It seems Onam is bound to bring with it the familiar symbols. We are forever trying to evoke the past with gardens in full bloom, breezy riverbanks, traditional games and a sumptuous feast.
A silent pride and nostalgia about a simple and rustic Onam may be prompting us to go back to memories of the past, breaking with the extravaganza and hi-tech lifestyle of the present.
We have drawn up such pictures many a time but it is not very logical to paint Onam in bright hues always. When I think of my childhood Onams, boredom sets in like a gloomy morning. The festivities and frolicking seemed mechanical to me. Why all the fun only for a day?
I kept to myself in my small room, making an effort not to let the others know of my musings.
Now I feel indebted to the women and children of my village for making Onam active without any government-sponsored programme or the unending entertainment on TV. They showed me 'Thumbi Thullal' and sang folk songs for me.
My village showed me that the Uthradam moon had an undefined charm. I realised the rare beauty of the breeze in the month of Chingam and the accompanying dragonflies and the soft sunlight in the afternoon. Even now, I wander among the memories of those fields and paths when I am asked to write a song about Onam. It is another matter that they exist only in memories.
What happens when tragedy strikes during Onam? I used to think about of those families left to grieve when all the others celebrate. Even on Onam day, the obituary pages in newspapers are full. The entire family abstains from Onam if there was a death in the family in the year. Those mourning interludes in Onam celebrations have etched a stronger mark than the festivities of the other years.
The untimely demise of Thesni Basheer casts a pall of gloom over Onam celebrations this year. The agony of the families who have lost their dear ones in road accidents makes us uncomfortable like a dry wind.
Celebrating Onam is Malayali's birth right. The celebrations become truthful only if we do it with a touch of simplicity, purity and love. The cacophony has to be marked with moments of silence. Memories have to linger. We should give a thought to those unfortunate people who are not able to celebrate Onam with us.
(The writer, a former Chief Secretary, is the Vice Chancellor of the Malayalam University)
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