DANCE OF DEMOCRACY WITH DAD, FISH, RUM & POLITICS RAMBLINGS OF THE ETERNAL ERRAND BOY IN KANNUR.
My dad has just turned 92 and over the last two decades I am always there around him this time of the year in Kerala. His date of birth is actually 03 June 1932 but his school certificate somehow enrolled him as 15 June 1932. This
year I arrived between these dates to celebrate a small cake and cheers with
our customary old monk. He really enjoys the excitement of the company rather
than the drink and he actually just nurses one small drink the whole evening
while I may have a couple at least.
An outing with childhood favorite temple pond 2
years ago in Trichambaram – Kannur
A Temple in the village of Azhikode which few
would recall is home to partly paralysed NSG Commmando P V. Manesh who still
has a piece of grenade splinter in his skull while finishing off terrorists in
The Oberoi in Mumbai on 26/11.
Ancient soccer clubs of Spirited Youth Club and Luck Star of Kannur
which dad once took us to watch a match in seventies and used to produce great
players including V.P Sathyan -Captain for India.
We played soccer barefoot on hard gravel in the
hot sun and happily nursed our bruises daily.
Soccer has transformed in
Kerala from those days. Wonder if Messi and Neymar have heard of Kannotumchal like
many football crazy villages in India which ranks around 100 in FIFA despite Sunil
Chettri. Matches can end in this part of the globe in fisticuffs after a World
Cup Match !!! Did we believe we would have floodlit soccer grounds in every
town.
During
our schooling in Shillong for a good 12 years in the same institution my
sister in St Teresa’s , brother and I in St Michael’s respectively studied in
Kannur ( apparently because parents thought we were losing our touch with
Malayalam and rapidly becoming Khasi mamas) only for a brief period in 1971 for
3 months. Were we glad!! I proved them right and left my Malayalam there for good
!! I miss those Shillong days now . I was quite fluent in Khasi, Sylheti, Bengali and Assamese.
Dads school where he enrolled in 1937.
Birthdays 90,91 & 92 !! at his age he has
one advantage he couldn’t be bothered about change of attire nor headgear ! (unlike
the PM)
Once an avid reader of OLIVER STRANGE AND LOUIS
LAMOUR now mostly reads just the newspaper ….( HIS 2 CRUTCHES - PREMAN AND
PHULMANI)
Since my moms departure Dad does not like to
come to Delhi and I try to make as many Kerala visits to catch up on the discussions
mostly around cricket, tennis family and repair and maintenance matters and
catch up on all the Kannur local news since my last visit. He still manages to
read the newspaper with one eye and maintains a fairly strict routine which I
also try to adhere during my breaks in Kerala hoping to eat less and take walks
and failing consistently. The fresh fish , crabs and prawns are just too
tempting.
Monsoon Fishing Embargo ( June -July) For
Fishermen at Mappila Bay -Ayyakara- Meagre catch on some days. Kuttiatoor
Mangoes of Kannur in an earlier season also sometimes called Nambiar Mangoes.
Kerala has some mangoes around the year almost.
Fish Shop Reception Committee
A Portuguese cannon & a
Dutch plaque at St Angelo’s fort. The Portuguese, Dutch and British occupied
this fort at various times near Mapilla Bay. At his favorite salon closeby. Have to admit
his haircuts are snazzier than mine! And the reception committee at our fish
shop.
During these trips to Kerala at least 3 times a
year my job also entails being parttime driver/plumber/carpenter & running
errands for dad ranging from his haircut to odd repairs and maintenance of the
apartment, his car or his bank , pension related work. The other important job relevant
to our times is man management trying to incentivize his “two crutches”, the
multi-taskers maid Phulmani ( of
Jharkhand) and driver Preman , the very loyal duo who have been doing a
reasonably good job for over a decade, looking
after him at his advanced age and slowing gait. I keep enthusing him to walk around
a bit and not be lying around too much but he is getting extremely lazy and
stubborn. The advantage of old age and poor eyesight and hearing also ensured
that he chooses to see, hear and wears only things that he wants. So mostly cannot
argue nor motivate him.
This year’s birthday visit unlike the last 4 trips
got slightly postponed due to the “dreaded” Lok Sabha- General Elections
Results. Would not have dared to arrive on 4th June. This 5 yearly
event has never made any qualitative changes in our relationships since dad’s
political moorings are “slightly” different to mine. In fact the past years the first health check-up
on dad happens even before I have had my first cup of tea upon reaching home. This
unique “senior citizen agility” health check-up happens simply without any thermometer,
gadgets syringes or samples or medical equipment but just with the vibration on
my eardrums only. It just revolves around how brutal, clinical and sharp he is
at pointing out the many faults of this current regime. It gives me small pleasure to take the blows
dancing around the ring floating like a butterfly while he stings like a bee. This
way at least I know immediately on arrival at Kannur that his faculties
are still in shape. It seems to dad like
as if I just had Chai in Delhi at Lok Kalyan Marg with the PM & HM before boarding the flight to
Kannur. He does not waste too much time to give me a lecture on how the country
is finishing under the current regime. Since May 2014 he has fallen prey to
every conspiracy theorist lurking in a lungi behind a swaying coconut tree. It
could vary from EVM tampering, Balakot proof, Black Money, missing 15 Lakh
deposit ,Nirav, Mallya, demonetization disaster, his English pronunciation, educational
qualifications , covid mayhem, Art 370 failure, Nawaz Sharif biriyani, Manipur
to the PMs beard , Tagore like hairstyle during the pandemic , his foreign
jaunts etc. and all the other familiar negativity that the frustrated Opposition
comes up with. Despite various infra projects like the airport in Kannur and
National Highway improvements that come in after 2014 in his eyes Sanghis can
do no good. Dad’s election predictions at the state level have also invariably been
a thunderous flop for a good decade but he would still not relent. He also
nurses other grudges such as Tharoor not upping his game, youngsters Priyanka
or Pilot not taking over the mantle of the grand old party. He was also shocked
to see the ruling party gaining new ground and making baby strides in Kerala in
his own backyard where it was impossible a decade ago. At least we both agree
that The Left is best left alone in their last bastion.
After his selective hearing I mostly prefer to just
surrender on the first day and apologize on behalf of the PM, HM, DM, FM, EAM (
all of whom have btw retained their portfolios again!!). Next time I must
remember to take a written and personally signed apology letter from the Cabinet
in Delhi before I venture to meet dad. Especially since I meet them all at
Breakfast lunch and dinner just because I come from Rajdhani. He somehow likes
the NSA probably because he started his career in Tellicherry as an freshly
minted IPS. Quite a few NSAs have had a Kerala connection.
At the end a few blows every few months is all
worth it after all its for nice walks on the beach, home food and afternoon
snoozes that I come here for a break. I must avoid being near the TV during the
9pm news debates on TV. His hearing is almost gone thankfully so does not have
to suffer Arnab. Cricket matches with a
glass of rum and papadums are the only common meeting ground . A victory over
Pakistan does bring cheer to one and all. Oh wait !! why was the match delayed?
I said because of the swearing-in ceremony! HM called the BCCI secy who called PMs
friend The Donald and the mayor of NYC etc!! Common Dad I was just joking!! New
York is not New Delhi. It rains there.!)
To a visitor murals at Kannur airport reflects
the fertile ground for an impending political battle. Many Chief Ministers of
Kerala including the current one hails from the region of Kannur.
By the time my vacation draws to a close he
relents and feels he was too harsh and relents at breakfast with compliments of
the PM’s good Hindi oratorial skills, his curt voice, his ease at Hindu temples, his sharp dressing, the half sleeve
kurta and general Gujju enterprise and looks up expectantly at my
reaction. I have to prevent getting
choked on my idlis and humbly submit that’s thanks to his secret training sessions
at governance from 10 Janpath to end my Kerala trip on a cordial and peaceful
note. If he had something nice to say about “Motabhai” then I could return
to the Kannur airport each time sipping rum and nibbling shrimp and smiling.
Dream on Ramesh!! Thankfully Dad’s not yet on social media and the maid has to
help him use his smart phone. He is happy with his tiny Nokia type of phone.
The choppy waters of the Arabian sea ( saw the
sun only once this monsoon week)
