Feb 26, 2009
v s or pinarayi?
The much expected grant finale of navakerala march came to an end yesterday. There was a question about v s participation in the function for last two Weeks . The last minute change in VS mind came out of the expected consequences that he may have to face after.The pinarayi faction seems to be happy that the ball is in their court now.VS had only two options, to attend the function or leave his chair which is a gift of communist party of India .If he have absented yesterday's programme it was sure that party will throw him out of power.VS chose to be a disciplined comrade in front of Prakash karat, giving the message that he is not going to get out of the chief minster post at any cost.
The drama played by CPI (M) and its polit Bureau is an eye opener for common people who watched all the action live like puppets.
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picture courtesy -www.manoramaonline.com
hasyam
by aneeshkumar
ലോങതകമാനം ജനത്രിടയാതെ ആഹ്ലാദംയാമാക്കി തീര്‍ക്കുന്ന രസംഏതെന്ന് ചോദിച്ചാല്‍ ഉത്തരം ലളിതം -,ഹാസ്യം. ജനപ്രിയസതിത്യമായ് സിനിമ രൂപപ്പെട്ടുതുടങ്ങിയ കലഖട്ടതുപോലും ഹാസ്യത്തിന് അതിന്റേതായ സ്ഥാനം നേടാന്‍ കഴിന്ട്ടുണ്ട് സിനിമയിലെ നയകസന്കല്പ്പതെഉമ് സമകാലിക രശ്ട്രിഎയമുല്യന്ഗലെഉമ്ഹാസ്യം ചോദ്യം ചിട് .ദക്ഷിണേന്ത്യന്‍ സിനിമയിലെ ഒന്നാംകിട നായകന്മാരുടെ ഇടയില്‍ തനതു വെക്തിത്വം കൊണ്ടും അഹര്യസവിശേശടകൊണ്ടും ഉയര്‍ന്നുവന്ന ഹസ്യസംരട്ടന് നടന്‍ നകേഷ് ൧൯൩൩ സെപ്റ്റംബര്‍ ൨൭ എല്‍ ജനിച്ച നകേഷ് കംബരമയണം എണ്ണ നാടകത്തിലൂടെയാണ് വെള്ളിത്തിരയില്‍ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടത്‌ .തുടര്‍ന്ന് സംവിടയകന്‍ ബാലാജിയാണ് ചലച്ചിട്രതിലെക്കുള്ള വഴി തുറന്നു കൊടുതയ്ചു .തന്റെ മുഖം വെള്ളിത്തിരയില്‍ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുമ്പോള്‍ തന്നെ തമിഴ് സിനെമാശലകളെ ഹസ്യതിലഴ്തന്‍ കേള്പ്പുല്ലതയിരുന്നു നാടന്‍ നങേഷിന്റെ വൈവിദ്യം . എം.ജെ.ആര്‍ അലന്കരിച്ച ഒന്നാം തലമുറയിലെ നായകന്മാര്‍ക്കൊപ്പംയിരുന്നു ഈറ്റവും കൂടുതല്‍ സിനിമയില്‍ അഭിനയിച്ചത് .തുടര്‍ന്ന് രണ്ടാം തലമുറയിലെ രജിനികാന്ത് ,കമല്‍ഹാസ്സന്‍ തുടങ്ങിയവര്‍ക്കൊപ്പവും ,മൂന്നംതലമുരയിലെ അന്ഗഘലുംയും അരങ്ങു പങ്ങിടന്‍ ഏഎഹസ്യസംരട്ടിനു കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട് .ദ്രിസ്യവിസ്മയതിലൂടെയും സംഭാഷനവൈവിദ്യത്തിലൂടെയും പ്രേസ്ഖകനെ ആസ്വടനതലതിലെതിക്കാന്‍ അതെത്തിനു കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട് .നീര്കുമിഴി ,ആഎതിര്‍ നീച്ചാല്‍ തുടങ്ങിയവയാണ് ശ്രദ്ദേയമായ ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ .അങ്ങലെയ ചിന്ടകനായ മിച്ചിഎള്‍ഇ ബാക്തിന്റെ ബഹുസ്വരതക്ക് തുല്യമായ ഒരു തലത്തിലേക്ക് പ്രേക്ഷകനെ ആകര്ഷിക്കുവാനും തന്റെതായ ഒരു സ്ഥാനം നിലനിര്‍ത്തുവാനും അതെത്തിനു സടിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് .അതെതട്ടിന്റ്റെ പാതയിലൂടെ തെന്നിന്ത്യന്‍ സിനിമയില്‍ പുതിയ പരീക്ഷണങ്ങള്‍ നടത്തുന്നവരാണ് നാം ഇന്നു കാണുന്ന പദ്മശ്രീ -വിവേക് ,വടിവേലു തുടങ്ങിയവര്‍ .നാടന്‍ നാകീഷിനെ സംബന്ധിച്ചിടത്തോളം ഹാസ്യത്തിന് പുതിയൊരു പരിപ്രേക്ഷിഅം നല്കാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞു എന്നതിനുള്ള തികഞ്ഞ ക്രിതജ്ഞാത്ത അതെത്തിനുന്ടെന്നു അരടകലോകം വിലയിരുത്തുന്നു . മരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ അതെത്തിനു ൭൭ വയസായിരുന്നു അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ദക്ഷിനെണ്ടിയന സിനിമാലോകത്ത് നിറഞ്ഞുനിന്ന അരങ്ങുനിരഞ്ഞുനിന്ന ഹസ്യതിന്നു ആദരാഞ്ജലി അര്‍പ്പിക്കുന്നു ................ അരങ് നിറഞ്ഞുനിന്ന ഹാസ്യം
ലോങതകമാനം ജനത്രിടയാതെ ആഹ്ലാദംയാമാക്കി തീര്‍ക്കുന്ന രസംഏതെന്ന് ചോദിച്ചാല്‍ ഉത്തരം ലളിതം -,ഹാസ്യം. ജനപ്രിയസതിത്യമായ് സിനിമ രൂപപ്പെട്ടുതുടങ്ങിയ കലഖട്ടതുപോലും ഹാസ്യത്തിന് അതിന്റേതായ സ്ഥാനം നേടാന്‍ കഴിന്ട്ടുണ്ട് സിനിമയിലെ നയകസന്കല്പ്പതെഉമ് സമകാലിക രശ്ട്രിഎയമുല്യന്ഗലെഉമ്ഹാസ്യം ചോദ്യം ചിട് .ദക്ഷിണേന്ത്യന്‍ സിനിമയിലെ ഒന്നാംകിട നായകന്മാരുടെ ഇടയില്‍ തനതു വെക്തിത്വം കൊണ്ടും അഹര്യസവിശേശടകൊണ്ടും ഉയര്‍ന്നുവന്ന ഹസ്യസംരട്ടന് നടന്‍ നകേഷ് ൧൯൩൩ സെപ്റ്റംബര്‍ ൨൭ എല്‍ ജനിച്ച നകേഷ് കംബരമയണം എണ്ണ നാടകത്തിലൂടെയാണ് വെള്ളിത്തിരയില്‍ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ടത്‌ .തുടര്‍ന്ന് സംവിടയകന്‍ ബാലാജിയാണ് ചലച്ചിട്രതിലെക്കുള്ള വഴി തുറന്നു കൊടുതയ്ചു .തന്റെ മുഖം വെള്ളിത്തിരയില്‍ പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെടുമ്പോള്‍ തന്നെ തമിഴ് സിനെമാശലകളെ ഹസ്യതിലഴ്തന്‍ കേള്പ്പുല്ലതയിരുന്നു നാടന്‍ നങേഷിന്റെ വൈവിദ്യം . എം.ജെ.ആര്‍ അലന്കരിച്ച ഒന്നാം തലമുറയിലെ നായകന്മാര്‍ക്കൊപ്പംയിരുന്നു ഈറ്റവും കൂടുതല്‍ സിനിമയില്‍ അഭിനയിച്ചത് .തുടര്‍ന്ന് രണ്ടാം തലമുറയിലെ രജിനികാന്ത് ,കമല്‍ഹാസ്സന്‍ തുടങ്ങിയവര്‍ക്കൊപ്പവും ,മൂന്നംതലമുരയിലെ അന്ഗഘലുംയും അരങ്ങു പങ്ങിടന്‍ ഏഎഹസ്യസംരട്ടിനു കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട് .ദ്രിസ്യവിസ്മയതിലൂടെയും സംഭാഷനവൈവിദ്യത്തിലൂടെയും പ്രേസ്ഖകനെ ആസ്വടനതലതിലെതിക്കാന്‍ അതെത്തിനു കഴിഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട് .നീര്കുമിഴി ,ആഎതിര്‍ നീച്ചാല്‍ തുടങ്ങിയവയാണ് ശ്രദ്ദേയമായ ചിത്രങ്ങള്‍ .അങ്ങലെയ ചിന്ടകനായ മിച്ചിഎള്‍ഇ ബാക്തിന്റെ ബഹുസ്വരതക്ക് തുല്യമായ ഒരു തലത്തിലേക്ക് പ്രേക്ഷകനെ ആകര്ഷിക്കുവാനും തന്റെതായ ഒരു സ്ഥാനം നിലനിര്‍ത്തുവാനും അതെത്തിനു സടിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് .അതെതട്ടിന്റ്റെ പാതയിലൂടെ തെന്നിന്ത്യന്‍ സിനിമയില്‍ പുതിയ പരീക്ഷണങ്ങള്‍ നടത്തുന്നവരാണ് നാം ഇന്നു കാണുന്ന പദ്മശ്രീ -വിവേക് ,വടിവേലു തുടങ്ങിയവര്‍ .നാടന്‍ നാകീഷിനെ സംബന്ധിച്ചിടത്തോളം ഹാസ്യത്തിന് പുതിയൊരു പരിപ്രേക്ഷിഅം നല്കാന്‍ കഴിഞ്ഞു എന്നതിനുള്ള തികഞ്ഞ ക്രിതജ്ഞാത്ത അതെത്തിനുന്ടെന്നു അരടകലോകം വിലയിരുത്തുന്നു . മരിക്കുമ്പോള്‍ അതെത്തിനു ൭൭ വയസായിരുന്നു അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ദക്ഷിനെണ്ടിയന സിനിമാലോകത്ത് നിറഞ്ഞുനിന്ന അരങ്ങുനിരഞ്ഞുനിന്ന ഹസ്യതിന്നു ആദരാഞ്ജലി അര്‍പ്പിക്കുന്നു ................ അരങ് നിറഞ്ഞുനിന്ന ഹാസ്യം
Feb 23, 2009
Speech for Posterity
I hate examinations.
Exams always remind me of the fact that I’m not intelligent. Anyway not intelligent enough. I only have sporadic outbursts of intelligence… which are too insignificant to be counted on any scale. And that doesn’t help in exams.
Why do we even need exams?
I have a dream. [This speech is to be recorded and played on every Republic Day or Independence Day]
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out its true meaning without conducting any examinations.
I have a dream that one day on the green hills of Ponmudi the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood without being asked how much marks they scored in the exams.
I have a dream that one day the state of Kerala, a state sweltering with the heat of the sun, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice, where no exams are held.
I have a dream that little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the number of exams they have passed but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
I have a dream that one day, down in Palayam, little brown boys and brown girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers without having to write any exams.
And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when everyone, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, Hindus and Muslims will be able to join hands and sing, "Free at last! Free at last! No more exams! Thank God Almighty, no more exams! We are free at last!"
[Incidentally son of Martin Luther King, who gave the original “I have a dream” speech, is coming to Kerala today, the 23rd]
Feb 18, 2009
The Present Continuous
Following is a conversation that took place between a student in our class [“C”] and our English teacher teaching tenses.
Teacher: Another e.g. for present continuous - C - are you reading a novel now?
C: Yes I am reading a novel now.
Teacher: Now? No you are not reading a novel now. You are sitting in the class now.
C: Oh! But I am reading a novel at home. So can I say I am reading a novel now?
Teacher: You cannot say you are reading a novel now but you can say you are reading a novel.
C: So I can say I’m reading a novel when I’m actually not reading a novel.
Teacher: But you are reading a novel?
C: No I’m sitting in the class now.
Teacher: No, I mean, not now, but you are reading a novel?
C: Yes I am reading a novel.
Teacher: So you can say that.
C: Say what?
Teacher: That you are reading a novel.
C: Now?
Teacher: No, not now.
C: You mean, I should not say ‘now’.
Teacher: Say what now?
C: Not say I’m reading a novel now.
Teacher: But you said you are reading a novel.
C: No…err…Yes.
Teacher: So now it’s ok?
C: ‘Now’ is ok?
Teacher: No! ‘Now’ is not ok.
C: Oh! Ok
Teacher: Let‘s go on to the next topic - the Simple Present. Any more doubts.
Hand goes up
Teacher: Yes?
C: So I can say I am reading a novel … even though I am not reading a novel … which means…
[By this time the rest of the class had entirely lost it and I happily fell asleep so I had no idea how it ended.]
Teacher: Another e.g. for present continuous - C - are you reading a novel now?
C: Yes I am reading a novel now.
Teacher: Now? No you are not reading a novel now. You are sitting in the class now.
C: Oh! But I am reading a novel at home. So can I say I am reading a novel now?
Teacher: You cannot say you are reading a novel now but you can say you are reading a novel.
C: So I can say I’m reading a novel when I’m actually not reading a novel.
Teacher: But you are reading a novel?
C: No I’m sitting in the class now.
Teacher: No, I mean, not now, but you are reading a novel?
C: Yes I am reading a novel.
Teacher: So you can say that.
C: Say what?
Teacher: That you are reading a novel.
C: Now?
Teacher: No, not now.
C: You mean, I should not say ‘now’.
Teacher: Say what now?
C: Not say I’m reading a novel now.
Teacher: But you said you are reading a novel.
C: No…err…Yes.
Teacher: So now it’s ok?
C: ‘Now’ is ok?
Teacher: No! ‘Now’ is not ok.
C: Oh! Ok
Teacher: Let‘s go on to the next topic - the Simple Present. Any more doubts.
Hand goes up
Teacher: Yes?
C: So I can say I am reading a novel … even though I am not reading a novel … which means…
[By this time the rest of the class had entirely lost it and I happily fell asleep so I had no idea how it ended.]
Feb 17, 2009
Euphoria evening
Euphoria came to Kerala for a live concert on Sunday at Nishagandhi auditorium where GEC Barton Hill was conducting a college fest. This was my first experience at a rock concert and I must say its really err vibrating! Probably the wrong word to use, but you get the picture – the music system was 50000 watts strong!
To be honest I haven’t heard any of their songs before. So I had nothing to look forward to except wonder what a real concert looks and feels like. But why I enjoyed this was that this was that it was easy to be part of it. The few stage performances I have been to before have been pathetically tiring – since most of the audience makes it a point to turn into statues that breathed and blinked! I am not talking about classical concerts. I mean the occasions when the whole stage is tuned to bring the audience to feet or at least ‘shake ‘em up’ – and the only shaking that you get comes from a ceiling fan or a distant tree top!
Euphoria had turned the whole crowd into a pack of jumpers and shouters. I realize when I say this that there is an entire school of thought that would harshly come down on this kind of a reaction. Their songs by the way were best suited for the occasion. Sometimes they would come out with slow songs you could sway along to and get lost in your thoughts and dreams in. And the other times you have them jumping songs which need no manual on ‘how to enjoy’!
Well it was a great evening. Don’t know if it could be an every-person kind of thing but am sure its worth a try J
Feb 10, 2009
Daivamakkal by Sara Thomas
I have just finished reading Sara Thomas’s Daivamakkal. My attempt at a review will not be promising cause I took ages to finish it. So much so that the first pages now seem like a different book I read sometime ago! Anyway, the book is undoubtedly a must-read.
We have all heard of the perils of caste system of yesteryears (and to a big extent, even today). But those days, a little after independence the exploitations were at its extreme. No shelter, little or no food, forget about education! And yet Kunjikannan goes to school. Azhaki, his mother strives hard to take him to school, fighting all oppositions by herself. With a father who has left them long ago, the mother and kid are left to look after themselves.
All through the book Kunjikannan goes through a tortured mind, tortured by the cruel remarks and insults he had to put up with, by the inhuman attitude of the upper caste. A rare Zacariah Sir or a Jamal or a Krishnankutty or a Savithri stands apart from this crowd and lends him a hand to take him to bigger heights. Kunjikkannan studies hard. But even as he rose higher intellectually, he couldn’t help feel the shackles of misery handed down through generations.
Sara Thomas, through Kunjikkanan, takes us through a time when men and women were blinded so, by meaningless chains of caste, creed and colour. Its enough to boil the blood of any reader with a minimum sense of justice, that one could easily identify with the turmoil that Kunjikkannan and his friends go through. Each of them comes up with a different way to deal with their ill-fate and the fight continues – the fight for freedom, the fight for acceptance.
Through one mind, we see the sufferings borne by a big community of humans. Daivamakkal is a reminder to the cruel times our ancestors have been through to bring the world to what it is now. It is a reminder to us that the fight continues, and it falls upon our shoulders now to lift the human community to a world of no differences, no distinctions.
Feb 6, 2009
Veli Clean-up on Sunday
The tidycity.org project is going to do a clean up of Veli beach this Sunday, February 8th. The idea of these clean up initiatives, is to send across a message, that every single person can make a difference. More than a clean up, the team intends to promote an awareness about keeping our cities clean.
More details about the drive are available at the website http://tidycity.org
Those who are interested to join the tidycity campaign, can subscribe to the mailing list, available in the website.
More details about the drive are available at the website http://tidycity.org
Those who are interested to join the tidycity campaign, can subscribe to the mailing list, available in the website.
Feb 4, 2009
Disaster at Pooja
This is a tragic story of unfathomable depths. Everyone please make sure you have a handkerchief to wipe your tears before you read on.
This is the story of how we lost a game of cricket and how the disaster changed our lives forever.
The year 2008. A bunch of guys working together at Cochin.
We registered for a cricket tournament being held at the famous Pooja Ground. 7-over matches.
None of us were professional cricketers but loved to play. So we got together a team of 11, 2 substitute players, a coach and a team manager (myself). We went and watched the other teams play and thought to ourself “This is going to be easy. We can win”. Like our captain said these guys were just striking the ball wildly and did not have the technical expertise.
We practised daily at our nearby school ground. Finally the big day arrived. Before that we had to decide on a name. Most of the other teams had silly, ordinary names like NCC or MCC[place name+Cricket Club]. We needed something grand and finally struck upon “SBL - THE BLACK AND WHITE STALLIONS”. In fact the commentator had to hand over the mike to one of us every time he had to announce the team name.
We lost the toss and had no idea it was just a sign of what was to come. They chose batting and we laughed at their foolishness. The first over was bowled by Sumodh, whose action often reminded us of a fighter plane firing missiles at the enemy. That day he chose to bowl after only a short run up. First mistake. It was only after the game did we realise that what made us afraid of his bowling was his run up and the expression on his face and that the ball itself was harmless.
The first ball went for a six. We shouted “Never mind”.
The second ball went for a six. We shouted “Never mind”.
The third ball went for a six. We knew we were in trouble.
When the guy who hit seven consecutive sixes became out, to a catch (which turned out to be the only catch we would take), we went wild with cheers.
The next guy who walked in hit 13 sixes - consecutively. Was some sort of a record at the ground, again which would only be the beginning of a lot of records.
We could only watch in anguish as balls disappeared into all corners of the stadium, some of them out of the stadium as even the organisers couldn’t keep up with the scoring. Finally when the massacre was over they had scored over 150 runs in 7 overs.
When our team walked out of the ground with drooping shoulders our coach had a brilliant idea and shouted “Great! So its a batting pitch. All the better for us”. Immediately the smiles returned and everyone’s confidence was restored.
The second innings began. Our star batsman Rocky was at the crease. We screamed for blood; “give them a taste of their own medicine” we shouted.
First ball. The cheers reached a crescendo. Rocky mightily swings his magic bat and…
He’s out.
Silence. Disbelief.
To make a long story short we didn’t hit a single six. We didn’t hit a single four. Hell We didn’t even get to hit the ball at all, I think. No we didn’t get all out. Only nine wickets fell. Pradeep top scored with 7 not out. We scored 23/9 in seven overs. Lost the game for 130 runs - the biggest margin in the tournament - the final record to break that day.
To say we ‘lost’ would be an understatement. We were a failure in batting, bowling and fielding - an utter disaster. The crowd made fun of us only at the beginning. Towards the end of the game even the rival team looked at us with pity and sympathy - which was even more unbearable.
While sleeping that night at around 2 am suddenly someone woke me up. I switched on the light looked into the face of the captain. “I will never play cricket again in my whole life” he said.
I sighed.
“Me too”
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