Unspoken Curse
The novel unveils the cruelty of human minds, often not even conscious of itself, silent hapless victims, the little graces and immense selfishness. Extreme neglect and contempt saddens the story. A human tragedy rendered with humour verging on tears.
The Novel is a story of neglect, not even active neglect at that. That would be worth fighting back. But how do you core with passive motiveless neglect? Worse, how do you write about it? How do you chronicle a life without highs and lows, a life without drama, a life lived in perennial shadow? More, how do you condense into synopsis the story of a life that spreads without intent like an ink-drop on blotting paper.
As often the case with the middle child, the novels protagonist is born with a baggage. She is neither or the youngest favourite. The fact that the child is a girl makes matters worse in the South Indian State of Kerala, vintage 1940s. In the prevaleny feudal mood, Kalyanikuty grows up internalizing this depressed self-image. In her matrilineal (and deviously patriarchal) jont family there is no dearth of elderly conventional wisdom to rationalise her situation as fate. In he event, nothing liberating happens to Kalyanikuty in the entire lifetime. Life is a freeze. Only time flows leaving its inevitable imprints.
Kalyanikutty goes through perfunctory schooling, marriage to (a widower) and motherhood. All of which add up to a series of rituals where she is a mere prop. Nothing makes a difference to her social status or self esteem. The novel is singularly anti-heroic talke. Unlike the familiar ones that chronicle the woman who fights her way of social morass.
Interiors of the feudal manor, Kalyanikuty finds no privat space. And the village around is but a better-lit extension. For, the woman can step out to the village school or the temple only in broad daylight. Days arent hers, nights arent hers. A life that goes like a pointless straight line that ultimately comes to a full stop with the inescapable intervention in the nature death. That is why this story recall begins. To make up for a lifetime of indifference, Kalyanikutty gets posthumous attention.
(The book is published in Malayalam under title Asreekaram which means Accursed in English)
Awarded the Padmasri by the President of India in 2002, V.K.Madhavan Kutty is also the recipient of many awards for journalism and literature which include Kerala Sahitya Academy award for his book Journalism a journey (account of his various foreign travels with VIPS, Soviet Land Nehru Award for the biography of V K Krishna Menon, Swadeshabhimani Award for the best Malayala Jounalist in 2002.
V.K. Madhavan Kutty a career journalist and author of 16 books, he worked for the prestigious Malayalam Daily, Mathrubhumi as its Chief of bureau in Delhi and later as its Editor. He was the Founder Director of the Malayalam channel Asianet.. He had contributed regular Coloumns to Times of India, Mathrubhumi, Kerala Kaumudi and Deshabhimani. He was also a member of the Indian Delegation to United Nations in 2004.
His last novel Village before time was short-listed for the prestigious Crossword award.
