tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57212899562982635182024-02-02T00:17:18.966-08:00JosephineI.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-58738436928829848262016-02-04T10:51:00.000-08:002016-02-04T10:53:50.588-08:00Research article on my Novels 'BARANI',' KILIYAMMA ENTRA KUMANA' and my short story collection 'KADAULIN KAADAL KADITHANKAL' by Prof Jeyasing, Rex,Dept of Electronics MediaST.Thomas college<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Josephine
Jeyashanthi <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b>- A Harbinger of Hope in Tamil Post-modern
Literature<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Within the broad spectrum of recent women's writing throughout the
world, in west and east, there are elements of both continuity and change, but
if the 1980s bears a distinctive mark, it may be seen in the emergence of what
can be termed 'postmodern' feminist literate.
By ' postmodern' I mean literature which reflects a skeptical attitude
to the existence of general, all-encompassing principles governing our natural
and social reality. For feminism this
implies avoiding the construction of theories of women's oppression which
merely generalize from the experience of white, Western, middle-class
women. To this extent, there is less
evidence of the lack of simultaneity which, Sigrid Weigel argues, separated
feminist theory and much textual practice in the previous decade. Whilst many of the older generation of
post-war writers - Ingeborg Drewitz, Luise Rinser, Johanna Moosdorf and Eva
Zeller - produced significant mature works, the work of several authors who
began to publish in the 1980s reflects contemporary theoretical debates within
postmodern feminism. This is not to
imply a consensus on the definition or usefulness of categories such as <i>Frauenliteratur</i> or <i>Weibliche Asthetik</i>. Liberal
and Marxist feminist voices in particular continued to protest against the
'ghettoisation' of women's writing, whether self-inflicted or imposed by a
critical establishment which effaced the individuality and plurality of their
literary production through their summary classification as women writers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The very notion of 'feminity' as used in its political context by the
women's movement has acquired a broader application in postmodern
discourse. As identity has been
variously theorized as a complex effect of culture rather than an 'essence' at
the heart of the individual, so the cultural suppression of the feminine may be
understood as much more than the exclusion of women from positions of
institutional power. It is manifested in
all attempts to marginalize difference in the increasingly homogeneous,
market-orientated societies of the capitalist West.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The question of Indian postmodernism is objected for many reasons. The situations in the East and West are in
many respects so different that the application of postmodernism to the Indian
context is not warranted at all. It is
usually argued that Postmodernism is primarily a Euro-American phenomenon,
which arose, initially, as a significant counter-movement to the imperialist
impulse behind Modernist politics, culture and aesthetics in the west whereas
ours is a postcolonial culture, a victim of western imperialism. In Lyotard's view, postmodernism is not to
mean after - modernism but anamodernism.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Makarand Paranjape, however, concedes that postmodernism can have a use
for us in India when it is viewed 'as a kind of social criticism' and advocates
its use in India for ushering in glasnost and perestroika into our political
and ideological institutions. "The
greatest restructuring can take place in our notion of authority, whether of
the teacher or of the text. Institutional
and hegemonic readings have all but closed out access to the great texts of
India; they need to be deconstructed both inside and outside the
classroom."<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Postmodernism, it becomes clear, is fully committed to accommodating
the voices of the ex-centric and the marginalized. Herein lies the close connection between
feminism and postmodernism. The women
writer manipulates stances that critique domination and thus lays bare the
multivocal worlds of different societies and different cultures. Indian women writers assert that a Feminist
theory should be explicitly historical, attuned to the cultural specificity of
different societies and periods, and to different groups within societies and
periods. They wish to analyse the
workings of patriarchy in all its manifestations, desire to think in terms of
pluralities and diversities rather than unities and universals and articulate
ways of thinking about gender without simply reversing the old hierarchies or
confirming them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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In this context, south Indian postmodern feminist author, Josephine
Jeyashanthi plays an important role in bringing out the voiceless voice of
oppressed women by way of caste system that prevails strongly in southern Tamil
Nadu. In her writings, she has exerted
her energy to deconstruct the past, reconstruct a more meaningful present.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Barani</i>, a full-length novel written by her is a
neo-Dalit novel. Veteran writer on
Dalits Sivagami I.A.S. has described this novel as a pro-Dalit novel which
triggers questions on intercaste marriages, which was introduced by reformers
as powerful way to eradicate caste system.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The social tensions, the
prejudices, the conflicts, the violence and the exploitation, the arrogance of
power, the pathos of unmerited suffering, the thirst of the under dogs for freedom
from oppression and marginalization, their determination and courage for
self-assertion, the rise of the subaltern groups, the emotional turbulences,
the personal growth and maturation through conflicts and difficulties, the
strength and creative force of human relationships and concern, the beauty of
tolerance – any of us in Tamil/Indian society today could have experienced
these. The story is a mirror to life today.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The characters are real to life.
We can meet them on the streets as we go round our daily rounds of occupations.
The wisdom of the old, the idealism and aggressively of the young, the play
fullness of the children, the uncaring cruelty of the powerful, the moral
degradation of the oppressor, the prudent fear of the down-trodden, the
ambiguities and compromises of the do-gooders, the communalistic abuse of
religion, the social sense and the spirit of reform and reconciliation of a few
true leaders come through the characters very powerfully and poignantly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The problems that the story
evokes have become perennial. The oppression and degradation of the Dalits, the
subjugation and exploitation of women and the competition of social groups for
scarce resources are portrayed vividly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The foibles and deviations of the
Christian institutions are held up the cold light of day. Nature’s attractions
and the human joys, sufferings, evil and violence of village life are
engagingly pictured. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The seeming digression of the
narrative into Srilanka and Nagaland show that the human problems,
discriminations and violence are the same everywhere, even though they may take
different forms under even though they may take different forms under different
circumstances and have different histories.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is good Novel. It could be a
true story. So it makes us pause and think. It challenges us to action. It does
not deaden our senses in an unreal and imaginative world. It turns around the
oppression suffered by the Dalits, especially the Dailt women. It evokes their
desire for identity and freedom, dignity and empowerment. Its call to
reflection is also a call to discussion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The main thrust of the story is
that the oppressed cannot expect their freedom to be offered to them on a
platter. They have to stand on their own and struggle for their liberation.
This lesson is communicated, not through the depiction of some broad social
movement, but by the personal experiences and reflection of a young,
intelligent and sensitive girl, Barani (a character in the novel) though the
fruit of an inter-caste marriage, she experience the ambiguity of such an
identity. She identifies herself with the Delist and commits herself to the
struggle for their liberation. She affirms this choice both by rejecting the
possibility to settle down in a quiet but passive marriage with her cousin. The
future is open. We can only wish her, and others like her in Tamil Nadu today,
all the best in their struggle and promise to stand by them.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The inter-cast marriages have
been suggested as one of the remedies for the caste discrimination against the
Dalits by leaders like periyar. We have a milder version of this in the
Sammathuvapurams of today. On the one hand, the inter-caste marriage can
ideally break down the refusal to inter-dine and inter-marry. By mixing blood
it attacks the principle of ethnic purity at its heart. But it has been claimed
that the oppressed caste were originally the fruits of such mixed unions. So we
are not going to correct the consequences by repeating the cause. In any case,
a few symbolic missed marriages will be seen as exceptions that prove the rule.
The children will have an ambiguous sense of identity and will eventually merge
into one of the castes, probably the
lower one in the hierarchy. Inter-caste marriages can be a solution only if
they happen on a large scale so as to break down all the fault-lines and
barriers of a rigid hierarchical system. We can understand the feeling of Barani
in the matter and sympathize with her decision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The self-assertion of Barani of
her identify certainly deserves
appreciation and support. The oppressed have to lead their own struggles. They
do not need our paternalistic sympathy. But they need not be helpless, but goodwill
who have, in their own minds, transcended the structures of the cast system.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Barani and shenbagam, her mother,
are liberated people, in spite of the pain and the discrimination that they had
to go through. but they would not be what they are without the help and empowering
relationship, not to speak of the love, of sivanesan, Barani’s father and other
friends like him. Barani discovers many such empowering relationships that
affirm her and support her in the course of her college life, in spite of
seemingly inevitable caste group polarizations there. They certainly stand out,
not only from the uncaring and unrepentant brutes who are the oppressors, but
slso from the soft ones who seek a safe heaven far away from the field of
battle <o:p></o:p></div>
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This experience points to a general principle.
The caste system and other similar structures of discrimination are social
system. Such social systems are not changed without some sort of a broad social
consensus. This consensus itself will be the fruit of a struggle that eventually
conquers, if it does not convert, the dominant and the powerful with their
vested interests. But even a victory in conflict will not bring change it could
make vested interests more rigid and intransigent, if there is a no middle
group who create and shape a new consensus around a new social vision.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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The discussions around the
problems of multiculturalism one speaks of the need to recognize respect and
accept the other cultures, especially the weaker ones. This is also true of the
struggles against the caste system.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The narrative may not spell out
this idea through the mouth of any of any of its characters, not even that of
the very reflective Barani. But the who movement of the story point to it at
every turn, whether it is in the village, in the homes of Barani and her
friends or on the campus of the college.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Social freedom has to came both
from within and without and through everyone. As we finish reading the story,
we cannot be neutral. The Novel directly ask every reader ‘<b>With whom do you identify yourself?’<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Jeyashanthi’s short novel titled <i>Kiliammaa
endra Kumanaa</i> stresses on the strategies women adopt to assert
themselves. In this novel Jeyashanthi
speaks about the life and struggles of outcast women of rural villages and also
describes how they are dehumanized in the workplace, either in the paddy field
as coolies, agricultural labourers, or hazardous industries like beedi
rolling. She resists and renegotiates
the ideologies of gender inequalities.
She defies codes of convention and revolts against the patriarchal
orientation by projecting the incomplete and the marginalized into positions of
prominence.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Jeyashanthi’s writings insist or
expose that women and children always identify themselves with nature, which is
ruined by men for their sophistication and convenience. Her short-story collection <i>Kadavulin Kaadhal Kadidhangal</i> explores
this fact vividly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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The image of water runs through
in all her writings. The Thamarabarani
river is the boundary that her characters identify between themselves and
freedom. Every character is significant
and the reader maybe impressed as much by pivotal characters. The novel <i>Barani</i>
chronicles a period of radical change and redefinition for emancipated Dalit
people, particularly Dalit women. Her
choice of narrative technique is very condensed. The metaphors are self-reflexive, referring
to a context and experiences already established by the novel. To conclude, it is inevitable to say that
Josephine Jeyashanthi is a harbinger of hope in Tamil Post-modern Literature.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Bibliography:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Books<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. ‘Postmodern Feminist Writers’
written by W.S. Kottiswari<o:p></o:p></div>
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2. ‘Dalit Ilakkiyangalil
Azhagiyal Unarvu’ written by Vizhi Pa. Idhayavaendhan.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Articles<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. ‘Women’s writing of the 1980s
and 1990s’ written by Margaret Littler<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">2. ‘Kaelvigal Ezhuppum Dalittiya Novel' Review by Writer Sivagami I.A.S Published in India Today Magazine</span></div>
I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-21223015952627684522015-03-22T10:06:00.001-07:002015-03-22T10:06:14.282-07:00Conversations with Activists Part 2<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U7E2VTwHoHs" width="480"></iframe>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-36872624954152346012015-03-05T06:26:00.002-08:002015-03-05T07:25:52.725-08:00Invitation: Honour Killings in India<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Josephine Jeyashanthi delivers a talk on the topic, 'Honour Killing: A Historical Exploration'</div>
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I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-36281279867334681782014-03-05T08:04:00.005-08:002014-03-05T08:07:58.533-08:00Women’s Day Celebration<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Franciscan Sisters of St.Joseph</h2>
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FSJ Charitable Trust</h3>
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Celebrates Women’s Day</div>
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on 9<sup>th</sup> March 2014 at
10:00A.M.</div>
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at St. Thomas Hospital Campus, St.Thomas Mount, Chennai-16<o:p></o:p></div>
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Guest of Honour:<br />Rev.Fr.S.Wenceslaus, SVD</h4>
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<span style="color: #990000;">Chief Guest: </span><span style="color: #990000;">I. Josephine Jeyashanthi</span><span style="color: #990000;">Topic: Women and Media</span></h4>
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<br />Guests:<br />Rev.Sis.Jeyarani, FSJ<br />General Councillor, Pathiyavaram</h4>
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<br />Thiru.M.Jesudasan<br />Chairman – VML, Chennai</h4>
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I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-57573483884523492562012-02-08T09:16:00.000-08:002012-02-09T07:59:06.978-08:002000 Beedis/day = 1 Marriage<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #783f04; text-align: justify;">Will you be surprised if someone tells “marriage, for over one lakh women, depends on the number of beedis they roll per day.” Although its shocking, its true. In the rural villages of Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts, more than five lakh women - young, old, school-going girls, small children - are engaged in this hazardous industry. We all know that smoking is injurious to health. Then imagine how dangerous it is for the women who roll beedis with tobacco, who live their life - day and night - with tobacco. When me, along with my team, started working among palmyrah tree toddy tappers among the above said districts, we realized the fact that women, who are not able to access their lands and who are not able to continue their trade in the palmyrah palm fields due to several reasons like debts, poverty, and illiteracy are forced to work in this industry. They are all aware that rolling beedi will cause asthma, tuberculosis and it may even affect the reproductive system; but they have no other go for their survival and livelihood. The pity is girl children at the early age of 5, are trained in this life-killing craft of rolling beedis. They can go to schools only in their dreams. Our law strictly prohibited child labour, but it is only in black & white, and not in practice. When the girls are ready for marriage, bridegroom and their parents will verify whether they can roll minimum 2000 beedis per day. They check the book given by the beedi shop to confirm the number of beedis the girl can roll.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;">The tobacco smell and the frustrated smile on their face is indelible in their life. The villages witness even deaths of women, but another surprise or shock is, for more than 5-lakh beedi rolling women, there is only one hospital located in Mukkoodal, that too, has been opened after a long struggle. We want to bring out the dark side of women, who live with smoke, to the light. Hence, me, along with my project coordinator, Samson, and few students, traveled to remote villages, interacted, discussed and interviewed them. I am in the process of producing a 20-minute documentary on the life and struggle of these women with the help of Samson. In the first phase, we made a small newsreel for viewers who can come up with their own valuable ideas:</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/SVjgE_LRIHE" width="420"></iframe></span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-63416073339493430202012-01-11T07:48:00.000-08:002012-01-11T07:48:23.687-08:00Trees: A good news and a bad news<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;">It is quite a contrast to witness conflicting news on a same day. One of the Tamilnadu ministers announced in a program held in Avadi that 64000 saplings will be planted throughout Tamilnadu on the eve of celebration of 64th birthday of our Chief Minister, Dr. J. Jayalalitha. This is really a happy and good news to anyone who would like to save nature and create a healthy environment. On the same day that I heard this good news, I happened to read an article in Dinamalar, Tamil daily, which describes that 1000s of palmyrah trees are cut for the use of brick industry. It is a detailed report on the destruction of palmyrah trees in Krishnagiri district. This is an appeal to our state government as well as people of Tamilnadu. The article illustrates that the palmyrah toddy tappers, who are affected due to the seasonal employment, nature of the risky job, and the occupational hazards, do not want to continue the enterprise. So they cut and sell the celestial tree just for Rs.500/-. The worst factor is that owners of brick industry even go to an extent of destroying palm forests, which belong to the government. Cutting down trees from a land, not their own is not just unethical, also illegal. It is our duty to bring it to the notice of our government so that destruction of our state tree could be prevented.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xMADAfzEx5qZDhG1sB69acl17OPfV30Z0GX6Qamqw_FDNM59mjAySvvjAeCvOxIQVnbnS7xffCXxer8mFHoWZeDUbWA3hzEWfP0hNA5m9J-lXcf-T2UWC884D0kZlzjpzbMPxP_6pWc/s1600/PalmTreeClimbing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_xMADAfzEx5qZDhG1sB69acl17OPfV30Z0GX6Qamqw_FDNM59mjAySvvjAeCvOxIQVnbnS7xffCXxer8mFHoWZeDUbWA3hzEWfP0hNA5m9J-lXcf-T2UWC884D0kZlzjpzbMPxP_6pWc/s320/PalmTreeClimbing.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Our team member, Mr. Sundaramoorthy, along with few other volunteers visited few rural villages of Virudhunagar District, where he witnessed the cutting of lots of palmyrah trees by palmyrah toddy tappers themselves. He narrated that in villages, particularly, in Vatthiraairuppu and Maelappatti, this is happening in great numbers. Followed by his report, we personally contacted the people from that locality and interacted with them to analyze the reasons for their indifferent attitude to the palmyrah tree. It is not only a seasonal unemployment, but also the tappers had forgotten the traditional techniques in growing the multipurpose tree which has lead to their poverty.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Its an absolute fact that palmyrah trees take 10 to 15 years to grow and yield products like ice apple, palm fruit, neera etc. Hence our ancestors had the scientific practice of growing intercrops along with these trees so that they could earn sustainable income. Moreover, palmyrah trees will only need water for one year. We conveniently forgot all these facts and all techniques are gone with the wind. The Dinamalar newspaper states that palmyrah trees grown on their own near the river banks prevent soil erosion are cut mercilessly. Tamilnadu and Puduchery recently encountered with the cyclone Thane. We have lost crores worth of wealth and loss of life. While we panic over this natural calamity, we could recall and refer the 2004 Tsunami, which struck the shores of Tamilnadu when Palmyrah trees on the seashore resist the force of Tsunami and save coastal villages like Manapadu in southern Tamilnadu. Whether flood or famine, palmyrah tree always play a vital role in saving the possession of people. For eg. some decades back, when Tamilnadu was affected by great famine, people as well as animal were fed by palmyrah stump.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Now we are involved in imparting the traditional knowledge of growing intercrops like plantain trees, millets in the palm grove so that the tappers could get sustainable income which paves way for reforestation.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #783f04;">The declaration of United Nations insist that any country should have one-third forest, but we have only 21% forest in our country. Even in small countries like Japan, which have industrial developments possess 60% forest. This is the right time to act by planting and saving trees, particularly, palmyrah tree, which does not require water, fertilizer, but has abundance of utility. It is not only a tree, but an industry, which produces oxygen.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">There are lots of people who are unable to afford basic amenities like food and shelter. It is every man and woman's dream to have their own house. Eco-friendly and cost-effective houses can be built with palmyrah leaves, wood, which is as strong as steel rods and beams. It is good for tropical region like India since it moderates the temperature.</span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-30440952608215729812011-12-26T08:13:00.000-08:002011-12-26T08:13:42.003-08:00Palm Jaggery Coffee for Cold Season<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span></div><span style="color: #20124d;">Recently, the cold waves in India captures the headlines of most of the newspapers and television channels. In many places the temperature goes into minus. 'The Hindu' titled the news as <a href="http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2747720.ece#.TvibqxL6KoA.blogger">Capital's coldest Christmas in five years</a>. We feel the severe cold in southern parts of India also. Many people are affected by cold, fall sick with terrific cough, fever, wheezing during this season. Hospitals and clinics are flooded with sick people. If anyone wants to get rid of cold and cough, prepare a coffee, a black coffee, with palm jaggery. People may have questions while reading this, 'How coffee can be a remedy for cold?' Before explaining making of this coffee, I would like to give the nutritive value of palm jaggery for you to have a glance.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjr0Elf7VffLM4Kl56cUNMT70YQ2UHGZznCUUWEQofHYAitbukTgJnuY9ekIxsFBRVZV0OXA99QtyzQpCgsS78336RhEimpH19QLI2I5AiEUJPU0SB9YkkWVMpqnlY2OYgicIbbSnmxb8/s1600/Nutritive+value+of+100g+palm+jaggery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjr0Elf7VffLM4Kl56cUNMT70YQ2UHGZznCUUWEQofHYAitbukTgJnuY9ekIxsFBRVZV0OXA99QtyzQpCgsS78336RhEimpH19QLI2I5AiEUJPU0SB9YkkWVMpqnlY2OYgicIbbSnmxb8/s320/Nutritive+value+of+100g+palm+jaggery.jpg" width="211" /></a> </span></div><span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Mahatma Gandhi said in praise of palm jaggery,</span><span style="color: #674ea7;"> "Neera can be converted as Jaggery, as sweet as honey itself. This jaggery is superior to cane jaggery. Cane jaggery is sweet, but palm jaggery is sweet and delicious. Palm Gur gives mineral salts too. Doctors have told me to eat jaggery and I always eat palm gur."</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">It is our traditional medicinal practice that for cold, people prepare 'Kashayam' made out of dried ginger, pepper, and thulasi leaves, but most people, particularly children, show the distaste on their face. So, instead of this 'kashayam', we can make a black coffee with palm jaggery and dried ginger.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Now, let me give the recipe of Palm Jaggery Black Coffee</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Ingredients:</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">1 liter water.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">1 medium size palm jaggery (1/4 kg)</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Dried ginger - small piece</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Coffee powder - 2 tablespoons</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Pour 1 liter water in a vessel and heat it up. Break the palm jaggery into pieces and put it in the boiling water. Add the dried ginger when the jaggery mix is still boiling. When the jaggery and dried ginger is mixed very well in the hot water, put 2 tablespoons of coffee powder. Put off the flame. Hot palm jaggery black coffee is ready. It can be served in 5 - 6 cups.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">If somebody does not like black coffee, milk can be added.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Try this coffee daily morning and evening and see the result. Cold or cough would not dare to touch you.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">The neera season has just got over and we can get fresh palm jaggery from the palmyrah tree toddy tappers. Why don't you try the black coffee.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0Z2KehO2eZGOKOLDItAneYf3ZRewXx41WiNSxZDzDx9fhOIQpcR1Ct8GWQ4nVypWpvETC_qZAGaIk83_rCYjvrL5CbSI9qeB2bexc_HRE-zmTSg599rBTc-W_RYBx5yJ19gJr8hu5Uw/s1600/Karupatti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0Z2KehO2eZGOKOLDItAneYf3ZRewXx41WiNSxZDzDx9fhOIQpcR1Ct8GWQ4nVypWpvETC_qZAGaIk83_rCYjvrL5CbSI9qeB2bexc_HRE-zmTSg599rBTc-W_RYBx5yJ19gJr8hu5Uw/s320/Karupatti.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #20124d;">heap of palm jaggery</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Palm jaggery prevents cancer, cures asthma, and is good for strong teeth and bones.</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;">Let me again quote Mahatma Gandhi: </span><span style="color: #674ea7;">"Nature has made this product in such a way that it cannot be manufactured in the mills; it is produced in the cottages, where there are palm trees. There, this jaggery can be easily produced. It can be produced worth crores of rupees. This is the way to banish poverty from the land. This also is an antidote to poverty."</span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d;"><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">Let us use our natural resource for a healthy life and contribute to the needy economy of India.</span></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-23337905275073364012011-12-06T07:02:00.000-08:002011-12-06T09:10:04.082-08:00Save Our State Tree - The Great Palmyrah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Recently, the Chennai city witnessed an hot debate on the extraction of toddy or ban on toddy where a group of people for extraction and few against. One among the speakers were Mr. Kumari Anandhan, the former president of Tamil Nadu Congress Party and former Chairman of Palmyrah Welfare Board of Tamil Nadu Government. This debate has been on for many years. The first ban was in place by the British Government in 1921 and later on, it was revoked. After independence, it was insisted that the palmyrah tappers' must obtain license, otherwise, the trade would be illicit. This put intense pressure on the poor palmyrah workers. In the year 1987, when the foreign liquor was allowed, a total ban on toddy extraction was imposed. People who are FOR extraction of palm toddy argue that palm toddy contains only 4.5% of alcohol and also refer the report of Justice Sivasubramanian commission, which recommends that toddy tapping is not illegal and toddy itself is a frothy drink food for locals.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">From my own experience, working with palmyrah toddy tappers, wherever I go for the field work, I happen to see the frustration of the tappers. The agitation is still on against the ban on toddy tapping. Me, along with my students, young volunteers would never plunge into that debate. At the same time, we understand their problems of frequent harassment from police for not having licences or sometimes arrest even if they have license suspecting that they are extracting toddy. The major setback for them is their classification under Kadhi and not in agriculture sector. That is why, we organized the so-called existing associations for palmyrah tappers, but not functioning effectively and invited government officials, including police for constructive discussions. To distribute micro-credit for palmyrah tappers, we involve local police for the program to build an understanding.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">From my own observations for the past seven years, palmyrah trees and tappers' trade can be saved if we adapt some logical methods where we could also ask for government help.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">1. The major thing to be debated in various platforms is the inclusion of palmyrah tree and trade in agriculture sector by the government so that the tappers could avail all the facilities like subsidies from the government, which is given to small farmers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">2. The forgotten techniques like growing intercrops with palmyrah trees can be taught to the tappers to earn substantial and additional income, which in turn would redeem them from loans. Moreover biodiversity also can be preserved by adapting this method.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">3. Awareness should be created among tappers through workshops and programs that palmyrah tree is an income-generating tree. For this, market space should be created for all palmyrah food products like neera, palm candy, jaggery, ice apple, and palm fruits through innovative methods.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">4. The present government has ordered to distribute mango juice to the balwadi children and school children along with mid-day meals. As Mr. Kumari Anandhan has said, neera also can be kept in TetraPak and distributed to children because it contains lauric acid which is found in breast milk. It is good for bone, memory power, and eyesight.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFTaJ5EsfvW7TON1i1y_NU18765ZqAB7q-PgG9kz07IL-_GuiiUDCMfaYRBegpvZUQMwflGlVtpUOUkMEFQjdrhv1xSQOaFjLT-0ccZH5KG40EXEQKCAESOm15pqNK8vv5ZpM0XdA0gw/s1600/Neera+in+an+eco-friendly+pot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFTaJ5EsfvW7TON1i1y_NU18765ZqAB7q-PgG9kz07IL-_GuiiUDCMfaYRBegpvZUQMwflGlVtpUOUkMEFQjdrhv1xSQOaFjLT-0ccZH5KG40EXEQKCAESOm15pqNK8vv5ZpM0XdA0gw/s320/Neera+in+an+eco-friendly+pot.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #ffe599; color: #660000;">Neera with ice apple (nungu) in an eco-friendly pot</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">5. Researchers in technology can be motivated to design an instrument to extract neera from palmyrah tree which would ease the risky job of tappers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Along with my team, I tried several methods to encourage the tappers in their trade. Through various steps like microinsurance, micro-credits, and developing innovative produce from the traditional palmyrah products, we are able to turn them into successful entrepreneurs in few villages of Tamil Nadu. For example, we innovated a bread-spread from the traditional 'paagu' by mixing fruits like mango, papaya, and banana. It is well-received by school children, adults, and even diabetic patients. When I interacted with the palmyrah association leader in Tuticorin, he came forward with the idea of making flour from panankizhangu to make our traditional and tasty food and snacks like idli, upmaa, dosai, and murukku. Even neera can be converted into powder by which we can make mix. Researchers should come forward to analyze such products.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">I strongly believe that only practical orientation could help palmyrah tappers to save the glorious palmyrah tree as well as their trade. It is my long dream to have a model palm grove, where we can impart the technical skills to the tappers. In this process, we have applied for Rolex Awards for Enterprise 2012, which support individuals, who involve themselves in creating better tomorrow for human kind. From 1978, environmental projects have been awarded for 38 individuals. Our project for palmyrah tree, which preserves the ecological balance, also has been selected in the pre-application process and I was invited to submit a full proposal, which I did. When I share this privilege with environmental well-wishers, I urge everyone to take steps to save our state tree, which has 2500 years of history in our life, culture, and heritage.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">***</span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-15867011509199605542011-11-24T08:02:00.000-08:002011-11-25T05:32:41.163-08:00Recipe for Palm Leaf Kozhukattai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Hand-ground raw rice flour - 1 kg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Palm jaggery in liquid form (vaarpu karupatti) - 3/4 kg</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Grated coconut - One</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Tender palm leaves - as required (minimum 25 to 30)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYPwMf8jGdZGdK0NOzZLQZx-aqWqO8j83aTkCKpqrTcUb-yL9srIf_beTtyPMQc9Yoevn-lonMGIJrrSjEMv4z3PBU4kVN0Rev6NIFqUyOsgta_tf21B1KBttgdeFxTfIWMUIE8hgNgU/s1600/Palm-Leaf-Kozhukattai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYPwMf8jGdZGdK0NOzZLQZx-aqWqO8j83aTkCKpqrTcUb-yL9srIf_beTtyPMQc9Yoevn-lonMGIJrrSjEMv4z3PBU4kVN0Rev6NIFqUyOsgta_tf21B1KBttgdeFxTfIWMUIE8hgNgU/s320/Palm-Leaf-Kozhukattai.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><b>Method:</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Mix the rice flour with vaarpu karupatti (liquid form of palm jaggery preserved in clay pot) and coconut, if required, add some water.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Clean the palm leaves and cut the center portion about 4 to 5 inch long.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Open the leaves and stuff the dough lengthwise and close the leaves. Tie with a thick thread. (You can use thinly cut palm leaves as thread). Finish all the dough like this.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">Take a clay pot, pour water, keep small sticks and spread some palm leaves. Then keep the kozhukattai preparations to boil in steam. When it gets cooked, it is ready to eat. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #783f04;">If you would like to keep it for 3-4 days, remove the palm leaves from cooked kozhukattai and keep it in a solavu (winnower) made out of palm leaf in an airy place.</span><br />
<div><br />
</div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-19132311555725373432011-11-24T07:45:00.000-08:002011-12-05T06:52:52.777-08:00Lighting Karthigai Dheepam with Palm-Leaf Kozhukattai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karthikai_Deepam" target="_blank">Kaarthigai Deepam</a> [<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">கார்த்திகை தீபம்</span>] (celebrated December 08 in 2011), is a festival of lights, celebrated in the Tamil month of Kaarthigai (Nov 17 - Dec 16 this year). It is celebrated on the full moon day of the Kaarthigai month. In southern Tamil Nadu, it is a traditional practice that people make delicious 'panai olai kozhukattai' [<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">பனை ஓலை கொழுக்கட்டை</span></span>] made out of rice flour mixed with palm jaggery. It is not only sweet, also sugar free, since the palm jaggery doesn't stay in the body. This food is highly nutritious, which contains minerals and vitamins. The speciality of this kozhukattai is that it is prepared covered by palm leaves and boiled in a pot; so it is eco-friendly. Even today I could feel the taste of the kozhukattai with sweet smelling palm leaves. It is culture-related.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">We are to celebrate the festival in another few days, but I wonder if anyone will prepare this delicious panai-olai kozhukattai. Even if so, they can be numbered. Even if somebody wants to make this kozhukattai, where will they go for palm leaves? No leaves? Few years back, in southern districts, the community of palmyra tree toddy tappers used to make panai olai kozhukattai. Also, it was easy for people from other communities to get palm leaves and palm jaggery to cook kozhukattai. The toddy tappers would happily supply the palm leaves free of cost for brotherhood. The situation has entirely changed now. Very rarely the leaves are available in the market during this season.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">People are not aware of the medicinal values of palm jaggery. Its not just food. Hence this practice, which was inseparable in our culture and heritage is slowly disappearing. I am indeed panic over the fact that palm forests are destroyed. Recently, I was discussing this issue with a celebrity, who also had similar painful experience of witnessing the deforestation of 45 acres of palmyrah forest, some years back in his birthplace, Sundaranachiyarpuram [<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">சுந்தரநாச்சியார்புரம்</span></span>]. Catholic priests those days felt that palmyrah toddy tappers are ruining their life and health by consuming palm toddy, which they considered as alcohol. They thought they'll redeem the people from the practice by destroying the palmyra forest. At least 8500 trees were cut. Each tree takes minimum of 12 years to grow and yield. They did not realize that it is not destruction of palmyra forest, but survival of a community, healthy environment, healthy food, medicine, and culture & heritage. At the same time, the celebrity agreed with me that to change the practice of taking toddy, the palmyrah trees need not have been removed from Sundaranachiarpuram. Our ancestors have taken pure toddy which is good for health. If toddy is taken continuously for 40 days, it is good for eye sight.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Sweet idli, aappam, Toddy was used to make the mix sour. Now yeast has replaced. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">During every season, we get some edible things from palm tree:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- From March to August, we get 'neera', contains lauric acid, which is found in breast milk. So, its a natural health drink even for children.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Palm jaggery and palm candy made out of boiled neera are good for cold, cough, asthma, cancer, and diabetes.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Palm jaggery is preserved in another liquid form called 'vaarpu karupatti' in pots which they use for making sweets. Whereas, palm jaggery is mostly used for making coffee. This black coffee without milk can be consumed hot or cold anytime.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Ice apple (nungu) is a cure for all diseases caused by heat in the tropical region like small pox.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Palm fruit is not only tasty, but highly nutritious.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGEhT7WuTgR18y3HkV2KWDngJthTIkFhnchuiCbuqB2_xoC1d-XjI8dGhF78bICeP-Aet00a0Fn4lJ8uKYC9VDFUM0UN_C1Kh8CeovdslRb4m-7NdQ0UQLZsvoOk9DdXC6rOubnoiw7A/s1600/Panai+Kizhangu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGEhT7WuTgR18y3HkV2KWDngJthTIkFhnchuiCbuqB2_xoC1d-XjI8dGhF78bICeP-Aet00a0Fn4lJ8uKYC9VDFUM0UN_C1Kh8CeovdslRb4m-7NdQ0UQLZsvoOk9DdXC6rOubnoiw7A/s320/Panai+Kizhangu.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">panankizhangu</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">- In the next season, i.e., from December to February, we get calcium and fiber-rich 'panai kizhangu', which is good for digestion.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the life of Tamils, during all auspicious days, palm tree plays an inevitable role. For marriage, palm fruits are used for decoration symbolizing the fullness of life. A newborn Baby is given jaggery mixed with water as blessings from elders.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72YAq96sD838vv4JEBFftvQCV_QsCbU94z95_R_FlJc-GwEpYfq71ZqsAWDX3xukYcRPKG8hI6Ug7tvjzaR6fj4hKHYmuY5BLujA7wG2meYe5QgjHZt76OyRoUsr-kcaXyWyywUOgulY/s1600/Seer+Petti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg72YAq96sD838vv4JEBFftvQCV_QsCbU94z95_R_FlJc-GwEpYfq71ZqsAWDX3xukYcRPKG8hI6Ug7tvjzaR6fj4hKHYmuY5BLujA7wG2meYe5QgjHZt76OyRoUsr-kcaXyWyywUOgulY/s320/Seer+Petti.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">During Pongal festival, which is meant for Tamils, parents would present women colorful 'Seer Petti', a box made out of palm leaves filled with rice, sugar, coconut and other grocery essentials. Now the colorful palm leaf boxes are replaced with harmful plastic buckets in this modern world.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It is high time to think about the emerging danger of losing palmyra trees, culture & heritage, survival and livelihood of palmyra tree toddy tapping community, which depends on palmyra trees for centuries. When we welcome the modernity, let us take a pledge during this Karthigai Deepam, to go for reforestation of palmyra, our 'State Tree'. Otherwise, we could witness the extinction of palmyrah trees which already happened in our neighbourhood state, Kerala. As I conclude, let me remind volunteers of our Blaze Trust to join during Christmas holidays with us to spend with palmyra community, particularly with children. Wish you a Happy Karthigai Dheepam. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-39922751107338513992011-11-12T07:15:00.001-08:002011-11-24T04:37:10.660-08:00Children Parliament<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">- Palmyrah Community Children Program -</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We are constantly focussing on children parliament program for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borassus_flabellifer" target="_blank">palmyra</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_wine" target="_blank">toddy</a> tappers’ community children. The children, who are entrusted with portfolios with education, environment, and health & sanitation, are seriously taking their assignments and doing amazing work in the localities. Amidst the palmyrah toddy tapping hamlets, these children are encouraging the enrolment of dropout children to schools, thereby helping us in our mission of eradicating child labor, which is more prevalent in this community.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG332cPOiCo0yu4B0vjLagXJWWIKPMocGHqeGaVu5pMcBvTQXQyuc12IKvsZ4nVz88HQaUqIzHROmmU1MADeqKepKWgb3pfNacES0OnGTf7OwLHMkjfb9TpoQlRguyCxo6xsqtgmGs1WM/s1600/Children+under+palm+tree.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG332cPOiCo0yu4B0vjLagXJWWIKPMocGHqeGaVu5pMcBvTQXQyuc12IKvsZ4nVz88HQaUqIzHROmmU1MADeqKepKWgb3pfNacES0OnGTf7OwLHMkjfb9TpoQlRguyCxo6xsqtgmGs1WM/s320/Children+under+palm+tree.png" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">One group of children are following the environmental impact of our project. They are very much delighted to do this work like monitoring the increased number of birds in the surroundings of palm forest and also change the mindset of the people of the community to go for solar lanterns to use during the season in the thatched huts in the middle of forest instead of risky and polluting kerosene lamps. Hence now it is time for us to generate funds for the distribution of solar lanterns to the community before the starting of next season.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn1s8vDzJZcSvZGQOQQx3zP3d5gli3xweZ_7NM5bEPCrNMo1Ix5F4Yo-Re3fFVSRUeyPYp8Di50Y4wwfFZtt7oPGPyap-JjcidBvXaK1IblvRRuXjgOaj7QRCCTeM9Xi5l-iBlxxA250/s1600/FieldTrip+088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibn1s8vDzJZcSvZGQOQQx3zP3d5gli3xweZ_7NM5bEPCrNMo1Ix5F4Yo-Re3fFVSRUeyPYp8Di50Y4wwfFZtt7oPGPyap-JjcidBvXaK1IblvRRuXjgOaj7QRCCTeM9Xi5l-iBlxxA250/s320/FieldTrip+088.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">In some areas, plastic garbage are found along on the way to palm forest. These children are motivated to clean and have green surrounding by planting palm seedlings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We have decided to celebrate our Christmas and invest the whole of Christmas holidays along with the palmyrah toddy tappers, particularly with the children. The important agenda is not only to conduct awareness program on their surroundings and environment, but also to take them to nearby eco-tourist spots like Manappaadu, a natural beach. This beautiful place has its own heritage for palm crafts where women from fisherfolk community as well as palmyrah toddy tapping community are trained to make handicrafts from palmyrah leaves. We also planned to deepen the existing ponds in that area with the help of youth and children. Apart from our members, whoever is interested to join in this venture can enrol their names by e-mailing us at </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #134f5c;">TrustBlaze@gmail.com</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">. This is an open invitation to take part in this noble mission.</span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-57079880711017435072011-11-12T03:52:00.001-08:002011-11-12T06:48:53.213-08:00Blaze Trust<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">- Another milestone in our journey -</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I am immensely happy to announce
to all the volunteers, animators, students, who immersed themselves in the projects,
which we are executing in Southern Tamil Nadu, particularly for the partakers
of the one that we are doing from the year 2005 for palmyrah toddy tapping
community, the formation of our Trust - ‘Blaze.’</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Your are playing a very vital role in the
field works, workshops, awareness programs on palmyrah tree and its embodiment
with the environment. The recent update
from palmyrah toddy tappers community from Chettivilai locality stands a
witness to successful implementation. The
palmyrah season just got over, which started in the early March. Our community are able to store their produce
by following the traditional technique of storage revived and taught by us. Hence, they are happy that they can get fair
prices for their produce during the off-season.
You all will be happy to know that they came out of the clutches of the
moneylenders and they all have bank savings now.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
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</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaegotEfzV7ZmXnihkZ9Fx12TwSNXOu8pNg1k3yVEsV7ZmuocA3KEBCfPQ9S5C4tV_n2hG95E5YK4YFGEaxHwyysb8QJVLIXWAc0XCCHyQTLllN_bx4RX9-IbkisXCEZQaZiWG2z1AbU/s320/1.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-size: small;">Palmyrah tappers in Karupur</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVaegotEfzV7ZmXnihkZ9Fx12TwSNXOu8pNg1k3yVEsV7ZmuocA3KEBCfPQ9S5C4tV_n2hG95E5YK4YFGEaxHwyysb8QJVLIXWAc0XCCHyQTLllN_bx4RX9-IbkisXCEZQaZiWG2z1AbU/s1600/1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Hope you all remember that this
is the community which questioned us when we insisted on savings during our
financial literacy programs, “We are struggling for one meal a day and you are
talking about saving money in the bank. That
too, we live in a remote village where there is no bank at all.” This magical change is done by all our
systematized, and well organized implementation of the project.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="page-break-after: avoid; text-align: center;">
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZFTBKMgkbskL9dW6yeJFY4BCdiSbosvNDD2IdZMf1RPEeNlqwPfTS9uUyRkJIVQAO2HOS0hyqr8NR7fKpWNeFmEp0jVmsR7703jerF0LmjlvYmFrNdxDkANJTdflCv4kOUNRyK8Cq0E/s320/FieldTrip+118.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-size: small;">Happy Women from palmyrah community in an eco-friendly store room</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZFTBKMgkbskL9dW6yeJFY4BCdiSbosvNDD2IdZMf1RPEeNlqwPfTS9uUyRkJIVQAO2HOS0hyqr8NR7fKpWNeFmEp0jVmsR7703jerF0LmjlvYmFrNdxDkANJTdflCv4kOUNRyK8Cq0E/s1600/FieldTrip+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"></span></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We all felt that we can form an
organization to carry out our project in a more effective and efficient manner. After repeated discussions with all
animators, volunteers, and the community leaders, palmyrah federations (that we
formed), it is decided to go for a registered foundation. Yes, due to our continuous effort, our Trust ‘Blaze’
is formed. Hence, now we can go ahead
with more enthusiasm.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">While thanking all the active participants
of this project, I earnestly request everyone to be with us and bestow your
innovative ideas.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-54554678384870631392011-11-05T07:37:00.000-07:002011-11-05T07:37:11.674-07:00Access to Internet! Access to lands!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Two-thirds of India makes its living from the land. The earth, the most generous employer of our country, employs over a billion people both directly and indirectly.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The World Bank’s Structural Adjustment policies leading to seed monopolies, the Free Trade policies of the World Trade Organization leading to a dramatic fall in prices and the Indian Government’s Special Economic Zone Act of 2005 leading to large-scale land acquisition have all pushed the Indian peasants to a crisis of survival.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Our state, Tamil Nadu, holds together more than 50 million people; among them more than 70% of the population depends on agriculture. In our state most of the farmers are resource poor and the farm activities are carried out through lake and well irrigation. Employment generation is possible only through the farming sector by increasing the cropping intensity and by integrating other farm enterprises.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">It is famously said in India, “Farmers are born in debt, live in debt and die in debt.” The year 1997 noted the first cases of farmers’ suicide in India. Approximately 17,060 farmers committed suicide in India in 2006. 86% of those who committed suicide were debt-ridden. 34% debt-ridden farmers found money lenders extraction methods humiliating. 77% were 36 years old or above. 31% has mortgaged their land.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The river Thamirabarani is known as 'vattraadha Jeevanadhi' (வற்றாத ஜீவநதி)- the life-giving river, where more fertile lands are available in the surrounding area. The villages of Tirunelveli are ever-green lands where I was born, brought up, and studied. I was very much disturbed when articles appeared in the newspapers regarding suicide of farmers because of the debt, popularly known as Kandhu Vatdi (கந்து வட்டி). My research along with the students unit in college named 'SIFE', revealed some disheartening facts. Even the farmers are not able to buy pesticides or fertilizers when the mortgage their lands to moneylenders and they are not able to retrieve the money spent. The consequence is that they commit suicide. Interactions with farmers as well as advisers encouraged our team to execute a project in southern districts of Tamil Nadu to help small farmers. Thanks to Entomology Research Institute, Loyola College, Director, Dr. Ignacimuthu, and fellow scientist Dr. Maria Packiam, for invention of the biopesticide PONNEEM, which is a boon to farmers.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">My students, under my guidance, distributed the biopesticide in northern districts of Tamil Nadu. After witnessing the results, we zeroed-in to Tirunelveli District.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The villages of Tirunelveli suffer from acute poverty. Due to unemployment, the people resort to unsafe migration to urban areas which leads to scattering of families. The women are forced to work in hazardous occupations like the beedi rolling industries which cause severe health problems such as tuberculosis, asthma and cancer and even severe harm to their reproductive system.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">After a thorough analysis and an in-depth study of various socioeconomic and demographic indicators of Tirunelveli, we identified the following problems and needs of the small farmers in Tirunelveli:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Inability to purchase pesticides leading to severe pest menace, therefore the need for affordable and eco friendly pesticides.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Overwhelming illiteracy and ignorance of government schemes, therefore the need for awareness about government welfare schemes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Rampant poverty and reliance on exploitative money lenders, therefore the need for government aids and loans.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">-<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Poor productivity because of depleted soil, therefore the need for eco friendly fertilizers and biopesticides.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Hence, we decided to train the farmers to prepare the herbal formula, PONNEEM, a combination of Neem and Pongam oil, on their own. We named it EcoGreen. We felt proud that we had taken the lab to land or the scientific technology to rural farmers. On the contrary, we realized, during the course of time, after interaction with elderly people, the fact that this herbal formula is nothing new to them, but a forgotten age-old practice.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">It is quite interesting. We started learning several other organic farming techniques from them and revived among them. We started in 10 villages among a small number of farmers and we are now able to reach hundreds of villages. This herbal formula is proved to be beneficial and cost-effective, eco-friendly, and increases yield.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Yet, we felt that some major factor is lacking in our initiation. After rigorous discussions, we came to a conclusion that these farmers must have the knowledge economy i.e., information; the reason being, the Agricultural Department of Tamil Nadu has opened a website exclusively for information to farmers. In the villages where we work, they do not have access to computers and/or internet. In the first phase, we selected 5 villages and distributed computers for internet access.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3BABFFIhKW8ib28vqBTLidPUQ4cFHJQcXoCjmqqev2BhyphenhyphenwcDDpxtTjUp2_lucurJs-9ZBDxOHLKwVNDxPHrG8-LVQh3XOdKQ7Irl-HOCz7xLWLrhOH5Ie0vb83OcDT7o4vMp6MlDxt4/s1600/DSC_0085.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV3BABFFIhKW8ib28vqBTLidPUQ4cFHJQcXoCjmqqev2BhyphenhyphenwcDDpxtTjUp2_lucurJs-9ZBDxOHLKwVNDxPHrG8-LVQh3XOdKQ7Irl-HOCz7xLWLrhOH5Ie0vb83OcDT7o4vMp6MlDxt4/s320/DSC_0085.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">At first sight, they thought computer and TV do the same, but slowly they realized the potential of the information technology with the help of my students and the first generation trainers trained by us.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This would revolutionize the ways of farming in rural Tamil Nadu by enabling the farmers to be aware of</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">1. Seed prices of various crops</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">2. The market rates of crops</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">3. Use of weather forecasts</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">4. Upcoming and present government schemes.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">I am really happy that me, along with student community, are able to bring smiles on the face of poor farmers. Now, the farmers are able to access internet as well as their lands successfully. I am grateful of Erbacher Foundation, Germany, for the grant of €25,000, which helped us for successful completion of the project.</span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-16711097577516169192011-09-26T09:50:00.000-07:002011-09-26T09:50:02.947-07:00Would Rolex Awards Save My Mother?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Anyone who reads this title may get perplexed and ponder over this question WHAT ROLEX AWARDS HAS GOT TO DO WITH MY MOTHER? I would like to confuse again with another statement: "I have two mothers!" People who understand the history, literature, and ancient culture of Tamil could get my point. In our literature, it is narrated that the girls have two mothers, one is the biological mother, and another is the mother called Sevili Thaai (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28px;">செவிலித் தாய்),</span> who nurses or brings the child up. She narrates stories, teach moral values, feed nutritious food, and guide the child all along the life path. Now tell me about my second mother.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">She gave me sweet & healthy natural drink, delicious fruits and snacks. It was from her that I got my toys to play. The cradle, walker, cot, bed, baskets, hat - everything she presented to me. It is none other than the glorious palmyra palm tree, which has its roots in the history, culture, and heritage of Tamils for more than 2500 years.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borassus_flabellifer">Palmyra palm tree</a>, the wonder of nature, is fondly called Karpaga Virutcham (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 28px;">கற்பக விருட்சம்) </span>of the world which means the tree which gives whatever the people ask for. The saddening fact now is that the mother is left in the lurch by her own children.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56Y4SYYjoN52i4Wid5Qgjn4yjWYdPcJKthJfu856BdroYYmo12aXzQhZWs7sWl4fj_vxZBmtZxvMEY7XbZqLmZyt0IyoSA7cl0GCGtvkPlv9h0U-ipFVi2RQvqCUZZ9LBJpaY0yHk7z0/s1600/Palm+Tree+with+Fruits.dib" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56Y4SYYjoN52i4Wid5Qgjn4yjWYdPcJKthJfu856BdroYYmo12aXzQhZWs7sWl4fj_vxZBmtZxvMEY7XbZqLmZyt0IyoSA7cl0GCGtvkPlv9h0U-ipFVi2RQvqCUZZ9LBJpaY0yHk7z0/s320/Palm+Tree+with+Fruits.dib" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">I have taken it as my commitment to save my mother, who brought me up teaching the philosophy of life. She takes care, not just the people, but serves a sanctuary to birds, preserves biodiversity, checks soil erosion, beautifies the seacoast. When I ventured into this task in the year 2005, only few people encouraged and motivated me. I should be grateful to Rev. Dr. Albert Muthumalai, Principal (2004-10), <a href="http://www.loyolacollege.edu/">Loyola College</a>, for his venerable guidance and Dr. K.S.Antonysamy, the then Dean of Students for all his valuable inputs. Only with their support, I was able to overcome all the hurdles in the stream of this project. My project coordinator, Samson Durai, and students helped me with innovative ideas in the implementation process. Nevertheless, in all these years, to be very frank, I was able to succeed only a few miles. When I saw the announcement of Rolex Awards 2012 in the website, I got a ray of hope that my dream of saving my mother will now become true.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoD3VY7p3YetA1mWokUy4VZ4Lr-7pvwKghf2h9RyzMSna3nNd9EgS1CYrc7_NmC5WjDTnBwU-ccoHjKjTsp0av-jnq-COVyQCr7elOqMFHqDfqBLSfwPknDcKmNyAST27chkpD8QiKe50/s1600/Students+with+Palm+leaf+Artisan.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoD3VY7p3YetA1mWokUy4VZ4Lr-7pvwKghf2h9RyzMSna3nNd9EgS1CYrc7_NmC5WjDTnBwU-ccoHjKjTsp0av-jnq-COVyQCr7elOqMFHqDfqBLSfwPknDcKmNyAST27chkpD8QiKe50/s320/Students+with+Palm+leaf+Artisan.bmp" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">My students in interaction with a woman from Palmyra Tappers community</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Yes, the hope has now become stronger. I am indeed proud to inform all my well-wishers that my pre-application for the Rolex Awards for Enterprise 2012 has been picked up and I was invited to submit the full proposal, which I did.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Established in 1976 to foster a spirit of individual enterprise around the world, the <a href="http://www.rolexawards.com/en/index.jsp">Rolex Awards</a> recognise pioneering projects that demonstrate innovation and contribute to the betterment of mankind.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Mr. G.R. Gopinath Iyengar was the first gentleman from India who had obtained Rolex Award for Associate Laureate in 1996. I was inspired by his project to expand ecological silk-farming to improve living standard of farmers by adapting the original Japanese method only after reading it through Rolex Award. I was able to successfully adapt and replicate his project in some parts of Tamil Nadu during the years 2004-06.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">This year alone, Rolex has received more than 3500 applications. I feel that it is a great honour for me that my pre-application has been selected for further consideration. With overwhelming joy of being given the chance to submit a detailed proposal to the Rolex Secretariat, I am dreaming all day and night with hope that Rolex Awards would save my mother!</span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-46084155672389750332011-08-12T08:58:00.000-07:002011-08-19T04:19:38.991-07:00My Grandma and Palmyrah!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">My maternal Grandma, Magadalena Mary, was my best friend from my childhood who taught me the philosophy of life. She was a </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">mother of 11 children and grandmother of 48,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"> but I am certain that I was the most favorite among them all. I was not regular to school till Standard IV (middle school), but learnt a lot from her.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">There were various kinds of trees & flowers in her home. The most fascinating favorite, for me, was the palm tree in the backyard. There was a well without walls, but full with water anytime of the year. She'll make me to sit under this palm tree while washing the vessels. This was the time that I had the opportunity to listen to some most interesting stories. While listening to her stories, I'll enjoy watching birds like palm swift building their nest. Most of the time, ripened ice apple ('Kadukaai', கடுக்காய் in Tamil) falls from the tree. I would run to pick it and eat, but my Grandma would never allow me to eat them. The reason she would tell me, "Ice apple is good for health, but not Kadukaai (ripened Ice apple). It will cause stomach ache." Her explanation would not suffice the adamantly screaming child that wants to eat them. Grandma immediately would ask my uncle to bring ice apples from her palmyrah tree farm. Imagine a 3-year-old kid eats 10 to 15 ice apples a day! But that was what I was having for my breakfast, no wonder. And there brings grandma, my coffee, made of palm jaggery. Oh! how I love it! The very taste still waters my mouth. When its eleven in the morning, I'll get hot 'padhaneer kanji' (</span></span>பதநீர் கஞ்சி) <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">made out of the natural drink neera from palmyrah and rice. In the evening, I get palm 'kilangu' பனங்கிழங்கு and palm fruit. Needless to say, I grew up as a healthy girl getting all the nutrition / vitamin from all edibles from the palm. The palm fruit, especially, is very delicious. It subsides the excess heat generated in the body.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJEClQ3sdoX-jzjR90mb-br5Z4YdWd1nY4vcKKim9WpIW4u-oqbqesfe7QEKIyUhw2whL8qJ4aBVhcXm3gp4IJpF2QBzjDjaj5bEZc_oIXiZkRri4tAeoe0sTbDHyIEb4tgTsoml-SLg/s1600/Panai+Vellam+Acchu.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcJEClQ3sdoX-jzjR90mb-br5Z4YdWd1nY4vcKKim9WpIW4u-oqbqesfe7QEKIyUhw2whL8qJ4aBVhcXm3gp4IJpF2QBzjDjaj5bEZc_oIXiZkRri4tAeoe0sTbDHyIEb4tgTsoml-SLg/s320/Panai+Vellam+Acchu.png" width="263" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Panai Jaggery is being prepared from Palm Juice</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Every year, my grandma used to plant new palm saplings. I remember, once, I asked her this question, "Why are you doing it as a custom?"</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Her answer was, "Don't you like the palm fruit? ice apple? palm candy?"</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I love them grandma!" I answered.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She then asked me "Don't you like the pond of our village?"</span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">"Sure!" I said, "Its full with beautiful lotus. The ever-living waters where you taught me swimming."</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Now she said, "To save the traditional tree which is bound to our culture and heritage, my dear, we need to plant more." She went on to say in her own style, "Planting palm tree preserves mother earth, nature, the water bodies like our village pond. Do you know, my child, this tree is the best friend of mankind? Let me tell you... each and every part of this tree is used in one way or other."</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Yes, what my grandma said was absolutely correct. Even now, as I re-live that evergreen talk, I remember, I was fanning the breeze with palm leaf!</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Not long after that conversation, it was time for my grandma to say goodbye to this world. After her, I was brought up in town and never wanted to visit the village again.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Several years later, I had to visit the same village for some cause. Wait...! Did I say 'same village'? No, it wasn't the same. While my heart pounded to see that pond, that palm tree, and the beauty of the place, I never thought that I would see what I saw. To make the long tragedy short, most of the palm trees in that village were cut, for money, by the farmers themselves who planted it. They've gone to look for alternative trade. I couldn't locate the pond. People showed me a thorn bush and said that's where the pond used to be. I had to return absolutely disheartened. Since then, my mind was contemplating over this loss and I ended up making a decision.</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;">Not long after..., I started learning the uses of palm tree and started working with the palmyrah farmers. Thanks to my profession, being a professor, I invest at least a part of my lecture, to inculcate environmental consciousness, awareness, and values. For the past six years, I have engaged my beloved student community with palmyrah tree toddy tappers in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin Districts.</span></span></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: justify;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEb84nkUC1pQCkYY9X3CGNwFmLNOrMOUYuJT-YfLi9RaNivXIkKsjXBabcL35zCoudVgTy92qKKlggGLLwS2xunZINe_zbNn5x0bz_qvYBu87rsxbNPAh4xCw2zv03uB7Prm8MMZNXn4/s1600/JJ+with+Students+and+Palmyra+Farmer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEb84nkUC1pQCkYY9X3CGNwFmLNOrMOUYuJT-YfLi9RaNivXIkKsjXBabcL35zCoudVgTy92qKKlggGLLwS2xunZINe_zbNn5x0bz_qvYBu87rsxbNPAh4xCw2zv03uB7Prm8MMZNXn4/s320/JJ+with+Students+and+Palmyra+Farmer.png" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Me and my students with palmyra toddy tapper in the field.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: normal;">I gratefully acknowledge my friends and supporters, Dr. Sethu Kumanan, Chairman, Sethu Bhaskara Group of Institutions, Mr. Bharathi, Director, RUDSET, and my co-worker, Samson</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; line-height: normal;">. Now, I am happy to see my grandma's assignment continued with farmers planting palm seedling. This has made me feel that I have successfully crossed few milestones, but I agree with Robert Frost when he says, "Miles to go before I sleep."</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;">The </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borassus_flabellifer"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">palmyra tree</span></b></u></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #674ea7;"> is one of our nature's best defense mechanism that can be saved; as well as our planet.</span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 25px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-8373088025207708022011-08-07T05:30:00.000-07:002011-08-12T01:25:01.895-07:00அம்மாவின் கையெழுத்து<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">நேர்க்கோட்டில் கோர்க்கப்பட்ட</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">குன்னிமுத்துக்களாக</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மாவின் மனசுபோல</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சீரான எழுத்துக்கள்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">செத்துப்போனவனின்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கபாலச் சிரிப்பென</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கரடுமுரடாய்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என் கையெழுத்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">எனக்கு மட்டும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஏன் இப்படி</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கழுத்தைச் சாய்த்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கைகளை உதறி</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சிணுங்கும் என்னிடம்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கையெழுத்து நல்லா இல்லேன்னா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">தலையெழுத்து நல்லாயிருக்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">இலைகளெல்லாம் உதிர்ந்துபோன</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">மொட்டை மரத்தில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஒட்டியிருக்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஒரே ஒரு ஒற்றைப் பூவாய்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">புன்னகையுடன் சொல்லும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மா!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அப்படியா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உனக்கு தலையெழுத்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">நல்லாயில்லையா?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உலகம் உருண்டையா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">இல்லை சதுரம்தான்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என்று</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">குட்டைப் பென்சிலால்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கோடு கிழித்துக் காட்டும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சுபாவம் எனக்கு.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என் கேள்விக்கெல்லாம்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கன்னத்தில் முத்தத்தைப்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பதிலாக்கி விடுவாள் அம்மா!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அந்தக் கணத்தில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கேள்வி வீச்சின்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">வீரியம் குறையும் தான்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">மண்டை மண்டையாய்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">எழுதியிருக்கிறாயே</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">டீச்சர்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உச்சி மண்டையில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஓங்கி அடிக்கும்போது</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">வலியோடு வேகமெடுக்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அதே கேள்வி.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கெணத்துல</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">தண்ணி எறைக்கப்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">போனியா?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கருப்பனோட</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கொஞ்சப் போனியா?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">வண்டி வண்டியா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஒங்கப்பன்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சீர் கொடுத்துட்டான்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கல்லு கம்மல்ல</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">மினுக்கலேன்னா என்னடி</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கழற்றிக் குடுத்தா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கொறஞ்சுப் போய்டுவியோ?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">எல்லா இரவுகளிலும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஏதோ ஒரு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கேள்வியோடு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மாவின் கதறலோடு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">போட்டியிட்டு ஜெயிக்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">விளக்க மாத்து சப்தம்.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">தேடிப் பிடித்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">குடிகார அப்பன்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கடிக்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">நல்லி எலும்பில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கேட்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என் அம்மாவின்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உயிர் ஓலம்.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கடைசியாய்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஊரெல்லாம்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கடனை வச்சுட்டுப்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பொட்டப் புள்ளையோட</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">மூளியாய் விட்டுட்டுப்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">போய்ட்டானே</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மாவைக்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கட்டியணைத்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஊர் கூடி</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அழுத போது</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கையெழுத்து கதை</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உண்மைதான் என்று</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உறுதியானது எனக்கு.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">எப்படியும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">படித்துவிடு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">படி அரிசிக்காகப்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">படாதபாடுபட்ட</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அல்லும் பகலும் சொன்னதில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பட்டதாரியாகி</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">வேலையும் கிடைத்தது.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கூலி வேலைக்கு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உடல் நலத்தைக்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கூலியாகக் கொடுத்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சிறுகச் சிறுகச்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சேர்த்து வைத்த</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">சிறுவாட்டுப் பணம்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">தோடும் வளையலும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">காசு மாலையுமாய்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என்னுடம்பில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">மாறிய பிறகு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">மாலையிட வந்தவன்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பத்தாங்கிளாஸ்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">படித்திருந்தாலும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பார்த்துக்கொள்வான்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என்று</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அம்மா</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கைபிடித்துக்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கொடுத்தாள்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கண்டிப்பாய்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என் தலையெழுத்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">நிமிர்ந்திருக்கும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">எனும் நினைப்பில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">நாலெழுத்துப் படிச்சுட்ட</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">தெனாவுட்டா?</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">நாலாவது நாளே</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">இன்னும் என் நினைவு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">வங்கியில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பத்திரப்படுத்தியிராத</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என் கணவன்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">என்ற</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">அந்த அந்நியன்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஓங்கி அறைந்ததில்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">உறுதியானது</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">பெண்களுக்கு</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">கையெழுத்து எப்படியிருந்தாலும்</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">தலையெழுத்து</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;">ஒரே மாதிரிதான்!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br />
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</div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5721289956298263518.post-88268297974349091082011-08-07T04:54:00.000-07:002011-08-07T04:54:21.500-07:00Rev. Fr. Dr. S. Rajanayagam, a Unique Phenomenon in Tamil Postmodern Literature.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">- I. Josephine Jeyashanthi, Dept. of Tamil Literature, Loyola College</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Rev. Fr. Dr. S. Rajanayagam, a multifaceted personality, media expert, media critic, an intellectual giant, has made valuable contribution to Tamil literature, media, culture, and society.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This paper discusses the contribution of Rev. Fr. Dr. S. Rajanayagam to Tamil literature, especially in the postmodern genre.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His unique way of writing is a challenge to readers, writers, and also critics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His books explore not only the psychological world of adults, but also children.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">The term Postmodern literature is used to describe certain tendencies in post-World War II literature. It is both a continuation of the experimentation championed by writers of the modernist period (relying heavily, for example, on fragmentation, paradox, questionable narrators, etc.) and a reaction against Enlightenment ideas implicit in Modernist literature. Postmodern literature, like postmodernism as a whole, is hard to define and there is little agreement on the exact characteristics, scope, and importance of postmodern literature.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">The distinction between high and low culture is also attacked with the employment of pastiche, the combination of multiple cultural elements including subjects and genres not previously deemed fit for literature.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Here I’ve taken his novels ‘Kaalamatra Kaalam’, ‘Saamikkannu enum sila manidhargal’, ‘sila mudivugalum, sila thodakkangalum’, and his poetry collection titled ‘Rojaakkal Kaaippadhillai’. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">The plots of his novels are not easy to summarize.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These are the stories of a visitation from the past and the consequent upheaval in the emotional lives of its characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev. Fr. Dr. S. Rajanayagam’s technique is to thread various narratives together using the present tense to convey the vividness of the memories of his characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we analyze his novel ‘Saamikkannu enum sila manidhargal’, we understand that his writings have a rich, many-layered structure which generates as many interpretations and readings as its eponymous character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is universal in its appeal:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the mysterious style and lyrical beauty combine with messages and images that maul the reader’s sensibility and conscience, making it a complex novel that is at times difficult and painful to read, but always rewarding.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The novel examines the inner conflicts of individuals which obviously raise controversial questions in reader’s mind, which itself is a success of any writing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">When we analyze ‘Kaalamatra Kaalam’, it is a new kind of writing melding and interlocking different accounts and versions of events, to create a fictional response to the emotional struggles of individuals.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">We could see the tone of satire throughout this novel which enhances to enjoy the pleasure of text.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also challenges and questions the sexual politics prevailing in all sections of society including religion, the ‘so-called’ sacred part of human life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We should appreciate the straightforward writing of the author to openly discuss the sex and its need. His unique way of writing and the language do not fall under any already-framed traditional structure.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Hans-Peter Wagner’s comments on the writings of Beckett is also applicable to Dr. Rajanayagam’s writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He says, "Mostly concerned with what he saw as impossibilities in fiction (identity of characters; reliable consciousness; the reliability of language itself; and the rubrication of literature in genres).” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dr. Rajanayagam's experiments with narrative form and with the disintegration of narration and character in fiction that must be read in light of his own theories and previous works and the attempt to deconstruct literary forms and genres.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example, his novel ‘Sila mudivugalum, sila thodakkangalum’ is developed as a criticism for his own work ‘Saamikkannu enum sila manidhargal’.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Here literary critics may wonder whether ‘Sila mudivugalum, sila thodakkangalum’ is a replica of Sundara Ramasamy’s ‘Virivum Aazhamum Thaedi’, a commentary on his own writings, but ‘Sila mudivugalum, sila thodakkangalum’ is totally a different kind of work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In other words, it is another story rediscovering the previous work ‘Saamikkannu enum sila manidhargal’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The influence of his experiments with metafiction and magical realism (a movement coterminous with postmodernism) is fully realized in this novel.</span><span lang="TA" style="font-family: "Latha","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">It's common for postmodernists to treat serious subjects in a playful and humorous way.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Linda Hutcheon claimed postmodern fiction as a whole could be characterized by the ironic quote marks, that much of it can be taken as tongue-in-cheek. This irony, along with black humor and the general concept of "play" (related to Derrida's concept or the ideas advocated by Dr. Rajanayagam in all his writings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as a narrator, he has emotional detachment from his writings though he himself seems to be a character or even hiding himself in all the characters.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Dr. Rajanayagam attempted to replicate the underprivileged female slave’s voice, her ‘unpseakable thoughts, unspoken’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result is a new kind of poetry collection titled ‘Rojaakkal Kaaipadhillai’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is interesting to feminists due to its focus on women.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Even in the religious sphere, women have no dominant role or authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dominant gods are male.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their representatives are also male.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She is the temptress, in the image of Eve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The submissive, chaste, hardworking, even suffering wife is held up as the ideal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are used and socially marginalized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not living as a woman, but espousing virginity, is her only way of gaining a certain respect. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The woman is often considered ritually impure, because of her menstruation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘Rojaakkal Kaaippadhillai’ seriously discusses these issues where we can see Dr. Rajanayagam as a writer conscious of his intent and its effect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In his sure hands, the reader of ‘Rojaakkal Kaaippadhillai’ enjoys the terrible poems which shaken their mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The portrayal of women, their sufferings tell us that the aim of his writing these poems is to bear witness to a history that is unrecorded, untaught in mainstream education.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">We can compare his writings with American writer, Gabriele Dietrich</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">A poem by Gabriele Dietrich makes a powerful link between the blood of the Cross, the bleeding women and the Eucharist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Who are you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">to deny life</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">to the life-givers?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Each one of you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">has come from the womb</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">but none of you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">can bear woman …</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am a woman</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">and my monthly bloodshed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">makes me aware</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">that blood</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">is meant for life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">It is you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">who have invented</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">those lethal machines</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">spreading death:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Three kilotonnes of explosives</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">for every human being</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">on earth.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am a woman</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">and my blood</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">cries out.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">We are millions</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">and strong together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">You better hear us</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">or you may be doomed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">Dr. Rajanayagam’s poems are stronger and more powerful than the above-mentioned poem in usage of language and depth of meaning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gabriele Dietrich is challenging priests who treat women as impure and polluting factor because of their menstruation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am a woman</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">and the blood</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">of my sacrifices</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">cries out to the sky</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">which you call heaven.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am sick of you priests</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">who have never bled</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">and yet say:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This is my body</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">given up for you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">and my blood</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">shed for you</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">drink it.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Whose blood</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">has been shed</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">for life</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">since eternity?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I am sick of you priests…</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">It is quite interesting to note that when a feminist writer like Gabriele Dietrich curse priests for their insensitive and indifferent attitude towards women, our author Dr. Rajanayagam, being a priest evokes the suffering and bloodshed imposed on women in abortion, rape, birth control, and domestic labor.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">It is a general opinion or criticism that only women can understand and express their sufferings, both physical and mental, but Dr. Rajanayagam has proved this concept to be false.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">When we read the painful lines of ‘Rojaakkal Kaaippadhillai’, we recall Kate Millet’s quotes from ‘Sexual Politics’:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">“No doubt also, the very existence of the inner productive space exposes women early to a specific sense of loneliness, to a fear of being left empty or deprived of treasures, of remaining unfulfilled and of drying up . . . For, as pointed out, clinical observation suggests that in female experience an “inner space” is at the center of despair even as it is the very center of potential fulfillment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Emptiness is the female form of perdition – known at times to men of the inner life . . . but standard experience for all women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be left, for her, means to be left empty . . . such hurt can be re-experienced in each menstruation; it is a crying to heaven in the mourning over a child; and it becomes a permanent scar in the menopause.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US">The ideal Postmodernist writing will somehow rise above the quarrel between realism and irrealism, formalism and 'contentism,' pure and committed literature, coterie fiction and junk fiction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But, we cannot claim Dr. Rajanayagam as an ideal postmodernist because he has reached the next milestone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His books are a source of comment for all kinds of readers, men and women, who read for pleasure and those who study the text for academic ends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One will need to read his writings more than once which will generate new ideas and take the reader to a new platform.</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US">***** ----- *****</span></div></div>I.J.Jeyashanthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14081919497875850004noreply@blogger.com0