A Hartal Day in Kerala.

I was born in Kerala and was raised in Bangalore. My lengthiest stay in Kerala is no more than 3 years. Yet i take pride in saying, i am a Malayali. Kerala the state is unique for numerous reasons. It’s rich tradition and culture makes it different from other states.  Its climate, vegetation and tranquillity makes Kerala, one among the top 10 tourist spot across the world. The festivals, different ancient arts which are taught and practiced till date, temples that are constructed in ancient design makes it a different world all together. Kerala is the first state to achieve 100% literacy rate. Despite being a small state, Kerala is second largest state in NRI population. But there is one more thing which makes Kerala different and it is called Hartal( strikes).People in Kerala say that the Hartals are the main reason for poor industrial development. They talk about the hardships people go through due to Hartals, which will be there at least 2 days a month. Now they say that both BJP and Left parties are competing with each other in Hartals. Let me not make it an essay on Kerala politics in anyway. Till last month, i was not stranded anywhere due to Hartal. Instead i choose to be at home on Hartal days.

Last month i been to Kadapuzha Devi temple, which is twenty kilometres from away from my home. I reached temple around seven in the evening. I went with an idea to stay there till morning and get early morning ‘Nirmalya darshanam’ ( seeing the deity,  before previous night’s decorations and flowers are taken off). I did so. Got up at 3.30 Am in the morning, took bathe and was at temple door by 3.45Am. Everything went as per my plan including the most auspicious and sacred darshanam. I Spent two hours inside the temple, my oblation to god. Around 6:30 i came out after being lulled in benediction. I was surprised to see all shops closed, which will open by 5Am otherwise. Could not get tea and newspaper. I walked up to  security guard at temple entrance and enquired about it.

Why no shops are open yet, i asked. Don’t you know about dawn to dusk  Hartal? He quipped.

Hartal! For what? I asked.

A political leader of beetroot  party was murdered by carrot  party workers yesterday night, in the neighbouring district.  Hence beetroot party has declared a state wide Hartal, he explained.

Oh no, are you saying that even the buses are not there? i asked with anger.

No sir. No bus service till 6 in the evening, he replied.

Okay, i said.

It intrigued me to know the reason for the murder.

Do you know the reason for the murder, i asked with quoricity.

It is for the same reason as usual. Last month beetroot party workers killed a Carrot party leaders. Then Carrot party declared a day long state wide Hartal. Yesterday’s murder was Carrot party’s vendetta. Beetroot party could not plan and inform people about Hartal, because he was killed late night yesterday, he explained.

This is crazy, i replied.

It is the same madness, people of Kerala are facing from a very long time. Murder has become part of Kerala politics followed by hartals, vandalism and violence from political hooligans. Most of it is done by Carrot and Beetroot party workers. Then we have Broccoli league and associates. Some of Broccoli associates are extremists, who would kill a Carrot or Beetroot party worker silently. And this will intensify the violent fight between Carrot and Beetroot party. That way, Banana republicans are far better. They follow Gandhian way of non-violence as they do not have an ideology or cadre base. They only hire professional rowdies, at times when it is necessary. He explained.

Impressive! Thank you for educating me on Kerala politics. So no shops, hotels, buses till evening 6? I asked.

Yes. You can stay in temple till  evening and will get meal ( prasadam) around 12noon, he answered assuming that i am more concerned about food.

That is okay. But is there a way to get some cigarettes or beedi? Will there be some pan shop or so?   I asked as if it is my last wish.

No way. The party workers will do rounds on bikes and will vandalise if any shop is found open, he answered.

So can’t eat till noon, no tea, no smoke and can’t even think of going home till 6 in the evening. I said with frustration.

You can go to parking area. The guard in parking area smokes. You can get some beedi from him and you will stand a chance to get lift from someone, if you are lucky. He explained, understanding my stated needs and frustration.

I went to the parking area. I met the security guard and asked for a beedi.

Boy, i just have few and there is no way of getting it till evening 6. So i just can give you one. He said taking out a packet of beedi.

I lit the beedi and took few puffs.

Will you be able to arrange lift for me from Someone, if i were to stay here. I persuaded.

See, there are only few cars and bikes here. And those who have come with their families will not have space for one more person, it depends on their mind set and where they want to go. He explained his helplessness and advised to stay at temple, where meal is assured.

By then it was 9.30Am. So i decided to walk and to see, if i could get lift from some bikers on the road. I thanked him for beedi, told him about my plan and started walking.

I walked through the deserted streets and reached the bus stop. There i found a man in his late fifties, wearing a neatly pressed white shirt, dhoti and  a white skull cap sitting alone. He had a big carry bag next to him. I walked up to him and saw a smile on his face. The same smile you would see on your friend’s face, when he gets to know that you also failed in the semester exam.

No buses till six in the evening, isn’t it? I asked.

Yes, it’s our bad luck. Politicians should be the one to be blamed. Those idiots have no other work than making our life difficult. Where do you want to go, he asked after belittling the Hartal and its cause.

Kuttipuram, i said with an expression that i agree to his views.

What is your name, he asked.

Prasad, i replied with a handshake.

And what is your name, i asked?

I am Rehaman. He replied. You could have stayed at home, till evening knowing its Hartal today, he said as if i am the sinner.

I came to temple yesterday evening and did not expect this, i replied expressing my innocence.

See the kind of mess our politicians are creating in the day to day lives of people. He said empathetically.

So, what’s your story? I asked being curios  to know, what made him come out on a Hartal day.

I am a cook. I came here to prepare dinner for a get together in a house and now i am on my way to Calicut, where i should make preparation to serve morning break and Biriyani for lunch for tomorrow. Today, half of the shops won’t open even after six. And i some how want to be there at the earliest. Its is worrying me. He said with anger and frustration.

Then why don’t we walk? On the way, we may get lift from someone. You can catch a train to Calicut, if we reach the nearest railway station, I said.

Then we saw a man in his early thirties coming to us.  His blued T shirt was soaked in sweat and was wearing a black jeans and sports shoes. Clean shave, short hair and his athletic body made me think that he is either from Army or police. He came and sat next to us gasping.

A**holes, they think the entire state belongs to them. Will they ever understand our problems?  He said in between gasps.

I and Rehaman understood what he meant.

So what is your name and story, Rehaman asked.

I am Arun. I am a doctor. I work at Aster MIMS and stay here. I am from Ernakulum. My grandfather died and just got to know. I was sleeping after night shift. Yesterday i did plan to go home to see my grandpa, who was sick and hospitalised. But gave my bike for servicing, because i am not going to be here for 3 days. He said all this in one stretch, even without giving us a chance to add some verbal nod.

Rehaman stood and told doctor about our plan to walk till nearest railway station. He asked doctor to join us if he is interested.

We started to walk and Rehaman took a packed of beedi from his pocket and lit one.

Do you smoke? He asked looking at me.

Yes, i do. I dint know that you smoke. Its like a blessing. I said lighting the beedi.

The beedi ignited my appetite, i said throwing the beedi after few drags.

Don’t worry i have enough food for all of us, in this bag. All cooked by me for breakfast. We will sit at somewhere after a while to eat. Rehaman said trying to match the pace of doctor who was jogging.

Great. Meeting you was a blessing. I said with excitement.

After walking for a while we stopped to have water which Rehaman had in his bag. There we saw a man who in his late forties sitting on the roadside. A black skinny man in a filthy jeans and torn T shirt. The actual  colour of his clothes were undefinable, because it had a thick layer of grease and dust. He had a small rug sack.

He joined us, when we started to walk. What is your name, i asked.

I am Velu, he replied.

So what do you do? I asked.

I am a rag picker. I also  buy scrap if it is available in bulk.  I sell them to scrap dealers for reasonable commission. He replied in a manner in which a business professional would introduce his firm.

Dr. Arun took out his iPhone and checked the distance once and said; we need to walk 9 kilometres to reach the nearest station and on an average a man can walk up to 6 kilometres an hour. This means we should be at the station by 2Pm. And i have train to Ernakulum by 2:30Pm.

All of us agreed to what he said.

Where are you going Velu, i asked.

Kuttipuram, he replied lighting a beedi. Do you smoke? He asked offering beedi to me.

I took a beedi and asked; where do you reside?

Kuttipuram chetta. He replied.

From his accent and name, i could make out that he is from Tamil Nadu. I lit the beedi and asked; ‘neega tamila’?

‘Aama’. Reply was quicker than expected.

In Kuttipuram, where do you reside? I asked.

I have a tent behind railway station and that’s where i stay, he replied.

So where is your family? I asked.

I am from Thuthukudi. My wife died long back and all i had is a son, who got married to a girl in Thuthukudi. I gave my house and a small portion of land i owned to him. I go there once in a while. And i am a free bird; he said happily.

‘Sarake podarinkaloo’? He asked.

Bloody can’t think of a tea till 6 in the evening and what is the point in thinking about booze now? i asked.

I have it in my bag, he said with a meek smile.

Awesome. Blessed to meet you. We will drink later when we stop for food. Rehaman has got food, i said.

Okay, he agreed.

What brand have you got? I asked.

It is country liquor. Are you fine with it, he asked.

You mean hooch. I don’t drink that. It could be lethal. I don’t trust that, i said.

No it is pure. It is home brewed. I brewed it. That’s what i do in my free time. My income is not sufficient to afford generous amount of  alcohol i drink. So i make it on my own.

Okay, i will try it when we stop for food., i said

At 12 we stopped for brunch and sat under a tree. Velu took out a bottle from his rug sack.

Rehaman gave us two Styrofoam cups, understanding our need. Velu asked Rehaman if he would drink.

No, it is haram for us. Yes our people do drink nowadays, but i don’t. He denied.

Velu pored arrack into cup. I took a bottle of water from Rehaman’s bag to mix.

No, you should have it on the rocks. Velu suggested.

Me and Velu said cheers and gulped it all at once, bottoms up! I could feel  the burning sensation caused by the potent alcohol all the way down till my intestine.

Velu refilled our cups again.

Me and Velu finished two more pegs in no time.

Velu, you said that you are from Thuthukudi. Isn’t it, i asked lighting a beedi.

Yes, he replied.

What is Thuthukudi famous for? i asked.

It was place where, people lived a healthy life with peace of mind. Now it is famous for polluted air, water and diseases. All due to Sterlite Copper, he replied.

Oh yes. I read in newspaper about the protest and the case against ‘Sterlite copper’ in Supreme court, i said.

See people in Tamil nadu are not united. And there is no political party which would call for a state wide protest like in Kerala, which is why there is no end for issues like Cauvery, Sterlite, Mulla Periya, kudambakkam nuclear plant, ‘Chennai Salem express high way’ which snatched away farm land and indiscriminate mining across Tamil Nadu which changed landscape causing catastrophic climate change and pollution. 

Okey! is all i could say being amused by the knowledge and wisdom of a rag picker.

See my friend, Tamilnadu is far behind Kerala in education. Yet it is among top five states in India in industrial development and it would not have been a reality, if there were strikes and hartals like what we have in Kerala. Rehaman said, giving a disposable Areca leaf plate with chicken curry and Patheri in it to Velu, Arun and me.

With all that industrial development, ‘Tamizan parithabangal’ is endless. It’s just an opportunity for the wealthy people to accumulate more wealth. We don’t have same standard of living in rural Tamil Nadu which you people enjoy in Kerala, Velu said.

See, we can’t think of roads like what you have in Tamil Nadu, even after ten years due to protests. Then what ‘standard of living’ are you talking about? I worked through out my life to educate my son and daughter. One thing which stopped me from earning every now and then is strikes and hartal. My son is working in Dubai and i am working at this age to repay the loan, i obtained for my daughter’s wedding. I pledged my home to pay dowry. It is difficult in our community to get a good guy from a good family, unless you pay a lump sum as dowry. Even with all the dowry, they are free to divorce with just three words orally, written, online or over the phone. A cheating husband gave ‘Tripple Talaq’ to his 19 year old wife who opposed his extra marital affair in Bareilly on the same the bill banning  ‘Tripple Talaq’ was passed in parliament. Rehaman said with anger.

What is your qualification? is all i could ask to Velu after hearing all that he said.

I am 7th passed and my parents could not afford my education there after. And we dint have a high-school in our village back then. But i read newspaper. Velu said pouring the last peg into our cups equally.

So are you saying that two major political parties in Tamil Nadu are not helping the people? I asked.

Yes, they are. Only as much as any other party in any other state. Velu replied.

Who do you think will win the next election? I asked.

It is a difficult question to answer now. So far the two major parties were headed by Kalenger and Amma. They are no more. There political patronage was bigger than their respective party. In there absence who ever wins the next state election will be the boss of Tamil Nadu politics, replied Velu.

I had a sip and took a bite from the plate and lit a beedi.

Why can’t you people just spare beedi at least when you are having meal. See i am a cardiologist and i get to see people like you who live loose and unhealthy life. You people abuse your health with beedi, cigarette, gutkha, alcohol and what not and come to us when you fall sick. Dr. Arun said with anger.

Dr. Arun’s words reminded me about doctors, who said the same thing when my dad was hospitalized years before his death.

We drink, we smoke and we live a joyful life, which is why you doctors get to earn well. Velu said in a sarcastic way.

Sir your words reminded me about how doctors used reply, when asked about my dads health, when he was hospitalised after a cardiac arrest. He had no improvement even after being in ICU with all life supports like pace maker, ventilator etc for more than fifteen days. And those replies were annoying, I said.

All doctors do everything they could to save a patient. But they will not exhibit sympathy or make any empathetic statement for various reasons. Doctors deal with similar patients every day. They even have at least one patient dying in the hospital  in a week. Those who are in causality will have to deal with victims of road mishap. Sometimes we doctors deal with wreckage of human body, which is neither dead nor alive. Despite all this, some of us who are very efficient are on a tight schedule, which will even result in broken relationship and family. Such doctors even start drug abuse. But we do our best to save a patient, said Dr.Arun.

All of us finished our brunch and started walking. A police jeep which went past us applied sudden brake. Then we saw the Kerala Jana mythri police jeep coming backward in reverse gear. They offered us lift till railway station. This Hartal made my day, which helped me meet different people from different walks of life, the food, the beedi and the hooch all for free.

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