Hartal Monday (BH:D47)

September 19, 2011

I have had more productive days before in life, but they were not 'hartals'. I have been through a hundred hartals here before I went to US, but none were as productive. Thus, this day gets the unique distinction of being the most productive hartal in my life...so far! 

Amma didn't want to risk driving the car to work. I offered to accompany her in the 2.5 km walk to the bank. While we were on our way, Amma suggested that I spent the day with my cousin brother discussing future plans. He was at home today because the college was closed. He offered to meet me with his kinetic Honda outside the bank. Two-wheelers were plying the street despite the hartal. Though the leaders of the communist party themselves had used cars during the last hartal their own party appealed for, common folk were wary of incuring the wrath of the idiots with stone age mindset who follow these leaders. In other words, cars were rare.

The Yakshiamma temple was open. I wondered why temples don't come under the commercial and industrial institutions that are supposed to be shuttered during a hartal. I wondered this aloud right outside the temple much to Amma's displeasure. I think she prayed extra for me while I waited outside.

On the way to the bank, we passed by the Alliance Francaise building. Suddenly I was overcome with a desire to learn French. The desire left as quickly as it came when we reached the next crossroad. The bank showed up in half an hour. "I could do this every day, it will be a good walk," said Amma looking at her watch. I don't think she is going to.

As mentioned in an earlier note, my cousin lives with his family in our old house nearer to the area that can be considered Thiruvananthapuram's "downtown" with the railway station, central bus station, administrative secretariat etc. I am very fond of this house though it is in worn out, frail condition. But then so are grandmothers. Two more banana plants was fruitioned in the narrow frontyard. 

My little nephew and niece were rather active since the morning since they didn't have school today. My niece was getting ready for her dance class. I spent a couple of hours learning about the current business environment in Kerala from my cousin before he was interrupted by a phone call. He is currently working on his dissertation tentatively titled, "Capital market investment behavior in Kerala".

A call on his cellphone. A distant relative(not just because he is from Kochi) who wanted to discuss placing a matrimonial ad for his daughter. Cousin got busy editing the overzealous ad from the incorrigible dad that laid out that they are from a "civilized, well-off" family seeking contact from "parents of eligible grooms from families of equal status." After some convincing, many adjectives were dropped or adjusted. 

We decided to walk to Mathrubhumi newspaper office to place this ad. There was a gang of policemen redirecting the few motorbikers away from the main road. Cameron Diaz's Bad Teacher had finally made it to Thiruvananthapuram and was showing in the Ramya theater.

The Mathrubhumi office was bustling with activity. The newspaper's new TV channel was to operate from there soon. Besides, tomorrow's newspaper was going to be printed in all color using some new imported machines. This machine even folds the newspaper thereby rendering a few folks who work down the newspaper assembly line jobless. 

The trouble with the all color printing was that the Mathrubhumi customer service ladies were calling up the homes that had submitted black and white photographs for the obituary section. The same ladies doubled as the classifieds submission section, so we sat waiting, listening to these calls. Since dead people were in no mood to come back even if it meant getting photographed in color, most family were miffed by the request. Even those who had color photographs of their dearly departed couldn't get it to the Mathrubhumi office owing to the hartal. Some were outright pissed that the newspaper was charging them extra for the coloring of the souls. 

Since my cousin had forgotten his glasses, I filled out of the standard form. Matrimonial ad for "All India & Gulf" and "10 days online" costs Rs. 2500. 

"Bold aakkano?" (do you want it to be bold?) the service rep asked. It took me a split second to realize that she meant the ad. 

"Ethrayakum?" (how much will that be?) asked my cousin

"letterinu randu roopa" (two rupees per letter)

It wasn't much of an added cost, so we decided to go all bold about the "Nair (31) very fair, permanent lecturer, aided college"

We walked back deliberately taking a long route via the main street in front of the administrative secretariat, through the intersection commonly known as "Statue junction" because of the larger than life statue of Madhav Rao, erstwhile Diwaan of Travancore kingdom. 

A small shop titled "pan shop" displayed its hesitation to do business today by opening only one of its half a dozen wooden front panels. These green panels doubled as termite farms at their edges. The shirtless old owner sitting inside was pretending not to be in business. We bought some eggs and couple of bananas for the walk back.

Various business plans were outlined as we walked from Statue junction to Ayurveda College junction. It was great to eat lunch at the old house. I went easy on the rice since I was a bit guilty of breaking my "no lunch" regimen within a day of initiation. When my niece came back from the dance class, she announced, "Naleyum school illa, bandha, dance classil friend paranju!"(Tomorrow also no school, it is a "Bandh", friend said in dance class). Such wishful thinking is not restricted to the school children. 99% of bankers and government officers are also hoping for another closure tomorrow so that they can relax into day after tomorrow which is a government holiday to mark the death anniversary of Sri Narayana Guru. "Bandh" is 'hartal''s nearly identical Rakshasa cousin who doesn't spare even marriages and funerals.

Post lunch discussions were more concrete. Black tea and biscuits.

Today's Manorama newspaper said that Malayalees consumed Rs. 30 crore worth of meat in the four days of Onam which are traditionally vegetarian days. 45% beef (791 tonne), 35% chicken, 14% mutton and the rest other meat (pork, rabbit, turkey etc).