08-Karumbuth thOTTaththilE
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https://www.rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=202169#p202169
by arasi »
EIGHT
Karumbuth thOTTaththilE
(In the sugarcane fields)
Someone had given a speech on Indian immigrant workers in Fiji, victims of cruelty at the hands of their employers. Bharathi's publisher had asked him to write a poem about it. I went with my father and Va ve su to Bharathi's house.
Bharathi: Welcome! It's trimurthi darSanam for me today!
Iyer: We are here because we hadn't seen you the past few days.
Bharathi: I had a cold. I get one if I bathe in cold water at home. Bathing in the river, pond or the sea doesn't bother me. Chellamma has been ill. The maid hasn't turned up. The journal has been pestering me too.
Va ve su: Before you bathe in cold water, walk two hundred or three hundred paces briskly. You won't catch a cold.
Bharathi: I could as well go to the pond to bathe, look at the beauty of Nature around me rather than having to stare at an ugly wall at home, IyerE!
Va ve su: Yes, it's good to be out. If you have to bathe at home, walk first. What are they pestering you about?
Bharathi: They wanted me to write about the plight of the slaves in Fiji.
Va ve su: What's the title of the poem? If you have included the country's name in it, Fiji will come into focus.
Bharathi: karumbuth thOTTam is the title.
My father: You did the right thing! 'India, our Mother' is how our anthem goes. Somehow, I don't think the word India goes well with tamizh words! I'm glad you left Fiji out of the title.
Bharathi sang that song to us. I got upset hearing it and started crying. Bharathi consoled me."This is happening a thousand miles away. Don't cry!"
Va ve su: When we grown ups have tears in our eyes, what will the child do? It's not surprising. Alas! The government refused to take action!
My father: That's why Bharathi is invoking the Gods!
Va ve su: What nastiness! The mEstri (leader of the work crew) lures those innocent men away to Fiji, only to subject them to such inhumane treatment!
Bharathi: IyerE! You speak like a hundred year old man (nUTRuk kizhavan)! Don't you see? We can only stop the shipping of more such slaves. It's impossible to do much for the ones who are already trapped there. I saw it in the newspaper today. When a husband was away at work, a man went to his door and gave his wife a chit. The street was deserted. She read it. "Your husband is dying. Come immediately!" She panicked, locked the door and with the child on her hip, followed the man who took her to a ship which was ready to sail away at one in the afternoon. The beserk woman asked, "Why are you taking me to the ship?". The man said, "because your husband's boss asked him to take a message to the captain and while he was climbing up the steps, he got giddy, fell down and broke his head." The woman ran into the ship and before she reached the upper dek, the ship left the port. There were more women there, all crying. "We are slaves now. We're going to an island for the pleasure of the men who work there."
How many such families have been ruined like this!
Va ve su: What about the husband?
Bharathi: He found a note by the window when he got home. It said: I'm going on to better things. I can't live with you in poverty. Forget that I existed." He went to the police. What could they do when the ship had sailed away? End of the story.
My father: Can't they do anything by legal means? This is wrong. There is no justice in this!
Va v su: I don't get this. However poor and miserable, men might opt to go away to earn money, but will not think of letting their women go afar. The reason why this is happening is because there aren't many women among Indians in Fiji. That's the reason for the island's government to indulge in such atrocities.
Bharathi: If there's just one such incidence like this, we can do something about it. Here's a phenomenon which is beyond control.
Yadugiri: If all the women begged of the captain, won't he let them go ?
Bharathi: He's a demon.He's ruthless in taking them away.If they ever open their mouths, he'd whip them.
Yadugiri: Will he do that? What if the women jumped into the sea?
Bharathi: Some among them are orphans who are starving. Some are illiterate.He rounds them all up and ships them away every few months. He sweet talks them into it, describing hell as paradise.
My Father: Yadugir is an innocent child. Don't frighten her!
Va ve su: Children should know a bit about suffering too. If they're protected too much, they may find it difficult to cope with life.
Bharathi: We needn't expose them to all the problems we face, but we have to instil courage in them. That way, they'll be granted the strength to face the difficulties in life.
Va ve su: Yes, they have to be brave.
Bharathi: Yadugiri, go get some water from Chellamma for us. Look! All are fine in our families. Don't fret your little head over something which is happening far far away! Now, let's see you smile!
Bharathi sent me away and the conversation continued until nine at night.
* * * * *
Karumbuth thOTTaththilE
(In the sugarcane fields)
Someone had given a speech on Indian immigrant workers in Fiji, victims of cruelty at the hands of their employers. Bharathi's publisher had asked him to write a poem about it. I went with my father and Va ve su to Bharathi's house.
Bharathi: Welcome! It's trimurthi darSanam for me today!
Iyer: We are here because we hadn't seen you the past few days.
Bharathi: I had a cold. I get one if I bathe in cold water at home. Bathing in the river, pond or the sea doesn't bother me. Chellamma has been ill. The maid hasn't turned up. The journal has been pestering me too.
Va ve su: Before you bathe in cold water, walk two hundred or three hundred paces briskly. You won't catch a cold.
Bharathi: I could as well go to the pond to bathe, look at the beauty of Nature around me rather than having to stare at an ugly wall at home, IyerE!
Va ve su: Yes, it's good to be out. If you have to bathe at home, walk first. What are they pestering you about?
Bharathi: They wanted me to write about the plight of the slaves in Fiji.
Va ve su: What's the title of the poem? If you have included the country's name in it, Fiji will come into focus.
Bharathi: karumbuth thOTTam is the title.
My father: You did the right thing! 'India, our Mother' is how our anthem goes. Somehow, I don't think the word India goes well with tamizh words! I'm glad you left Fiji out of the title.
Bharathi sang that song to us. I got upset hearing it and started crying. Bharathi consoled me."This is happening a thousand miles away. Don't cry!"
Va ve su: When we grown ups have tears in our eyes, what will the child do? It's not surprising. Alas! The government refused to take action!
My father: That's why Bharathi is invoking the Gods!
Va ve su: What nastiness! The mEstri (leader of the work crew) lures those innocent men away to Fiji, only to subject them to such inhumane treatment!
Bharathi: IyerE! You speak like a hundred year old man (nUTRuk kizhavan)! Don't you see? We can only stop the shipping of more such slaves. It's impossible to do much for the ones who are already trapped there. I saw it in the newspaper today. When a husband was away at work, a man went to his door and gave his wife a chit. The street was deserted. She read it. "Your husband is dying. Come immediately!" She panicked, locked the door and with the child on her hip, followed the man who took her to a ship which was ready to sail away at one in the afternoon. The beserk woman asked, "Why are you taking me to the ship?". The man said, "because your husband's boss asked him to take a message to the captain and while he was climbing up the steps, he got giddy, fell down and broke his head." The woman ran into the ship and before she reached the upper dek, the ship left the port. There were more women there, all crying. "We are slaves now. We're going to an island for the pleasure of the men who work there."
How many such families have been ruined like this!
Va ve su: What about the husband?
Bharathi: He found a note by the window when he got home. It said: I'm going on to better things. I can't live with you in poverty. Forget that I existed." He went to the police. What could they do when the ship had sailed away? End of the story.
My father: Can't they do anything by legal means? This is wrong. There is no justice in this!
Va v su: I don't get this. However poor and miserable, men might opt to go away to earn money, but will not think of letting their women go afar. The reason why this is happening is because there aren't many women among Indians in Fiji. That's the reason for the island's government to indulge in such atrocities.
Bharathi: If there's just one such incidence like this, we can do something about it. Here's a phenomenon which is beyond control.
Yadugiri: If all the women begged of the captain, won't he let them go ?
Bharathi: He's a demon.He's ruthless in taking them away.If they ever open their mouths, he'd whip them.
Yadugiri: Will he do that? What if the women jumped into the sea?
Bharathi: Some among them are orphans who are starving. Some are illiterate.He rounds them all up and ships them away every few months. He sweet talks them into it, describing hell as paradise.
My Father: Yadugir is an innocent child. Don't frighten her!
Va ve su: Children should know a bit about suffering too. If they're protected too much, they may find it difficult to cope with life.
Bharathi: We needn't expose them to all the problems we face, but we have to instil courage in them. That way, they'll be granted the strength to face the difficulties in life.
Va ve su: Yes, they have to be brave.
Bharathi: Yadugiri, go get some water from Chellamma for us. Look! All are fine in our families. Don't fret your little head over something which is happening far far away! Now, let's see you smile!
Bharathi sent me away and the conversation continued until nine at night.
* * * * *
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