Some books are not to be written

The essays of Francis Bacon, a 16th century English philosopher and statesman, usually begin with ‘Of’ as ‘Of Studies’, ‘Of Friendship’, ‘Of Vengeance’ and so on. With his compositions providing deep insights into the readers on the ideas of life, his famous quote “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested” deserves much importance today. If viewed from a contemporary context, a reader may think why Bacon had failed to say

“Some books are not to be written!”

Had the philosopher opined so, Romantic
English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley would not have written the popular pamphlet The Necessity of Atheism while he was a student, and faced termination from college. D.H Lawrence would not have brought out his Lady Chatterley’s Lover either.
Though Bacon said on books as “Some few are read to be wholly, and with diligence and attention’, books of serious importance are little important in the rat race of modern man.

But, books have played active roles in shaping the readers’ personality. The readers include even dictators of the bygone era. The Prince, a political treatise by the 16th-century Italian diplomat Machiavelli, was a bedtime reading for Adolf Hitler and a topic for Benito Mussolini’s thesis for honorary doctorate. The Prince, whose central idea is acquiring power, came to be called the ‘Mafia Bible’, turned to be one among the prohibited books by the Catholic Church and was banned in Elizabethan England.

But this is an age, where journalists and writers are deprived of their rights of freedom of speech and expression. A few years ago, the world of modern Tamil literature felt the pain of a famed Kongu novelist, when he was demanded an unconditional apology on charges of depicting women of the Kongu society in poor light in his novel.

In contrast, yesteryear writers and scholars enjoyed the freedom of speech and expression. The debate between two scholars on a particular topic was pleasant those days. It is surprising to read such healthy and hot debates between the Dravidian stalwart C N Annadurai, DMK founder and former Tamil Nadu Chief minister, and Tamil scholar R P Sethupillai on the topic whether Kambaramayanam and Periyapuranam denigrated the Dravidian race or not. The debate, which was presided over by Kovai Kizhar CM Ramachandran Chettiar, the then Commissioner of Hindu Religious and Endowment Board and the first historian of Coimbatore, took place at Madras Law College on February 2, 1943. Later, the second and final round of the debate was held at the Devanga Padasalai in Salem between C N Annadurai and Tamil scholar Navalar S Somasundara Bharathiyar on March 14, 1943. This time Prof. A. Ramasamy presided over it

Just a month after the debate, the arguments of Anna were published into a book on the title ‘Thee Paravattum’ (Let the fire spread). Bearing testimony to the dignity of the Dravidian movement in respecting the views of its opponents, the book included the complete speeches of R P Sethupillai and S Somasundara Bharathiyar in defense of Kambaramayanam and Periyapuranam.
At the same time, Anna never retreated in his the crusade to protect the esteem of Tamils. An ardent follower of rationalist leader Periyar E V Ramasamy, Anna, after he came to power, lifted the ban on Ravana Kaviyam, an antithesis to Kambaramayanam, written by Pulavar Kuzhanthai of the Kongu region.

When Kuzhandhai wrote the epic ‘Ravana Kaviyam’ in 1946, the then Congress government, which ruled the Madras state, imposed a ban on it for its pro-Dravidian views. When the DMK captured power in Tamil Nadu, the ban was lifted in 1971.

Born at Olavalasu near Erode in the then Coimbatore district in 1906, Kuzhandhai learned the Tamil alphabets by writing them on a heap of sand at a Thinai Pallikoodam (Pyol School). He had a passion for composing conventional Tamil poetry even while he was a 10-year-old
boy. He mastered the elements in Tamil prosody all by himself, as there were few Tamil scholars in his village.
Praising the book and commending Kuzhandhai’s creativity and knowledge in Tamil, Anna noted that Ravana Kaviyam, which consists of 3100 songs, was equal in all literary merits in comparison with Kambaramayanam. Anna underlined that Kuzhandai’s epic differed only in the central idea.
But today, the name ‘Anna’ sounds just to be the name of someone, printed or pronounced to name a power, which jails someone for something he does against it.

Link to my article in SimpliCity :  https://simplicity.in/articledetail.php?aid=1077

The People Behind the Bricks and Mortar of Coimbatore

On a sultry afternoon, Lord Siva and his consort Parvathi were walking upon the earth; they got very hot and thirsty. Siva felt the drops of perspiration all over his body and changed them by his divine power into a man carrying a pick-ax and crowbar. Similarly, Parvathi changed her drops of perspiration into a woman carrying a basket. The man and woman quickly sunk a well with their equipment. Now Siva and Parvathi refreshed themselves in the cool waters of the well and, in gratitude, they promised the labourers certain gifts. 

With neither of the labourers being satisfied with the gifts, they demanded more with a grumble. Lord Siva, who grew angry at their act, cursed them and vowed that they and their descendants shall live only by the sweat of their brow.

The above story, which is traced by the British ethnographer Edgar Thurston, speaks on the birth of the first members of the Boyar community. Another similar story on the birth of the community says that the same Siva and Parvathi ordered the members of the Boyar community to sink wells to quench the thirst of the Devatas (Celestial people). Having dug the well, they demanded payment. But Siva, instead of money, gave a pinch of sacred ash for each work they did. When the labourers reached home, they found to their surprise, that all the pinches of sacred ash were turned into money. Yet, the Boyars were not satisfied and clamoured for more. Siva grew angry at their act and cursed them thus: 

“What you obtain in the forests by digging shall be lost as soon as you reach the high ground” 

But Parvathi, who took pity on them, asked Siva to give them large sums of money. Then Siva hollowed out a measuring-rod (A staff used by Oddars for making measurements), filled it with varahans (gold coins), and gave it to the maistry or the head mason. The lord also filled a large pumpkin with money and buried it in a field, where the Oddars were working. The maistry, whom Siva presented the gold coin –filled measuring rod, pawned it for buying toddy. 

Though the Oddars did not find out what was inside the raised mound caused by the burying of the pumpkin, a buffalo, which was grazing in a field close by, exposed the pumpkin to them. However, without suspecting the contents in the pumpkin, the Oddars sold it to a member of the Komati caste, which is known for its profession of banking, money lending, and other business pursuits. 

Edgar Thurston has few answers for the above two tales on their depicting the Oddar community as a dissatisfied and unwise lot.

The Oddars or Boyars are identified with their traditional occupations as sinking wells, constructing tank bunds and buildings, quarrying stones and executing other kinds of earth work. As said above, legend has it that their first ancestors were a couple who sunk a well for the deities Siva and Parvathi. But, in reality, it was a man from the Boyar community, who provided drinking water from his well to his neighbours in Coimbatore decades before the arrival of sweet Siruvani water. 

A poem in Nerisayil Oorisai, a book of venbas on Kongu history, speaks on a street that runs north to Nawab Hakkim Road in the heart of the city as ‘Naangenathu Veethi’ which is a corruption of ‘Nagan Kinatru Veethi’ 

“The street’s name is after Naga Boyan, who owned a well and provided water to his neighbours “informs Kavianban Babu, a historian of Coimbatore, who authored the book Therintha Kovai Theriyatha Kadhai (Known Coimbatore; its unknown tales)

The Oddars, most of whom are construction workers today, had once been makers of brick, for they owned a large number of brick kilns in Coimbatore. 

Edgar Thurston, while writing a chapter on the Oddars on the title ‘Odde’ in his comprehensive work Castes and Tribes of Southern India, informs:   

“The The caste title of the Oddes is Nayakkan and Boyan. The similarity of the latter word to ‘Boer’ was fatal, for at the time of my visit to the Oddes in Coimbatore, the South African war (Boer war) was just over, and they were afraid that I was going to get them transported to replace the Boers who had been exterminated in the war. Being afraid of my evil eye, they refused to fire a new kiln of bricks for the new club chambers at Coimbatore until I had taken my departure”

However, the history of Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital informs that one by name Nanja Boyan from the Oddar community at Nanjundapuram in the city supplied bricks to the construction of the hospital at a rate of six annas per hundred in the early 20th century! 

Documenting the physical appearance of the Oddars , when he visited Coimbatore in the early 20th century, Thurston says: 

“Coimbatore – “ Numerous, owing to the hard nature of the subsoil and the immense and increasing number of irrigation wells, which demand the labour of strong men accustomed to the use of the crowbar, pick-axe, and powder. They are black, strong, and of good physique, highly paid, and live on strong meat and drink."

Thurston says that the word ‘Odde’ is said to be the corruption of the Sanskrit ‘Odhra’, the name for the state called Orissa, which is Odisha today. Besides Telugu, the Oddes speak a peculiar dialect among themselves. Thurston says that if that dialect should be turned out to be Oriya, the question might be regarded as settled. 

Link to my article in SimpliCity :  https://simplicity.in/articledetail.php?aid=1084&fbclid=IwAR3SbCZ59-hvZ5bpep_mjCZGO50YZQmwIycxdoO2lSVN3pAFbhv4pHsRDpg

A Tribute to the Messiah of Eezhavas

Just because they were said to be born in lower caste in the Hindu religion, the Eezhva girls in Kerala were forced to pay tax, but for their breasts in the name Mulakaram. Called as Avarnas, the untouchable Eezhva community could not have liberated itself from the cruelties of discrimination, had the noted social reformer Sri Narayana Guru fought for their rights in the nineteenth century.
“It is painful to recall an oral tradition, which discloses that an Eezhava girl, unable to pay her Mulakaram, cut her breasts and gave them as tax. Therefore, the native village of the girl got its name as ‘Mulaichiparambu’ near Thiruvananthapuram” says Murugan, a Tamil poet, who has penned a poetic biography of Sri Narayana Guru in Tamil as ‘ Gurudevan Kavithanjali’
The author, who is a retired Assistant Commissioner (Accounts) of Coimbatore Corporation, points out:

“The gruesome act of the Eezhava girl reflects her wrath against the touch-me-not Brahmins, who were behind the princely state of Travancore. By doing so, the poor girl left a question to them as what other tax they would collect if she had no breasts at all”
At a time, when the present-day religious outfits seek a law banning religious conversions in the country, Murugan informs in his book that Narayana Guru welcomed religious conversions. Reminding the fact that most people in India embraced Christianity and Islam only after facing severe caste discrimination in Hinduism, Murugan points out:

“Narayana Guru opined that it was nothing wrong for people to switch over from one faith to another if it helps them progress in life, as the great philosopher’s goal was only the development of mankind and not religion”

At a time, when members from the Eezhava community faced untold atrocities from the caste Hindus in Kerala, Murugan’s book records how Narayana Guru, who was also born in the Eezhava community, consecrated the idol of Lord Shiva amidst the hue and cry of caste Hindus.

“The Brahmins objected Narayana Guru’s consecrating the idol of Shiva at Aruvipuram and warned him that only the priestly class was entitled to do so. Nonetheless, the Gurudev paid them back in the same coin saying that he consecrated only the ‘Eezhava Shiva’ and not the ‘Brahmin Shiva’” says the 61-year-old.

An ardent lover of Tamil, Murugan, who hails from Nagercoil, says that Eezhavas were the people from Eezham, a part of Sri Lanka and have their roots in the ancient Tamil race.

“Several centuries ago, a total of three Tamil Sangams existed in different periods in Kumarikandam, which is identified with the sea-engulfed Lemuria continent. And the great Tamil work Thirukural
was launched in the first Tamil Sangam. Interestingly, the book launch was presided over by Tamil scholar Athangottu Aasan, who was an Eezhava” says Murugan.
Note: I penned the above feature in Express as a curtain-raiser to Murugan's book in February 2015. However, I thought of re-posting it soon after I happened to watch this short film 'Mulakaram-The Breast Tax' by Yogesh Pagare.Please find the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bg0h7XM_7zA&fbclid=IwAR3UOnEm8WMITLltW7BGmED5lB5l8rzXqZ3PwN4wE0th5zqRaTS-8Ei6sj0

The Writers of Verse and Vendors of Tamil

In the wedding parties of Coimbatore, enjoying a concert or an instrumental programme is not something uncommon. In the digital era, there are a number of service providers, who would arrange such shows of entertainments if contacted. But, around three decades ago, when quality Tamil poetry was let loose to be recited as Pudhukavithai (Free verse) in Kaviarangams (Poetry reading sessions) and comedy shows conducted in the name of Pattimandrams (Debates), there was a man, who claimed himself as a poet and orator.  Like a service provider for a Nadaswaram – Tavil programme for a wedding party, he distributed even his visiting cards, which mentioned his name with the ‘poet ‘tag’ and a line below it informing that he would ‘arrange’ Kaviarangams and Pattimandrams. This curious act of the man in the then literary world of Coimbatore annoyed some serious writers, who commented on him asking “Is he a poet or a broker?”  But in reality, such ‘poets cum brokers’ still exist on earth.    

Before the advent of social networks like Facebook, WhatsApp and Blog, a city-based Tamil poet, who hailed from a poverty-stricken family, was writing verses just out of his passion for Tamil literature. With his exceptional talents in composing both traditional and modern Tamil poetry, he had a wish to share the dais with ‘eminent’ litterateurs and read out his beautiful verses in a Kaviarangam. Nevertheless, the poet was at the mercy of one such ‘poet cum broker’, who would recommend only his yes-men to take part in the literary events.  This middle man of the literary world created even a profession for himself by swindling much money out of the sponsorship. The ‘poet cum broker’ threw meager sums as ‘honorariums’ at his puppets.  

But the ardent poet cherished a long time dream of participating in the Coimbatore’s popular literary festival ‘Kamban Vizha’. As any Coimbatorean knows, the gala literary fest would be filled with sessions of discussions, debates and poetic tributes on the great Tamil poet Kamban.. With the audience of the festival being mostly the well off, the poor poet longed to win their hearts. By doing so, he believed that he could carve a niche for himself in the Tamil literary world.  At last, his participation in the Kamban Vizha Kaviarangam was a dream come true.  But the price he paid for the opportunity was his ‘yes-man service’ to the ‘poet cum broker’.

Though many innocent poets in the past and present failed to discover the commodity value of the concepts in Tamil literature, the ‘poets cum brokers’ did it. They sell the concepts from the eternal works as Thirukkural and Sangam literature by quoting them in their speeches delivered for lucrative remunerations.  Such sellers of Tamil are sometimes conferred upon ‘honorary doctorates’ by certain renowned universities, whose addresses can hardly be found even by Google!  

The small- scale sellers of Tamil are open about their venture and earnings.  May the classical Tamil language pardon them for their honesty! But there are some, who attempt to sell even the land of Tamils, and that too using the philosopher –poet Thiruvalluvar.

Eminent linguist Devaneya Pavanar, who traced the history of Thiruvalluvar, says that the philosopher-poet must be a wise man with astounding knowledge of Astronomy. As the expression ‘Valluvan’ drops a hint to Pavanar, the linguist says that Thiruvalluvar must have been in the profession of writing almanacs and horoscopes.

Like Thiruvalluvar, Sangam age poet Kaniyan Poongundranar too, who is famed for his line ‘Yaadhum Oore Yaavarum Kelir’ (All towns are ours. Everyone is our kin), must have been a writer of almanacs and horoscopes, as his title ‘Kaniyan’ reveals. Still, he failed to predict the fate of the two minor ‘citizens’, who were killed in police firing during the anti-CAB protests in Guwahati.

B.Meenakshi Sundaram
https://simplicity.in/articledetail.php?aid=1063    

The Bus stop edition of Coimbatore history

As a boy, late friend Sreepathy Padmanaba, was traveling in a city bus on Trichy Road. When the bus halted at a particular stop, to his great surprise, Sreepathy wondered how the bus conductor had known his name and asked him to get down ‘Sreepathy Erangu’. The departed poet and translator  recalled the irony in one of his books as how he mistook the conductor’s words, when the latter only asked the passengers to get down at ‘Sreepathy’ – the bus stop after the famed  yesteryear cinema. Despite the disappearance of Sreepathy and the functioning of a popular departmental store at its place, a commoner, who travels on a city bus, buys a ticket only to ‘Sreepathy’.

In explaining the reason behind place names, not all Coimbatoreans are poets, but their imagination is sometimes richer than that of poets. If not, how could a college-day friend of this writer explain the etymology of Oppanakara Street in such a beautiful fashion!

For most of us, the Coimbatoreans, it is a walk down memory lane to recall how our fathers, the sole breadwinners of the family, took us to Townhall to purchase groceries and vegetables every month after drawing their salary. We, the children, walked on the pavement beside the busy Big Bazaar Street held by the caring hands of our mothers. With our mouths wide open at the majestic buildings of Royal and Carnatic cinemas, we were led through the crowded streets and lanes of Coimbatore.

For the friend, one such street that made him curious was Oppanakara Street, and he should have mused on its meaning for years.  Later on, like a quiz master, he presented a question to his college mates.  

“You know how Oppanakara Veedhi got its name?

Arousing interest, he then disclosed the answer.

“Long ago, a man, who looked at the busy shops and the tall buildings on both sides of the street, is said to have cried in surprise “Oh! Panakara Veedhi” (Oh! it is a rich street). From then on, it came to be called so and later got corrupted from Oh Panakara Veedhi to Oppanakara Veedhi!”

But his etymology was unacceptable to another history enthusiast, who had been caught in the illusion that Coimbatore was once a royal city, ruled by great kings and queens, who were clad in elaborate clothing, wore dazzling jewels and put on heavy make-up.

He explained:

“Oppanakara Street is a corruption of ‘Oppanai Kaarar Veedhi’, since it was once a colony of Oppanaikarar, whose vocation was giving make-up to Rajas and Ranis”

Lending ears to his tale, one cannot help wishing that Coimbatore could be such a royal town!

But Kovai Kizhar, one of the pioneers of writing the history of Coimbatore, cracked this puzzle on Oppanakara Street.

“The street was named after ‘Oppanagarars’, who were a clan of the Balija community. During the Vijayanagara rule, they were the authorities to disburse money (Oppuviththu Tharuthal) in the market. As they lived on this street, it came to be called as ‘ Oppanagara Veedhi’

The streets, bus stops and localities of Coimbatore were not named by anyone, but came to be called naturally after their respective geographies. The localities Avarampalayam and Poolaimedu (Peelamedu) are still called so, though there are hardly any Avaarampoo (Flower of Cassia auriculata ) and Poolaipoo (Aerva lanata)  today. Interestingly, the bus stop ‘Puliyakulam’ is not literally a ‘pond of tigers’. May God bless the man, who misspelled the word and misinterpreted tamarind as tiger!   

Sometimes, the old names of bus stops too change due to the changes in their geographies. Yesteryear Coimbatoreans called a bus stop as Ginning Factory, which we now mention Women’s Polytechnic.

Nevertheless, names of certain bus stops get registered in our minds despite whatever the ‘sociopolitical’ changes in their geographies. Such changes never bother to fool us.  

When a stranger asks you where Huzur Road is, you are sure to direct the person on the right way.

“Just take left at Anna Silai”

B.Meenakshi Sundaram
https://simplicity.in/articledetail.php?aid=1067&isnotify=n 

கனவுகளைத் தீயிலிட எண்ணமோ....

கனவுகளைத் தீயிலிட எண்ணமோ - என்றன்
கற்பனையைக் காலவெள்ளம் தின்னுமோ? - தடைகள்
ஆயிரத்தை உடைத்தெறிந்து ஆகாயம் தொடக்குதித்துப்
பொங்குமிந்தக் கடலுக்கா விலங்கு - என்றன்
விடுதலைக்குப் பேரொன்றை வழங்கு

பசிதீர்க்கப் பாடுவதா வேலை - எனக்குப்
பசிதீரப் பாடுவதே வாழ்க்கை - காலம்
புசிக்கின்ற இரையானேன் என்றென்னை நீநினைத்து
இடுகின்ற எக்காளம் வீணே - உலகை
இரையாக்கி தினமுன்பேன் நானே

நேர்வழியில் என்வாழ்க்கைப் பயணம் - அதனால்
நெஞ்சார வருமெனக்குச் சயனம் - உன்போல்
ஆள்காட்டிப் பிழைக்கின்ற அவமானம் உணராரே
இரவெல்லாம் துயிலின்றித் துடிப்பார் - சூழும்
இருட்டுள்ளும் ஒளியாக நடிப்பார்

கவிஞனென பூமிதனில் பிறந்தேன் - வாழ்வின்
கடைசிநொடி ரகசியமும் அறிந்தேன் - என்னைக்
கவலைக்கு உணவாக்கி கண்ணீரில் மூழ்கடித்து
புன்னகைக்க நினைக்கும்நீ பேதை - எனக்கு
பூமியெங்கும் வெற்றிகளின் பாதை

பாருயரப் பாடுகின்ற பறவைநான் - என்றன்
பாட்டெல்லாம் காற்றுரைக்கக் கரைவேன்நான் - இன்றென்
நிலைகேட்டு மழையாக அழுகின்ற மேகத்தின்
கண்ணீரை என்விரல்கள் துடைக்கும் - இந்தக்
கார்காலம் மீண்டுமெனைப் படைக்கும் 

- பா. மீனாட்சி சுந்தரம்
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2831349636942348&set=a.102912233119449&type=3&theater

நீலநிற அலைகோதும் நெடுங்கடலில்...

நீலநிற அலைகோதும் நெடுங்கடலில் நீந்துமென்னை
நடுவானில் நின்றுகாணும் நிலா - நான்
கடலடியில் மூழ்காமல் கரையேற வேண்டுமென்று
என்னுடனே நீந்துமிந்த நிலா

நிலவெரியும் வைகறையின் நெருப்பிற்கு முன்பாக
நான்செல்ல வேண்டுமே வீடு - அங்கே
நீர்ததும்பும் விழியோடு நின்றிருக்கும் உயிருன்னைக்
கண்டுசொல்ல வேண்டுமென்றன் பாடு

பெருங்கடலில் படகோட்டி வாழ்கின்ற வாழ்விற்குள்
எதற்குன்னை நானழைத்து வந்தேன் - ஆழம்
அறியாத கடலுக்குள் அன்றாடம் மூழ்கிமூழ்கி
முத்தெடுத்து நானுனக்குத் தந்தேன்

காலையிலே இரைதேடக் கிளம்புகின்ற பறவைநான்
மாலையுன்றன் பசிதீர்த்து மகிழ்வேன் - இன்று
சிறகுடைந்த கிளியாகி சிறுபொந்தில் வசித்தாலும்
சீக்கிரமே நெடுவானில் மிதப்பேன்

உயிர்கலந்த உணர்வோடு உன்னிதழ்கள் உதிர்க்கின்ற
சொல்லெல்லாம் சொல்லென்றா சொல்வேன் ?- அதை
விதையாக்கி நான்தூவ வானெல்லாம் நெல்முளைக்கும்
அதிசயத்தை யாரிடத்தில் சொல்வேன் ?

- பா. மீனாட்சி சுந்தரம் 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2831666176910694&set=a.228391207238217&type=3&theater