Pen sketches on ordinary people in Valikamam
 On September 4 the second remembrance day of Maavai Varothayan (who
died young of brain cancer) was observed by the Deshiya Ilaakiyap
Peravai with Prof S. Sivasegeram presiding. Two young people Mauran and
Suthagar elucidated the poems and pen sketches of the late Maavai
Varothayan (his name was Sathiyakumaran).
My purpose here is to review the posthumously published book of the
deceased poet and writer. The book is called Valikaamaththu Mannin
Maantharkal (The Men on the Soil of Valikamam). These interesting
sketches were originally published in 2006 in the monthly literary
journal Thayakam (Motherland).
Valikamam North in the Yaalpaanam (Jaffna) peninsula is an important
region in the north which like any other place in the north was badly
affected by the armed conflict between the Tigers and the State Armed
Forces.
Tracing the horrendous war situation in the north the writer writes
that:
 The region was subject to many hardships after 1977. In 1987 during
the ‘Liberation Operation’ the people residing in Valikamam North had to
uproot themselves from their native soil. But during the IPKF occupation
people returned to their homes. But it was a temporary peace agreement.
Again there was military advancement and people’s up-rootedness. By 1990
people permanently moved out of their region and were undergoing several
hardships. Since then several changes took place politically, socially
and culturally. In such a context, the people that survived could enact
several stories under siege.
These pen sketches inform the young generation of how our ancestors
underwent difficulties under severe adverse conditions. This region was
known as ‘Palai’ then. It was east of Maaviddapuram temple.
There are 10 pen sketches of people who survived. The characters are
all ordinary downtrodden people. The characters are Nulambu
Nagarathinam, Suruttu Sangarapillai, Kanbarikari Kanagamakka, Mason
Mahalingam, Mangkandu Mathiaparanam, Sakalakala Sundaramoorthy, Periyava
Ponnamma, Paranthan Balasingham, Kulanthai Kumarasamy and Thalaivar
Thavarasa. Each one of them has their typical mannerisms and outlook in
life. Each pen-sketch has a drawing to illustrate the salient features
of the characters personalities.
The pen sketches are difficult to be translated into English
particularly when the dialogue is written in typical dialect of the
region. However if you read the book in Tamil you would certainly enjoy
and the dialogues in the stories which are absorbing.
However, here is an excerpt from one passage selected at random in
translation by me.
Suruttu Sangarapillai:
Walks in a hurry. In consonance with speed the story is. A short
Verti. A shawl on the shoulder. (During the school days it might have
been a National) A short hair cut with grey hair. Holy Ash aplenty on
the forehead. Thin frame. Slightly hunched back. Thevara hymns uttered
from the mouth. This is the identity of Sangarapillai teacher.
Maavai Varothayan’s published books include Veappa Maram (Margosa
Tree)- a collection of short stories, Innamum Vaalvean ( I would live
even further) – a collection of poems,Venai Vaani Arul Vendi Ammanai ( A
song pleading for grace from Goddess Saraswathi)- a Satire, Ottumaiyaip
Paaduvoam ( Let’s Sing in Unity) – Songs for Children).
Maavai Varothayan was an unassuming writer and a poet and a
scriptwriter. He was one of the students who followed a class on
scriptwriting for films when yours truly was assigned to do that some
years back. He was universalistic in his thought, speech and action. His
style of writing was such which had a kind of amusing the reader without
offending them in any way and without any malice. He could communicate
with the readers at ease since he understood the medium of communication
thoroughly. He had participated in radio and TV programmes. Once before
Kamalini Selvarajan, a versatile broadcaster and radio artiste and I
interviewed him over a Rupavahini Chat programme.
He used a simple Tamil incorporating regional speech patterns that
distinguished the Yaalpaanam dialect.
He served the people as a Public Health Inspector and an
unpretentious social worker and through his writing and poems he
depicted the unsung and unwept down trodden people in the north. He
spotlighted the unwelcome aspects of his community and at the same time
brought to the notice of the others the salient positive features of the
humankind.
His mentor appears to be the late Sillayoor Selvarajan, a
multi-dimensional literary and multi-media person.
As a catalyst for social change he associated himself with the
Dhesiya Kalai Ilakkiyap Peravai, an organisation for promotion of
national arts and literatures.
They say the Good Die Young. How true it is with the cruel death of
Maavai Varothayan.
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