Vaikkam Mohammed Basheer (1908-1994), an iconic figure in Malayalam literature was born in Thalayolaparambu near Vaikkom. He received modern education in an English Medium School. He was greatly interested in the national movement of Gandhi and later to the revolutionary ideas of Bhagat Singh. So, he was imprisoned twice and to escape further arrest he travelled widely. Those travels and experiences became apt materials to his stories and novels. Thus, he became one among the realist writers, who wrote about the downtrodden and the marginalized people. Apart from this, his unique style, subtle humour, profound human sympathy, specialized use of the language of the commoners and genuine descriptions of the world where he lived, made him much venerated and widely read author. His ‘Pathumayude Aadu’, ‘Sthalathe Pradana Divyan’, ‘Ormayude Arakal’ and ‘Nerum Nunayum’ etc have brought new style and diction to Malayalam literature. His ‘Neela Velicham’, ‘Balya Kala Saki’, ‘Mathilukal’, and ‘Premalekhanam’ were adapted to feature films. Apart from numerous prestigious literary awards, Basheer was awarded Padmasree in 1982. His story, ‘The Christian Heritage’, talks about an unexpected guest who visits Basheer’s house just to see him in person.
One day on seeing a head
bobbing up near the gate, Basheer invited him and came to find that he was
there to see Basheer. He was a Christian
from Changanassery. His name, Kochu Thommi, an industrious labour, settled in
Malabar for eight or nine years, planting coffee and black pepper. His wife was no more. Blessed with four sons and five
daughters. All were married and had
settled with their families. He was
hospitalized for a month. When he got
discharged from the hospital he came straight over to see Basheer. Bahseer felt proud for a Christian’s visit to
a Muslim. They spoke for a long
time. They exchanged stories from
Chenganassery, Thalayolaparambu and Vaikkom.
Basheer’s wife Fabi brought tea.
They drank and talked about the market value of rubber, black pepper and
coffee.
It became dark. Kochu Thommi seemed to have no plans of
leaving. Talks continued even after
supper. Basheer asked why he didn’t stay
there. Kochu Thommi gave a big yes. Fabi spread out a mat in the reading
room. ‘Christian heritage in India’, by
Sri. John Ochanthuruth served as his pillow.
Basheer could hear him snoring shortly after. However, the next day, Thommi left after
breakfast. When Basheer gave him ten rupees as way-fare, he didn’t refuse. Basheer thought that it was wonderful to
treat Thommi in that way. A relative of
Basheer’s son-in-law came there after two weeks. ‘Christian heritage’ was there to serve again
as a pillow. When Fabi opened the book,
two hundred rupees notes fell from it.
It must be kept there by Thommi, a rugged peasant and an avid reader of
Basheer. Here, through this story
Basheer questions our society’s deep rooted prejudices against commoners like
farmers.
----Thulasidharan V
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