Salient Features of Indian Constitution

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN, SOCIALIST, SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC, REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens. 

The Indian constitution is unique in its content and spirit. The salient features of the constitution are as follows:

  Lengthiest written Constitution

  Blend of Rigidity and Flexibility

  Federal system with unitary         features

 Parliamentary form of Government

 Independent judiciary

 Single citizenship

 Emergency provision 

Written Constitution 

Constitutions are classified into written, like the American Constitution, or unwritten, like the British Constitution. India has a written Constitution which now contains 448 articles, 25 parts and 12 shedules. Originally it had 398 article. 

Rigid and flexible Constitution

Indian Constitution is rigid as well as flexible. We can amend 

An analysis of Deepak Unnikrishnan's Temporary People.

Globalisation around the world has allowed the labour movement between the countries. International migration like migration between one country to another country has become a common phenomenon. India has exported a significant number people migrating to different regions across the world under different circumstances. Large number of unskilled and semiskilled Indian labour migration to Gulf countries is a recent phenomenon. The upward trend in labour migration to the Gulf countries started when large-scale development activities took place in gulf countries due to an increase in oil prices in the 1970s. The lack of employment opportunities, poverty, low wages and poor standard of living in India caused many Indians to migrate to gulf countries to gain economic benefits. 

Deepak Unnikrishnan's debut novel Temporary People shines light on a little known world with compassion and Keen Insight. The novel picturizes stories of laborers who brought to the United Arab Emirates to do menial and everyday jobs. It manages to capture hopes, longing and sufferings of an immigrant who flees from his economically inferior country in search of work to support his family. 

The novel binds twenty-eight unique stories of the deplorable and sometimes downright dehumanizing experience of immigrants. It clearly depicts the chaotic, fragile lives which the people lead in these alien countries.

The presence of narrators of all  ages, gender and socio economic background add more flavour and authenticity to the real life experience of people who leave their native place. 

So the revolving theme of the novel is the life of immigrants. Since the significant population of United Arab Emirates is from Kerala, the term Pravasi used in the novel at regular intervals. The novels shatters the misconceptions that surround the life in gulf countries. Unnikrishnan slowly unravel the dreams and expectations that many harbor in. 

Second chapter talks about the life of Ms. Anna Varghese, who had been working as nurse to treat construction workers who fell from  incomplete buildings. Through her nursing, she confronted with many workers, each of them has their own story to narrate. She cured many of them. But she couldn't save the life of Iqbal, the last man she treated. Iqbal's life also give us a glance to realise how the Pravasi life goes in gulf countries. Once Iqbal said to  Anna; 

  Gulf heat baked a man differently, first it cooked a man's shirt and then the man's skin. We smell like an old stove. 

This was the condition of people who are the invisible, non citizens of the kind of global enterprises. The people, primarily site labourers who are responsible for the real beauty of the Emirates. 

For anyone who has spend a considerable amount of  time in a foreign country, out of necessity, loneliness is a constant companion to them. According to Unnikrishnan, foreign nationals make up 80% of the population in UAE. They contributed much to the economy of country, but never feel being at home in that alien world. Unnikrishnan portrays this feelings and alienation through his characters and their stories. 

Answer Key. 2nd Semester Model Examination 2023 June. Readings on Kerala. Short Answer Questions Analysis.

Answers 

1. Chandhumenon wrote Indulekha to help his friends as well as wife who couldn't read and enjoy English novels because of their lack of knowledge in English Language. Indulekha helps them to read and appreciate a novel for themselves in Malayalam. 

2 Thakazhi adapted the myth of kadalamma(Mother of Sea). The myth is about chastity. If the married fisher woman was adulterous when her husband was in the sea, the Sea Goddess would consume him.

3. Kochuthommi stayed back at Basheer's home because he is hardened fan of Basheer. He reads almost all works of Basheer. It also shows the Christian Muslim unity in Kerala. 

4. Ayyanakali's villuvandiyathra is a first struggle for freedom of travel on public road. This struggle is described as  '' laying claim to the public space" by Meena Kanda swami and  M. Nisar. 

5. Muslims (1906), Deepika (1931), Al Islam (1931) are the three journals published by Vakkom Abdul Khader Moulavi. 

6. Kudippaka is the community  feud, which was prevalent among the tribal Communities. If one member of a community attacked a member of another community, the entire community takes it's responsibility to avenge one another. 

7. Vasco da Gama's fleet consisted of three vessels named San Raphael San Gabriel, San Miguel. San Raphael was the ship of Gama. 

8. CP Govinda pillai is the first editor of Swadeshabhimani news paper founded by Vakkom Moulavi in 1905. 

9. According to Guru attaining the core reality surpasses five senses. It's boyond our ordinary knowledge. 

10. In the poem' No, Not a Single letter is seen', Poykayil Appachan scrutinizes the history to find out any single word about his race. The marginalized don't find room in the history books. 

11. The speaker herself identifies as a Rain at Night. Like a mad young woman, rain at Night she is weeping, laughing, whimpering and muttering without a stop. 

12. In the poem Kuttipuram Bridge, Edasseri calls village as Gramalakshmi. The rustic beauty with green and yellow paddy fields, fruit bearing trees and the slops are covered with greenery and flowers of myriad hues. 

13.  Ravi threatened Priya to keep silent on the matter, otherwise he would  finish her and  her family too. 

14. M. T Vasudevan Nair's 1973 movie, Nirmalyam  revolves around a temple and the lives of the people dependent on the temple. Its implications on religious intolerence and fundamentalism make the film significant today. 

15. Jeet Thayyil's Malayalam Ghazal repeatedly used the palindrome' Malayalam' at the end of each couplet. 

Indulekha as a modern novel

Literature was one of the most potent vehicles of changes. The late 19th century was a time of change and reform all across India. Things were no different in Kerala. The Malayalam novel emerged in the crucible of colonial modernity in Kerala. Indulekha is a Malayalam novel written by O. Chandhumenon, published in 1889. This novel was written at a time when Nairs in Kerala emerged as upper class and flourished with high education during British rule. It was the first major novel in malayalam language. It was a land mark in the history of malayalam literature and initiated novel as a new flourishing genre. So the novel still commemorated as a milestone in the Malayalam literary historiography. 

The novel is about  title character and the heroin Indulekha, a beautiful, well educated Nair lady. She is skilled in embroidery, painting and playing musical instruments which were not yet common among Namboothiri women. It illustrates Nair society of the time. 

Though the novel directly talks about the love story between Madhavan and Indulekha, it indirectly talks about the class consciousness, matrilineal system, gender discrimination...

The novel was written at a time when there was an Emerging class of upper caste men( mostly Nair) who received a western style of education and achieving a prominent positions in British India. So there is a cultural conflict between these people, whether to follow western culture or traditional values. The educated Indians torn between the Western ideals and traditional practices. So the novel vividly portrays this clash of culture in the very first chapter. 

The novel starts with a serious discussion on Shinna's education. Madhavan, the hero, well educated handsome man who fights against the opinion of elders in the family who do not want Shinnan to be educated. But Madhavan argues that Shinnan, the young boy in the family should get proper English education. He is rebelling against the decision of Panchumenon, head of the family. In the matrilineal family system( Marumakkathayam) where descent and inheritance of property are traced through female. But the Uncles wielded the power and had to submit to his decisions.

At the time, people believe that having an English education make children get rid of traditional practices and customs. So they fear western education and modernity. But through the characters of Madhavan and Indulekha, Chandhumenon states that the education itself causes progressive social change. Indulekha's character played a crucial role and argues for the cause of women education. 

 The story also emphasizes  inter-caste marriage. The old Namboothiri represents the decadence of feudalism and its polygamous practices. And also criticizes the practice of sambandham on the grounds of infidility.

All these make the work as a finest modern work in Malayalam literature. 

Other characters of the novel are Shankara menon, Kumminiamma, SuryaNamboothiri,Chatharamenon, Parvathiamma... all these characters are the epitome of traditional orthodox beliefs. Among them, a group of youngsters achieved English education and become part  British administration. This was the major reason that leads to the Renaissance in India and kerala too. 

The response for this novel was huge which encouraged many other novelists.

The character Indulekha could be considered the first feminist character in Malayalam fiction and the novel was intended to promote renaissance of the Nair community. 

The success of Indulekha marked the launch of the realist novel in Malayalam and provided a new medium for depicting the social issues of the late nineteenth century. 

Ghoshayathra : A thematic analysis.

Ghoshayathra is a poem written by Kunchan Nambiar, one of the great  poets of the Malayalam literature, often regarded as the triumvirate with Cherussery and Thunchath Ezhuthachan. He is also the inventor of Ottam Thullal, an important performing art of Kerala. The poem Goshayathra talks to us that if we are virtuous, it will make us happy in every turns of life. So it teach us a moral lesson. 

The context of the poem is an event from the Chapter Vanaparvam of the epic Mahabharata. Pandavas and Kouravas had a bet on gambling. After Pandavas lose the game, they were sent into exile of thirteen years. Curious to know about the exile life of Pandavas, Duryodhana, Kouravas king sends a messenger to gather information. The messenger returned and reported that they were living a prosperous life in the forest. This makes Duryodhana furious. He replied to the messenger angrily to go and join with Pandavas and eat the berries and fruits of Dwaithavanam. The story tells that virtue leads to happiness whereas vice lands us in misery and despair. 

Though the poem is quite satirical in tone, it gives us the message of being good at everyone. That results in our entire life. According to the messenger 'those who are adorned with the blessings of the gurus are blessed for life. Here the messenger reveals the virtuous s of Pandavas and follies of Kauravas. He also affirms that Pandavas are untouched by the deceits of Kauravas because they are protected by the blessings of Gurus. If we have such a protection or aura from the elders, it will remains in our life though any danger come to us. Even though the Pandavas were in dark Dwaithavanam, they lived a peacefully and joyous life. 

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Pictures Drawn on Water. Summary and Analysis. Reading on Kerala. University of Calicut.

Pictures drawn on Water is a poem written by Sachidthanathan based on the great flood happened in kerala in 2018. Kerala faced an abnormal rainfall from 1 june 2018 to 19 August 2018. It was the worst flood in Kerala in nearly a century.

The poem can be read in positive way. Here the poet doesn't used any destruction or death caused by the great flood, rather flood is used as a metaphor for some socio ecological concerns and the courage shown by people in the face of catastrophe. The Pictures Drawn on Water has five parts; As we look on, The Boat, The Cat, The Slate,and The Slush. 

First part of the poem describes how does water come in to the house. Water comes in to the house like a long known  neighbour. It comes through the gate to courtyard and from the steps to the corridor. From the drawing room it goes to the storeroom without any warning. And the water says, 

"Sorry, nowhere else to go"

Through this line the poet mentioned the ecological concerns which floods talk to us. Human beings are destructing the waterways day by day for their sole purpose. Now water has no space to rely on. Water interogates '' where is my river, canal, pond, lake.. etc which I abode". Now water comes to the home  where we abide as an encroacher. Its says to the residents ' Sorry, nowhere else to go.'

The second section of the poem, 

' The Boat' is a comment on the courage and resilience shown by people in the face of tragedy. 

Nature's fury raging across the state has brought people stand united. Spirit of unity, brotherhood and compassion helped the people of Kerala to face this havoc. The entire country came together as one 

to assist, contributed generously and extended a helping hand to their fellow human beings who were battling against the devastation in Kerala. The section concludes; 

Tragedy makes human beings selfless

And death, fearless. 

The short section ' The cat' talks about the feelings of Animals whom were abandoned by the owners in the wake of the great deluge. Even a cat become a philosopher unless it finds a branch or wall to climb upon. 

'The Slate' is another beautiful part where poet draws the real picture on Water. Even a minute thing has it's own story to narrate. Here the 'slate' under the water remembers it's evolution from the lay hidden rock to the wooden framed slate and becomes a part of a child's dream. 

The final part ' slush' is a fine piece of ecological poetry. The poet subtly suggests we lost something which now resides in the memory of slush left behind by water. Slush reminds us of our past, culture and tradition. The paddy fields where our ancestors yielded with nature without destroying it's flora and fauna. The very dark hand showings seeds, the dawn of men and bull, the lean hands of the rain, the tranquility, children plays, birds and butterflies fly.... all the memories gathered in the house through the slush. Nature takes it as an advantage of it. For nature it's a sweet revenge. 

Through Sachidthanathan presents flood  in a favorable light, it vividly portrays the changes that flood brings about. He uses the deluge as a metaphor for social and ecological concerns.