I am a big fan of Chakiyarkooth, it’s an extremely
nuanced artform and a fun to watch in live audience. Chakiyarkooth is story telling by an artist to live audience; it
differs from Katha prasangam
(literally ‘story telling’) in that in Chakiyarkooth the story teller has an elaborate makeup and costume, he also moves around the
stage. Chakiyarkooth is much nuanced
than Katha prasangam. It consists of
storytelling, mostly from hindu mythology, the story teller quite adeptly
includes contemporary happenings particularly politics (that keralites are
quite involved in, though much degraded and lacks any calibre as democracy) as
part of the story. The references are subtle and so the story is from Ramayana,
the Mukhyan (Chief) is undoubtedly a
local king in the narration but the indication towards the CM is not missed nor
is the snide or metaphor in passing. Audience understands and knows when and
where the subtle indications are meant to be. Another compelling aspect of Chakiyarkooth is that the story teller
also involves audience in his narration, he may shout at someone who is
readying to get up or has just entered or any personal remark that he fancies, cleverly
the harassment is pointed or addressed to the member in the audience but that
is not to be, he is only telling the story, this admonishment is not to the
person but a protagonist in the story he is narrating! This many times creates incredibly
hilarious situations, with everyone kept wondering who could be his next
target?!
I really don’t think an artform
like this exist anywhere else, atleast not in India. Unfortunately primitive india
is not far behind and has classified this artform as being performed by certain
community!! Anybody with requisite talent can perform anything is not an
uncommon thought in the world but then uncouth indians will wallow in its uncouthness.
And yes something similar to this is tried by many comedy driven narrators in
Malayalam TV.
Doesn’t measure up to
represent syncretic ways
Temple hopper Mukherjeeji (self-assured
arrogance of inbuilt ji is not
accepted hence one more ji.
Ridiculous) is incorrigible as ever. So again the fellow crossed my path at
Guruvayur, thankfully this time I was at home. This fellow is temple hopping at
the expense of the state, tax payer’s money. The state machinery is being
misused and millions of rupees wasted with impunity and the audacity of wishing
the crowd, thankfully he didn’t wave. The police force are stretched for no reason;
indeed they started their security drill days earlier, compounding the amazing
travesty. Livelihood of small shopkeepers and roadside vendors were affected
and confiscated; the temple hopper should know how these losses matter.
Meanwhile, pilgrims were hauled and bounded, and many left stranded in this festival
season. In an amazing travesty it was reported that Mukherjeeji insisted on
paying for gold locket that were offered to him. He should also be made to pay
for the expense that the State incurred for his misuse and wasteful ways. Temple
hopping is not an official duty, clearly our man is on a look out for second
term. Camaraderie is known to settle trickiest of situations, and yes miracles
happens all the time the reason why it gains credibility over common people. More
than anything else it is the deviance that is being consolidated with power
structure, and ensuing degradation of the society, that is the concern here.
President Mukherjee was quoted as
saying “…magnificent heritage of our land
where people of different religions, castes and languages live in harmony. …our
history is one of assimilation, mutual respect and celebration of our
differences, respecting each other’s beliefs and values...”. Caste as
harmony?!! Yes so much sickening harmony, and ofcourse unique self-defeating nonviolence.
Indeed Kerala is a case study on regressive society, and in many ways
possibilities and limitations of Indian society as a whole. Kerala’s excellent
social indices are much celebrated, that achieved standards of advanced
societies by 1980s. It has been hailed as model of development. An outcome of
egalitarian ruling of relatively benign royalty (this may not be exaggerated as
they were ensconced in squatter’s world hence caretakers of crude values),
communism (that reached saturation and turned regressive), social movements
(cleverly hijacked by political expediency and degradations) and Christian
educational institutions (used by rich and elite, though they remain glimmer of
hope for underprivileged to a large extend). Like an individual trapped in
regressive mindset societies too reach saturation, no amount of possibilities
can unshackle them. Kerala had all the potentials by 1970s-80s, it had enviable
social indices and standard of living. Literate, aware individuals and grass
root movements that acted as positive binding. Unfortunately these couldn’t unshackle
the limitation under which the society’s foundation was functioning.
Individuals were only part of the framework and learned to live in these unacceptable regressive traditions and norms. Literacy never could reach the
potential of education and remained a means of social pride and ego driven
ventures. Exploitative market utilised the opportunity to capitalise on these
regression, the consumerism unleashed the insatiable desires of self-esteem,
that closely emulated squatter ways. Rarely was tradition contradicting
consumerism while market introduced pointers of modernity herein. It’s a
dangerous mix, hence the collective hallucination for gold and glitter, the
degenerating family units and deteriorating mental health. Different religions
exist in this regressive communion. Food habits, language and entertainment
they share show the similarity, faith therefore is an enforced diversity while
regressive ways natural outcome of this degraded ecosystem. The best will find
its baser self to amalgamate, hence the society slips into worse ways. There is nothing positive here, and the
youngsters are just representations and carriers of these degradations. This
society had all the potential and opportunity to capitalise on modern values
but they couldn’t, they cannot. Hence collapsed in it’s own weight of degrading
traditions and exaggerated assessments.
‘God’s own Country’ is the reflection of this arrogance, this self-assured place in world –majority of whom will not even know where kerala is, and a tacit acknowledgement from superior forces, which ofcourse they are intimately in contact. As more and more nauseating temples, mosques, churches so on prop at every corner, pushing out the egalitarian ways that existed time immemorial with intimate understanding of Nature, meanwhile competing regression and nonsense gives the impression of democratic discourse and open society. It is not surprising that despite high levels of social indices (also health/education facilities), that are comparable to most advanced nations, Kerala is incapable to produce people of calibre or competence. The average fellow is generally a egoistic buffoon with quite high estimate of himself, readied to work as a replicator and sniff for higher earnings with an ardent and persist aim to establish social status in traditionally transferred pointers. Market has only made it visceral, ripping out the seemingly considerate nuanced ways, that did existed from ancient times, and replacing it with terrible ways that is asserted as free modern stands. Democratic decibel only adds to noise and counter noise, there are no ideas or thoughts but personal attacks and counter attacks. Literacy is reduced to trashy film/tv related nonsense that has firmly established itself as mainstream narrations. Technology is but only as a means to celebrate and appropriate for the burgeoning greed and to raise esteem in society. Esteem and status being constant fixture and consistent motivator. Further degradation is insisted as blabbermouth mediocre market artists take centre stage, sometimes, even as moral authority and thought generators. This was unthinkable few decades back, but that is the miracle of technology as it bumps into mediocre society. It’s an astounding degradation and a firm reminder to where the Indian society will be moving. As social indices of India rise (which ofcourse is stuck with the most poor sub Saharan part of the world, thanks to camaraderie at the higher places and misplaced policy making. Mukherjeeji is only consolidation of these) don’t expect people to develop/responsible, the social mobility framework is utterly degraded. This society is seriously deviant and is incapable to understand or capitalise the immense potential the world has to offer. It thrives in its pits, regurgitating traditions to its progenies and multiplies in as ordained selves. Indians therefore saturates as replicators to the world, the society lacks the basic values to produce normal compassionate people that are the foundation of inquisitive and thriving ways, an ecosystem needed to produce insight to the problems and foresight to the solutions. It blunders from one way to another with all its misplaced esteem intact, meanwhile exploited and abused by the powerful as they cunningly facilitates to cannibalise itself. This role of facilitators is the most sought after, the bewitching acts to besotted world.
‘God’s own Country’ is the reflection of this arrogance, this self-assured place in world –majority of whom will not even know where kerala is, and a tacit acknowledgement from superior forces, which ofcourse they are intimately in contact. As more and more nauseating temples, mosques, churches so on prop at every corner, pushing out the egalitarian ways that existed time immemorial with intimate understanding of Nature, meanwhile competing regression and nonsense gives the impression of democratic discourse and open society. It is not surprising that despite high levels of social indices (also health/education facilities), that are comparable to most advanced nations, Kerala is incapable to produce people of calibre or competence. The average fellow is generally a egoistic buffoon with quite high estimate of himself, readied to work as a replicator and sniff for higher earnings with an ardent and persist aim to establish social status in traditionally transferred pointers. Market has only made it visceral, ripping out the seemingly considerate nuanced ways, that did existed from ancient times, and replacing it with terrible ways that is asserted as free modern stands. Democratic decibel only adds to noise and counter noise, there are no ideas or thoughts but personal attacks and counter attacks. Literacy is reduced to trashy film/tv related nonsense that has firmly established itself as mainstream narrations. Technology is but only as a means to celebrate and appropriate for the burgeoning greed and to raise esteem in society. Esteem and status being constant fixture and consistent motivator. Further degradation is insisted as blabbermouth mediocre market artists take centre stage, sometimes, even as moral authority and thought generators. This was unthinkable few decades back, but that is the miracle of technology as it bumps into mediocre society. It’s an astounding degradation and a firm reminder to where the Indian society will be moving. As social indices of India rise (which ofcourse is stuck with the most poor sub Saharan part of the world, thanks to camaraderie at the higher places and misplaced policy making. Mukherjeeji is only consolidation of these) don’t expect people to develop/responsible, the social mobility framework is utterly degraded. This society is seriously deviant and is incapable to understand or capitalise the immense potential the world has to offer. It thrives in its pits, regurgitating traditions to its progenies and multiplies in as ordained selves. Indians therefore saturates as replicators to the world, the society lacks the basic values to produce normal compassionate people that are the foundation of inquisitive and thriving ways, an ecosystem needed to produce insight to the problems and foresight to the solutions. It blunders from one way to another with all its misplaced esteem intact, meanwhile exploited and abused by the powerful as they cunningly facilitates to cannibalise itself. This role of facilitators is the most sought after, the bewitching acts to besotted world.
Mukherjeejis of the world has no
business to elucidate about syncretic culture nor does he measure up to
represent it. Far from it the squatter ensconced are serious threat and in the
last many decades (when scoundrel CR moved in with his shudikaran of Presidential house after Mountbatten) have severely
degraded the Indian society as they spread by gripping on to the power and ruse
of democracy. I have a home at Guruvayur and have roamed the place hundreds of
times but never went inside the temple. At the gate it is mentioned ‘non-hindus
not allowed’, and never could understand that, ofcourse I do have serious
problem with squatters inside and the legitimacy of these claims. Unfortunately
Indian judiciary, market media or social elite are too incompetent to question
these, indeed they are not only complicit but major benefactor. I really want
to know who are the ‘hindus’ and who are ‘non hindus’. These squatter ensconced
scoundrels expertise in ‘who should be allowed and not allowed’, this nonsense has a long horrendous tradition and still remains the basis of the faith discourse in this primitive setting,
and indeed forms the cultural value of this godforsaken people. According to my
understanding of Hinduism Mukherjeeji doesn’t measure up as a Hindu nor the
scoundrels inside the temples qualified to speak about Hinduism and decide who should enter.
In
a civilised society people like Mukherjeeji would never be coming anywhere near
democratic power structure. They are of the same calibre as gun hugging bible
proud right wing republicans in US. These nonviolent advocating vegetarian
espousing caste hugging souls may act liberal and look harmless but these are
the most despicable type of humans who have constantly degraded and diminished
the egalitarian nature of the Indian society.
Post script: the degradation is such that when the best of the world visit India they go disgrace while indians clap all the way. Incidentally they rarely visit when they are at the peak of their career. So Usain Bolt never intends his running skills when in India but plays cricket, Maradona lands to sponsor godforsaken gold jewelry in Kerala, recently Wimbledon tennis 2013 grand slam winner Bartoli was here not to promote or showcase tennis but as a fashion designer!! So fixers can fix for easy money as skills goes downhill, mediocre Indians are quite tolerant suckers. I am told the best part of the stupid game cricket (it is a stretch to call it a sport) happens during practice sessions, the mediocre come carefully prepared for brand positioning while so-called journalist go heavens reporting this ground breaking event
Post script: the degradation is such that when the best of the world visit India they go disgrace while indians clap all the way. Incidentally they rarely visit when they are at the peak of their career. So Usain Bolt never intends his running skills when in India but plays cricket, Maradona lands to sponsor godforsaken gold jewelry in Kerala, recently Wimbledon tennis 2013 grand slam winner Bartoli was here not to promote or showcase tennis but as a fashion designer!! So fixers can fix for easy money as skills goes downhill, mediocre Indians are quite tolerant suckers. I am told the best part of the stupid game cricket (it is a stretch to call it a sport) happens during practice sessions, the mediocre come carefully prepared for brand positioning while so-called journalist go heavens reporting this ground breaking event
