Death of Sundara Ramasamy @ Pasuviah

I remember reading 'J.J. Sila Kurippugal' when I was in college and got mesmerized by the writing. There are few novels in Tamil that deserves comparison with a novel of J.J's stature. Terribly intelligent and casually tragic, the novel can be read from anywhere and will still make a lot of sense. Thats how I got introduced to Sundara Ramasamy.

When Meyappan & Co (our college seniors) arranged for a 3 day literary workshop in Nagerkoil, I was lucky enough to be part of it. Apart from eating some wonderful food in Arun's house, I got the chance to meet Sundara Ramasamy during the meet (we also met Thoppil Meeran, Mangai and others). It was a up-close conversation with him and I listened a lot enamored by his towering personality and literary genius. Today, when I look back I think of all the questions I could've asked him and didn't.

Then, when I read 'Oru puliamarathin Kathai' I realized that he is not just good in writing intellectual novels but also a good story-teller. Then the collection '108 kavithaigal'. I read it when I was reading vorociously the modern poems in Tamil. It is the period I read Vikramathithyan, Pramil, Kalapriya, Kalyanji and many others and probably thats why I couldn't really convince myself that he is a great poet. Good but not great.

Of course, 'Kalachuvadu' is part of the small magazine world where it took part in its own share of controversies and discussions. Latest being over the 'Pillai keduththal vilai'. But I realize now that I have moved away from the left ideologues who still dominate the small magazine landscape but still buy the mags just to keep me posted on the thought process as well as the wonderful articles written (Did you read the 'Thamizhar food special' of Kalachuvadu?).

I cannot forget Sundara Ramasamy for the beautiful novels that has influenced me a lot (for good or bad!).

Palani, Sivakasi and Srivilliputhur

Last week was a long long weekend and so we went to Palani to have Sibi's head tonsured. This is his second 'mottai' and he cried a lot this time. But he was OK immediately and now enjoying the mottai days. Anyway, Palani was a surprise. Somehow, they have cleaned the city to a good extent. Still, the roads are bad but the adivaram is very neat and more surprisingly, for Re.1 the public toilets are well maintained and no stench (near the rope car area). Anyone who has just walked by the public toilets can attest to the state they are in. So it was a pleasant surprise. And the temple itself is maintained neatly and the monkey are menacing the visitors as always. In fact, one monkey grabbed the toy in Sibi's hand and it took about 20 minutes to calm him down. He wanted to go to the monkey and get the toy back but I was not that fearless anyway.

And went to Sivakasi and Srivilliputur the next day. Sivakasi remains the same. Nothing much has changed. Roads, streets and even the people. The temples have changed beyond recognition and I still remember the dull interiors and it is fantastic to see the marble and granites and the big lights in the temples. Even the sand outside the Bathrakaliamman temple is paved now and somehow I miss the old days. And then the Nachiyar temple in Srivilliputhur. It was fantastic to read Thiruppavai written on the walls with Jeysri (Sibi was sleeping!) and kind of mesmerising to see Andal in the sannathi.

The rest of the days are spent in just shopping around and the north-east monsoon has started with rains from Madurai to chennai. So while the weather is wonderful, the roads have become death traps. Its horrible in OMR with the sewage overflows and the wastes floating around. Its pathetic to see that the corporation has gone into hiding when it is needed badly and the quality of life (if there is anything left) for those in Kanthan chavadi to Navalur is close to the negative maximum these days.

Moral polices and Mann Vasanai

All Tamil nadu is currently going through the moral policing(literally!) wave. There is the episode in the Park hotel and then came the dress code followed immediately by the Kushboo episode. It just goes to show that we, as a race, are a hypocritical lot and the morality hype is just to just convince ourselves that we are superior to other cultures/races. Now, I do not have the comment on the party in the Park hotel or what Kushboo said. I consider that a free speech issue and if a group of guys want to rub bodies with the girls in a private space, thats nobody's business. I dont think the police commissioner ever visited the Marina beach in the evenings (sometimes in the middle of the day) or Eliot's beach for that matter. What is he going to do when he does?. Shut down the beaches of Chennai?. These are public spaces which are made into staging ground by the so-called lovers from the schools and colleges of Chennai. On the other end of the spectrum, talk to these liberal feminists (do you hear Ms. Kanimozhi, Vanathi Thirunavukarasu, Arulmozhi et al?) about removing the censor board and see the reaction?. I think it will be fun. The common argument against a dress code is if the student of 18 years can be asked to vote, why cant he wear the dress he wants?. I ask the same question. Why do you need a censor board if a 18 year old can handle sex and violence maturely?. Thinking of it, except me, the whole bunch of Tamilnadu are hypocrites. No point arguing this anyway.

Anyway, watched 'mann vasanai' last weekend. Probably the best of Bharathiraja's movies. It also reminds one of the simple life and common values we have lost in the crowds of chennai (Kanthimathi on seeing Pandian coming home with a punjabi girl "Entha kaatu sirukkida ava?"). The sports, kootanchoru, ayyannar vazhipadu, I don't know whether Sibi will even read about it in his days. If you look at the movies of Cheran ('Pandavar boomi'. 'Autograph') or Thankarpachan ('Azhagi'), we can notice that the director is trying to record something that has lost its place in the hustle and bustle of our lives. These guys miss that life as much as their protoganists do in these movies.