Elephants and Dogs!

 Elephants! Those majestic tusks, long trunks, huge ears, such a beautiful and graceful animal. Dogs are definitely loving, thankful, and caring animals. We love them so much. But why do we cage those animals and change their habitat? Research says the elephants do not stay confined to a single place for a long time, which avoids habitat destruction. Only 50% of Asian elephants survive beyond 15 years, and only 20% reach 30 because of hunters. Elephants fan their ears to cool their bodies, and that doesn’t mean they enjoy panchavadhyam or fire crackers. Wild elephants walk 15km+ a day, and that helps with their digestion as well. Are we not restricting all these in the name of elephant love? Elephants and dogs are the most exuberantly expressive of creatures. They express joy, anger, care, grief, compassion, and love. I was thinking if we love someone, we will let them do what they love and give them what they want. But here we cage them!

Dogs are one kind of animal that breeds many times. For every animal, breeding is its nature and rights. Calling ‘dog’ a bad word because they mate with many. In the name of dog love, are we not restricting their natural urge to mate, freedom, and habitat? We cage them, giving them food which we love and ask them to do according to our wish. They can’t even pee or poop according to their time. It is certainly a debatable topic about cows. We restrict their habitat too, their breeding and everything. But the majority of the population uses cow’s milk, and the cow is not used for humans' entertainment, unlike elephants and dogs. Many vegans are emerging, which is certainly a positive note. Vegetarian Vs Non-vegetarian is a huge topic, though! There were times when dogs were used to safeguard houses. But now, the majority pet them within the apartment or house. It’s high time to rethink about pets and so-called animal rights.

Uma Narayanan

#surname

 Google failed to give me the answer why women just change their surname after marriage and men don't! I think people who speak a lot about feminism, gender equality and a male chauvinistic society aren't aware of this topic. Right from Priyanka Chopra Jonas to my neighborhood girl, everyone changes their surname after marriage where their husbands didn't. Also, I would like to know if this surname change is applied just on social media or did they take effort to change it on academic certificates, passport, PAN card, bank account etc. For men and women, parents names won't change even after marriage, while there is a chance of changing the spouse. If this shows respect and love towards the spouse, it should be applied on the other side as well. Isn't it so? 

That's all about your honor! 

Think. Think.

Uma Narayanan

Vango Peshalam...

 Vango Peshalam...

"Machummela moromchadam kottinen, kollelendu chanachuranai eduthund vayen." - not everyone can understand the real meaning of this typical palakkad iyer Tamil sentence. We can hear such language from any agraharams in Kerala. But, only a few young parents who live outside Palakkad district take the time and effort to teach and ask their children to speak their 'native language' at home. We can't deny the fact that love for our typical palakkad Iyer Tamil is diminishing in the younger generation. Young parents are in the rush of professional education and languages helping with it. And these English-speaking young kids need not make an effort to speak our palakkad Iyer Tamil later just to speak with their paati and thatha. 

Yes, it's true that there is no major use of our typical Palakkad Iyer tamil because we can't use it for any professional purpose or address the audience on any stage. Not even in Kerala Brāhmaṇa Sabha meetings!! 

Native language plays an important role in shaping our thoughts, emotions, our proud culture and formation of an individual. If this is how things are, the survival of languages Palakkad Iyer language (outside Palakkad) will be languages of extinct languages after 50 years! So, Think! 

- Uma Narayanan

Memories

And then summer again. I wait for summer every year just for yummy jackfruit and juicy mangoes. Jackfruits, mangoes and summer vacation remind me of the good old days at Ammama's home.

Sharing unlimited jackfruits and mangoes with cousins and relatives sitting in the backyard is a nostalgic one.

The old House with a cow shed on the front side and back porch will be filled with firewood all year long. No nearby houses, towering groves of trees, sound of crickets and frogs at the night, wild flowers and me not plants.

Tasty mambazha pulissery cooked by ammama in kalchatti gives me yearning and wistful memories of the past. Raw mangoes and a number of juicy mangoes and sharing huge jackfruit gives me beautiful food memories.

Playing with wooden toys, swinging, bathing in the pond and surrounded by lots of people at home. I think those were the holidays in real sense, without any worries about bills being paid. 

My son,

My son,
Men and women are not equal
Yes again,
Men and women are not equal
Oops, its injustice, ain't it? Listen.

She can learn and get ranks equal to you,
She can earn well like you and spend it on her wish,
She can save, buy and sell.
She can be a pilot, captain and a leader.

She is as strong as you.
Trust me my son,
Your father can't score better than Mithali Raj
Your uncle can't fight and beat Mary Kom
Your Grandpa can't win over Sindhu or Saina.
It's all about practice. Not gender.

She can bleed, give birth, feed and bear the pain without rest,
She can embrace her scars as her beauty marks
She can love, care and nurture.
Her shoulders are strong, kind and hardworking.

She can drive, dance and sing.
She is ferocious, warm and beautiful.
She can cook, is clean and confident.
If she can do more than you,
Say, how are men and women are equal?

                                                     - Uma

Night Out!

 

That was an unplanned journey from Ernakulam south railway station to South town late at night all alone.  Public transport is perhaps the only way millions of women can afford to travel, and I must confess that was the only option that I had.

When I got into crowded Ernakulam South railway station at around 9.00 PM, all of a sudden I felt like I was in Sabarimala temple. The majority of the people are in black dress, going or coming back from Sabarimala. There were some foreign faces and I could hardly see real Kochi men.

I approached him a few times to ask about the train timings at the railway information center. A pale, brown-haired North Indian guy was on duty to question who hardly knew Malayalam and English. Even though, many were trying to make him understand their doubts.

The expected train was late for an hour. There were more paid washrooms for ladies and gents unlike other railway stations I have been to. Hardly I could hear railway announcements because of the high volume of televisions installed on the platform. Somehow, I spent one hour roaming in the station and was answering my mom’s call every ten minutes. Like most parents, she was also worried about my security. Fear is an inherent compromise that comes with being a woman. This fear, this compromise, is made by many women, for no fault of theirs. Should women who can’t afford to travel in cabs, cars or flights stop moving about as the sun sets?

While thinking deeply about women’s insecurity, my train arrived! Unfortunately, there were no ladies' compartment in it.  I got into the general compartment where I could narrowly breathe. There were very few North Indian ladies. It was more like the ‘gents' compartment’. Initially, I was very near to the door, as I couldn't move inside because of the crowd. Later, I somehow managed to get in and stand properly. Many were staring at me like other planet living being and were talking in Hindi, Bengali and other languages which I didn’t understand any of them.  The trains were stopped here and there to get the signal. As there was no one around to talk with, I thought deeply about life problems, happy tomorrow etc. At around 1.00 AM, I reached Palakkad junction safely.

As you travel solo, being totally responsible for yourself,

 It’s inevitable that you will discover just how capable you are!

#OrganDonation

We say a lot to do good things and we all do good in one way or another, but why not after death? The only answer is organ donation. When more than 5 lakhs of Indians die every year just because of the failure of their major functioning organs, why can’t we think about organ donation?  Organ donations should always be valued and celebrated, but perhaps it’s time to think of them as acts of solidarity.  It’s our duty to create awareness, donate our social profile for an update and to recycle our organs.

Very sick patients, who might have been put on the waiting list in the past, can be on the sure list with our little efforts.  I don’t want to state, ‘we face death one day or another’, but why can’t we offer our organs after our sufficient happy 100 years of service in the world?  It’s indeed to start thinking about changes within our society. The rising prevalence of accidents, diabetes and other chronic diseases means that needs for organ transplantation will increase. We won’t be able to meet these needs if we continue to think of donation as an exceptional altruistic act. After your death, your organs could either rot in the ground or burn into ashes, or save someone’s life. It’s all your choice. Think!

Organ donation boost requires action, not just talk. Yes, not just in my words, proud that I am the one who registered. Let’s join hands and agree to save lives after death.

‘May all be happy

 May all be healthy

 May we all experience what is good

 Let no one suffer’