A review of Sony Karackal's poem "Makalkkayi''

Makalkkai

TUESDAY,14 MAY 2013
Delareyville, 6.50 a.m

On my way to school,I spotted my not-so-friendly friends,the ostritches
and Kudus unusually very close to the fence.I have been waiting for an opportunity to take photos of them at close range,but my attempts turned fruitless.I stopped the car,and got out very stealthily,aiming my camera.
Suddenly ,there was a signal from a guinea fowl,and the ostritches and the Kudu ran away as fast as they could,retreating about 1km nearer to the waters of the lake.I was only 30% successful.Unlike the animals and birds in zoos,those in the wild are very sensitive,alert,panicky,and
suspicious of human beings.I have seldom seen people in the vicinity.
There are no pedestrians on the road because the place is ununhabited.
One or twice a month,I have seen a Landrover of the South African Parks
Board moving slowly through the path close to the fence,apparently
surveying the area.These birds and animals are not familiar with human
beings,and live in a paradise of their own,undisturbed.They live in a
community,where they have secret codes to alert each other.perhaps they
see the vehicles that pass here as some come kind of alien creatures.If
a creature stops,they sense trouble brewing!

Anyway,the cows and bulls grazing on the grasslands have no animosity
towards human beings.Yesterday I saw a huge bull (I remembered Salaman
Khan and Hrithic Roshan) very close to the fence.
As I approached him,he didn't mind.He didn't show any 'rosham'.I took
some photos,and said,"Thanks."
The bulls and cows are electronically tagged ,to track them down in case
of cattle theft,which is common in South Africa.

MAKALKKAYI

Sony Karackal's poem 'makalkkayi' deals with an age-old issue that
doesn't seem to go away-ragging.It was only some weeks ago that we learnt about the murder of a Malayalee boy at Salem,by his seniors.
Investigative reporting about the so-called engineering colleges unearthed horrible details of the gangsterism,violence and corruption
rife in those institutions.Long ago,to be a student of an engineering
or medical college was an honour;such students were admired by the whole
community,and much talked about.Nowadays,the term engineering student
outside Kerala is almost synonymous with 'goonda' due to the gangsterism
and murders taking place there.In the late 1950s,the people of Paika,Poovarany,Edamattom used to talk about our first doctor and engineer
from our area,Appachan Ayittamattathil and Devasiachen Ganapathiplakkal
respectively.I heard that Devasiachen used to put his feet in a basin of
cold water while burning midnight oil!They were heroes of the entire
community,and role models for younger students.What now? Who cares about
students in Professional colleges?

The poem'Makalkkayi' shows that,from an early age,SK was sensitive to
social issues.Right from the beginning,SK has created a picture of a
grief-stricken mother,who has lost everything.Her life has been thrown
into the darkness grief and helplessness caused by the death of her only
daughter,as a result of ragging.

Irul vingi nilkkum smasanabhoovil
thozhukaiumayi karanjidunnu
Omalkinakkal karinjoramma
The phrase "Omalkkinakkal karinjoramma' expresses the deep sense of
the grief experienced by the bereaved woman.The imagery of darkness,and
the word'durithakadal',in the lines that follow,enhances the sorrowful
tone of the poem.The alliteration in 'thanutha thunayatta'is highly
effective.

The second stanza tells us about how the woman brought up her only
child,and about the boundless affection that she showered on her:

ponnum kudam polaruma puthri
Thenum vayambum pakarnnu koduthaval

In Malayalees' concept of affection towards a child,nothing is sweeter
than thenum vayambum.I think this phrase reflects our love for Guruvayoorappan.

Kannile krishnamani pole
Kunjile kunjaripravupole

The word 'krishnamani' itself shows the deep-rooted love we have for
children.Krishnamani means the quintessence of all that is precious
to us.In English they say,"the apple of my eyes'.As the poet uses more
and more words of love and affection,our sense of loss is redoubled.

Before focusing on the remaining stanzas,it is worthwhile to reflect
on the evil of ragging,which has claimed many young lives.This poem
is not about a particular woman's loss,it's about the loss of precious
lives to the society.The loss of any life is unbearable,and it's all
the more so,when the innocent victim is the only child of a widow,
whose dreams were based on her only child.This poem,written in 2002,
shows that SK was deeply saddened by the death of the girl.The poem
reflects the poet's social responsibility,by identifying wih the grief
of the bereaved mother.It inspires the reader to adopt a zero tolerance against the evil practice of ragging.Thanks to the people's
total disapproval and condemnation of ragging,the incidents of ragging
are fewer,at least in Kerala.The punishment given to the Kottayam
MEC perpertrators has given a strong warning to any would-be raggers
in the state.
The 3rd stanza highlights the high expectations of the mother,who
sends her daughter to a faraway institution for higher education.

puthiyoru bhaviye pulkiduvan
ammayo kathu kothichirunnu
These lines reflect the high expectations and dreams of the parents
who send their children to Salem,Coimbatore,Bangalore etc.

The last stanza is the most painful;it reveals the tragedy that
took away the life of the girl.
mruthyuvin chirakukal raggingu pol
avale kadannu pidichu melle

These lines show the horrors of ragging.Finally,the heartbreaking lines:

Ponnum kudathine kandu pinne
kettimarachu shavapothiyayi

We have witnessed such horrible scenes many times.But,after reading this poem,we say," Never again".