SEA - THE ENIGMA
I look back the year 2005 with much satisfaction. The year was full of challenges. It created an opportunity for me to look beyond my family, my profession and myself.
Last year I had a chance to have the Secretary post of the Club – thanks to my entire senior members who wanted me to have the feel of socializing & community service. Had a chance to take part in Tsunami related rehabilitation work. It shook me off from my otherwise routine life.
Spent some days at 3 fisherman’s hamlet and frequently visited those places –during daytime, after dawn extending to midnight. I used to drive all alone at EC Road at odd hours, barge in the village, watch the activity, observe their way of life. After all these years of my existence, I look at the sea differently now.
The beach line there, was different from Marina. It was mysterious, natural to the core, intimidating, mesmerizing and it made me to look at it with respect. I used to stand at the isolated sandy area between the beach and the road, visualizing the 26th December of 2004, based on the tales told by the fishermen and on obvious evidence it had left behind.
I visualized the family members in their home hearing a rumbling sound. I visualized ground water gushing from floor of the house while they were cooking and doing household chores. I visualized people coming out of the home puzzled, to gaze at the sea. I visualized the entire people running in panic towards the ECR, outsmarting the Tsunami waves by fraction of seconds. I visualized the panic faces through out the ECR.
The temporary sheds, with thatched roofs through out the ECR stretch, brought me the realization that we can be orphans in our own place, if nature decides as such. It made me to look at the nature with respect.
Had interaction with the local people, took a truck load of food grains, sarees, biscuits donated by the members from MP (or is UP),brought by two doctor members and distributed.Overseen the music party, the day before the fisherman went to the sea for the first time after Tsunami. Been a part of organizing group for the medical camp. It was a soul satisfying experience.
The other day I lied down in the newly constructed thatched shed during a sunny and humid day, only to find it was so cool inside making me realize the sort of comforts the nature offers, which we have forgotten long back and falsely imagining that the real comfort comes from electrical and electronic gadgets.
I used to sit near the seashore, while others attended the meeting, handed over the fiber boats, discussed their requirements etc. I used to sit on a catamaran, watch the sea, its beauty, its waves, the hundreds of crabs all around me, while other fishermen would be mending their fishnets, minding their own business. I watched the family members offering prayers to Sea, padayal placed to the sea, when their men folk ventured into the sea. The worried look of the female members of the family made me feel uneasy. “oru naal povar, oru naal varuvar, ovvurunalum thuyaram”- Kanadasan’s lyrics in the movie “Padakotti” catches the lifestyle of fishermen crisply and accurately.
A fisherman narrated their “matter of fact” way of life simultaneously doing his work. Men with good physic working as long as their health permits to cope up with the hardship of sailing, retiring at 40 or 50 years of age, would be taken cared of by the next generations. They feel it the duty to take of the elders. The practice continues for many generations.The virtues still continue there, whereas it is slowly vanishing in the urban area. There is not much savings to look at the future with confidence. Generations after generations, their life continues as such. I could see youngsters able to talk in English, meaning now they are getting good education.
From the limited talks I had with them I could make out where rocks would be below the sea surface level, where prawns would be available, where catchments would be near to the shore and attitudes of different hamlets.
Once went along with them in the fiber boat, thrilled by the vast expanse of wavy sea, black in color. Felt like a kid. I won’t get so much of joy even if I buy a new car or a new home or gain a material benefit. Made me to quiz myself, “what is a real joy?” One reason to think on those lines was I could see the pure joy of kid in the face of none other than one of the high profile personality of our society – Hindu Ram, when he ventured in the boat along with the club president (our president was the only man who sailed in full suit that day). I am sure in those moments he would have forgotten himself of his stature in the society.
Some how we have lost touch with nature and have it once in a while when on vacation. Nature is part of us. Probably that is why the nature, once in while reminds us of its existence and our existence depends on it.
The sea fascinates me. I want to sail frequently. I want to explore. I want to be part of it. Or it is too late to think about it? (I once even thought of joining the deep-sea diving course at Mumbai.) When I see the sea nowadays I look at it with fasication, fear and respect.
The able-bodied fishermen and woman with strong physic gives an impression that they lead a healthy life better than us? (Doctors said most of them suffer from malnutrition)
Do they?
All said and done it appears - with a house to live in, a car to move on, an office to work, definite source of income, we are the blessed ones than those people at the coastlines.
Are we?
Last year I had a chance to have the Secretary post of the Club – thanks to my entire senior members who wanted me to have the feel of socializing & community service. Had a chance to take part in Tsunami related rehabilitation work. It shook me off from my otherwise routine life.
Spent some days at 3 fisherman’s hamlet and frequently visited those places –during daytime, after dawn extending to midnight. I used to drive all alone at EC Road at odd hours, barge in the village, watch the activity, observe their way of life. After all these years of my existence, I look at the sea differently now.
The beach line there, was different from Marina. It was mysterious, natural to the core, intimidating, mesmerizing and it made me to look at it with respect. I used to stand at the isolated sandy area between the beach and the road, visualizing the 26th December of 2004, based on the tales told by the fishermen and on obvious evidence it had left behind.
I visualized the family members in their home hearing a rumbling sound. I visualized ground water gushing from floor of the house while they were cooking and doing household chores. I visualized people coming out of the home puzzled, to gaze at the sea. I visualized the entire people running in panic towards the ECR, outsmarting the Tsunami waves by fraction of seconds. I visualized the panic faces through out the ECR.
The temporary sheds, with thatched roofs through out the ECR stretch, brought me the realization that we can be orphans in our own place, if nature decides as such. It made me to look at the nature with respect.
Had interaction with the local people, took a truck load of food grains, sarees, biscuits donated by the members from MP (or is UP),brought by two doctor members and distributed.Overseen the music party, the day before the fisherman went to the sea for the first time after Tsunami. Been a part of organizing group for the medical camp. It was a soul satisfying experience.
The other day I lied down in the newly constructed thatched shed during a sunny and humid day, only to find it was so cool inside making me realize the sort of comforts the nature offers, which we have forgotten long back and falsely imagining that the real comfort comes from electrical and electronic gadgets.
I used to sit near the seashore, while others attended the meeting, handed over the fiber boats, discussed their requirements etc. I used to sit on a catamaran, watch the sea, its beauty, its waves, the hundreds of crabs all around me, while other fishermen would be mending their fishnets, minding their own business. I watched the family members offering prayers to Sea, padayal placed to the sea, when their men folk ventured into the sea. The worried look of the female members of the family made me feel uneasy. “oru naal povar, oru naal varuvar, ovvurunalum thuyaram”- Kanadasan’s lyrics in the movie “Padakotti” catches the lifestyle of fishermen crisply and accurately.
A fisherman narrated their “matter of fact” way of life simultaneously doing his work. Men with good physic working as long as their health permits to cope up with the hardship of sailing, retiring at 40 or 50 years of age, would be taken cared of by the next generations. They feel it the duty to take of the elders. The practice continues for many generations.The virtues still continue there, whereas it is slowly vanishing in the urban area. There is not much savings to look at the future with confidence. Generations after generations, their life continues as such. I could see youngsters able to talk in English, meaning now they are getting good education.
From the limited talks I had with them I could make out where rocks would be below the sea surface level, where prawns would be available, where catchments would be near to the shore and attitudes of different hamlets.
Once went along with them in the fiber boat, thrilled by the vast expanse of wavy sea, black in color. Felt like a kid. I won’t get so much of joy even if I buy a new car or a new home or gain a material benefit. Made me to quiz myself, “what is a real joy?” One reason to think on those lines was I could see the pure joy of kid in the face of none other than one of the high profile personality of our society – Hindu Ram, when he ventured in the boat along with the club president (our president was the only man who sailed in full suit that day). I am sure in those moments he would have forgotten himself of his stature in the society.
Some how we have lost touch with nature and have it once in a while when on vacation. Nature is part of us. Probably that is why the nature, once in while reminds us of its existence and our existence depends on it.
The sea fascinates me. I want to sail frequently. I want to explore. I want to be part of it. Or it is too late to think about it? (I once even thought of joining the deep-sea diving course at Mumbai.) When I see the sea nowadays I look at it with fasication, fear and respect.
The able-bodied fishermen and woman with strong physic gives an impression that they lead a healthy life better than us? (Doctors said most of them suffer from malnutrition)
Do they?
All said and done it appears - with a house to live in, a car to move on, an office to work, definite source of income, we are the blessed ones than those people at the coastlines.
Are we?
posted by adrifterslane | 11:00 AM
1 Comments:
Well, some questions need to be left unanswered!
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