An unplanned visit to Chennai

The alarm rang at 4.00 AM, and the cab was on time when I got ready after having a nice cup of tea in the early morning. Left from home at 4.45AM, as expected reached well before time to bengaluru international airport. There was KIOSK machine, and it was my first time to use that machine, without much problem I checked in for both the flights and got windows seats. I usually prefer aisle seats in international flights but here since the distance is very less I prefer window seats. I came inside to the gate after the security check.

I was thinking of having breakfast in Chennai somewhere near the consulate. But since the morning tea had made me feel very hungry, I went to the Taste of India near the gate, I was shocked to see the Idly and chutney priced 79 exclusive of tax, that comes to about 90 bucks for Idly. Anyways, I was hungry and I had very little choice, so I took idly, it was very tasty and I found it not waste of money. I was happy about one thing that foreigner gets a better taste of India than us inside, because I have never had such a nice idly and chutney inside Bangalore in any hotel.

All were good and by the time I finish my breakfast it was time to board, quickly I was on flight and without much delay the flight took off to Chennai @ 7 as scheduled. No worries till I landed in Chennai.

I know things are going to hit its worse in this place of the world and it started, I took a prepaid taxi by paying 300 bucks to go to German consulate and was shocked to see that the car driver came and took the slip and walked away. I need to rush behind him to find exactly where he has kept his car. Another shock, I see a car seemed to be made of wreckage after accident, a 1920 ambassador; the seats are an impossible year old sofa. I just cursed ma luck. I could have stayed away from prepaid taxi. I advice everyone coming here (I wish you don’t come here, but if at all you come) to avoid this prepaid taxi service (even though I don’t know how other services would be, but I think it cannot go worse than this). It’s totally useless.

He took another fellow along and started to German consulate. I wondered if he would drop me safely. Finally I managed to reach the consulate in that wreckage. I was all very nice in the consulate, very green place, nice surrounding in the boat club road. I think it must be a very posh locality in Chennai, I can see lot of well maintained bungalows nearby, and rich people going on walk in the morning.

I finished my interview before the scheduled time, Again the worry started to come back to the airport. One good thing I did was having breakfast in Bangalore, there was no breakfast or snacks in the flight (wonder if jet airways in running in loss) and no place to eat near the consulate. I could not find a taxi anywhere nearby, so I took an auto, he too is not a kind person; he took here and there and got some receipt from some taxi fellow. When I boarded he said 250, and later after giving the bill he stated, I have to pay 350!!, what the f***, I said, I am not going to come with you. Then he said, “Ok, ok, 250!” what a cultureless a***ole. Somehow I was very irritated with that fellow, and I was cursing my luck to be in that auto when company pays for a luxury taxi. He dropped me about 100 meters away from the departure gate saying that autos are not allowed inside. Somehow I reached the airport. I was thinking I will have some nice lunch and take rest in the airport.

I was at airport at 12.30 and my flight ticket was at 5.30, fortunately they allowed me inside airport, may be because I was already holding the boarding pass as I already checked in the flight in Bangalore. Good, I was saved, because outside the temperature is running 32 degrees plus. There was one burger shop and a Maggie shop if you want to eat and there is nothing else. I had to search to find a place to buy drinking water from. I had a chicken burger and some juice. I could have bought something from Bangalore if I knew this is going to happen to me in Chennai. I did not even have any books to read, so that wait till 5.00 turned out to be the worst waits of my life in that shouting crowd inside the airport. Now writing this note of my trip to kill ma time and anger.

I would never come unplanned for taxi to Chennai ever again; else you will get robbed for terrible service. I wish there should be some taxi service like Meru in Chennai too.

Aliya-Santana (Nephew lineage)

This is a system of inheritance of property followed mostly by Bunts and other non-brahmin communities in south canara which is complete opposite compared to the system followed by Hindus. It is also referred as Ali-Santana (Kundapura Kannada) or Aliya-Kattu (Tulu), where in the children belongs to mother’s family, and they will inherit the “Bali” of mother. Bali is similar to what is called as Gotra in Brahmins. All the laws governing the marriages are based on Bali, so that boy and girl of same Bali are not supposed to get married and they are considered siblings. All the property is inherited in such a way that, the girl will get most of the property while the boy would get only his share. That is, if the girl has children, they also get their share, but the boy does not, his children are supposed to get their share from their family (mother’s family). There were no clear rules for the father's property. Probably, in the earlier times it might have gone solely to nephew. However, it was observed in the later period even though the mother's property distribution would always follow matrilineal inheritance rules (sometimes at the expense of sons), father was free to distribute his property according to his wish.

As opposite to the tradition in Hindus, the Aliya Santana follows different tradition. When marriages happen, the girl won’t go and stay with her husband in his house; instead the boy would come and stay with her in her house, and will look after the property. In my opinion this is a better option as there are very less chances of girl being suffered in her husband’s house. The law was recognized by the modern courts as far back as the British India in 1843. The rules of Aliya Santana were first published as the English translation in 1864, by the German Press Mission in Mangalore

There are several inscriptions found near Barkur which say that the Aliya Santana is being followed during the time from 10th to 16th century. The story behind Aliya Santana is very interesting. It is said that very long ago Barkur was called as “Baraha Kanya Pura”, since the King Bhootala Pandya had twelve wives. The king of demon, Kundodara Bhoota demanded a “Bali” (Sacrifice) of king’s son when the newly built ship was set out to sea. Even though he had twelve wives and lot of children they refused to give one. Then his sister agreed to sacrifice her son. The demon Kundodara was impressed, he not only spared the young boy’s life, but also ordered Bootala pandya to follow the Aliya-Santana, where in all the property would be inherited to his Nephew, and the laws of inheritance were written, as dictated by the demon Kundodara. Even today Aliya-Santana is followed in Tulu-Nadu, or the undivided South Canara, especially in Bunts community.

ಮೈ ಮನಗಳ ಸುಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ

ಶಿವರಾಮ ಕಾರಂತರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನನಗೆ ತುಂಬಾ ಇಷ್ಟವಾಗುವ ವಿಷಯಗಳೆಂದರೆ, ಅದರಲ್ಲಿ ಬರುವ ಎಲ್ಲ ಸ್ಥಳಗಳು ನಮ್ಮ ನೆರೆಕೆರೆಯದು. ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ಬಗ್ಗೆ ನಮ್ಮ ಹಿರಿಯರಿಂದ ಹೇಳಿ-ಕೇಳಿರುವಂತದು. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಆ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಗಳನ್ನು ಓದುತ್ತ ಹೋದಂತೆ, ನಮ್ಮೂರಲ್ಲೆ ನೂರಿನ್ನೂರು ವರ್ಷ ಹಿಂದೆ ಸರಿದು ಆಗಿನ ಜನಜೀವನ ಮದ್ಯೆ ನಿಂತು ಅವಲೋಕಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಬಾಸವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.

ಅವರ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳು ತುಂಬಾ ನೈಜವಾಗಿದ್ದು, ಯಾವುದೇ ನಾಟಕೀಯ ಆದರ್ಶಗಳನ್ನು ತುಂಬುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ಇರುವದಿಲ್ಲ. ಇದರಿಂದಾಗಿ ಅವರೊಬ್ಬ ನಿಷ್ಪಕ್ಷಪಾತಿ ಸಾಹಿತಿ ಎನಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಸಹಜ ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಗುಣಗಳೇ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಪಾತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾಣುವುದರಿಂದ ನಮ್ಮನ್ನು ನಾವು ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಕಂಡುಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದು ತುಂಬ ಸುಲಭ.

ಮೈ ಮನಗಳ ಸುಳಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಕುಂದಾಪುರ ಸಮೀಪದ ಬಸ್ರೂರು ಎಂಬ ಊರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಸುಮಾರು ನೂರು ವರ್ಷ ಕೆಳಗೆ ಬದುಕಿದ್ದ ಒಬ್ಬ ಮಂಜುಳೆ ಎಂಬ ವಾರಂಗನೆಯ ಸುತ್ತ ಸುತ್ತುತ್ತದೆ. ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಗಂಡು ಹೆಣ್ಣಿನ ನಿಕಟವರ್ತಿ ಬಾಳನ್ನು ಮಂಜುಳೆ ಎಂಬ ಗರತಿಯಲ್ಲದವಳ ’ಆತ್ಮಕಥೆ’ಯ ಮೂಲಕ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯ ಹೆಚ್ಚಿನ ಬಾಗ ಮಂಜುಳೆಯ ಆತ್ಮಕತೆಯೇ ಆಗಿದೆ. ಸೂಳೆಯೊಬ್ಬಳಿಂದ ಆತ್ಮ ಕತೆ ಬರೆಸುವ ಸಾಹಸ ಕಾರಂತರು ಮಾಡಿ, "ಆವಳು ಆತ್ಮ ಕತೆ ಬರಯಬಲ್ಲಳೇ?, ಬರೆದಿದ್ದಾದರು ಯಾರಿಗಾಗಿ?" ಈ ಎಲ್ಲ ಪ್ರಶ್ನೆಗಳಿಗೆ ಉತ್ತರ ಕಾದಂಬರಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ನೀಡಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ಹಳೆಕಾಲದ ರಾಜಾಶ್ರಯ, ವೀರಾಶ್ರಯ, ರಸಿಕಾಶ್ರಯಗಳಿಂದ ಪೋಷಿತವಾಗಿದ್ದ ವೇಶ್ಯಾ ವೃತ್ತಿ, ನಾಡಿನ ರಸಿಕ ಜೀವನದ ಒಂದು ಕುರುವಾಗಿತ್ತೆ ಹೊರತು, ನಿಂದೆಗೆ ಗುರಿಯಾದಂತೆ ಕಾಣಿಸುವುದಿಲ್ಲ ಎಂದು ಬರೆಯುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಆಗಿನ ಕಾಲಕ್ಕೆ ಅಲ್ಲಿನ ವಾರಂಗನೆಯನ್ನು ಇರಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವದು ಒಂದು ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಟೆಯ ಸಂಕೇತವಾಗಿತ್ತೆಂದು ಕಾಣುತ್ತದೆ. ಅದೊಂದು ಇತರ ವೃತ್ತಿಗಳಂತೆ ಗೌರವಿತ ವೃತ್ತಿಯಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಅವರು ಸಂಗೀತ ನೃತ್ಯ ವಿದ್ಯೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಿಣತಿ ಪಡೆದು ರಸಿಕರ ಮನೆ, ಮನಗಳನ್ನು ತುಂಬುವಲ್ಲಿ ಯಶಸ್ವಿಯಾಗಿದ್ದರು.

ಮಂಜುಳೆಯ ತಾಯಿ ಗರತಿಯಲ್ಲದ್ದಿದರೂ, ಗರತಿಗಿಂತಲೂ ಮಿಗಿಲಾಗಿ ಬಾಳಿದರಳು. ಅವಳನ್ನು ಇರಿಸಿಕೊಂಡವನ ಹೆಂಡತಿಗಿಂತ ಹೆಚ್ಚಾಗಿ ಅವನ ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಅರಿತು ಅವನ ಜೀವನ ತುಂಬಿದವಳು. ಅದೇ ಆದರ್ಶಗಳನ್ನು ರೂಢಿಸಿಕೊಂಡು ಬಂದ ಮಂಜುಳೆ ಅವಳ ಪಾಳ(ತಂದೆ)ನಂತ ಗಂಡಿನ ಆಶ್ರಯಕ್ಕೆ ಅರಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಅವಳ ಹುಡುಕಾಟದಲ್ಲಿ ಮೈ ಮನಗಳು ಎರಡು ಒಂದೇ ಎಂದು ತಿಳಿದು ಬದುಕುವ ಪ್ರಯತ್ನ ನೆಡೆಸುತ್ತಾಳೆ. ಸುಬ್ರಾಯ ಉಳ್ಳೂರರು ಒಬ್ಬ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ವ್ಯಖ್ತಿಯಾಗಿ ಅವಳ ಬಾಳನ್ನು ತುಂಬುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಅವರ ನಿಸ್ವಾರ್ಥ ಪ್ರೀತಿ ಅವಳ ಮನಸ್ಸನ್ನು ತುಂಬುತ್ತದೆ.

ತನ್ನ ಆತ್ಮ ಕಥೆಯ ಕೊನೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮಂಜುಳೆ, "ನನ್ನ ತಂಬೂರಿಯ ದಂಡ, ಬುರುಡೆ ಉಳ್ಳೂರರು, ಅದರ ತಂತಿ ಆನಂದರು. ಅವರಿಬ್ಬರು ನನ್ನ ಜತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅನುದಿನವು ಇರುವುದರಿಂದ ನಾನು ಸುಮಂಗಲೆ, ನಿತ್ಯ ಸುಮಂಗಲೆ" ಎನ್ನುತ್ತಾಳೆ.

ಅವಳ ನಂತರ, ಅವಳ ದತ್ತು ಮಗಳು ಶಾರಿ, ಮನಸ್ಸಿನ ಚಂಚಲತೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ, ಅತಿ ಆಸೆಯಿಂದಾಗಿ ತಾಯಿಯಂತೆ ಬದುಕಲು ಅಸಾಧ್ಯವಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಅವಳ ಮಗಳು ಚಂದ್ರಿಗೆ ವೇಶ್ಯಾ ವೃತ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಅಸಹ್ಯ ಮೂಡಿ, ಸಾಮನ್ಯರಂತೆ ಸಂಸಾರಿಯಾಗುವಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಕೊನೆಗೊಳ್ಳುತ್ತದೆ. ಅಲ್ಲಿ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಎಲ್ಲೆ ಮೀರಿದಂತೆ ಕಂಡರೂ, ಮನಸ್ಸುಗಳು ಸೇರಿ ದೇಹ ಒಂದಾದಾಗಲೇ ಜೀವನ ಪೂರ್ತಿ, ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಮನೋ-ದೇಹಿ, ದೇಹದ ಕಾಮನೆಗಳಾವುದು ಅಸಹ್ಯವಲ್ಲ ಎಂಬುದನ್ನು ಕಾರಂತರು ಮನ ಮುಟ್ಟಿಸಿ ಹೇಳಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

A Screwed Up Day

I m sitting idle here, with lots of work pending on me, and lot of expectation by people that I will complete them in time. You may be wondering why I am sitting Idle here although there is lot of work pending? I just don’t want to give you reasons, why should I tell you. If you ask more, I will lose my temper and may start beating you back and forth.

What's wrong? First place, what is in right place? It was not the first time for me to be here, but most of the time, never found this uncomfortable here. May be I am kind of person, who insist everything to be in place, in time. So if some small thing get misplaced or messed up I lose my temper.

Here is what happed after I arrive here. I landed in Korea and reached Castle hotel, All flights were on time, got the bus just after coming out of airport, Mr. Park was waiting for me to pick me up to the guest house. Things started getting worse, when he started waiting for some more people, who came in my flight, but lazy asses missed the bus and they came half an hour late. On the way to guest house we found that there are not many rooms available, so we were hoping to get at least some room, we don’t want to get into some MOTEL.

He put me in some room, which was a 3 sharing room, decent room with most of the facilities in it. I was happy about it, at least he put me in a nice room, although was not sure the roommate sitting in front of me will turn a big head-ache as big as he himself is!. After a while, I found that this chap is on the net all time doing nothing!! I wanted to call home, and he agreed to give the net, thank god! Immediately I got a separate net connection for me from Teji after the dinner. Things went smooth till I went to sleep. I am so tired after this long journey and wanted to have a nice sleep till morning 10. But!! .. This f***** a****** (here after referred to as FA)is snoring like hell, and all night! It was sounding like a loaded washing machine. My god, I tried not to hear that sound, but it’s so loud that I could not sleep. After all, its god-given, I tried to forgive him, but I went crazy when his phone started playing ugly-long ringtones for the messages he received all night! I don’t know who the FA is sending him messages all night!! I really go pissed off, thought of calling Teji and asking to change the room, but it’s already too late in the night. May be because I was too tired, I fell asleep for a while, and got up when his alarm rang at 6. What the F***, he has not only kept alarm for 6, it’s for every 5 minutes then onwards till 8.30, it only stopped when I shouted at him saying "Either you wake up or keep the alarm for right time". My god where does these crazy Indian a******s come from? He left and somehow I felt better.

I came to office; things were not right with Koreans too :). They have messed up with my passport number and I had to wait in shivering cold for more than one hour for getting it re-registered. The guy I was supposed to call was in a meeting, and I had to call someone else to get things done. Fortunately I knew someone else from the LAB who could help. After seeing me sometime in cold, the security called me inside to sit in their cabin. Nice of them, thanks buddies.

I came to my work place, and things were not nice again. The company's screwed up policies left me in no network condition all time in the morning, and I could not talk to my family who were waiting to hear from me. The PC they gave was one used by Indians, from our team, said this much, it does not need an explanation as its completely screwed up, I asked them to get some other PC or get the windows re-installed on it. Nothing happened till now. I got a different IP and it allowed me to use network for some time, I could just inform about ma tragic story to my family and friends and get rid of some of my frustration. So now, I am sitting idle here with lots of work pending on me. ....

Its few days now, things have turned better after 2 days, I got a fresh PC after demand, net is working. Two of ma friends sits around me and we meet for coffee in between work. At room, I sleep early before any snoring starts, and if I hear any snoring when I wake up in between, I play an ugly ring tone loud, so that ge gets up and I try to fall alseep before he does! I am moving to new room on this weekend with my friends. Hope to see some better days :)