popular belief is that it’s where the Snake Gods lives. The Hindus worship Snake Gods by placing idols of snake gods inside a dense forest mostly, man made with all kinds of trees and plants. They lit small lamps as part of their worship.‘ Nagaradhana’ or snake worship is being practiced by Keralite Hindus for the past many centuries.

The Pond called ‘ Vadakkechira’ is a part of the palace and is under the Cochin Devaswom Board.

Finally, the tomb of Shakthan Thampuran

The tomb of Shakthan Thampuran

It’s certainly not a grand and huge palace but not devoid of charm. Hence, when you are in Thrissur, do not miss this palace by Shakthan Thampuran whose rule had been called the ‘ Golden Era’ of the erstwhile Kochi Dynasty.

To enter the palace, you need to pay a nominal fee.

• Camera is not allowed inside the palace. 

From Cochin Airport, it is around two and a half hours away and from Thrissur railway station, it is just 2.6 kilometers away.

” Have you ever been to Thrissur and visited this Palace? ” 

Chellanam, untouched by urbanization and tourism, this small hamlet is a beauty

When I set out for “Chellanam”, a coastal village in the west of Kochi on a Sunday morning, I knew nothing about it except for a few facts that it is a place which often gets affected whenever nature decides to sulk. Villagers live a hard life as the sea can get rough anytime. Even the Tsunami waves, Cyclone Okchi and the sporadic monster waves that never hesitate to lash out did not spare this small hamlet which is untouched by urbanization.

As not much has been written about the place except how unruly ‘Nature’ traumatize the inhabitants often, I couldn’t gather much information about the place which left me with one option to take a bus to Chellanam which is just around 24 kilometres from Kochi. I stay at Kochi.  At the same time, during the course of my inquiry, I came to know that people at Chellanam are very friendly which was, of course, a comforting factor.

On the way, I met Smithesh, an auto driver who hails from Chellanam without whom I would have been left clueless on how to explore the place.

Velankanni Church on the shores of Maruvakkadu beach built in the name of St Mary instantaneously became one of the places to visit as I got to know that though Tsunami waves played havoc all across Chellanam in 2004, the boisterous waves did not enter the church, perhaps a miracle.

While arriving there, I saw several bunches of Bananas hung on a rope with both ends attached to two wooden poles erected on both sides. “ It’s called ‘ Kula Perunnal’. (Kula means bunch and Perunnal means festival.) The bananas will be auctioned and the money thus earned will be used for the activities of the church. The parishioners were getting ready for it. Inside the church Dasan whom I met right there and was busy with the festival invited me to attend it. I could have but as I was planning on returning the same day, I politely refused.

Even when I was inquiring about the Kula Perunnal, I could hear the lapping waves of the Arabian sea in the background. Just climb a few steps leading to the sea wall and you will be surprised that the same placid waters could be rough any time.

As the day slowly progressed, people were coming and getting settled before the church and on the sea wall. Thomas, whom I met there told me that don’t be taken in by the calmness of the sea. “ Just two days ago, the water advanced too much that the land and the water merged.”

After spending some precious moments, I was on my way to Chellanam harbour. The muddy road leading to the harbour was too narrow and bumpy as the south west monsoon had already started and it was raining cats and dogs.

On either sides, there were small houses and a marriage function was going on in one of them. On the way I met and chatted with some fishermen who were working on their nets and then went on my way to absorb the beautiful scenery around.

A beautiful small chapel built in the form of a ship awaits you in the harbour.

Harbour at Chellanam

It’s so true that travel makes you more conscious about the environment which you might not have been aware of before. The sight that saddened me during my hours in Chellanam was when I saw the food waste from one of the nearby houses, where a marriage function was going on being dumped in the sea, though they have their own reasons on why they did that. And soon, it was time to move towards another location.

Despite the traditional occupation – fishing which is their main source of livelihood, they also undertake prawn farming. The view was mesmerizing and I hardly realised that underneath these coconut trees prawns were being reared.

“From the initiation period, at least eight months are needed before the prawns are harvested. Not only, prawns we also carry out farming of Pearl spot fish and many others,” Smithesh explained along the way.

Though it brings in money, several risks are also associated with the business, he added.

Time flew back like the ‘arctic tern’ as I savoured the natural beauty of the place. I headed back home vowing to return with ample time at my disposal yet another time, soon.

" Have you ever heard of this beautiful hamlet in Ernakulam, Kerala?” 

 

ബെല്ലാരിയിലെ ആ കുഞ്ഞു

originally published here : പെണ്‍കുട്ടികള്‍ക്കായി ഓരോ മൂത്രപ്പുരകള്‍ തുറന്ന് കൊടുക്കുമ്പോഴും മനസ്സ് പറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു ഇവിടെ ഒരു തുടക്കമുണ്ടെന്ന്”, മാധ്യമ പ്രവര്‍ത്തകയുടെ ഹൃദയം തൊടുന്ന കുറിപ്പ് ശ്രദ്ധേയമാകുന്നു

ബെല്ലാരിയിലെ ഒരു ഗവൺമെൻറ് സ്ക്കൂളിൽ വെച്ചാണ് ഞാനീ കുഞ്ഞിനെ കാണുന്നത്.

അവളെ കുറിച്ച് പറയുന്നതിന് മുൻപായി ഞങ്ങൾ അവിടെ എത്തിയത് എന്തിനാണെന്ന് കൂടി പറയാം.

ബെല്ലാരിയിലെ ചില ഗവൺമെൻറ് സ്ക്കൂളുകൾക്കു ഞാൻ അന്ന് ജോലി ചെയ്തിരുന്ന എൻ ജി ഓ മൂത്രപ്പുരകൾ കെട്ടികൊടുക്കുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അതിൻ്റെ ഉത്ഘാടനത്തിൻറെ ഭാഗമായിട്ടായിരുന്നു അന്ന് അവിടെ എത്തിയത്.

മൂത്രപ്പുരയോ,എന്ന് നിങ്ങൾ ചിന്തിച്ചേക്കാം .പറയാം…

ശൈശവവിവാഹങ്ങൾ കൂടുന്നത് വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിൻറെ അഭാവം, മതം, ദാരിദ്യ്രം, പുരുഷ നിയത്രിതമായ ഒരു സമൂഹം ( Patriarchy ) എന്നിങ്ങനെ സാധാരണക്കാരന് ആഴത്തിൽ ഇറങ്ങി ചെന്ന് ചിന്തിക്കാൻ പറ്റാത്ത ഒരുപാട് കാരണങ്ങൾ നിരത്തുമ്പോൾ തന്നെ ഇതിനൊരു മാറ്റം വരുത്തുന്നതിനായി എവിടെ നിന്ന് തുടങ്ങണം എന്നത് എവിടെയും കൃത്യമായി പറഞ്ഞു കണ്ടിട്ടില്ല.

എന്നാൽ പെൺകുട്ടികൾക്കായി ഓരോ മൂത്രപ്പുരകൾ തുറന്നു കൊടുക്കുമ്പോഴും മനസ്സ് പറഞ്ഞിരുന്നു ഇവിടെ ഒരു തുടക്കമുണ്ട് എന്ന്.

അവിടെ പല സ്കൂളുകളിലും പെൺകുട്ടികൾക്ക് മൂത്രപ്പുരകളില്ല. അവർ ഏറ്റവും കൂടുതൽ വിഷമം അനുഭവിക്കുന്നത് ആർത്തവ സമയത്താണ്. മൂത്രപ്പുരകൾ ഇല്ലാത്തതിനാൽ മിക്കവാറും അഞ്ചാറു ദിവസങ്ങൾ സ്ക്കൂളിൽ വരാതെ കഴിച്ചു കൂട്ടും..

എല്ലാ മാസത്തിലും ഒരാഴ്ച സ്ക്കൂൾ നഷ്ട്ടപ്പെടുമ്പോഴുള്ള അവസ്ഥ നിങ്ങൾക്കൂഹിക്കാവുന്നതേ ഉള്ളൂ. ഇത് മെല്ലെ മെല്ലെ കൊഴിഞ്ഞു പോക്കായി മാറുന്നു.

വീട്ടിൽ സ്ക്കൂളിൽ പോകാതെ ഇരിക്കുന്ന പെൺകുട്ടിയെ അച്ചനമ്മമാർ വിവാഹം കഴിച്ചു കൊടുക്കുന്നു. കൂടുതൽ ചിന്തിപ്പിക്കാനുള്ള വിദ്യാഭ്യാസം മുടങ്ങുമ്പോൾ
‘ വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിലൂടെയുള്ള സ്ത്രീശാക്തീകരണം ‘ അതിൻ്റെ പാട്ടിനു പോകുന്നു.

മനസിനെ ഏറെ സ്വാധീനിച്ച ഒരു വിഷയമായിരുന്നു അത്.

” ഇനി ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് മുടങ്ങാതെ സ്ക്കൂളിൽ വരാമല്ലോ ” എന്ന് നിറഞ്ഞ മുഖവുമായി പറഞ്ഞ, മുടി മടക്കി കെട്ടിയ ഒരു പതിനഞ്ചു ക്കാരി ഇന്നും മനസ്സിൽ മായാതെ നിൽക്കുന്നു.

” ഇവിടെയുള്ള മൂത്രപ്പുര ഉപയോഗശൂന്യമാണ്‌. കുറച്ചു ദൂരത്തായി ആ പാടത്തു ഒന്നുണ്ട്. ഒരുപാട് ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുമ്പോൾ അങ്ങോട്ട് പോകട്ടെ എന്ന് ചോദിച്ചാലും സാറുമാര് സമ്മതിക്കാറില്ല. പിന്നെ സ്ക്കൂൾ കഴിഞ്ഞു ഒന്ന് വീട്ടിൽ എത്തണം,” അവൾ പറഞ്ഞു

സന്തോഷം കൊണ്ട് ടീച്ചർ, ടീച്ചർ എന്ന് വിളിച്ച് നമ്മുടെ കൈത്തലം പിടിക്കുമായിരുന്നു എല്ലാ കുട്ടികളും.

ഈ കോലാഹലങ്ങൾ ഒക്കെ നടക്കുമ്പോഴും മേല്പറഞ്ഞ ആ കുഞ്ഞു ഇതിലൊന്നും ശ്രദ്ധ പതിപ്പിക്കാതെ ആ സ്കൂളിൻറെ വരാന്തയിൽ ഇരുന്നു ഉച്ചക്കഞ്ഞി കുടിക്കുകയായിരുന്നു. പുറത്തെ ബഹളങ്ങളൊന്നും അവളെ ബാധിക്കുന്നില്ല. ഒരുപക്ഷെ അത് അവളുടെ ഒരു ദിവസത്തേയ്ക്കുള്ള ആഹാരമാകാം. പിന്നെ കിട്ടിയില്ലെങ്കിലോ.

എന്തോ എൻ്റെ കണ്ണുകൾ തിരക്കിനിടയിലും അവളെ പിന്തുടർന്ന് കൊണ്ടേ ഇരുന്നു. ഭക്ഷണം കഴിഞ്ഞതിനു ശേഷം പ്ലേറ്റ് കഴുകി വൃത്തിയാക്കി,അപ്പുറത്തെ ടാങ്കിൽ നിന്ന് വെള്ളം കുടിച്ചു, ഇട്ടിരിക്കുന്ന പാവാട കൊണ്ട് മുഖം തുടച്ചതിനു ശേഷമാണു അവൾ ഒന്ന് തല നിവർത്തി ചുറ്റും കണ്ണോടിക്കുന്നതു.

ഒരുപക്ഷെ എൻ്റെ കണ്ണുകൾ അവളെ പിന്തുടർന്നത് കൊണ്ടാകാം അവളുടെ കണ്ണുകൾ എന്നിൽ ഉടക്കിയതും. കുറച്ചു നേരം നോക്കി നിന്നതിനു ശേഷം അവൾ കണ്ണുകൾ പിൻവലിച്ചു.

അവൾക്കു എത്ര വയസ്സായി കാണും? അറിഞ്ഞൂടാ..അവളുടെ കാലറ്റം എത്തുന്ന ഒരു ഷർട്ടും അതിനടിയിൽ അത്രയും നീളത്തിലുള്ള പാവാടയും ആണ് അണിഞ്ഞിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഏതായാലും അവളുടേതാകാൻ വഴിയില്ല.

അവളുടെ മുഖം നിർവികാരമായിരുന്നു. മുഖത്ത് നിന്ന് ഒന്നും വായിച്ചെടുക്കുവാൻ സാധിച്ചില്ല.

വലിയ അല്ലലില്ലാതെ മൂന്നു നേരം ഭക്ഷണം കഴിക്കാൻ സാധിക്കുന്ന ഒരു വീട്ടിൽ നിന്നാണ് ആ കുഞ്ഞു വരുന്നതെന്ന് എനിക്ക് തോന്നുന്നില്ല.

പിന്നീടെപ്പോഴോ എൻ്റെ ശ്രദ്ധയും മാറിപ്പോയി. കുറച്ചു കഴിഞ്ഞപ്പോൾ പുറകിൽ കൈ കെട്ടി നിന്നിരുന്ന എൻ്റെ കൈത്തലത്തിൽ ഒരു നനവ് പടരുന്നത് പോലെ.

തിരിഞ്ഞു നോക്കിയപ്പോൾ ആ കുഞ്ഞായിരുന്നു. അവൾ കുറച്ചു നേരം അവളുടെ കയ്യ് എൻ്റെ കൈപ്പടത്തിൽ വെച്ചങ്ങനെ നിന്നു . മനസ്സിൽ കയറിക്കൂടിയ അവളെ പെട്ടെന്നെനിക്കു ഒപ്പിയെടുക്കാൻ തോന്നി. അതാണ് ഈ പടം.

പിന്നീടവൾ എപ്പോഴോ ആ തിരക്കിനുള്ളിലേക്കു ഓടി മറിഞ്ഞു.

സ്ത്രീ ശാക്തീകരണത്തെ കുറിച്ച് അവ്യക്തങ്ങളായ പല ചർച്ചകളും കേൾക്കുമ്പോൾ ഈ മുഖങ്ങളൊക്കെ അറിയാതെ മനസിലേക്ക് കടന്നു വരും.

– ഷാലറ്റ് ജിമ്മി

കാട്ടാനകളെ ഭയക്കാത്ത, കാടിനെ സ്‌നേഹിക്കുന്ന തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടന്‍…

originally published here http://mediainkonline.com/

ഓരോ യാത്രയും ഓരോ അനുഭവമാണ്. അത് ചിലപ്പോള്‍, ചില വ്യക്തികളിലൂടെയായിരിക്കും നമ്മെ തേടിയെത്തുക. അത്തരത്തില്‍ ഒന്നാണ്, പാണിയേലിപ്പൊരു യാത്രയ്ക്കിടയില്‍ കണ്ടുമുട്ടിയ, കാട്ടാനകളെ ഭയക്കാത്ത, കാടിനെ സ്‌നേഹിക്കുന്ന തങ്കപ്പന്‍ എന്ന മനുഷ്യന്‍.

ഏകദേശം മൂന്നു വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ക്കു മുന്‍പ് ഒരു പാണിയേലിപ്പൊരു യാത്രയ്ക്കിടയിലാണ് തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടനെ കാണുന്നത്. അതും കയറ്റുവയില്‍ വെച്ച്. പാണിയേലിപ്പോരില്‍നിന്നും രണ്ടു കിലോമീറ്റര്‍ അകലെയാണ് കയറ്റുവ.

സാധാരണ ടൂറിസ്റ്റുകള്‍ക്ക് അപ്രാപ്യമായ സ്ഥലം. പത്രത്തില്‍ നിന്നായതു കൊണ്ടാവാം ഞങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് കയറ്റുവയിലേക്കു പോകുവാന്‍ ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുണ്ടായില്ല. കൂടാതെ, വനസംരക്ഷണ സമിതിയുടെ പ്രസിഡന്റ് എംഎം ബിനുവിനെ കണ്ടു മുട്ടിയത് വലിയൊരു അനുഗ്രഹമായി. ബിനുവാണു ഞങ്ങളെ കയറ്റുവയിലേക്കു നയിച്ചത്.

പണിയേലിപ്പോരില്‍ നിന്നും ഒരു ചെറിയ കാട്ടിലൂടെ വേണം കയറ്റുവയില്‍ എത്താന്‍. കുത്തനെ ഉള്ള റോഡ് ആയതിനാല്‍ നടന്നു പോകുന്നത് അത്ര സുഖകരമായ കാര്യമായിരുന്നില്ല. അതുകൊണ്ട് ബിനുവിന്റെ സഹായത്തോടെ ഒരു അംബാസഡര്‍ കാര്‍ തരപ്പെടുത്തി ഞങ്ങള്‍ യാത്ര തുടങ്ങി. നല്ല ഇറക്കം ആയതു കൊണ്ട് കാല്‍നടയായി പോകുന്നതിനേക്കാള്‍ വളരെ പതുക്കെ ആയിരുന്നു ഞങ്ങളുടെ കാര്‍ നീങ്ങികൊണ്ടിരുന്നത്.

യാത്രയ്ക്കിടയില്‍ ബിനു ഒരു ചെറുപുഞ്ചിരിയോടെ പറഞ്ഞു ‘നിങ്ങള്‍ക്ക് ഭാഗ്യമുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ കാട്ടാനയെയോ കാട്ടാനകളെയോ കാണാം.’

ആനക്കമ്പം പെരുത്ത് നില്‍ക്കുന്ന ഒരു നാട്ടില്‍ നിന്ന് വരുന്ന എനിക്ക് പക്ഷെ എന്തോ ഒരു വല്ലാത്ത ഭീതിയാണ് അത് കേട്ടപ്പോള്‍ തോന്നിയത്. കൂടാതെ, ഇടയ്ക്കിടയ്ക്ക് കുറുക്കന്മാരെയും ചിലപ്പോള്‍ പുലിയെയും ഇവിടെ കണ്ടു വരാറുണ്ട് എന്ന് പറഞ്ഞതും, ആ ഭയം ഇരട്ടിപ്പിച്ചു.

അങ്ങനെ സംഭവബഹുലമായി മാറിയേക്കാമായിരുന്ന ആ യാത്ര കഴിഞ്ഞു ഞങ്ങള്‍ കയറ്റുവയില്‍ എത്തി…വഴിയരികില്‍ ഇരുവശത്തായി ഇടതൂര്‍ന്ന് നില്‍ക്കുന്ന കൊക്കോ മരങ്ങള്‍. മിക്കതും കായ്ച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്.അങ്ങിങ്ങായി അടഞ്ഞു കിടക്കുന്ന വളരെ സുന്ദരമായ ചെറിയ വീടുകള്‍.

Image credit : Mithun Vinod

ഒരു വര്‍ഷത്തിന് മുന്‍പ് ഏകദേശം 25 കുടുംബങ്ങള്‍ കയറ്റുവയില്‍ പാര്‍ത്തിരുന്നു. എന്നാല്‍ തങ്ങളുടെ വീട്ടു മുറ്റത്തേയ്ക്ക് ആനയിറങ്ങി വന്നു തുടങ്ങിയപ്പോള്‍ അവര്‍ക്കു അവിടെ നിന്നും താമസം മാറ്റേണ്ടതായി വന്നു.

ആനകള്‍ അവരെ ഉപദ്രവിച്ചിട്ടൊന്നുമില്ലെങ്കിലും കുട്ടികള്‍ ഉള്ളത് കൊണ്ട് അറിഞ്ഞുകൊണ്ട് അപകടത്തില്‍ ചാടേണ്ടതില്ല എന്ന് അവര്‍ കരുതി.

എന്നാല്‍ എല്ലാം ഇട്ടെറിഞ്ഞു പോകാന്‍ കഴിയില്ലായിരുന്നു. അവര്‍ക്കു അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന ഏക്കര്‍ കണക്കിനുള്ള കൃഷിഭൂമി തന്നെ കാരണം. അതുകൊണ്ട് ഈ കുടുംബങ്ങളിലെ പുരുഷന്മാര്‍ അതിരാവിലെ വന്നു പണിയെല്ലാം ഒതുക്കി ഒരു അഞ്ചരയോട് കൂടി അവിടം വിടും ..അഞ്ചര കഴിഞ്ഞാല്‍ പിന്നെ കയറ്റുവാ കാട്ടാനകളുടെ വിഹാര കേന്ദ്രമാണ്.

Image credit : Mithun Vinod

25 കുടുംബങ്ങള്‍ കയറ്റുവാ വിട്ടുപോയപ്പോള്‍ മൂന്നു പേര്‍ അവിടെ തന്നെ താമസിക്കാന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചു. അതിലൊരാളായിരുന്നു നമ്മുടെ തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടന്‍.

കഷ്ടിച്ച് ഒരു അഞ്ചടി പൊക്കം കാണും. നിര്‍വികാരമായ മുഖം. സംസാരവും അതുപോലെതന്നെ തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടന് പോകാന്‍ ഒരിടവുമില്ലായിരുന്നു…കാന്‍സര്‍ പിടിപെട്ട അദ്ദേഹത്തെ സ്വന്തം കുടുംബം കയ്യൊഴിയുകയായിരുന്നു. എന്നാല്‍ ചുറ്റുമുള്ളവരുടെ അഭിപ്രായങ്ങള്‍ കേട്ടപ്പോള്‍ അതിനൊരു മറുവശം ഇല്ലാതില്ല എന്ന് എനിക്ക് തോന്നി. ഏതായാലും അതിലേക്കു ഞാന്‍ കടക്കുന്നില്ല.

ജീവിതത്തില്‍ ഒരു മനുഷ്യന്‍ ഏതു സാഹചര്യങ്ങള്‍ കൊണ്ടുമാകട്ടെ ഒറ്റപ്പെട്ടു പോയാല്‍ അത് ഭീകരമായ ഒറ്റപ്പെടല്‍ തന്നെയാണ്.

ചിലര്‍ അങ്ങനെയാണ്…ഒരു പതര്‍ച്ചയും ഇല്ലാതെ…അത് ഒരനുഗ്രഹം കൂടിയാണ്

‘കാട്ടാനകളെ പേടിയില്ലേ,’ എന്ന് ചോദിച്ചപ്പോള്‍ ‘ഇല്ല’ എന്നായിരുന്നു മറുപടി. ‘അവറ്റകള്‍ എന്നെഉപദ്രവിക്കില്ല. നമ്മള്‍ അങ്ങോട്ട് ഉപദ്രവിച്ചാല്‍ മാത്രമേ അതുങ്ങള്‍ ഇങ്ങോട്ടു ഉപദ്രവിക്കൂ. പിന്നെ അവരെ ഓടിക്കണമെങ്കില്‍ ഒരു ബക്കറ്റില്‍ വിളക്കോ മെഴുകുതിരിയോ കത്തിച്ചു വെച്ചാല്‍ മതി’ എന്ന് ധൈര്യത്തോടെ പറഞ്ഞ തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടനോട് അവിടെ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്ന ചിലര്‍ ഒരു മറുചോദ്യം ചോദിച്ചു:

‘അപ്പോള്‍ കുറച്ചു ദിവസം മുന്‍പ് തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടനെ ആന ഓടിപ്പിച്ചതോ’. ഒട്ടും കൂസാതെ തന്നെ പുള്ളി മറുപടി തന്നു . ‘രണ്ടു ദിവസം മുന്‍പ് ഒരു കാട്ടാന എന്നെ ഓടിപ്പിച്ചു. ഇടുങ്ങിയ വഴി ആയിരുന്നത് കൊണ്ട് എനിക്ക് മുന്നോട്ടു പോകാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞില്ല. പക്ഷെ ഞാന്‍ എങ്ങനെ ഒക്കെയോ ആനയുടെ ശ്രദ്ധ തിരിച്ചുവിട്ടു. എന്നിട്ടു ദാ ..ആ കാണുന്ന വീടിന്റെ ടെറസില്‍ കയറി പറ്റി. കുറേ നേരം അവന്‍ എന്നെ കാത്തു നിന്നു. കാണാതായപ്പോള്‍ സ്ഥലം വിട്ടു.’

Image credit : Mithun Vinod

തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടന്റെ ചെറിയ കൂരയെക്കാള്‍ കുറച്ചു കൂടി വലുപ്പം കാണും ആ ടെറസ് വീടിന്. ചിലര്‍ അങ്ങനെയാണ്…ഒരു പതര്‍ച്ചയും ഇല്ലാതെ…അത് ഒരനുഗ്രഹം കൂടിയാണ്.

അപ്പോഴേക്കും ഏകദേശം ആറു മണിയായി ..ആരൊക്കെയോ വിളിച്ചു പറയുന്നുണ്ടായിരുന്നു ‘ഇനി നില്‍ക്കണ്ടട്ടോ ഇവിടെ. ഒരുത്തന്‍ ദേ പതിയെ ഇങ്ങോട്ടേക്കു ഇറങ്ങിയിട്ടുണ്ട്’.
ഞങ്ങള്‍ പിന്നെ വൈകിച്ചില്ല..തിരിച്ചുള്ള യാത്രയില്‍ ‘മത്തായി ചേട്ടനെട കണ്ടു..ഒട്ടും സ്ഥലമില്ലാതിരുന്ന ഞങ്ങളുടെ കാറില്‍ ഞങ്ങള്‍ അദ്ദേഹത്തെയും കയറ്റി. ആശുപത്രിയില്‍ കിടക്കുന്ന ഭാര്യക്ക് കഞ്ഞിയും ആയിട്ട് പോകുകയായിരുന്നു, കക്ഷി .

ആ കാട്ടിലൂടെ നടന്നു വേണം ബസ് സ്റ്റോപ്പില്‍ എത്താന്‍. തങ്കപ്പന്‍ ചേട്ടന്‍ കൂടാതെ അവിടെ താമസിക്കാന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ച മറ്റു രണ്ടു പേര്‍ ഈ മത്തായി ചേട്ടനും ഭാര്യയുമായിരുന്നു.

‘പ്രാരാബ്ധങ്ങള്‍ എല്ലാം ഒഴിഞ്ഞു. ഇനി ഞങ്ങള്‍ രണ്ടു പേര്‍ മാത്രം. വരുന്നിടത്തു വെച്ച് കാണാം.’

Image credit : Mithun Vinod

ചിലപ്പോള്‍ ഇത്തരം ഓര്‍മ്മകള്‍ ഒരു ഓര്‍മ്മപ്പെടുത്തലുകള്‍ കൂടി ആണ്. ഞാന്‍ ഒരു നെടുവീര്‍പ്പോടെ കൊച്ചിയെത്തുന്നതും കാത്തിരുന്നു.

*കൊച്ചിയില്‍ നിന്നും 55 കി.മീ അകലെയാണ് പാണിയേലിപ്പോര് എന്ന വിനോദസഞ്ചാര കേന്ദ്രം.

Connecting creativity: The story of Fuzia ( www.fuzia.com)

Shalet Jimmy talks to Riya Sinha and Shraddha Varma, founders of Fuzia.com

Riya Sinha

There's a Chinese saying: "When sleeping women wake, mountains will move." Undoubtedly, founders of Fuzia have taken the first step in this regard. Five years ago, an 11-year-old girl was quick to realize that she could influence a six-year-old girl to dream big through her writing. This made her think: what if the girls/women around the country and the world influence each other through their creative pursuits? And thus was born Fuzia.

So what is Fuzia all about?

It is a unique online global platform for women/girls to encourage each other and to empower themselves through creative expression.



Let's try to understand more about the platform.

Shraddha Varma

 Q) If I am not wrong, Fuzia might be the first of its kind enterprise for women to share their thoughts and creative pursuits. What paved the way for a platform called Fuzia?

 A) The founding of Fuzia was very serendipitous. I was eleven years old and had written a short book about runaway twins. I presented the book in my local bookstore to a small group of children. After the presentation, a 6-year- old girl came up to me and said that I had inspired her to write a book and that she now realized her dream was possible after seeing me. I was so happy to have helped a small girl like that, and I wanted to do more. A while later, when I was discussing with my dad, he gave me the idea to create Fuzia. Initially, it was an all-girls website made for writers to share their work.


Q) What is Fuzia aiming at?

 A) We aim to create a safe pedestal for girls from all around the world to come together and connect through their work. We want to create a platform to showcase every woman's creative talent to the world. And this mission is working. Considering the fact that women are the biggest reservoir of untapped talent, we try to develop, nurture, motivate and empower them. And also letting the young women realize their own worth and value, thereby developing confidence.

Q) What is the story behind choosing the name Fuzia?

 A) We chose the name fuzia because we wanted the name to symbolize the fusion of many cultures coming together onto one platform. Fuzia is basically a shortened and fun version of the word fusion.

 Q) Fuzia was launched in 2012. Tell us about the journey so far? 

A) When we launched the website in 2012, we had a few sign-ups and tried promoting it to different organizations and charities to use as a forum to share their writing. However, we soon decided to expand to make Fuzia a platform for girls to share all their creative work, from art, to poetry, to graphic design. We completely redesigned the website to make it more appealing and launched the new and improved Fuzia. We formed a team of passionate women from all around the world to help spread Fuzia's mission: to empower girls through creativity.

Q) What are the areas you will be focusing on through Fuzia? 

A) Very few people realize the fact that art and expression can do wonders in our lives. Hence, our priority will be to capture the emerging talents in the categories of photography, food blogging, travel logs, art, music, photo journalism, writing, poetry, design, fashion design, makeup and beauty artists, video creators, YouTube producers and other creative fields which are women's passion and bring out their creative self. Besides, we aim to build a virtual place where they can not only share their thoughts and works, but also promote their works, learn, inspire and get inspired, or simply be themselves... where they are not judged!

Q) You said you are trying to bring in women users from instagrams, snapchats, twitter, blogs etc. to Fuzia. How are you going to do that? 

A) In social media, we try and find women who we feel would be a good fit for fuzia, message them directly, pitching the mission of fuzia with them. If they feel it an adequate platform to flaunt their skills, they come to the website and start to post. The whole Fuzia team reaches out to 500+ people per day on all social media sites. Additionally, we have started campaigns on Fuzia and advertise them on our social media platforms, which attracts women to the site as well. Q) Where are your current users from? After 5 years of launching the website what is your current reach? A) Our first few users mainly came from the Middle East, Pakistan, Nepal, United States, Tanzania, South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Indonesia, the Philippines and India. We are focusing on developing countries where lay the huge untapped potential.


We now have over 3 million followers on social media and are nearing 500 users on Fuzia.

originally published here Bfirst.in http://www.bfirst.in/category/startups/the-story-of-fuzia-215593

Bend it like Lydia: B'luru girl kicks her way to US

Five years ago, Bhagyalakshmi suffered a bout of depression. Her newborn infant suddenly went into a coma and finally died three years later.

When the lines of reality started blurring for Bhagyalakshmi, her dear ones decided to send her to work, thinking it would do her some good.

Her search for a job landed her in an NGO called Magic Bus in Bengaluru, which uses an activity- based approach to bring children out of poverty.

It not only revived Bhagyalakshmi's spirits but she became aware of her long lost love for football.
But with a household to run with two children, a girl and a boy, she decided to enrol her daughter in the NGO.

Her efforts paid off as her little girl, Lydia, is all set to go to the United Sates for the second time to attend a football coaching camp for 15 days conducted by July Foudy Leadership Foundation.
She was picked up just because of her sheer talent. Last year, there were three girls from Bengaluru. This time, she is the sole participant.

I arrived at her place at Doddanagar a little late in the evening. Lydia, a tall 15-year-old girl was already waiting for me.

Since her place was a bit congested, she took me to a small hill nearby, on top of which is a Murugan temple.
A few feet underneath, a lot of little boys were playing football. The moment they saw us on the hill, they stopped playing and came running towards us.
There would be 10-12 children. "They are my best friends," says Lydia. Surrounded by a lot of surprised eyes, we started our tete-a-tete.

Lydia says she never thought she could play football.
She credits her love for the game to Kavitha, her Magic bus mentor, who introduced football to girls in their community, which was a privilege only accorded to boys until then.
Soon, she became one among the girls who played football in her community. Within a short span of time, she got opportunities to represent the organisation against many big teams.

"At the outset, our team lost in a match against Mysore team. We were new. But soon we acquired the skills and we started beating many other teams," Lydia says. Narrating her experience in America, she says, "When I went there last time, they talked about leadership qualities. How it changes lives. When I came back, I tried my best to inculcate the leadership qualities which I have learnt from there." Even before her trip to the US that quality might have been inherent in her, otherwise, she would not have gone door to door in her community asking parents to allow their girl children play football as parents did not want them to wear shorts while playing.

 "Some became ready to send their daughters and some remained unconvinced," Lydia says. The girl is hardly lured by the pomp and splendour she experienced in the US. Her focus is clear as a crystal. "It's my dream to be a football coach and I want to go to rural areas and teach children football," Lydia points out. One of the inspirational experiences she had was when she watching a video based on the life of July Foudy, an Olympic gold medalist and retired American football player. "It was touching to see the hardships she had to endure before she made it big.

 It instilled in me a lot of courage to seek what I really want," Lydia says. Though she is in awe of America, she says she prefers India. "There, everything looks the same - people, the places. But here, everything is different and I feel it is special. Most of the time, they eat green vegetables. It's good for health we are not used to it, right," she asks. But she is quick to add that she liked pizza. Lydia has already done her homework.

 One of them being concerns updates of a project which she had taken up during her coaching days. "We are asked to pick a community project. I chose a project of planting 10 trees. I have planted 15 tree saplings in my place and they are certainly going to ask me how my project is progressing," Lydia says. Lydia's best supporter has always been her mother. Though her father initially was wary of her playing football, it changed when she got selected to the Barcelona camp in Bengaluru. Lydia will leave for the US on July 7.

Natasha Ramarathnam, Magic Bus Regional Director, South, says, "Our children and youth complete their education and get sustainable and meaningful livelihoods, while successfully fending off destabilizers like child labour and child marriage. Lydia is perfect example of the impact that Magic Bus has on the children in its programme. A young girl from the community is now going to the US to represent Magic Bus India in a global programme devoted to developing young leaders. Far from being nervous about the responsibility, the only things she is concerned about is how she will make up for the classes that she will miss when she is abroad."

- Shalet Jimmy

Originally published here Bend it like Lydia: B'luru girl kicks her way to US

Murders in Maximum City

It began when a six-year-old girl from Kandewadi, a small slum near Andheri in Mumbai goes missing. Pinky was the first to go, then Jamila followed by Mary, Sindhu and Tara.

Panic grips the slum when these children are returned as mutilated and raped corpses. Lalli takes charge of the investigation with police officers Savio and Shukla and her niece Sita who is also her accomplice. Written from Sita's point of view, Kalpana Swaminathan's latest book slowly opens to an unimaginable cruel world of crime and put forth several questions to ponder upon.

The book has dealt with issues like brutal child abuse, politics that can sell and buy anything, the helplessness of the officials who are not corrupt, pseudo feminism, etc. Though crime fiction written especially by Indian authors highlight several issues and makes the reader ask pertinent questions, there’s often a tendency to dismiss fiction noir as mere 'pulp fiction'. It is unfortunate.

If you put down a list of serious crime novels, Kalpana Swaminathan's ' Greenlight' will be the first in the category. It is her sixth book in the Lalli series.

Let's see who Lalli is? She is a retired police detective who has ace shooting skills. She is in her sixties and is ruling the roost in a world dominated by men. If there is a murder, Lalli is the last resort even for the police.

The book is unputdownable and a great relief that Indian writers can create novels in this genre that can compete with the west.

To speak further on the book, it throws light on the bizarre mindset of the people. On one side, there is the world of the rich, who believe in committing horrendous crimes just for the sake of thrills. They brutalise slum children purely because they do not consider them worthy of living in this world. Then there are the slum dwellers, who refuse to empathise with Tara's mother, a sex worker, even after Tara is abducted and killed. They even pray for Tara's death just because her mother is a sex-worker; they think she deserves it.


What I also like about the book is the innuendoes on pseudo- feminism. In a meeting called by Seema, the journalist who is following the Kandewadi story, women easily forget the atrocities and rape and easily shift their attention to take it as a platform to indulge in their own selfish interests – some writes articles, poem, etc. One has killed her feotus and has written a poem on it justifying her actions that she aborted it to save the fetus from the world. She has taken the decision after reading the Kandewadi incidents.

Sita who could not bear this hypocrisy comes out of the meeting and thinks to herself that “ I had lacked the courage I might have had five years ago to tell those women what a misogynistic bunch of voyeurs, they were, what pathetic human beings they were, if their only response to the pain of others was to trot out sorry tales of their own. I wondered what they would have said, or done if they had seen Tara in her empty hut.”

Calling ' Lalli', a ' Desi Miss Marple' will not do any justification to the round character Kalpana Swaminathan has created. Even the author has clarified once that Lalli is not like Miss Marple. There are no similarities barring the fact that they love sleuthing. Like Miss Marple of Agatha Christie, Lalli has her own identity.

One thing that could have been avoided is the gory description of the brutalities committed to the children. It's horrendous. This reminds me of books written by a renowned Crime writer from the West, Tess Gerritsen. Perhaps it might be their background as medical doctors which enable them to write precise description though a bit gross.

When the story ends Swaminathan also puts across a question to ponder “ The Cry, How can I bear that someone should use my body like this? Is usually read as a woman's outrage. But isn't it equally a man's? It is men who should protest against rape and not women.”

- Shalet Jimmy

published here as Murders in Maximum City

Filling a Gap in special education

Seven-year-old Tejas was confused when his father told him that an infinite number cannot be pinpointed. Nonetheless, he persisted with the question, but got the same answer. Finally, he relented, saying, “Fine, if the infinite number cannot be pointed out, tell me the number just before that.” A logical question indeed!

 Once, Tejas had written a mirror image of ‘6’ instead of six. Obviously, he did not get the expected ‘stars’ from his teachers. He was sad and couldn’t understand where he had gone wrong. When his parents pointed out to him that he had written the mirror image, he asked, “Why can’t the teacher hold the book upside down, then she could have read it as six.’’ The little boy, of course, sounded logical. But his mother had a gut feeling that something was wrong.

 When a child psychologist told them that he had learning disability, they could not fully comprehend what it exactly meant. The panic-stricken parents started searching for institutions that could help out their boy, which landed them at the Child Development Centre (CDC) of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. There, they came to know that Tejas had dyslexia. “He knows the colours as red, blue, black etc. But he could not pinpoint which is which. We often dismissed such tendencies as laziness. But it was not,” said his mother, Sandhya Prajin.

 It is their frantic efforts to know more about their child’s problem that eventually led them to come up with a school for dyslexic children - Travancore National School - a first of its kind in the state. Within one year of its opening, they could make four dyslexic children pass their tenth standard examination through National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS). Flattered by the rare feat achieved, the state government has also extended a helping hand to them.

 “These are good times. But there was a time when everything was topsy-turvy. His father was not ready to accept that he has dyslexia,” reminisced Sandhya.

 “How could you accept that? My daughter is highly competent and is first in everything and the fact did not sink in easily that he had learning disability,” said Prajin Babu, his father.


  What many parents fail to understand is that dyslexia is not a big problem as they think, he explained. “Yes, the child needs proper attention. But it is not something that could brandish their child for life. There are many such children. Once they understand it, their child could be saved,” said Prajin.

 To create awareness in this direction, they made Tejas a little goodwill ambassador. “Our boy has this problem. We are saying it aloud. That could make parents understand it well,” he said.  Singer G Venugopal is the ambassador of their organisation.

Samaritan for the Sightless - Padmashree Dr Tony Fernandez

For octogenarian ophthalmologist Tony Fernandez, age is just a number. The zest with which he has brought light to so many people’s lives in a career spanning half a century, Fernandez will never be past the prime of his life. For his selfless service, the Government of India bestowed upon him the Padmashree in 2008. His eyes still has the spark that glistened 44 years ago, when he took the initiative to set up an eye banking facility for the first time in a private hospital in Kerala.

It was in 1970 that he set up the facility in the Little Flower Hospital at Angamaly, 40 km from Kochi. The hospital then was a small dispensary. Fernandez had special training in corneal transplant and squint from England and was practising at Madurai Medical College when he decided to return to Angamaly.

“I saw a large number of people would be able to see, if corneal transplants were undertaken,” he says. “For some reason, majority of the patients belonged to the financially weaker section of the society. Since there were a few facilities for corneal transplant here, they were referred to an institute in Ahmedabad. Now, how could a financially weak person afford a treatment there?” Thus was born his facility.

However, there was not much of encouragement. “To bring in public involvement, an eye bank association was set up,” says Fernandez. “Corporates and institutions such as the Lions Club and Rotary extended their support, and we started awareness classes. Special equipment was brought from different parts of the world. Slowly, eye transplants began to take place here.”

Since there were no storage facilities initially, the eyes had to be brought from Sri Lanka. Majority of the population in Sri Lanka practice Buddhism; it exhorts them to donate eyes. For many years, Sri Lanka was the major contributor of eyes to many parts of the world, including India. To bring in the donor eyes, special permission had to be taken from the Government of India, apart from paying `2,000 as customs duty. “It was difficult for Angamaly, being a remote village, to get permission. Hence, the government decided to grant permission to set up eye banks at Thiruvananthapuram and Calicut medical colleges,” says Fernandez.

“Earlier, the entire eye had to be taken out; later, it was just the cornea,” he says. It had to be put in an ice box and brought to the state by flight. Then it was taken to Angamaly by bus. But hardly anybody came forward to do this job. It was then that the association for blind came forward to help.



Fernandez is also a pioneer in organising free community camps. Initially, after consultation, the surgery was performed in the camp. Now it has changed. “After consultations, the patients are referred to the hospitals,” he says. Nevertheless, the octogenarian is happy with the way things have turned out regarding organ donation. “But we still have a long way to go,” he says.

Not ready to rest on his laurels, Fernandez has launched another project, Kazhcha 2020, in collaboration with actor Mammootty. “The purpose is to wipe out cataract blindness,” says Fernandez. “Satellite centres will be set up in every part of the state. People can undertake treatment free of charge.”

- Shalet Jimmy

originally published here Filling a Gap in Special Education

Unexpected Delights - SHRAVANABELAGOLA, Karnataka

 The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes
 - Marcel Pronst

I was under the impression that travelling could be an experience only if I travel solo. I was completely fascinated by the tales of solo travelling. But my trip to Shravanabelagola in Hassan at Karnataka broke that myth.

Well! Solo travelling might work for many but for me, a trip with somebody who would just like to travel can work. I have cautiously and deliberately avoided the words ‘share the same passion’. After this trip, I firmly affirm the above-mentioned quotes. Travelling is not about seeking new places but new perspectives.

When I look back, this trip proved to be the most wonderful trip ever.

The experience and that ‘so good feeling which you feel from inside’ could not have happened if I had travelled solo. The 600 steps to reach the biggest monolithic statue would have been a big hurdle if I had travelled alone. I could not have managed them by myself.

Those hours, we spent under the shade of a rock after climbing majority of the steps chatting about personal, professional and worldly things made the experience more personal. A slight breeze that blew during those hours made it more memorable.

Neither am I against solo travelling nor am I making a sweeping generalisation. My point is: if you love travelling, grab any opportunity that comes on your way. Whether it is solo or group does not make a difference. It’s all about you and your personal experience.

We travelled to Hassan from Bangalore. As it was an unexpected trip, we started off a bit late. It took around four hours to reach Hassan. Once you are out of the chaos of city traffic, the rural landscape will make your drive a pleasant experience. When you reach Shravanabelagola, you can see the statue from afar.

As I am a person who does not love being amidst a crowd, the month of September proved to be the right time.

At the entrance, I saw her.

As footwear are not allowed, you can buy socks from the local vendors for Rs 60. After the visit, most of us discarded them in a dustbin kept there.

If you think you cannot handle the steps, there is chair - carrier like a palanquin.The views are different and mesmerizing after climbing each steps. It’s all about rocks.

This white pond and the view is majestic. 

When you think that you have finished the Herculean task of climbing the steps, this appears. You can sit for a while here and start the next phase of climbing.There is no doubt that you will get thirsty after climbing all those steps. There are big tanks set up for drinking water.


 Now let's get some facts about the statue

The 58 feet tall statue of Jain deity Gomateshwara is the tallest monolithic statue in the world.

Shravanabelagola has two hills Chandragiri and Vindhyagiri. The statue is located on the    Vindhyagiri.

The statue is one of the most important thirthas ( pilgrimage destinations ) in Jainism.

The base of the statue has inscriptions in Devnagari script, dating from 981 AD. The inscription praises the king who funded the effort and his general, Chavundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother.

Every 12 years, thousands of devotees come here to perform the Mahamastakabhisheka, a spectacular ceremony in which the statue is anointed with water, turmeric, rice flour, sugar cane juice, sandalwood paste, saffron, and gold and silver flowers. The next Mahamastakabhisheka will be held in 2018. It is called 'Statue of Gommateshvara' by Kannadigas, but the Jains refer to the same as "Bahubali".

A view of the city and the sky from the temple

The descent was much easier. We returned by around 6 pm.

- Shalet Jimmy

PS : All pics are copyrighted

published in bfirst as UNEXPECTED DELIGHTS

A Nightmare for a Lady Gatekeeper

Jhansi, the gatekeeper with the Indian Railways, was her usual self after closing the railway gate between Aralvaymoli and North Panakudi stations. The Nagercoil - Bengaluru Express was about to pass. Little did she know then that, what was about to happen to her. As the time passes, out of the blue, five miscreants arrived at the gate and started yelling at her to open it.

She was all alone with hardly any person around her. The place was also devoid of houses. Every moment was fraught with danger. If something goes wrong, the train would not pass safely. And she could not let that happen.


Risking her life, Jhansi took every blow inflicted on her by her attackers willingly and let the train pass safely. Balu Chandran, a Kanyakumari native who tried to save her, was also brutally assaulted. Their efforts bore fruit when Railways honoured them. The bravery certificate was handed over to them in April 2015 by the Governor at Thiruvananthapuram.

28-year-old Jhansi, a Nagercoil native, still reminisces about that night with a chill down her spine. I was alone. The train would come at any minute. I wanted to avoid a tussle, she says.
When the miscreants tried to open the gate by pulling the lever lock Jhansi told them that she would do it herself once the train passes. This irked them. “They started hurling abusive words. I ran to inform the Police Control Room and locked myself in my room. But, in no time they came after me and had beaten me black and blue. I was hit on my head, chest, abdomen and back,” she recollects.


There was hardly any public except one or two. Then, a small boy came and asked them to stop assaulting her. “They left me writhing in pain and chased that boy. By that time, two or three persons who turned up threw the miscreants’ bike key away. After coming back, thinking that I might have done that, they assaulted me again. I was phoning my Station Master then. They pulled my hair, dragged me and beat my head against the lever.

 It was then that Baluchandran arrived at the scene and tried his best to stop them from harming me,” she says with a gratitude in her eyes.
Even he too fell prey to the brutal attack of the miscreants. “They beat him so hard that he was lying in a pool of blood. They even rolled the bike on top of him. Then they ran and hid somewhere in the dark. Police arrived by then and took us to the hospital,” Jhansi says. By then, the train had passed safely.

Sadly, the assault affected Balu’s life, heavily. “I get acute head and back aches, frequently. Because of it, I could not go to work for months,” he says.
He used to work in a company that makes fishing net .”Earlier,I used to draw a salary of Rs 12,000. Now, every thing is topsy- turvy. I am literally struggling hard to earn my bread and butter. I have a wife and two kids to look after. My wife could not go to work as our first born could not walk and the second child is too small to leave her alone,” he said with helplessness reflecting in his voice.
Jhansi is now a gate keeper at Kaavalkinar. The shift is from 6 am to 2 pm and 2 pm to 10 am. “If I get a second shift, my husband would accompany me”. Inquiring, if she is still afraid to go to work, she replies “Yes, But I have to work.”

- Shalet Jimmy

originally published here http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2015/jun/17/A-Nightmare-for-Lady-Gatekeeper-770468.html

The Gandhi from India - Fr Davis Chiramel

On April 3, 2014, Father Davis Chiramel dived from 15,000 feet. He came down at a speed of 180 km per hour. Anything could have happened to a first-timer like him. He felt as if someone was pushing him down harder. But the risks and the fears of tandem skydiving (where the student is connected to a harness attached to the instructor) disappeared before the noble cause he has undertaken.

Fifty-four-years old, Fr Davis might be the first kidney donor from India who performed this daring act in Lancaster, United Kingdom, to create awareness among the public about kidney donation.

“Many tried to dissuade me from it and asked what if I get a heart attack when I am in the sky,” he says. “But I told them things are not certain even on the ground, so why the worry. But it was indeed a risky act, much more dangerous than donating a kidney.”

Come September and the philanthropist priest will embark on another brave mission—a journey called ‘Ma..Nishada’ which embodies the message—‘No violence, No rape, No alcohol and No suicide’.

Around 75,000 people have committed suicide in Kerala in the past 10 years. “In many places, the doors of those rooms where a suicide took place have been locked, giving way to several ghost stories,” says Fr Davis. “I will visit these places and will spend one night in the room. If there is a ghost lurking, let he or she find me.”

But then Fr Davis is just as famous for his acts of courage as he is for his compassion. Twenty-two days after he donated his kidney to a complete stranger in 2009, he travelled from Kasargode in the northern end of the state to Thiruvananthapuram at the southern end to visit hospitals and speak on kidney donations. The idea was to reach out to people personally and inspire them through his example—“If I can do it, so can you.”

Fr Davis believes that the tours he undertook have brought about a drastic change in the attitude of the people. “When it comes to organ donation, things were not as smooth as it is today,” he says. “But when I go in front of the people, they see a donor in flesh and blood. Above all, he is hail and healthy. It has worked well.” Thanks to his efforts, so far five-and-a-half lakh people have pledged their organs.

However, it was not a conscious decision on the part of Fr Davis to work towards this cause. A committee had been formed to collect money to help Gopinath of Vadanappally, Thrissur, who had a kidney ailment. “And they made me its patron,” says Fr Davis. “The money was collected, but there was no kidney to transplant. It was then I decided to donate mine. But everybody was against it. The awareness was scant then.”

Meanwhile, in 2009, Fr Davis set up the Kidney Federation of India (KFI) at Thrissur. In a matter of five years, his name, as well as the KFI, has become synonymous with organ donation in Kerala.

Acknowledging his contribution, the National Kidney Foundation, America, gave an honorary membership to Fr Davis, making him the first Indian to get it.

He has also travelled to the UK and US and spoke to the Malayalees there. “Many did not know that we could not use a foreign kidney for medical reasons,” says Fr Davis. “Hence if any ailments afflicted them, they could be helped only by their fellow people there.”

Prior to his donation campaign, Fr Davis had set up an institution in Thrissur called Accident Care and Transport Service. Today it has 15 ambulances, 30,000 volunteers, and 15 branches. To-date it has admitted and treated two-and-a-half lakh people.

Spreading light

■ In 2009, Father Davis set up the Kidney Federation of India at Thrissur

■ Thanks to his campaign across Kerala, so far five-and-a-half lakh people have pledged their organs

■ Acknowledging his contribution, the National Kidney Foundation, America, gave an honorary membership to Fr Davis, making him the first Indian to get it.

■ His Accident Care and Transport Service in Thrissur has 15 ambulances, 30,000 volunteers, and 15 branches. To-date it has treated two-and-a-half lakh people.

Want to Get Married in this Kerala Church? First Prove You Are Not Impotent!

by Shalet Jimmy
Published in the New Indian Express, Kerala

If you are a parishioner of the Santa Cruz Basilica, Fort Kochi, and wants to get married in the church, you have to prove you are not impotent. The vicar of the church has already issued a circular stating that this is a canonical requirement and has published it on the notice board.
However, the Church leadership rejected the claim that producing the potency certificate was a canonical requirement for marriage.

Kerala Catholic Bishops Council deputy secretary-general Fr Stephen Alathara said though such a suggestion had come up earlier, it was turned down.

“For the smooth functioning of marriages, there was a suggestion to collect such details before one enters into wedlock. But the Church has not cleared it,” he said.

And medical experts have said potency tests aren’t always reliable. Said noted psychiatrist Dr C J John: “Since such clinical tests are being conducted under artificially stimulated circumstances, chances are high that one clearing the potency test is likely to be impotent in an actual situation and vice versa. Some can’t stimulate themselves under artificial circumstances. Hence it would be wrong to label them as impotent. That could destroy their lives. Besides, psychological factors also play a pivotal role in defining one’s sexuality.”

A parishioner, speaking on condition of anonymity, accused the local vicar of “creating a mess” by coming up with such strange rules under the pretext of implementing canonical law. “My plea to renew my ancestor’s grave was rejected several times. The church has become a company. Only those priests who can garner more funds are able to climb up the hierarchy,” he said.
Another parishioner complained that the church had laid down a rule that only married women who had given birth could be a godmother at baptism.

Vicar Fr Francis Fernandez wasn’t available for comment despite repeated attempts to contact him.
Asked to comment on the issue, Cochin Bishop Joseph Kariyil said he wasn’t aware of the new rule. “I will soon look into it,” he said.

Francis Kallarakal, Archbishop of the Verapoly diocese, said the church had taken certain decisions based on consensus during emergencies. “But such a clause — to produce a potency certificate — hasn’t figured in any of our talks,” he added.