Father's day

Today is Father's day and memories of my late father keep flashing before me. Major Thekkanmar Veettil Karunakaran Nair was his full name and he was known as Major Nair in official circles. He was a strict disciplinarian and a true soldier judging by his character. Although he was a terror and even nicknamed Tiger Nair by some, he carried a soft heart within his strong body. He was a member of an aristocratic family, his two uncles having served the legal profession, one as a High Court Judge and the other as a District & Sessions Judge in those days.

After graduating from St. Joseph's College in Tiruchirapalli (Trichy), my father did short stints as a Teacher and also as an Inspector in the revenue department during pre-independence days. In the year 1930 he joined the supply corps (ASC) of the Indian Army  (then the British Royal Army) as a commissioned officer. He was a real task master and this stood him in good stead and earned him accolades from the British commanders for whom duty and discipline were of paramount importance.

My sister who is the eldest in our family recalls her childhood days when she used to be the pet of my father. Talking of him, she becomes emotional as she was lucky enough to have enjoyed life as a child, my father holding a prestigious position. But lady luck never smiled at him.  Unfortunately most of the decisions that he took went wrong resulting in misfortune and misery.

My sister was narrating an incident during the days she spent in Ernakulam. My father was offered a  duplex villa on MG Road at Jose Junction for just Rs 5,000/-. At that time my father had a bank balance of Rs 50,000/-, a substantial sum in those days, but he declined the offer, my sister distinctly remembers the reason that he gave was that as an army officer he is entitled to a well furnished accommodation wherever he is posted, so why invest his money on a house in Ernakulam when he is on the verge of a transfer. Such was his nature.Just imagine what that property is worth now. He was good at giving commands but a poor listener. Self respect was his forte but he never allowed others to give him a piece of advice even if it was for his own benefit.

When India gained independence, he was a Captain. As part of the reforms introduced by the government, defence officers were given the option to join IPS direct without going through the Civil Services examination. But my father had a different vision that if he continues with the army,  in course of time he can rise to the position of a Lieutnant General before he retires. But ill luck willed it otherwise. When he was a Major he became diabetic but for the next few years he somehow cleared the annual medical tests and then he was promoted to the rank of Lieutnant Colonel. Before he was confirmed in that post, he had to undergo the mandatory medical test which unfortunately he failed. He lost his promotion and soon was asked to retire on medical grounds as he was declared medically unfit for service. This shattered his dream of becoming a Lt General. His colleague another Captain Nair who opted for IPS later became the Inspector General of Police in Kerala.

After leaving the army, my father settled down in Trivandrum and accepted an offer from the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation as their Catering Advisor. He was recovering from the earlier shocks in life and slowly getting back to normal.  But bad luck followed him like a shadow. During an official trip to Ernakulam he suffered a massive stroke and succumbed. He could not buy a home in Ernakulam but his soul rests in the city of Ernakulam.

I thought of this blog as the best way to pay homage to my great father.

I salute you Major Saab with love and respect.

Reader's Day

We attach great importance to Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day, Valentines' Day and so on and so forth. But how many of us give vent to Readers' Day. Ironically only a few, the obvious reason being we read something or the other everyday.

It was a real treat to the eye, while reading Mathrubhumi, the largest circulated news daily in Malayalam on the 19th June 2015, I came across a full page length report with the headline "Today is Readers' Day" (in Malayalam "Vayana Dinam" which translated to English becomes "Reading Day"). To be frank, I myself, was not aware of a Readers' Day ever before. So for me it was an invigorating experience. I could not stop appreciating the initiative of the daily in creating an awareness among the masses on the importance of reading. And to coincide with this drive, a week long programme has also been organised together with an exhibition cum sale of a wide variety of books in different languages offering big discounts in order to lure more and more to take to reading.

Alarmingly the number of serious readers among the new generation is dwindling and  slowly  reading is becoming a thing of the past as they spend more and more time glued to the i-phones busily browsing and chatting on trivial matters. This needs to change. For this social organisations should hold seminars with the sole aim of encouraging and inculcating the habit of reading among the young and old alike.

Reading rejuvenates our mind, enriches our knowledge, helps us keep abreast with the developments taking place everyday around the world. We start the day scanning the newspaper to keep ourselves upto-date on varying subjects, be it politics, sports, world affairs, weather, fashion, food, technology and what not?. The list is endless. Unless we utilise our time in useful reading we fail to connect with the world and grope in the dark leading a miserable meaningless life.

Readers fall into different categories like those who read for pleasure, for gaining knowledge, for preparing themselves for competitive examinations, for personality development and even to while away time and escape boredom and loneliness.

Apart from giving us knowledge, reading stimulates our senses which in turn improves our bodily functions. It helps refresh our mind and body. It moulds our character. The benefits of reading can be attributed to the subject that we choose and the content. By reading we are able to share the experiences and thoughts of others which in the right perspective will shape our character and destiny.

When we are alone, reading materials keep us good company. While in a happy mood reading elevates our joy and while depressed or dejected reading soothes and consoles our troubled minds.

We must keep pace with the changing world and if only we give importance to reading regularly this can materialise.  During our morning stroll we often come across people in different age groups engrossed in newspapers. Their interests may vary. But they have one purpose in common. Move with the times and know what the world has in store for them.

A few months back, I happened to read an article about a politician whose only interest was reading (of course other than politics) and who virtually invested all his earnings on books. After spending over four decades in active politics when he finally returned to his native place in Kerala he brought along three truck loads of books numbering 25000. Really a staggering number considering it is an individual's private collection. I made a rough calculation and came to the conclusion that he has been reading on an average two books a day. Is that not astounding?. For an ordinary person it is a wee bit difficult to emulate him. But he is a glaring example when the topic "Reading" comes up for debate or discussion.

Whenever I think of the subject "Reading" I travel down the memory lane tracing vivid memories of my mother's elder sister who was an avid reader. But her choice of books was unique. She was interested only in detective novels and ghost stories in Malayalam. It was the duty of the children to get her books from a local lending library everyday and she could easily finish a two hundred page book in one sitting. And at night before the children retire to bed she will share what she has read with the children. These stories get embedded in their tiny minds. But the bookish knowledge that my aunt acquired had only an adverse impact on the children and she too did not get knowledgeable. As a result when they grew up the word courage was not synonym with them. The thoughts of thieves and ghosts always haunted them.

In short, we must be selective in choosing the books, should read with a purpose and always give vent to the time factor. We must read with absolute concentration so that we are able to memorise and put what we read into action at a later date. We should never read haphazardly as it will only be a waste of our valuable time and energy. Reading is to the mind what food is to the body.

That reminds me of an interesting anecdote. Winston Churchil met his cousin Londonberry, himself a writer, at a party. Londonberry casually asked - Hi Winston haven't you read my latest book,  for which Churchil replied - Oh no, no way, I read only for pleasure or profit.

In conclusion, let me assert that the new generation imbibe and understand the virtues of good reading and endeavour to make reading a part and parcel of their daily lives and strive to do their best even if they find it a herculean task to match the amazing feat of that political wizard and a voracious reader with a huge collection of books.

MONSOON

Monsoon is here with its fiery spell
Lashing at roads and rails like a yell

Though rain has come a little bit late
What a respite from the heat we hate

Clouds keep painting the sky so dark
Lightnings draw silver lining so stark

For those indoors rain is a marvel
But those outside see in it a ravel

Ponds and potholes spring up in rain
For commuters it poses a severe pain

Children rejoice the monsoon shower
Watching the raindrops from the tower

Although they like bright sunshine
For them monsoon rains are pretty fine

Rains at night are always welcome
During daytime a havoc they become

Rains do not spare even the woods
Trees adrift downstream with their roots

The distant thunder rocks the ground
Although fearsome it is a soothing sound

Rain water fills up backwater upstream
Ocean waves gain strength extreme

Fishing gets into a strenuous stage
When the sea gets rough and rage

Fisher-women cry and pray onshore
So that their men return safe ashore

Rivers overflow flooding paddy field
And sadly destroy crops before yield

Playgrounds turn a watery place
Putting an end to games and race

Without rains drought alone prevail
But too much rain is of no avail

Rainwater harvest is an ideal norm
If only rain does not bring along storm

Rain has its own ups and downs
Nevertheless it is a heavenly boon

For all on earth water is life
Rain alone can make that hype