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( 18 )
As the burning of the huts took place, uncle Yohannan went to Puthiyaveettil House, crying loudly. He said,"Ammaayi ( The Great Aunt ), we have lost everything, our brother cheated us, what shall we do ?" The Great Aunt, after great consideration, made a decision to give 40 cents of land to grandfather near their property, beyond the paddyfields so that the two brothers would get 20 cents of land each. That was how grandfather, grandmother and uncle Yohannan lived in the 1st 20 cents of land and next to their land, uncle Yacob lived with his family in another 20 cents of land. After losing his job, my father went to some distant place - some people said that he went to Munnar for some work, the others said that he went to another place near the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border and worked there for sometime. Later, he returned to his native place and accepted Rubber Tapping as his job.
My mother would many times tell these stories and curse father's two brothers. She would tell that they were responsible for the loss of my father's job and thereby destroying his future. "You shouldnot go to their houses", sometimes she would say. Many stories had spread about the burning of the huts and the Bibles. One story said that the families which took part in the incident were suffering many tragedies in their life one after the other. They were praying to God and giving some offerings in many Churches. When I heard such comments, I ignored them.
The Constitution of India extends provisions for giving reservations to the underprivileged people - that means the people belonged to the low castes. The Constitution of India, which is the longest written constitution in the world, has taken into consideration all the castes and subcastes of this big country. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, who came from a Dalit family, is considered as the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution. The underprivileged people are listed in the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Eligible Communities etc. In the list of Scheduled Castes in Kerala State, we can see the Pulaya caste. In the list of Other Eligible Communities in the Kerala State, Scheduled Castes Converts are included. The aim of this was to elevate the poor to the top of the society. Though the aim hasnot been achieved yet, I have got some advantages as the result of reservation.
Every year there would be an intimation in the class,"the students belong to SC/ST/OEC should come with their guardian to receive their lump sum grant for this year". Some Teachers would call the names of the students and ask them to stand up and tell them to bring their guardians to receive the lump sum grant. I had observed that this was an insult to those students because they would stand up very slowly. That was why when I was admitted in 1st Std in School, there was much confusion about filling up the caste column. At that time, I didn't understand it. But when I was in IVth Std, Sukumaran Sir would call me everyday near him and enquired whether my father sent any message. I wondered why my father didn't tell me any message to convey to the Teacher. Later I understood that it was about filling the caste column. Till the IVth Std, I didn't receive the lump sum grant. But the Teacher had to finalise the matter in the IVth Std. I think that my mother was very shy to agree that her daughter belonged to a backward community. At last, my father decided to fill the caste column. In the School Registers, in the column of Religion, it was written as "Christian" and in the column of caste, "Converted from Pulaya".
The lump sum grant was a small amount and it varied between SC/ST and OEC. But when my brother Dani was admitted in School, in the column of Religion, it was written as "Christian Jacobite". My father and mother were stern in it. They said that they committed a mistake by filling my caste column as "Converted from Pulaya". My father believed that all the tragedies occurred in his life because he was born in a backward family. When I was in Vth Std, the Teacher announced that the lump sum grant had been arrived. Then I thought,"I and my brother belong to two different castes, will this affect us in future?"
( 18 )
As the burning of the huts took place, uncle Yohannan went to Puthiyaveettil House, crying loudly. He said,"Ammaayi ( The Great Aunt ), we have lost everything, our brother cheated us, what shall we do ?" The Great Aunt, after great consideration, made a decision to give 40 cents of land to grandfather near their property, beyond the paddyfields so that the two brothers would get 20 cents of land each. That was how grandfather, grandmother and uncle Yohannan lived in the 1st 20 cents of land and next to their land, uncle Yacob lived with his family in another 20 cents of land. After losing his job, my father went to some distant place - some people said that he went to Munnar for some work, the others said that he went to another place near the Kerala - Tamil Nadu border and worked there for sometime. Later, he returned to his native place and accepted Rubber Tapping as his job.
My mother would many times tell these stories and curse father's two brothers. She would tell that they were responsible for the loss of my father's job and thereby destroying his future. "You shouldnot go to their houses", sometimes she would say. Many stories had spread about the burning of the huts and the Bibles. One story said that the families which took part in the incident were suffering many tragedies in their life one after the other. They were praying to God and giving some offerings in many Churches. When I heard such comments, I ignored them.
The Constitution of India extends provisions for giving reservations to the underprivileged people - that means the people belonged to the low castes. The Constitution of India, which is the longest written constitution in the world, has taken into consideration all the castes and subcastes of this big country. Dr. B.R.Ambedkar, who came from a Dalit family, is considered as the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution. The underprivileged people are listed in the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Other Eligible Communities etc. In the list of Scheduled Castes in Kerala State, we can see the Pulaya caste. In the list of Other Eligible Communities in the Kerala State, Scheduled Castes Converts are included. The aim of this was to elevate the poor to the top of the society. Though the aim hasnot been achieved yet, I have got some advantages as the result of reservation.
Every year there would be an intimation in the class,"the students belong to SC/ST/OEC should come with their guardian to receive their lump sum grant for this year". Some Teachers would call the names of the students and ask them to stand up and tell them to bring their guardians to receive the lump sum grant. I had observed that this was an insult to those students because they would stand up very slowly. That was why when I was admitted in 1st Std in School, there was much confusion about filling up the caste column. At that time, I didn't understand it. But when I was in IVth Std, Sukumaran Sir would call me everyday near him and enquired whether my father sent any message. I wondered why my father didn't tell me any message to convey to the Teacher. Later I understood that it was about filling the caste column. Till the IVth Std, I didn't receive the lump sum grant. But the Teacher had to finalise the matter in the IVth Std. I think that my mother was very shy to agree that her daughter belonged to a backward community. At last, my father decided to fill the caste column. In the School Registers, in the column of Religion, it was written as "Christian" and in the column of caste, "Converted from Pulaya".
The lump sum grant was a small amount and it varied between SC/ST and OEC. But when my brother Dani was admitted in School, in the column of Religion, it was written as "Christian Jacobite". My father and mother were stern in it. They said that they committed a mistake by filling my caste column as "Converted from Pulaya". My father believed that all the tragedies occurred in his life because he was born in a backward family. When I was in Vth Std, the Teacher announced that the lump sum grant had been arrived. Then I thought,"I and my brother belong to two different castes, will this affect us in future?"
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