Lalithambika Antharjanam (1909-1987), the best known novelist and social reformer, used her writing as a powerful weapon to expose the injustices existing in the society. She has enriched Malayalam literature with nine volumes of short stories, six collections of poems, two books for children and a novel ‘Agnisakshi (1976) that won the Sahitya Academy Award. Some of her major themes are the plights of antharjanams, the freedom struggle and the dilemmas of a woman writer. Daughter of Humanity(Manushyaputri) was written after the communist government’s enacting the land reforms in 1959 that put an end to the Janmi system in Kerala. Here, she portrays the miserable condition of a woman in the Namboothri house-holds who visits a minister with a small prayer.
The story begins with
the entering of the Minister Govindankutty after a long and exhausting
journey. Though he has a headache, he
talks to all who have waited for him. At
last a lady enters with a seven year old boy as if she were a woman from an
eighteenth century story book. When she
says, ‘I think you haven’t recognized me, Govindankutty,’ he notices a familiar
scar on her forehead. It is Kunhathol
Amma, who used to mix curd and mango pickle with rice and give him on his
bringing flowers for her prayers every day.
After the death of his father, his mother Lakshmikutty suffered a lot to
bring him up. There was Kunhathol Amma
to help them with words and deeds. After the death of his mother the only
refuge was Kunhathol amma, who often gave him money and sweets from the
offerings to the deity. Giving food and
helping others were Kunhathol’s necessary part of her everyday life. Every evening someone from the Illam would
come to the gate and ask if there is anyone who needed food. Among the many Govindan Kutty was one there
to get food, when he was a boy.
When Govindan Kutty
finished his school and left the village, he did not think it necessary to say
good bye to Kunhathol. Soon he became a
success on public platforms and a valuable member of many groups. When years passed he began to forget his old
village. On his way to a function, he
passed the village once. Then he came to
know that the Illam was sold to clear the debt incurred for the funeral
ceremonies of the senior Namboothiri.
The older son was stricken with arthritis. The younger one left the house after joining
a political party. An old tenant who
felt sorry for Kunhathol had arranged for her to move with her invalid son and
his children to a small house that had once been part of their property. Though he thought to meet Kunhathol, he
couldn’t meet her then.
Kunhathol who
stands in front of him, wants Govindan
Kutty’s help to send the child to school and if that happens he would at least
get a meal at noon. Hearing this,
Govindan Kutty feels sorry and tears run down his face. Annapoorneswari herself begs for an afternoon
meal for her grandson. Though he was one
among the people who destroyed her illam on their fighting for the cause of the
starving, she hasn’t found fault with them instead she envelops him with
blessings. So, he says that though he is
not sure of doing what she needs him to do, he begs her to be a mother to
motherless Govindankutty. Then he asks
his secretary to take his mother Kunhathol to the car and inform that as he has
a son’s duties to attend his mother, he can’t attend that day’s meeting. Thus, the story ends with a startling moment
of the realization of the Daughter of Humanity by Govindankutty. He decides to be the son of the helpless
mother at the end.
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