Roar of Hanuman, while back

Noise pollution looms large. from Lanka, brought abortion to

many a demoness in Lanka.
Peace is shattered to pieces – Ramcharit Manas, Sundar Kand – 27/1
anywhere and at any time. Dr. K.G. Mathew
Many feel free to indulge in
O
ne little-known and invisible
health risk has already affected
unlawful use of loud speakers. Keralites- partial hearing loss as
They make the people around a result of society’s rising levels of noise.
In the past, most victims of this ailment
a captive audience. were adults, many of whom worked in
factories or other noisy environments.
A higher density of population Today, however, the risk has spread to
makes the threat children and young adults and has
become a common occupational and
more piercing in Kerala. environmental hazard.
The ability to hear is a precious gift.
We need to preserve this gift. Noise in
So we need a system- evolving all- our everyday life can permanently damage
to address the menace. our hearing. Broadly speaking, any form
of unwelcome sound is noise pollution,
Kerala Calling finds out. whether it is the roar of a jet plane
overhead or the sound of a barking dog a
block away. The damage in hearing

Hazards
depends on how loud the noise is and
how long you are exposed to it. The
damage builds up gradually until there is
a permanent damage to hearing. So
preventing excessive exposure to noise is
the only way to avoid hearing loss.
Causes of Noise pollution
Today, noise pollution is identified as
one of the leading environmental health
problems. There is nothing extraordinary
about the source of all this noise; it’s
merely the sound of everyday life. Some
of the chief causes of noise pollution are

Silence machines and modern equipment of

various types, automobiles, train, aircraft,
use of explosives, bursting of firecrackers,
dog barking, use of loudspeakers, loud

s
i rock and roll concerts, domestic stereo,
noisy construction work, noise from
railroads, industrial noise, noisy

Diamond amusement parks and noise in building.

Even children’s toys can produce sounds
C.S. RAVIKUMAR

capable of causing permanent hearing

damage.

8 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

 Mechanism of hearing loss due to
noise
Sound waves enter the ear and cause
tiny hair cells to brush against a
membrane. The membrane, in turn,
sends electrical impulses to the brain,
which interprets the impulses as the
phenomenon we call sound.Those
extremely delicate hair cells can be
damaged—either by a single blast or by a
prolonged, lesser exposure to noise. Hair
cells sometimes rebuild over 48 hours—
the normal period of temporary hearing
loss. Permanent loss can occur when
damage is so severe that it overwhelms
the ear’s self-repair mechanism.
Standards for hearing are very
misleading. Sound pressure against the
ears is measured in decibels (db). The
decibel scale is logarithmic, not
arithmetic. This means that a doubling
of sound intensity is not represented as a
doubling of the decibel level. In fact, an
increase of just 3 dB means twice as much
sound, and an increase of 10 dB means
of noise pollution
ten times as much sound. In other words,
a small sound increase from 90 to 100 db
means 10 times the pressure against those
delicate hair cells.
Effects of hearing loss
A person with hearing loss may miss
occasional words in general conversation;
miss hearing consonants like s, f, and p
that give information and meaning to
speech and language; having difficulty in
understanding speech on the telephone;
speech is frequently garbled and distorted;
have trouble in understanding them
especially with noise in the background
(participating in lectures, meetings,
parties, theaters, and other public
gatherings will be difficult). It also
becomes difficult for a person with a
hearing loss to listen to the TV. Friends
and acquaintances exclude the person
who suffers a hearing loss in conversation
and other activity. As hearing decreases,
a sense of isolation can set in. Depression
can set in.
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Hearing loss reduces employability of
the hearing impaired. Speech, language
and educational delay will result if a child
has significant hearing impairment.
The other effects of noise are tinnitus,
ringing sound in the ear experienced by
those exposed to loud noise, which is
particularly annoying to
the person experiencing it.
In addition, loud
sounds can cause increased
heart rate, blood pressure
and respiration;
gastrointestinal motility is
inhibited; peripheral blood
vessels constrict; and
muscles become tense.
Sleep is disturbed;
Performance is less than
optimum; behavior is
altered negatively;
decreased coordination
and concentration ;
increased stress, which can
lead to heart, stomach and nervous
disorders; nervousness; sleeplessness;
fatigue; reduced job performance.
How to prevent damage ?
Use of hearing protection such as
earplugs or earmuffs should be
compulsory for those who are exposed to
noise constantly. To be effective, hearing
protectors must be snug, airtight and
comfortably sealed. Muff-type protectors
cover the entire external ear and provide
greater protection than do earplugs. If
earmuff and earplugs are used together,
the better. Protect your children by
turning down the volume on stereos and
TVs.
Avoidance of noisy areas is a priority,
as much as possible. Using sound
absorbing materials to soundproof office
rooms in noisy environment will reduce
exposure. Move noisy machine away from
people, by building a soundproof
enclosure around it. Big noise reductions
can be made by designing equipment that
are not as noisy. Increase of public
awareness of the dangers of overexposure
to noise can lead to the use of ear
protectors and the avoidance of dangerous
noise exposure.
Because permanent hearing loss is
usually a long-term process, it is
impossible to know at exactly what point
noise becomes loud enough to cause
damage to the ears. 70 dB can be taken
as a safe average for a 24-hour day. (This
figure is based only on the risk to hearing,
and does not take into account other
health factors such as loss of sleep.) Since
sound intensity doubles with every
increase of 3 dB, the time of safe exposure
would be cut in half with each such
increase. Thus a worker should wear ear
protection if exposed to a steady 75 dBA
for eight hours, 78 dBA for four hours,
and so on. Brief exposure to noises of up
to 100 dBA is not considered risky
provided the average remains within the
prescribed levels.
Actual limits for labour tend to be
more permissive. In most jurisdictions,
workers are permitted to be exposed up
to 85 or even 90 dBA for eight hours.
Using the higher of these figures, the
sound level in a typical nightclub, 110
dBA, could pose a risk of permanent
hearing damage after as little as four
minutes of exposure.
z Noise pollution is not easily defined.
Part of the difficulty lies in the fact that
in some ways it is different from other
forms of pollution.
9
z Noise is transient; once the pollution
stops, the environment is free of it.
This is not the case for chemicals,
sewage, and other pollutants
introduced into the air, soil, or water.
z Other forms of pollution can be
measured, and scientists can estimate
P.B. Sahasranaman
how much material can be introduced
God is the friend of silence.
Trees, flowers, grass grow in
silence. See the stars, moon and
sun, how they move in silence –
Mother Teresa
increase of 10 dB corresponds to a 2-fold
increase in magnitude. It is a unit for
expressing the intensity of sound on scale
from zero (for the average least perceptible
sound) to about 130 from the average
pain level. Even small values in dB levels
means large differences in terms of sound
pressure. It is said that a 65 year old tribal

N
into the environment before harm is oise is unwanted sound. Noise can hear better than a teenager who
done. Though we can measure is a dangerous pollutant that is subjects himself to a loud music and noise
individual sounds that may actually hazardous to health. Pleasant levels which in excess of 85 dB.
damage human hearing, it is difficult music to one person is noise to another. 60 dB is the normal conversation
to monitor cumulative exposure to
noise or to determine just how much
is too much. Noise pollution
Law, science and the
The definition of noise itself is highly
subjective. To some people the roar of
an engine is satisfying or thrilling; to
others it is an annoyance. Loud music
may be enjoyable or a torment,
depending on the listener and the
circumstances.
Role of the Government
Governments have traditionally
viewed noise as a “nuisance” rather than
an environmental problem. As a result,
most regulation has been left up to local
authorities.
Where they exist, they may contain
a general prohibition against making
noise that is a nuisance to other people,
or they may set out specific guidelines
for the level of noise allowable at certain
times of the day and for certain activities.
Regardless of how lax or stringent a local
law may be, enforcement is difficult.
Many of our authorities do not have
adequate resources to follow up on
complaints. Moreover they may be
unwilling to do more than issue
warnings, since taking offenders to court
ANIL
is expensive. The police may also act on
certain kinds of noise complaints, but Every citizen has a right of decent
generally do not assign them a high environment and they have a right to live What is Decibels?
priority. For persistent nuisances, the peacefully. Right to sleep at night and to Library 30 dB
individual may have to seek damages have a right to leisure which are all
Talking 50-60 dB
through the civil courts. This can be a necessary ingredients of the right of life
long, costly procedure with no certainty guaranteed under the Constitution of Washing Machine 61 dB
of success. India. Right to sleep is not only Television 65-70 dB
fundamental right; it is to be considered Festivals 80-122 dB
In short, legal protection against
as a basic human right.
noise is very patchy and often Mixie 90-95 dB
inadequate. India especially Kerala What is noise?
Walkman 90-110 dB
needs specific legislation to control noise People creating noise beyond the
deadline create noise pollution. Noise Heavy Traffic 90-100 dB
pollution.
magnitude is often measured in decibels Vehicular horns 100-105 dB
The writer is ENT Surgeon, KIMS Hospital,
Thiruvananthapuram (dB), a logarithmic scale in which each Motor Cycle 110-115 dB

10 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

z Noise is transient; once the pollution
stops, the environment is free of it.
This is not the case for chemicals,
sewage, and other pollutants
introduced into the air, soil, or water.
z Other forms of pollution can be
measured, and scientists can estimate
P.B. Sahasranaman
how much material can be introduced
God is the friend of silence.
Trees, flowers, grass grow in
silence. See the stars, moon and
sun, how they move in silence –
Mother Teresa
increase of 10 dB corresponds to a 2-fold
increase in magnitude. It is a unit for
expressing the intensity of sound on scale
from zero (for the average least perceptible
sound) to about 130 from the average
pain level. Even small values in dB levels
means large differences in terms of sound
pressure. It is said that a 65 year old tribal

N
into the environment before harm is oise is unwanted sound. Noise can hear better than a teenager who
done. Though we can measure is a dangerous pollutant that is subjects himself to a loud music and noise
individual sounds that may actually hazardous to health. Pleasant levels which in excess of 85 dB.
damage human hearing, it is difficult music to one person is noise to another. 60 dB is the normal conversation
to monitor cumulative exposure to
noise or to determine just how much
is too much. Noise pollution
Law, science and the
The definition of noise itself is highly
subjective. To some people the roar of
an engine is satisfying or thrilling; to
others it is an annoyance. Loud music
may be enjoyable or a torment,
depending on the listener and the
circumstances.
Role of the Government
Governments have traditionally
viewed noise as a “nuisance” rather than
an environmental problem. As a result,
most regulation has been left up to local
authorities.
Where they exist, they may contain
a general prohibition against making
noise that is a nuisance to other people,
or they may set out specific guidelines
for the level of noise allowable at certain
times of the day and for certain activities.
Regardless of how lax or stringent a local
law may be, enforcement is difficult.
Many of our authorities do not have
adequate resources to follow up on
complaints. Moreover they may be
unwilling to do more than issue
warnings, since taking offenders to court
ANIL
is expensive. The police may also act on
certain kinds of noise complaints, but Every citizen has a right of decent
generally do not assign them a high environment and they have a right to live What is Decibels?
priority. For persistent nuisances, the peacefully. Right to sleep at night and to Library 30 dB
individual may have to seek damages have a right to leisure which are all
Talking 50-60 dB
through the civil courts. This can be a necessary ingredients of the right of life
long, costly procedure with no certainty guaranteed under the Constitution of Washing Machine 61 dB
of success. India. Right to sleep is not only Television 65-70 dB
fundamental right; it is to be considered Festivals 80-122 dB
In short, legal protection against
as a basic human right.
noise is very patchy and often Mixie 90-95 dB
inadequate. India especially Kerala What is noise?
Walkman 90-110 dB
needs specific legislation to control noise People creating noise beyond the
deadline create noise pollution. Noise Heavy Traffic 90-100 dB
pollution.
magnitude is often measured in decibels Vehicular horns 100-105 dB
The writer is ENT Surgeon, KIMS Hospital,
Thiruvananthapuram (dB), a logarithmic scale in which each Motor Cycle 110-115 dB

10 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

 sound at a household. Television sound
generates 70 dB. Continuous heavy city
traffic creates a noise level of 90dB. A
motor bike generates 110 db at
acceleration. Taking of an airplane
produces 120 dB.
According to World Health
Organisation (WHO) the effect of noise
on the human system can range from
annoyance to problems with
communicating to actual physiological
environment
effects. “Noise above 80 decibels may also
increase aggressive behaviour. It was
pointed out by them that noise induced
hearing impairment is the most common
irreversible (and preventable)
occupational hazard worldwide.
“Prolonged or excessive exposure to noise,
whether in the community or at work,
can cause serious permanent medical
conditions like hypertension and ischamic
heart disease. Noise can adversely affect
performance, for instance reading,
attentiveness, problem solving and
memory”, states a fact sheet on
occupational and community noise issued
by the WHO. For a sound sleep, WHO
prescribes 30 decibels as the maximum
continuous background noise and
individual events should not exceed 45
dB.
New Rules, 2000
Till 2000 there were several
subordinate State Legislations and
judgments of the Courts were controlling
the noise. It is as per the direction of the
Hon. Supreme Court of India, Ministry
of Environment and Forests, Government
of India were compelled to make Noise
Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules,
2000.
It is intended for the regulation and
control of noise producing and generating
sources.
Enforcement Authority
The Noise Rules, 2000 authorises
District Magistrates, Police
Commissioners, and other officers not
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Silent Zones
100 metres around:
Z Schools, Colleges, Universities,
training institutes and other
educational institutions
Z All Government and private
hospitals, nursing homes, clinics
Z All courts, including tribunals
below the rank of Deputy Superintendent
of Police for maintenance of the ambient
air quality standards in respect of noise.
These authorities are responsible for the
enforcement of noise pollution control
measures and the due compliance of the
ambient air quality standards in respect
of noise.
In Kerala the application for issuance
of licence for use of loudspeaker has to
be submitted to the Superintendent of
Police / Commissioner of Police having
local jurisdiction. Government also
prohibited the use of loudspeaker in
moving vehicles. Licence will be issued
only for box type loudspeakers, each box
containing not more than two speakers.
Any person can complain, if the noise
level exceeds the ambient noise standards
by 10 dB (A) or more to the authority.
They are bound to take action against the
violators. If the authority is satisfied that
there is excessive noise than the prescribed
limit, in order to prevent annoyance,
disturbance, discomfort or injury to the
public, he may by written order issue such
directions as he may consider necessary
to any person for the prevention, or
regulation of such noise. The authority
has got the power to modify the said order
on request or no its own motion, after
hearing the complainant. The law also
provides for penalty for violation, or
regulation of such noise. The authority
has got the power to modify the said order
on request or on its own motion, after
hearing the complaint. The law also
provides for penalty for violation in silent
zones.
Noise Limits
The law specifies the noise level for
different areas/zones. The State
Government has been empowered to take
and country planning shall take into
consideration all aspects of noise pollution
as a parameter of quality of life to avoid
noise menace and to achieve the objective
of maintaining the sound level.
Restrictions on loudspeakers
Loudspeaker can be used only after
obtaining written permission from the
authority. But any rate, loudspeakers
cannot be used at night (between
10.00PM and 6 AM) except in a closed
premise. The amendment made in 2003
permits the State Government to permit
use of loudspeakers during night hours
and during cultural or religious occasion
on certain specified conditions.
It has been laid down by the Kerala
High Court that right to use of sound
amplifying devices is not a fundamental
right. A full bench of the Calcutta High
Court has held that usage of loudspeakers
for giving in Azan can be restrained.
Noise from Diesel Generators
Noise created from generators,
especially from the diesel causes irritation,
especially to the neighbours. Diesel
generator creates a noise of about 90 –
100 dB. Diesel generator sets need to be
Adverse effects of Noise
· Loss of hearing
· Loss of ability to perform tasks
· Insomnia
· Heart disease
· Psychological disturbances
Main noise creators
Loudspeakers
Fire crackers
Horns of vehicles
Machineries
Vehicular Movements
Construction activities
measures for abatement of noise
emanating from vehicular movement and
to ensure that the existing noise levels do
not exceed the ambient air quality
standards prescribed under the Rules. All
development authorities, local bodies, and
other concerned authorities while
planning developmental activity or
carrying out functions relating to town
11
 “Do not let our progeny inherit deafness”
K.Rajakumaran is a The use of loudspeakers
teacher and social activist capable of producing sound
fighting the menace of noise. above 55 decibels in public
He is the Secretary of Forum places is unlawful. It is the
for the Prevention of duty of the implementing
Environmental and Sound officer to ensure ambient air
Pollution, Kerala. In an quality in his jurisdiction.
interview with Every citizen is
N.Narayanan, he explains constitutionally entitled to
why he and people like him protection from unwanted
are in the movement and noise.
what they are doing. Â What are your
Excerpts from the suggestions to confront the

ANIL
K.Rajakumaran
interview… forms of pollution. social evil of noise?
sound pollution is common.
 What prompted people Why? z If the officials concerned
 How does your are serious, the threat of
like you to form an z There are four reasons for
organization work? sound pollution can be
organization for prevention it. First, the lack of political
controlled within hours.
of sound pollution? z We are trying to oppose this will and ignorance in the
Social awareness about the
z Noise has become a social evil through awareness society. Second, though
perils of noise is the need of
threat to our social programme and legal steps. educated, Malayalis lack civic
the hour. It can be done
existence. The misuse of We are also organizing sense. Third, the apathetic
with the aid of religious,
public address system by seminars and distributing attitude of the implementing
political and cultural
politicians, religious men notices and posters. Our officers. Fourth, the lack of
organizations. The
and increasing number of organization was mainly social courage of Malayalis.
government has to urgently
motor vehicle and instrumental in getting Noise They tend to keep mum even take steps to specify the
indiscriminate use of Pollution (Regulation and when the students and sick capacity of loudspeakers and
machinery are all Control) Rules, 2000 people are the victims of noise. motor horns. People should
contributing a lot to the implemented in the State. Â The police say that people be allowed to possess public
noise hell we find ourselves Following our activities, the are not coming forward to address system under license
in. A peaceful life has Government undertook an register complaints. What is from the Government.
become a social awareness programme about the truth? Sound pollution is a serious
impossibility. That is what the dangers of noise through
z Actually sound pollution is threat. We all should act
prompted us to form this the mass media.
a cognizable error. Hence, no immediately We should not
organization. Incidentally, Â In spite of all that, need for lodging complaints. let our progeny inherit
we are also fighting other violation of rules related to deafness.
equipped with “acoustic enclosure” which Kerala High court also has held that there is no fundamental right to
curtails the noise level by about 20 dB. the regulatory measures regarding use of manufacture such noise creating fire
Standards have been laid down for firecrackers should be enforced. When the works and upheld the right to sleep of
controlling the noise from generators. fireworks manufacturers challenged the the public.
Noise from fire crackers restriction imposed on the manufacturing
of noise creating fire works, a full bench The study conducted by the Centre
Environment (Protection) Rules, For Earth Science Studies (CESS) in three
of the Calcutta High Court has held that
1986 Schedule 89 restrains the major cities in Kerala indicates the fact
manufacture, sale or use of fire crackers Noise limit prescribed that there is no reduction in noise levels
generating noise level exceeding 125 dB by Noise Rules, 2000 in silent zones. The noise in such places
(A1) or 145 dB (C) pk at four metres
distance from the point of bursting. Zone Day Night exceeds the prescribed level by about 25
Interpreting the applicability of Noise dB or more.
Industrial 75 dB 70 dB
Rules, 2000 to the fire crackers, Supreme Public must be educated about the
Commercial 65 dB 55 dB
Court of India has laid down that there dangers of noise. The initiative of the
is prohibition of using of fireworks Residential 55 dB 45 dB
legislature and the judiciary for providing a
between 6.00 AM and 10.00 PM. Silent 50 dB 40 dB ‘sound’ justice needs to be appreciated.

12 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

 A matter of sensitivity…
P. Venugopal
S
ound evokes the entire range of
emotions. It tickles brain’s responses
in sweepingly diverse ways. The
soul-lifting music is sound; so are the
grating of the grinder and the report of
the gun. The giggling laugh of the child
makes the heart swell in pleasure, but the
trumpeting of a mad elephant chills it in
terror. Sound can also nag and irritate,
disturb and unsettle.
You call it by a different name then:
noise. Noise gets on to your nerves when
it goes on and on and keeps distracting
you from what you wish to do, be it
reading a book or just day dreaming.
Intensity, or decibel level, is not the only
unsettling factor. Even beautiful music
can pollute the environment for you if it
is played, for instance, when you are
desperately trying to prepare for an
examination.
Also, there is the problem of tolerance
levels. Sound above certain intensity only
might cause physical damage to the
normal ear. Beneath that level of physical
tolerance are different levels of mental
tolerance, which is something that varies
from person to person. On a long ride by
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
one of those private deluxe buses, for
example, one passenger might want the
television going at full volume with the
jazzy songs, but another might be
gradually slipping towards the breaking
point.
Even for the same individual, this
tolerance level changes according to the
situation and his state of mind. Relaxing
in a cinema house over a packet of fried
peanuts, he may enjoy the deafening
sound let out by the dts (digital theatre
systems) facility there. Back in the house
trying to grab some sleep, the same man
will seethe with rage as the neighbour’s
son plays a Michael Jackson record before
winding up the day.
Laws and rules for checking noise
pollution can at best stipulate the decibel
limits for sound in specified locations
depending upon the character of the
place: whether it is an industrial area, a
commercial area or a residential area or
whether there are schools, courts or
hospitals nearby.
No law or rule can, unfortunately,
address the subjective nature of the
problem. It is open to dispute, since
tolerance levels vary from person to person
C.S. RAVIKUMAR
and situation to situation. What one
person enjoys to the hilt, another person
finds unbearable. The problem of noise
pollution, therefore, is a matter of
collective sensitivity. Unfortunately, this
is a missing quality in our society.
Temples, churches and mosques
abound in our State and each one of them
has a festival. Without loudspeakers
strung hundreds of metres along the
streets in all directions, no festival is
considered a festival here. The festival
season also coincides with the
examination season. Imagine the agony
of our children as they struggle with the
preparation for the public examinations
amidst the din. Imagine what will happen
if an aggrieved parent were to approach
the temple/church/mosque committee
and apprise it, in the politest manner
possible, that the loudspeakers are causing
nuisance.
Even the authorities find it tricky
when called upon to enforce the laws and
the rules if the offenders are temple/
church/mosque committees or political
parties.
The writer is Special Correspondent, The Hindu.
13
N.P. Rajendran sense of gregariousness in the past, today
it is a mass mayhem. It is loudspeakers

E
very freedom carries its own cross
with it. We can hear and also
produce sound. Sound, if
produced beyond a certain pitch, becomes
noise. Noise is sound devoid of its good
qualities. Nay, it also bears dangerous
characteristics with it. What is bad about
noise is that it pollutes the ambience,
destroys your health (both physical and
mental), puts holes in your privacy, and
even can be existentially intrusive. But
what is good about noise is that 90% of
it is avoidable.
Indians in general and Malayalis in
particular have reduced themselves to
compulsive ‘noisemakers’. We are,
neurotically, drowning our days and
nights in noise. As in a cheap, imitational
thriller movie, we want our every social
function conducted to the
all the way. Our pleasing festival days
have been turned into repulsive and
demonic ones.
The loss of innocence of our festival
days was not accidental. It was the result
of the degeneration that set in our places
of worship. In olden times, it was blissful
to have been able to live near a place of
worship.
The prayers and the chanting that
came out of our places of worship were
in human voice, without being amplified
electronically. It was capable of making
the whole atmosphere vibrate with a
divine presence. In fact, mantra itself was
sound made maximally creative. What
made those chanting and prayers forceful
and enriching was the subtle vibrations
seeded in them.

Decibels of Devilry
Noise and Ethics
accompaniment of continuous
background music provided by cheap and
deafening film songs and the like. Even
our calm and peaceful villages, where we
could once feel the breeze, are teeming
with gaping loudspeakers and piercing
motor horns. The louder the noise, the
greater we will be. That is what seems to
be our thinking! An expert has rightly
called noise a silent killer. The students,
the old and the sick are its most helpless
victims.
Who are the greatest ‘noisemakers’ in
our society? Predictably, they are politics
and religion. Our intellectuals and
cultural activists too are not far behind.
As a matter of rule, they all want us to be
perfectly happy. But you go to every place
of worship and every political meeting.
You are welcomed there by ear-blasting
loudspeakers.
Most of our schools and college
examinations coincide with our festivals.
And our festivals are not what they used
to be. If our festivals had a well-directed
But, today, the ambience of places of
worship is infested with electronic sound,
their vibrations are asuric and artificial,
and they leave us enervated. They
dehumanize and demonize us. They are
a direct assault on nature as well.
Ironically, no other tradition has dwelt
on the creative and destructive quality of
sound as deeply as the Indian tradition.
Yet, we almost, self-forgetingly, allow our
places of worship and privacy of home to
be defiled and trampled upon by noise.
Seers of yore correctly predicted that ours
would be an age of noise. It might have
been in anticipation of our modern ‘noise
makers’ that our rishis ‘scratched’ dozens
of prayers for peace on the psyche of India.
But, all religions predate the invention of
loudspeakers and talk against ‘devotees of
noise’.
If our religion is so noise-ridden, can
our politics be far behind? Never. At
every corner in the street, we are caught
by politicians’ harangue. Political analyses
and commentaries melted in the mould
of sound amplifiers are poured into our
ears. Unsuspected common men destined
to depend on our unreliable public
transport are their main victims. They
make ‘captive audience’ out of us. As in
the case of religions, all political ideologies
too predate loudspeakers. Besides, no
decent political ideology will vouch for
holding others ‘captive audience’.
The matter becomes serious when
sanctity of the silence zone like hospital,
school etc. is broken. In electioneering,
the sight of vehicles carrying mountains
of speakers, shaking the whole area
through which it passes and asking you
for votes in deafening voice in the name
of democracy, is a common one. But they
are gleefully unaware that democracy
bears no intrusion. The price we have to
pay for freedom has been too much.
In the moral derailment of religion
and politics, the role of careerism and lack
of ethics may be suspected. But what
about our intelligentsia and men of
culture? They too contribute their might

14 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING


to the peril of noise. They exhort us to
uphold public morality, ironically through
loudspeakers placed atop buildings and
trees within a radius of one kilometre!
Who cuts the ‘poorest’ figure in this
noise hell? It is our policemen. They
face you with an astonished facial
expression if you dare to lodge a
complaint against noise menace. They
deny rule of the law; hence their own
raison d’ etre.
Who is to blame for this din?
Ourselves. For, external world is a
projection of our own internality. It is
the din inside us that we find amplified
thousand times outside us. Next time
when you play your tape records at an
ear-blasting pitch or turn up a sound
amplifier, know that you are destroying
not only the hearing ability of others, but
also your own. You are holding your
neighbours a ‘captive audience’. You are
also poking your no(i)se into other
people’s privacy. Just as we have the right
to say what we want, others have the right
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
not to hear us. That is the crux of
democracy.
Our ability to hear is something
divine. Think of a world devoid of sound
– the many musical sounds oozing out of
nature. But think also of a world where
every sound is deafening. Of all the
‘heard’ sound, music was considered the
best by our tradition. But, in our time,
even our music has become demonic.
Here music does not lift you to any
sublime heights. Neither is it evocative.
It pierces, shatters and breaks you up.
Loudspeakers with the aid of cold sound
amplifiers piercingly amplify its asuric
quality. Here, the very purpose of music
is defeated.
What kind of insensitive men are we
when we make noise day in day out, over
loudspeakers, or honking our horns, or
playing with noisy crackers, oblivious of
the possible presence of scores of sick
men, students, old men and mentally
depressed persons in our neighborhood?
The case of motor horns and crackers
offers a good example of the difference
between the civic sense of Anglo-Saxon
people and Indians. In the West, they
never use air horns or high-tone horns.
Actually, there they use a horn only if
necessary. In India horn-happy drivers
blasting out our ears even near hospitals
and schools is a common sight. While
we, Indians, value crackers for their
deafening sound, the Westerners value
their colourfulness.
Interestingly, in our country,
possession of even a balance is statutorily
controlled. If you want to possess a gun,
you need a reason and a license for it.
But, anybody can possess a public address
system and use it to his liking. Backed
by a political or religious or cultural cause,
he can send the entire people in a locality
to sleepless nights. Only a few people
will come against it, since they have to
do it at their own peril.
Our ability to listen to the melodies
of existence is non-negotiable. We should
not allow senseless men to destroy that
ability with their demonic loudspeakers
and amoral air horns. Neither should we
allow the space, in which we all abide, to
be defiled by unwanted ‘sound stuff ’.
Our posterity and we need to retain our
hearing ability. We need to listen to the
fall of a leaf, rain pattering on our roof,
the whistling winds, song of a bamboo
stick and the divine voice pouring out of
a musician. But, how can we retain this
ability, if our ears are pierced by this mad,
mad, man-made noise?
Thinking people should come
together, sit together and put a stop to
this hell of a noise. Of course, it is a
place where even our lawmen have
signally failed. Western man’s civic sense
can help us a lot here. Once we
understand how a civilized society works,
then only can the law step in, to decide
upon the decibels of sound.
Significantly, our spiritual men,
intellectuals and politicians whom we
look up to in our hour of crisis, have failed
us. They themselves are, strangely,
associated with this evil of noise in one
way or another.
When we exceed even the decibels of
devilry in a mass neurosis, the old dictum
about silence needs to be rephrased,
‘Silence is not golden; it is diamond’.
15
 The Noise Pollution
(Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000
1. Short-title and commencement
(1) These rules may be called the Noise
Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules,
2000.
(2) They shall come into force on the date
of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. Definitions : In these rules, unless the
context otherwise requires :-
(a) “Act” means the Environment
(Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986);
(b) “area/zone” means all areas which fall
in either of the four categories given in the
Schedule annexed to these rules;
(c) “authority” means and includes any
authority or officer authorized by the Central
Government, or as the case may be, the State
Government in accordance with the laws in
force and includes a District Magistrate, Police
Commissioner, or any other officer nor below
the rank of the Deputy Superintendent of
Police designated for the maintenance of the
ambient air quality standards in respect of
noise under any law for the time being in force;
(d) “court” means a governmental body
consisting of one or more judges who sit to
adjudicate disputes and administer justice and
includes any court of law prescribed over by a
judge, judges or a magistrate and acting as a
tribunal in civil, taxation and criminal cases;
(e) “educational institution” means a
school, seminary, college, university,
professional academies, training institutes or
other educational establishment, not
necessarily a chartered institution and includes
not only buildings, but also all grounds
necessary for the accomplishment of the full
scope of educational instruction, including
those things essential to mental, moral and
physical development;
(f ) “hospital” means an institution for the
reception and care of sick, wounded, infirm
or aged persons, and includes government or
private hospitals, nursing homes and clinics.
(g) “person” shall include any company or
association or body of individuals, whether
incorporated or not.
(h) “State Government” in relation to a
Union Territory means the Administrator
thereof appointed under article 239 of the
Constitution.
3. Ambient air quality standards in
respect of noise for different areas/zones:
(1) The ambient air quality standards in
16
respect of noise for different areas/zones shall
be such as specified in the Schedule annexed
to these rules.
(2) The State Government shall categorize
the areas into industrial, commercial,
residential or silence areas/zones for the
purpose of implementation of noise standards
for different areas.
(3) The State Government shall take
measures for abatement of noise including
noise emanating from vehicular movements
and ensure that the existing noise levels do
not exceed the ambient air quality standards
specified under the rules.
(4) All development authorities, local
bodies and other concerned authorities while
planning developmental activity or carrying
out functions relating to town and country
planning shall take into consideration all
aspects of noise pollution as a parameter of
quality of life to avoid noise menace and to
achieve the objective of maintaining the
ambient air quality standards in respect of
noise.
(5) An area comprising not less than 100
meters around hospitals, educational
institutions and courts may be declared as
silence area/zone for the purpose of these rules.
4. Responsibility as to enforcement of
noise pollution control measures :
(1) The noise levels in any area/zone shall
not exceed the ambient air quality standards
in respect of noise as specified in the Schedule.
(2) The authority shall be responsible for
the enforcement of noise pollution control
measures and the due compliance of the
ambient air quality standards in respect of
noise.
5. Restriction on the use of loud speakers/
public address system:
(1) A loud speaker or a public address
system shall not be used except after obtaining
written permission from the authority.
(2) A loud speaker or a public address
system shall not be used at night (between
10.00 pm to 6.00 am) except in closed
premises for communication within e.g.
auditoria, conference rooms, community halls
and banquet halls.
(3) Not withstanding any thing contained
in sub-rule(2). The State Government may
subject to such terms and conditions as are
necessary to reduce noise pollution permit use
of loud speakers or public address systems
during night hours (between 10.00 p.m. to
12.00 midnight) on or during any cultural or
religious festive occasion of a limited duration
not exceeding fifteen days in all during a
calendar year.(Added vide S.O. No. 1088(E)
dated 11th October, 2002)
6. Consequences of any violation in
silence zone/area:-
Whoever, in any place covered under the
silence zone/area commits any of the following
offence, he shall be liable for penalty under
the provision of the Act:-
(i) whoever, plays any music or uses any
sound amplifiers,
(ii) whoever, beats a drum or tom-tom or
blows a horn either musical or pressure, or
trumpet or beats or sounds any instrument,
or
(iii) whoever, exhibits any mimetic,
musical or other performances of a nature to
attract crowds.
7. Complaints to be made to the
authority:-
(1) A person may, if the noise level exceeds
the ambient noise standards by 10 dB(A) or
more given in the corresponding columns
against any area/zone, make a complaint to
the authority.
(2) The authority shall act on the
complaint and take action against the violator
in accordance with the provisions of these rules
and any other law in force.
8. Power to prohibit etc. continuance of
music sound or noise:-
(1) If the authority is satisfied from the
report of an officer in charge of a police station
or other information received by him that it
is necessary to do so in order to prevent
annoyance, disturbance, discomfort or injury
or risk of annoyance, disturbance, discomfort
or injury to the public or to any person who
dwell or occupy property on the vicinity, he
may, by a written order issue such directions
as he may consider necessary to any person
for preventing, prohibiting, controlling or
regulating:-
(a) the incidence or continuance in or
upon any premises of -
(i) any vocal or instrumental music,
(ii) sounds caused by playing, beating,
classing, blowing or use in any manner
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
whatsoever of any instrument including
loudspeakers, public address systems, appliance
or apparatus or contrivance which is capable
of producing or re-producing sound, or
(b) the carrying on in or upon, any
premises of any trade, avocation or operation
or process resulting in or attended with noise.
(2) The authority empowered under sub-
rule(1) may, either on its own motion, or on
the application of any person aggrieved by an
order made under sub rule(1), either rescind,
modify or alter any such order:
Provided that before any such application
is disposed of, the said authority shall afford
to the applicant an opportunity of appearing
before it either in person or by a person
representing him and showing cause against
the order and shall, if it rejects any such
application either wholly or in part, record its
reasons for such rejection.
Schedule [See Rule 3(1) and 4(1)]
Limits in dB(A)Leq*
Ambient Air Quality Standards in respect of Noise
Area Category of
Code Area/Zone Day Time Night Time
(A) Industrial Area 75 70
(B) Commercial Area 65 55
(C) Residential Area 55 45
(D) Silence Zone 50 40
Note:-1.Day time shall mean from 6.00
am to 10.00 pm.
2. Night time shall mean from 10.00 pm
to 6.00 am.
3. Silence zone is an area comprising not
less than 100 metres around hospitals,
educational institutions, courts, religious
places or any other area which is declared as
such by the competent authority.
4. Mixed categories of areas may be
declared as one of the four above mentioned
categories by the competent authority.
*dB(A) Leq denotes the time weighted
average of the level of sound in decibels on
scale A which is relatable to human hearing.
A “decibel” is a unit in which noise is
measured.
“A”, in dB(A) Leq, denotes the frequency
weighting in the measurement of noise and
corresponds to frequency response
characteristics of the human ear.
Leq : It is an energy mean of the noise
level over a specified period.
[F.No. Q-14012/1/96-CPA]
VIJAI SHARMA, R. Secy.
4. In the earlier clause the words “religious
places” has been added by S.O.1046(E), dated
24th November, 2000, Gazette of India (Extra).
No.749 dated 24th November 2000.
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Standardising noise
Dr. G. Madhusoodanan Pillai
T
he noise standards are generally
set on the basis of World Health
Organisation (WHO)
stipulations. WHO has stipulated 65 dB
permissible noise from an industrial area
during both day and night. In
commercial area it is 60 dB whereas 55
and 45 dB are prescribed for commercial,
residential and silence zones respectively.
A comparison shows that in
India the noise standards set are more
or less in tune with the WHO
specification, but the major lacuna seems
to be in the implementation. In
developed countries especially in UK,
though the standards are set, the suspect
India Australia Canada Israel
Industrial 75-70 65-55 65-55
Commercial 65-55 55-45 60-55
Residential 55-45 45-35 55-45
Silent Zone 50-40 45-35
noise and the background (ambient) noise
levels are measured and the noise deemed
offensive if the difference is more than
10 dB. Also the figures must be treated
with canton since the method of
measurement is important and is often
explicitly stated. The fairly good
agreement between countries, however,
suggests that methodological similarity.
Special situations are identified which
are influenced by a particular culture. For
e.g., in Israel, no singing or music is
allowed outdoors between 2.30 and 4.00
pm. In Japan, cities, high limit is allotted
to areas facing a road and it varies
depending on the width of the road.
California bans impulse noise at a
maximum level of 20 dB above the
standards. Australian capital territory
treats special cases such as security alarms,
garbage collection, non-amplified noise
from a church, new year’s eve, parties etc.
In India ban is imposed on loud impulse
noises at 110 dB. This shows that
generally, the noise standards set in India
is in agreement to the international noise
regulations.
In India, the limit allotted during day
/ night for these categories is 75/70, 65/
55, 55/45 and 50/40 dB respectively. In
Australia, the standard is 65dB for
industrial area for day and 55 dB for
Japan United States
70 60-50 60-80 / 55-75
55 60-50 60-80 / 55-65
50 50-40 55-65 / 50-60
45 45-35
nighttime, 55 and 45 dB for commercial
area, 45 and 35 dB for residential area
and 45/35 for the silence zone. In
Canada, the standards are 65/60, 60/55
and 55/45 for the first three categories
while Israel limits them as 70 dB, 55dB,
50 dB and 45 dB. In Japan, the figures
are 60/50, 60/50, 50/40 and 45/35 dB.
In United States, the stipulations slightly
vary from state to state. It ranges from
60-80 dB for day time and 55-75 dB for
night in an industrial area, 60-65 and 55-
65 for commercial area and 55-65 dB and
50-60 dB respectively for day and night
time for residential area.
17
whatsoever of any instrument including
loudspeakers, public address systems, appliance
or apparatus or contrivance which is capable
of producing or re-producing sound, or
(b) the carrying on in or upon, any
premises of any trade, avocation or operation
or process resulting in or attended with noise.
(2) The authority empowered under sub-
rule(1) may, either on its own motion, or on
the application of any person aggrieved by an
order made under sub rule(1), either rescind,
modify or alter any such order:
Provided that before any such application
is disposed of, the said authority shall afford
to the applicant an opportunity of appearing
before it either in person or by a person
representing him and showing cause against
the order and shall, if it rejects any such
application either wholly or in part, record its
reasons for such rejection.
Schedule [See Rule 3(1) and 4(1)]
Limits in dB(A)Leq*
Ambient Air Quality Standards in respect of Noise
Area Category of
Code Area/Zone Day Time Night Time
(A) Industrial Area 75 70
(B) Commercial Area 65 55
(C) Residential Area 55 45
(D) Silence Zone 50 40
Note:-1.Day time shall mean from 6.00
am to 10.00 pm.
2. Night time shall mean from 10.00 pm
to 6.00 am.
3. Silence zone is an area comprising not
less than 100 metres around hospitals,
educational institutions, courts, religious
places or any other area which is declared as
such by the competent authority.
4. Mixed categories of areas may be
declared as one of the four above mentioned
categories by the competent authority.
*dB(A) Leq denotes the time weighted
average of the level of sound in decibels on
scale A which is relatable to human hearing.
A “decibel” is a unit in which noise is
measured.
“A”, in dB(A) Leq, denotes the frequency
weighting in the measurement of noise and
corresponds to frequency response
characteristics of the human ear.
Leq : It is an energy mean of the noise
level over a specified period.
[F.No. Q-14012/1/96-CPA]
VIJAI SHARMA, R. Secy.
4. In the earlier clause the words “religious
places” has been added by S.O.1046(E), dated
24th November, 2000, Gazette of India (Extra).
No.749 dated 24th November 2000.
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Standardising noise
Dr. G. Madhusoodanan Pillai
T
he noise standards are generally
set on the basis of World Health
Organisation (WHO)
stipulations. WHO has stipulated 65 dB
permissible noise from an industrial area
during both day and night. In
commercial area it is 60 dB whereas 55
and 45 dB are prescribed for commercial,
residential and silence zones respectively.
A comparison shows that in
India the noise standards set are more
or less in tune with the WHO
specification, but the major lacuna seems
to be in the implementation. In
developed countries especially in UK,
though the standards are set, the suspect
India Australia Canada Israel
Industrial 75-70 65-55 65-55
Commercial 65-55 55-45 60-55
Residential 55-45 45-35 55-45
Silent Zone 50-40 45-35
noise and the background (ambient) noise
levels are measured and the noise deemed
offensive if the difference is more than
10 dB. Also the figures must be treated
with canton since the method of
measurement is important and is often
explicitly stated. The fairly good
agreement between countries, however,
suggests that methodological similarity.
Special situations are identified which
are influenced by a particular culture. For
e.g., in Israel, no singing or music is
allowed outdoors between 2.30 and 4.00
pm. In Japan, cities, high limit is allotted
to areas facing a road and it varies
depending on the width of the road.
California bans impulse noise at a
maximum level of 20 dB above the
standards. Australian capital territory
treats special cases such as security alarms,
garbage collection, non-amplified noise
from a church, new year’s eve, parties etc.
In India ban is imposed on loud impulse
noises at 110 dB. This shows that
generally, the noise standards set in India
is in agreement to the international noise
regulations.
In India, the limit allotted during day
/ night for these categories is 75/70, 65/
55, 55/45 and 50/40 dB respectively. In
Australia, the standard is 65dB for
industrial area for day and 55 dB for
Japan United States
70 60-50 60-80 / 55-75
55 60-50 60-80 / 55-65
50 50-40 55-65 / 50-60
45 45-35
nighttime, 55 and 45 dB for commercial
area, 45 and 35 dB for residential area
and 45/35 for the silence zone. In
Canada, the standards are 65/60, 60/55
and 55/45 for the first three categories
while Israel limits them as 70 dB, 55dB,
50 dB and 45 dB. In Japan, the figures
are 60/50, 60/50, 50/40 and 45/35 dB.
In United States, the stipulations slightly
vary from state to state. It ranges from
60-80 dB for day time and 55-75 dB for
night in an industrial area, 60-65 and 55-
65 for commercial area and 55-65 dB and
50-60 dB respectively for day and night
time for residential area.
17
Cracking down on noise
K. Sajeevan
I
t is said that at the time of the greatest
singer of the world ‘Tan Sen’ his
music used to generate flowers in
plants besides growth and productivity.
But today noise pollution has not only
reduced the plants’ growth, its
functioning has also brought diseases,
skin ailments, cancers etc in human
beings. The diseases due to noise
pollution are not only limited up to big
Responsibility on
restriction on the use of
loudspeakers is with the
state police. Use of sound
amplifiers and the
operation of loud speakers
are restricted according to
the rules. But while
issuing permission for the
operation of loudspeakers
guidelines formulated in
the rules are not observed.
cites but have spread in towns and villages
due to continuous noise of loudspeakers,
festival entertainments, diesel generators
in the commercial places, horns of motor
cars, trucks etc.
Noise standards.
According to general scientific
terminology any sound which is liked by
our ears is ‘song’ while the sound which
is not liked by our ears is given the name
‘noise’. The problems in setting noise
standards originate from the complexity
of its health effects and thus the resulting
difficulty in achieving Universal norms.
18
The Damage - Risk criteria’ is one of
the most important eriterion for setting
noise standards. It specifics the maximum
sound pressure level of noise, usually as a
function of the frequency to which
persons may be exposed if the risk of
significant hearing loss to be avoided.
Setting up of noise standards, we should
determine the following characterisation
related to the noise concerned at receptor
such as -(1) Duration (2) Distribution
through the working day. (3) Over all
ILLUSTRATION : M. DEEPAK
noise level (4) Total duration through the
excepted working life. Accordingly, a
comprehensive noise standard had been
developed and recommended as ambient
noise standards. Based on the above facts
ambient noise standards are prescribed by
the Ministry of Environment and Forests
under the Environment (Protection) Act,
which indicated the maximum sound
levels allowable during day and night in
areas, such as industrial, commercial,
residential and silence area/zones.
According to the rule, the state
government have the power to categorise
the area in to industrial, commercial,
residential and silence zone for the
purpose of implementation of noise
standards for different areas.
Difficulty in enforcement of noise
pollution control measures:
According to the schedule prescribed
in the Noise Pollution (Regulation &
control) Rules 2000, identification of
category of zone /area in Kerala is difficult
since our government is yet to declare the
land use pattern according to the rule.
However, general guidelines have been
notified by the Local Self Government (G)
Department for the purpose of
implementation of noise standards for
different areas. Based on the notification
most of the area will be covered either
under residential area or silence zone as
per specification there in. But while
implementing the Rule, it is understood
that industrial activities and commercial
activities are established in residential
area/ silence zone. Hence the authority
to decide the noise standard in these areas
became difficult since all the activities are
mixed together.
Responsibility on restriction on the
use of loud speakers / public address
system is with the state police department
as notified by the state government. Use
of sound amplifiers and the operation of
loud speakers are restricted in operation
according to the rules. Use of any sound
amplifiers, loudspeaker etc are strictly
banned in silence zone. But while issuing
permission for the operation of loud
speakers and sound amplifiers, guidelines
formulated in the rules are not observed.
Due to drastic increase in population
of vehicle, also cause increase in ambient
noise level above the standards. Noise
from engine, use of high frequency horn
etc are regulated in the Motor Vehicles
Act, but not implemented properly.
However the noise from the road vehicles
produces disturbance to more people than
any other source of noise. Traffic noise is
not a hazardous noise. But traffic noise
has been increasing day by day due to
increased density of road traffic and it
January 2005 KERALA CALLING
causes annoyance to the public.
Due to the shortage of power coupled
with unreliable and poor quality of the
power supply has resulted in the excessive
use of captive generator sets, run with
either diesel, petrol or kerosene as an
alternate source of power. This is
happening, particularly, in urban area
where the need is greater. Unfortunately,
in most of these places there is an overlap
of commercial, residential and industrial
areas which together with poor planning
for the installation of generator sets and
absence of acoustic treatment leads to
excessive noise pollution. Establishment
of captive generator sets are regulated by
the Department of Electrical Inspectorate.
They are not considering Noise Pollution
(Regulation & Control) Rules 2000 while
issuing permission for the establishment
of diesel generators. Hence noise from
generator sets also cause increased noise
levels in the ambient air quality.
The Noise Pollution (Regulation and
Control) Rules 2000 is impregnant with
clear guidelines to restrict the noise level
below the ambient air quality standards;
but the ambient noise level standards is
due to non compliance of the Rules.
Hence the following suggestion may be
considered to improve the quieter
environment.
(i) The voluntary organisations should
strive to create awareness among people
regarding noise pollution and the need
for a quieter environment.
(ii) Establish the land use pattern
according to the rule and gradually
identify and shift industries, institutions
which are already established in
residential area and silence zone.
(iii) Coordinate the activities of
various departments with Pollution
Control Board while issuing licence/
permission to operate noise generating
equipments/ instruments, even to use of
loud speakers so that strict compliance of
ambient noise level standards is to be
verified since Pollution Control Board is
responsible to maintain ambient air
quality within the standards.
(iv) Local self government should
create awareness and enough publicity
KERALA CALLING January 2005
“We have the will”
When violations of noise pollution
rules occur people blame police for
inaction. Director General of Police
Hormis Tharakan stresses that the police
possess the will to act but lacks the needy
equipment. In an interview with
K.P.Saritha he calls for public awareness
of overdose noise, apart from the
enforcement of rules. Excerpts from the
interview:
What are the steps being taken by
police to implement Noise Pollution
(Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000?
According to Noise Pollution
(Regulation and Control) Rules 2000,
the power to take action against those
who violate the rules is vested in police.
A police officer not below the rank of
Sub Inspector has the power to
implement this law. But the thing is
that we don’t have the equipment to
measure the decibles of the sound
equipment produced.
The Rule is not seen enforced
effectively...
Implementation of the law, many a
times it proved to be a failure. The very
next year, after the introduction of the
Noise Pollution (Regulation &
Control) Rules, 2000, school youth
festival was going on in a school at
against noise pollution and promote
effective enforcement of the Noise
Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules
2000. Also observe the rules while issuing
licence to the establishment of industries,
institutions etc.
C.S. RAVIKUMAR
Hormis Tharakan
Koilandi. Loudspeakers trembled the
whole area even after 10 pm. The police
was forced to take action. But it ended
in great controversy. The people as well
as the media turned against the police
criticising the action.
What are the major difficulties
faced by police in implementing the
Rules ?
Police have certain limitations to
interfere in functions connected with
religious festivals. It will create other
problems. Our public are also not
aware of the overdose of sounds. If
some issue arise, the public will turn
against the police. Public should be
aware of the need of the sound control.
Otherwise the law cannot be enforced
effectively.
In some places (outside Kerala)
after issuing sanction for using
loudspeakers, a compliance report is
submitted by a subordinate officer. Will
Kerala Police follow this?
Here there is no practice of
compliance report and all. According
to the provision in Noise Pollution
(Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000,
police have the powers to take action
against those who violate the laws.
(v) Media should strive to create
awareness to minimise the use of loud
speakers at the religious, cultural and
social functions.
The author is an Environmental Engineer, Kerala
State Pollution Control Board, Alappuzha.
19

PM
visits
Balming the coastal agony
T
he Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh’s visit to the life-torn coastal
areas of Kerala showered drops of
relief to thousands of people. The Prime
Minister reached Thiruvananthapuram
on 29 December at 11.45 AM by a special
Air Force plane. The PM was
accompanied by his cabinet colleagues,
Sarad Pawar, Dayanidhi Maran and
Prithviraj Chauhan. They were received
by Kerala Governor R.L. Bhatia, Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy, ministers
Vakkom Purushothaman, K.M. Mani,
former Chief Minister A.K. Antony and
Thruvananthapuram Mayor Prof.
J.Chandra.
In the morning on 30th December,
4 January 2005 z
V.P. SASIDHARAN NAIR
Dr.Manmohan Singh left for Kolachal in
Tamil Nadu. Sharing the grief of the
affected, the Prime Minister said the
Centre would give special care to women
and children hit by the tragedy.
He said that the Government was
committed to provide all help to those
who had lost everything. “Life cannot be
compensated. But the government would
do whatever humanly possible to restart
the life with self-respect. I have come here
to offer assistance and share your grief,”
he said.
In a chat with journalists, he said the
Government had already announced
Rs.500 crore for the affected states.
Back in Thiruvananthapuram,
Dr.Singh discussed the impact of the
tsunami tragedy in Kerala with the Chief
Minister Oommen Chandy at the Raj
Bhavan.
Chandy and his colleagues briefed the
Prime Minister in detail about the
magnitude of the death and devastation
caused by the killer waves and sought
liberal Central assistance for relief and
rehabilitation work.
During a press conference at the Raj
Bhavan, the Prime Minister announced
a special assistance of Rs.106 crore to
Kerala apart from Rs.100 crore provided
as national calamity advance. While
clarifying the nature of assistance, he
described it as ‘extraordinary.’
Prime Minister said that professional
expertise would be inducted for
developing rehabilitation projects. House
reconstruction would focus on improving
quality of habitat as well. Government
would also examine the need for
improving the disaster forecasting and
warning systems with international
cooperation.
Terming the tsunami tragedy as a
“national calamity”, Prime Minster said
that the Government was willing to
consider all “innovative suggestions” to
provide effective protection to the people
from natural calamities.
“We are willing to consider all
innovative measures to provide more
effective protection to our population
against these natural disasters. We
welcome suggestions on innovative
mechanism including insurance scheme
to tackle this grave crisis,” he told a press
conference in Thiruvananthapuram.
The PM said plans were on to
strengthen the state and district
mechanism to deal with natural disasters.
Responding to a question on the
ecological hazards posed by sand-mining,
he said the country had to develop a
KERALA CALLING
strategy that would protect environment
and nature.
Lending an atmosphere of strength,
the PM said our country has enough
resources to meet the challenges faced by
the tsunami tragedy. “Leaders of several
countries have called and offered
assistance. I told them that we have
adequate resources to meet the challenges
and seek their help if necessary”, Singh
said.
During the press meet, the PM said
he is open to the suggestion for
technological co-operation among India,
Japan, Australia and US to tackle natural
disasters. “I welcome that suggestion. If
more countries want to join, that also
could be considered,” he said.
The Prime Minister also said the
Government would consider a long-term
rehabilitation plan to ensure that those
affected were not only fully rehabilitated
but also have a better quality of life.
Later, Prime Minister held discussions
with Chief Minister, Oommen Chandy
on the devastation caused by tidal wave
attack in the State. Addressing a press
conference after the discussions PM said
Centre would immediately provide
Rs.100 crore to Kerala for the tsunami-
related relief and rehabilitation work and
also announced a Rs.106 crore from the
National Calamity Contingency Fund
based on an earlier memorandum from
the State.
In the morning on 31st December, PM
left for the tsunami hit areas of Kollam
and Alappuzha districts. Prime Minister
arrived by a helicopter at the NTPC
L.V. JOHNSON

helipad at Kayamkulam. PM was seen

deeply moved while he visited a relief
camp at Muthukulam near Kayamkulam.
Two inconsolable women, who had
lost their near ones, met the PM and
narrated their woes.
“We share your sorrow and suffering.
The Central Government will do
whatever it can to help you,” he said. “We
won’t be able to bring them back. But we
will help you build your homes and get
new boats,’ he said.
Later he visited another relief camp
at NRPM HS, Kayamkulam. There he
was accompanied by Union Ministers,
L.V. JOHNSON

Sharad Pawar, E. Ahmed, Chief Minister

Oommen Chandy, Ministers, K.M.

KERALA CALLING z January 2005 5


Mani, K.K. Ramachandran and K.C.
Venugopal.
At the Pullikulangara relief centre, he
said children orphaned by the tsunami
tragedy would be protected by the
government.
Sharing the grief of the tsunami-hit
villagers, Prime Minister visited the taluk
hospital at Karunagapally in Kollam
district, the worst hit area of the killer
6 January 2005 z
wave attack in the state.
After listening the grievances of the
coastline people, Prime Minister assured
that steps would be taken to build sea-
wall in the vulnerable coast. He also
assured people the defence ministry had
been instructed to build a bridge at
Azheekkal linking the narrow strip of land
between sea and backwaters with the
mainland. Chief Minister Oommen
L.V. JOHNSON
Chandy accompanied the PM.
Prime Minister told the people that
the Government was committed to
provide all help for the relief and
rehabilitation of the tsunami-hit people.
“The loss of life can not be
compensated. We cannot bring them
back. The Government is committed to
do whatever it can do to help the affected
people restart their life,” the Prime
Minister told the reporters after
visiting the injured and displaced
at the Karunagappally Taluk
hospital in Kollam.
Considering the people
battered by the nature’s fury,
immediate steps would be taken
for construction of sea-wall in the
vulnerable areas of Alappad and
Azheekkal, which bore the brunt
of sea fury losing 140 lives.
The Prime Minister
distributed the state government’s
relief amount of Rs. one lakh for
some of those assembled there.
Winding up his two-day visit
to Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the PM
L.V. JOHNSON
left for Andhra Pradesh in the after
noon on 31st December.
KERALA CALLING
 State’s Annual Plan
goes up to Rs 5,369 crore
Mary V.
T
he Planning Commission Deputy
Chairman, Dr Montek Singh
Ahluwalia’s appeal to the Kerala
Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, to
prime the State for the much-needed but
long-delayed ‘second-generation reforms’
could expectedly revive talks on how to
build on its enviably strong social and
physical infrastructure built assiduously
over the past few decades.
The meeting between Dr Ahluwalia
and Mr Chandy gave the final shape to
the State’s Annual Plan for 2005-06,
which has been fixed at Rs 5,369 crore.
While giving its nod, the Planning
Commission also expressed its willingness
to consider projects proposed by the State
over and above the outlay depending
upon the availability of resources.
Sounds like the right noises may have
been made, but there also hangs a sub-
plot without the mention of which the
picture would not become exactly
complete. A tale that pitches the
sufficiently hyped but lately pilloried story
of the Kerala Development Model against
that of the State’s contrastingly poor
economic growth rate.
Dr Ahluwalia rightly lauded the State
for its sound performance in social and
physical infrastructure and wanted it to
become the role model for second-
generation reforms. Why this emphasis
on these second-generation reforms now?
A number of influential experts in the
field of international development have
regarded Kerala as a unique model of
development because it has been able to
achieve exceptional social development in
areas such as health, education, and even
the demographic transition, despite low
economic development and low per capita
income. However, if one were to invert
the model one could find that in sharp
contrast to the experience of the high-
growth economies of Asia, social
development in the State has been
accompanied by economic stagnation, if
not deceleration in growth.
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
This provides for a paradox with
social, political, and cultural roots.
Economic stagnation can be seen to be
inherent in the very pattern of Kerala’s
social, political, and cultural development.
A relatively poor state in a poor
country, Kerala has baffled economists
M. S. Ahluwalia
The Planning
Commission is open to
projects proposed by the
State over and above
the outlay.
The Commission wants
Kerala to be a role model
for second generation
reforms
with its people appearing to enjoy a better
standard of living than people in any other
Indian state and in the other low-income
countries of the world. They may even
be better off than people living in
particular areas of the United States, if
one were to accept certain definitions of
well-being and quality-of-life. It is not
surprising that the State has been held
up as a model for poor countries.
But the other side of the story is totally
different, even dreadfully alarmist. For the
State has been seen by various
commentators as being in the throes of a
major fiscal, economic, political, and
cultural crisis that threatens not only its
future development but the very
sustainability of what has already been
achieved.
It is against this background that what
transpired in the meeting between the
Planning Commission Deputy Chairman
and the Chief Minister needs to be
assessed. The Chief Minister, on his part,
appeared to be quite confident about the
State being able to achieve 85-90 per cent
of the outlay for the 10th Plan.
In his initial remarks, Dr Ahluwalia
said that the State should seek to further
explore the possibility of bringing in
foreign investment in infrastructure and
tourism, especially in the wake of the
renewed interest among corporates
abroad in investing in India.
The Planning Commission Deputy
Chairman also stressed on the need for
encouraging public-private partnership in
these areas. According to him, Kerala has
logged an uptrend in the growth rate
during the past couple of years. Members
of the Plan panel underscored the need
for more productive employment of
educated youth and the need to club
various Centrally sponsored schemes to
get optimum benefit of the Centre’s
initiatives.
Mr Chandy argued that the State
should be provided flexibility in
implementing the Centrally sponsored
schemes. He also demanded that the State
must be compensated for the sacrifices
in having followed a unique path of
development, which has largely been
instrumental in creating the Kerala
developmental paradox mentioned above.
Although it would be too much to expect
that steps would be initiated any time
soon to get over with this absurdity, the
very fact that the issue has come to engage
the minds of the powers-that-be is
reassuringly positive.
7
 SPECIAL FEATURE

The International Film Festival of Kerala itself is increasing

its charming hold on the lovers of good cinema.
The massive spirit soared up in the screening halls and
open forums is a rare phenomenon securing little Kerala
a unique place at the heart of the world cinema.
Some eminent writers evaluates IFFK2004.

26 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

Globalisation and cinema
KP Sethunath
“T he best place to view Los Angels
of the next millennium is from
the ruins of its alternative future”,
says American author Mike Davis in his
book City of Quartz. Los Angels being
the epicenter of the global culture
industry symbolized by Hollywood, the
words of Davis, provides a good opening
to look at globalisation and cinema in the
context of the just concluded
International Film Festival of Kerala
(IFFK). This is not a descriptive account
of films that have dealt with the theme
of globalisation in the festival package.
Rather, this is an attempt to sketch a
narrative regarding the challenges facing
filmmaking as a medium of aesthetic
pursuit even as entertainment industry
keeps the viewer numb with an endless
flow of instant images on a global scale.
This leads us to few questions: What
is meant by globalisation and cinema?
Whether these expressions signify the
content of films or the process of
filmmaking? For our purpose, I would
confine these questions into the political
economy of filmmaking. Indeed, if the
opinions of leading filmmakers,
converged in Thiruvananthapuram, are
of any indication money is the major
problem confronting good filmmakers all
over the world.
“The problem is money. Then
Hollywood has won the war against the
rest of the universe” – these words of
Mexican filmmaker Paul Leduc who was
also the 9th IFFK jury chairman succinctly
explains the fate of good filmmakers
across the world. Leduc, one of the
harbingers of new wave films in South
America, is on the look for money for his
new film on ‘globalisation of violence and
violence of globalisation’. “The issue is
Hollywood control the production and
distribution channels on the global scale.
So they can easily shut out films that does
not conform to their commercial
interests”, he pointed out. Mr. Leduc felt
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
that making a film in South American
countries at present is more difficult than
10 or 15 years ago.
The same view is echoed on a
different plane when we hear the lament
of Bahij Hojeij, the award-winning
director of Ring of Fire from Lebanon that
visual sensibility of his people are ravaged
by “war and Hollywood images”. The
issue assumes a deeper political meaning
with Mama Keita, the director from
French Guinea. His view that “most films
from Africa and about Africa perpetuate
the stereotyped imageries created by the
past and present colonial masters”
indicates the difficulties confronting
filmmakers attempting for a new visual
language. The spectacular visuals
unraveling the mysteries of nature or
animal kingdom (of course, always
through the gaze of white man\woman)
the staple diet in National Geographic is
a good example of the seductive power of
this stereotyped imagery.
This is the background in which one
has to view the debates raging around us
regarding concepts such as ‘globalisation’,
‘cinematic gaze’ and ‘cultural production’.
On the one hand the vice-grip of global
entertainment industry in the very
process of filmmaking is a major
impediment to the possibility of the
emergence of a new critical idiom in
filmmaking. In this situation, the
theoretical onslaught couched in post-
modern semantics claiming to unravel the
mysteries behind ‘popular culture’ seems
to have only helped to compound the
problems.
A good number of new films shown
in the festival, especially from regions
such as South America, Middle East and
Africa, carry the hallmarks of this twin
struggle; overcoming the vice-grip of
entertainment industry dominated by
commercial considerations and the
challenges of developing a narrative that
could transcend the limitations imposed
by conservative aesthetics. A good
example of this trend includes films such
as The River, Ring of Fire, Days of
Santiago, Album, Manual For Love
Stories etc. The Corporation, a film in
the documentary format by Jennifer
Abbot and Mark Achbar vividly portrays
the devastating impact of transnational
corporations on day-today life across the
world.
Unfortunately, most of the current
crop of Indian films shown in the festival
failed to invoke a similar strength of
character.
The presence of an intensely
committed audience is one of the major
assets of the International Film Festival
of Kerala. The year 2004 was also not an
exception to this general trend. Perhaps
The presence of an intensely
committed audience is one of
the major assets of the
International Film Festival of
Kerala. Perhaps no other film
festival is blessed with such
an audience committed to
films that looks beyond
frames of technical wizardry
and gimmicks.
no other film festival is blessed with such
an audience committed to films that looks
beyond frames of technical wizardry and
gimmicks. May be, they are loud and
polemical in their opinions regarding the
good and bad of cinema. However, the
sense of devotion and commitment
shown by them to the cause of good
cinema certainly provides a vantage point
to make a gaze at the emerging horizons
new films that would settle the scores with
the champions of unbridled
commercialism and crass entertainment.
The writer is former Chief of Bureau, The
Financial Express, Bangalore
27
 SPECIAL FEATURE
Now
and
beyond
C S Venkiteswaran
D
uring the last decade, film
festivals have proliferated in the
country with states taking the
initiative to organize international film
festivals on their own. One the one hand,
it has taken the sheen off the IFFI
(organized by the Directorate of film
festivals of Government of India), and on
the other, these regional initiatives have
given film festivals a local colour and
context. Among the festivals conducted
by the states, IFFK through a decade of
its existence has managed to carve a
character of its own, in terms of
organization, content and participation.
Essentially a viewers’ festival (unlike
others, which are more of a filmmakers’
festival or the film marketers’.), IFFK has
attracted cineastes from all over the
country. Over 5000 delegates attended
the festival, out of which one-fifth were
women. Another unique feature of the
Kerala festivals is the amount of public
enthusiasm and media attention it
arouses.
IFFK has also consistently managed
to offer interesting and innovative
packages. This year, IFFK featured the
retrospective of the German master
28
With regard to its organisation, participation, personality
presence, meaningful exchanges and the depth and variety of
content, 2004 edition of IFFK lived up to its promise. East
Asian cinema in general, and Tsai Ming-Liang films in
particular were the core of the festival.
Werner Herzog and pays homage to the
Malayalam filmmaker P Padmarajan and
the French ethnographer-documentarist
Jean Rouch. Another interesting packages
are that of an eminent Italian actor
Vittorio Gassman and the maverick
cinematographer Christopher Doyle (who
attended the festival). Doyle, who thinks
that beauty is his religion, is a favourite
of the new generation of filmmakers from
Asia like Wong Kar Wai, Peter Chan, Tsai
Ming-liang etc. who are creating ripples
in the international film festival circuit
now. Apart from Doyle, the festival also
featured in the ‘Contemporary Masters’
section, the Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai
Ming-liang. It is for the first time since
the Korean wave of the 80’s, that Asian
cinema is getting the coverage and
attention it rightly deserves.
The opening film, Wong Kar Wai’s
‘2046’ ( a sequel to his celebrated ‘In the
Mood for Love’) gave a flying start to the
festival. Among others, the World Cinema
Section presented a cross-section of the
contemporary state of the art, featuring
films by eminent filmmakers like Abbas
Kiarastomi, Margarette von Trotta, Lars
von Trier, Alexander Sokurov, Arturo
Ripstein, Carlos Saura, Ousmene
Sembene, and Humberto Solas. The
significant Indian films included
Buddhadeb Dasgupta’s Swapner Din,
Mahesh Dattani’s Morning Raga, Shonali
Bose’s Amu and Sandeep Sawant’s
Shwaas.
IFFK and the Future
With regard to its organization,
participation, personality presence,
meaningful exchanges and the depth and
variety of content, 2004 edition of IFFK
lived up to its promise. East Asian cinema
in general, and Tsai Ming-liang films in
particular were the core of the festival.
One felt that the Herzog retrospective
could have had more depth with more of
his films in it, and the shorts and
documentaries more space and
importance. But for that, the festival was
a grand success, springing a lot of fresh
talents and surprises.
It is interesting to note that the
composition of the IFFK delegates has
undergone radical changes in recent years.
The representation of students and
women have increased considerably, with
media students and young practitioners
of cinema and television making it a
practice to attend the festival, though
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
more for professional reasons. But from
their responses, one felt that the new
generation of malayalee cineastes are more
keen about keeping in touch with the
global trends in films, rather than going
in for the marginal, the different or the
‘classic’. Evidently the TV-nourished
generation wanted to be entertained and
kept constantly on the hooks. Very keen
on techniques and content, they seem to
hate wanderings, doubts, tentativeness,
and apparently ‘aimless’ explorations. For
instance, when fast, trendy films drew
large crowds, the ‘difficult’, ‘different’ and
marginal films that try to raise their own
voices and imagination, found few takers.
Despite his stature, the screening of
Sokurov’s Father and Son had a very
sparse crowd. Other glaring instances are
Tsai Ming-liang (whose later screenings
– after the first tasting - was attended
only by a fanatic few), and Jean Rouch
(who is a very important filmmaker as far
as documentary filmmaking is
concerned).
This hunger for the trendy
mainstream and the sleek has also
transformed the festival ambience in
recent years. As already noted by many
senior film buffs, Open Forums seemed
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
to be a very tame affair compared to earlier
years. This one feels is also a clear
indication of the change in the attitude
and orientation of the delegates. Earlier,
the Open Forums were forums for
discussion of issues and politics of cinema.
Now it has become individual-oriented,
presenting individual filmmakers, their
views and opinions. Though the
Discussion Forums dealt with wider
aspects, its manner was more like that of
a seminar than an open space for exchange
of views. Evidently there is a shift from
issue-based and political discussions to
individual filmmakers and films; a shift
from politics, experiments and content
to auteurs, successes and techniques.
From the next edition onwards, IFFK
is expected to have a different look. One
hopes that it will become more focused
by trying to develop a character of its own.
For one of the major strengths of IFFK is
the quality of its viewers, something
admired by most of the filmmakers who
attended the festival. This offers immense
opportunities for turning the festival into
a destination of serious filmmakers from
all over the world, a place where their
films will be viewed and discussed
seriously. It would also be worthwhile to
make each festival focus on certain
themes, genres or issues. For instance,
why can’t we have good well curated
packages on comedies, film noir, science
fiction, musical, vadakkanpattu stories etc
etc as one of the major packages in each
festival?
Evidently, there is a large and growing
fraternity of cineastes attending the IFFK
every year whose tastes and expectations
are also on the rise. There are also a
number of new independent filmmakers
from Kerala who would like their films
to be shown worldwide. Will the IFFK
live up to their expectations in the future
also? Indeed the IFFK has more than
succeeded in bringing world cinema to
the malayalee, but what about taking
Malayalam cinema to the world? These
should be some of the major challenges
that the Festival should take up in the
years to come.
Open Forums were forums for
discussion of issues and
politics of cinema.
Now it has become individual-
oriented, presenting individual
filmmakers, their views and
opinions.
29
 SPECIAL FEATURE

V. C. Harris

W
atching Tsai Ming-Liang’s
Goodbye Dragon Inn at the 9th
International Film Festival of
Kerala was an interesting experience. In
spite of the fact that this was part of a
special Contemporary Masters package of
Ming-Liang’s movies, several spectators
were found walking out of it, probably
because they thought that it was a bit too
slow-paced, that nothing “happened” in
the movie. But the interesting thing about
it was that the film itself was, among other
things, all about people walking out of
films, about the death of cinema! So those
who walked out of Goodbye Dragon Inn
were, without being aware of it, and
paradoxically, reaffirming what the film
was trying to say, and thus vindicating it.
This tells us, I believe, something
about the nature of film spectatorship,
its variations across time and space and
across genres, and the horizon of Shabana Azmi, V.C. Harris and Blessy participating in open forum
expectations that determines the specific

Ming-lang,
responses. It also tells us something about
the changing profile of the audience
attending our international festivals.

text messages,
Tsai Ming-Liang’s film is meant to be
slow-paced, not in the sense of a flippant
and whimsical desire to test the patience
of the audience, but in the sense that the

and the IFFK

time it takes to play out the various
segments is demanded by the very nature
of its thematic and aesthetic, not to say
political, concerns. That this is so is
evident from the very first shot. What this
means is that it cannot be expected to
function within the well-worn framework
of a popular narrative film. An audience
that misses this point, or chooses to ignore
it, can only boo when the characters begin
to “speak” almost thirty minutes into the
film.
Haven’t we seen slow-paced, non-
narrative films before? Of course we have,
but probably without making the
necessary distinctions amongst them. And
we are probably equally assured that such
practices, almost invariably associated
with the “art” movies of the seventies, are
a thing of the past now. (One of my
friends, a film technician, asked me after
the film, amazed: “Do they still make such
films?”) We are indeed seriously mistaken
and, I would like to argue, this mistake is
a historical one. Historical not merely in
a generational sense, though that too plays
a crucial part, but also in the sense of
discrete specificities relating to the
historical experiences of people across
regional and temporal terrains.
At another level, starting with last
year, on a noticeable scale, the IFFK
began to attract an audience that is
markedly different from its usual audience
down the years. And this year the change
was quite heavily punctuated. For one
thing the turn-out was surprisingly huge,
and this consisted of a large number of

30 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING


young people—from the media, from
journalism and mass communications
schools, from film schools and the
television industry, and from other
institutions and academic/professional
sectors that have become increasingly
numerous and visible in the last ten years
or so. And they bring to bear upon the
Festival a new look, and a new dynamism,
that can easily be termed “professional”
in the contemporary sense. There is no
doubt that this is an enormous gain, and
we should hope that this Festival continue
to attract the youth-both male and
female-in a big way in the years to come.
For, without the input of young blood
from time to time, no such enterprise can
sustain itself. At the same time, it is
important to note that this new audience
displays some of the qualities of, let us
say, a liberalized, globalized society where
public debate and dissent cannot boast
of any value addition. With the result that
it becomes a pliant, tractable and
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Starting with last year, the IFFK began to attract an
audience that is markedly different from its usual
audience down the years. And this year the change was
quite heavily punctuated.
domesticated mass of people. This is not, University campuses, and, indeed, for the
in other words, the kind of crowd that larger political context in which we live.
used to turn up at our Festivals in the Let me conclude by citing Neel
immediate past-students, literary and Chaudhuri whose essay on Tsai Ming-
media activists, and other varieties of Liang is published in the Festival Book
rebels and anarchists (often dubbed, with and who talks about asking a passing
scorn, pseudo-rebels and pseudo- acquaintance what he thought about
anarchists today; or, in Malayalam, again Goodbye Dragon Inn after it was screened
in a derogatory sense, the buddhijeevi in New Delhi. This was the reply: “I can’t
class).
This is, of course, a generalization, but really say. It seemed interesting enough
a generalization worth risking, so we but I kept getting text messages from my
would know where exactly we stand when work. They’re on my case, man!” And
we, for instance, organise an Open Forum Chaudhuri writes: “I stood bemused as
discussion on cinema and nativity. Or, say, he walked away, fiddling with his phone
when we put together a collection of Tsai all the while.”
Ming-Liang or Jean Rouche films. Or, This is not of course the whole story,
again, when we discuss the nature and but this is an important strand that we
function of the Festival at a broader level. have to examine when we talk about new
I believe that this has implications not audiences and their viewing habits and
only for the IFFK, but for our college and expectations and responses.
31
 SPECIAL FEATURE
Dr.Sudha Warrier
T
he IFFK 9 proclaims in no
uncertain terms that the period
of its teething troubles are over
and skipping the adolescent confusions
it is entering an early maturity. The
Serious approach and
cautious comments
prevailing mood of the festival was one
of serious approach and cautious
comments. The schedule never faltered
and the hospitality was flawless. The films
and film viewers seemed attuned to this
non-frivolous attitude.
As cinema grows in stature and
approximates perfection as an artform the
compartmentalization as documentaries,
feature films, children’s films etc becomes
superfluous by the absence of stereotyped
ingredients to distinguish them. Instead
there appear films with a period approach,
others with strong contemporary
relevance, musicals and short films. This
32
phenomenon was discernible in the world
cinema section of the IFFK9 this time.
The retrospective themselves were
marked by the unique treatment rather
than by the adherence to categories.
Tsai Ming Lang captured the viewers by
his realistic depiction of contemporary
life. Simplicity of frames and an economy
of dialogue distinguished his style.
Though many a critic had called Werner
Herzog ‘s films termite art, Fitzcarraldo
and Heart Of Glass conveyed an epic
feeling while The Enigma Of Kasper
Hauser seemed a mighty satire on the
pseudo civilization we are made to
swallow. Jean Rouche’s ability to make the
camera work as a third eye to collect
details and a sixth sense to capture the
emotional hues provided an entirely new
experience to the viewer. The films
depicting the great actor Vittoria
Gassman was a journey into the twilight
zones and full moon fantasies of man
woman relationships. His body language
and mobile face made each character he
played a unique one. Christopher Doyle,
born in Australia, trained in China,
married to his camera and got famous in
Hollywood in person and with his films
captured the audience in no time.
As cinema grows in stature
and approximates perfection
as an artform the
compartmentalisation as
documentaries, feature films,
children’s films etc. becomes
superfluous by the absence
of stereotyped ingredients to
distinguish them.
Though a number of films by female
directors were shown they did not convey
a feminist ideology effectively. In fact the
most discernible trend in the IFFK9 was
a rediscovery of family bonds. The
inaugural film 2046 itself speaks of an
urge to recapture lost memories-in a way
a search for roots. The Iranian film Album
shows a teenager trying to create a family
and a past to suit his requirements. The
Canadian film Far Side Of The Moon,
the French production Clean, the Russian
film Good-bye Lenin and Moksham the
Malayalam film moves around mother-
son relationship and its emotional
aftermaths. Kale [India] and Kanavu Mei
Padavendum [India] also are strong
depictions of mother-son bonds. The
Return [Russia], Father And Son [Russia]
and Yanam [India] unravel the complex
relationships and inevitable ego clashes
of fathers and sons.
In a similar manner the family
background is strong in films like The
Crying Ladies [Philippines], Keep On
Rocking [Japan], Since Otar Left
[France], Women’s Love [Egypt], Sayogita
[India]. Though there is no film which
takes a firm ideological stand for women’s
empowerment or liberation, such causes
were not alien to this festival. The film
Devarai [India], Grahanam [India],
Thoovanathumpikal [India], Moolade
[France], A Piece Of Sky [France] etc
introduce strong female characters and
the themes themselves are enough to
break the conventional image and
stereotyped roles of women.
What IFFK9 has left behind is a mood of
serious introspection and nostalgic
memories of pleasant surprises.
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
F
ilms from Peru and Philippines win
top honours 9th International Film
Festival of Kerala 2004.
The Peruvian film “Dias de Santiago”
by Josue Mendez was adjudged best
2004 held during December 10-17,
2004).The Filipino director Mark Meily
was declared as the best director for his
film “Crying Ladies”.This film also won
the award for the best Asian film
Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC).
The festival showed more than 170
films in 17 categories. It was well attended
by some 4,500 delegates from various
parts of India. The screenings took place

Dias de Santiago wins

feature film at the Film Festival of Kerala constituted by Network for the in 8 theatres in Thiruvanathapuram. Bina

Paul Venugopal, deputy director of

9th INTERNATIONAL International Film Festival of Kerala,
FILM FESTIVAL OF KERALA 2004 AWARDS declared that the festival was a great
success. International Film Festival of
International Jury: Paul Leduc (Chairperson- Mexico) Simon Field Kerala, which is recognized by FIAPF
(England) Dora Bouchoucha (Morocco) Mama Keita (Senegal) Farhan (Federation Internationale Des
Akhtar (India ) Associations De Producteurs de Films),
is one of India’s leading film festivals. It
Jury Awards is organized by the Motion Picture
Golden Crow Pheasant for best film Josue Mendez (Dias de Santiago, Academy of Kerala State.
Peru) Silver Crow Pheasant for best director: Mike Meily (Crying Ladies, 9th International Film Festival of
Philippines) Silver Crow Pheasant for best debut director: Bahij Hojeij (Ring
Kerala 2004 selected Hong Kong
of Fire, Lebanon,France)
filmmaker Wong Kar Wai’s “2046” as its
FIPRESCI Jury: Joan Dupont (Chairperson, USA) KNT Sastry (India) opening film. It’s cinematographer
Shaheen M Kabir (Bangladesh)
Christopher Doyle attended the festival.
NETPAC Jury:Ashley Ratna vibhushana (Chairperson, Sri Lanka) Madhu The 2004 edition of IFFK comprised of
Jain (India) Yves Thoraval (France) following sections: World Cinema, Indian
Best Asian Film: Mike Meily (Crying Ladies, Philippines) Cinema Today, New Malayalam Cinema,
Special mention: Eran Riklis (The Syrian Bride, Israel/France/Germany) Werner Herzog Retrospective,
Contemporary Masters: Tsai Ming liang,
Audience Awards
Christopher Doyle, Homage to Jean
Best film: Reza Heydarnejad (Album, Iran) Rouch, Padmarajan, Vittorio Gassman
2nd Best film: Shen Wensheng (Endless Way, China) and Focus on Mexico, France, South
Africa.

KERALA CALLING z January 2005 33

 SPECIAL FEATURE

PAUL LEDUC
The lonley jury chairperson
K. K. Chandran studied film making at IDHEC in Paris.
In the beginning of 1970’s he was known

D
uring the festival days I reach at
Kairali Theatre earlier than the
time. After a brief talk with my
colleagues and friends when I turn back
I usually see Mr. Paul Leduc the Jury
Chairperson, standing almost lonely in
the front line of the Kairali Theatre
waiting the show time.
This lonely sight of the great Mexican
Film maker and the Jury Chairperson of
the International Film Festival caught my
attention. His calm face and solitude look
used to make me thoughtful, why Paul
Leduc keeps alone and why the usual
“hunting flies” leave him alone? I knew
that his film was to be screened in the
Kalabhavan Theatre I decided to break
the silence after seeing the movie.
Paul Leduc is a Mexican and he is sixty
two years old, but doesn’t even look fifty.
He started his career as an Architect and
then as a film critic, latter on he had
as one of the Architects of Mexican New
Wave Cinema, similar to the movement
embarked on by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
in Kerala. These are just words about
Paul Leduc’s personality. His major works
like Reed: Isurgent Mexico (1973), Latino
Bar (1991), Como Ves (1988), Frida
(1984) and Dollar Mambo (1993) speak
for him more. But face to face he is more
and more undefinable and elusive. To me
he has created an image unforgettable. It
makes me remember what Andre
Tarkovosky said about the visual image
with infinite amount of content and
energy.
So I was sitting there in Kalabhavan
Theatre with great expectations. People
are less than usual, only 1/3 of the theatre.
Then when the picture started it was
coming from a small 16mm projector in
black and white, with subtitles merged
with the glittering white of the screen,
despite the film catches my self within
moments. Each shot is charged with
strength and power of Mexican
revolutionary days with sharp contrast of
black and white, overshadowed with Jyothi
American Colonialism during the early

Paul Leduc is one of the
Architects of Mexican
New Wave Cinema, similar
to the movement
embarked on by Adoor
Gopalakrishnan in Kerala
decades of 19th century.
The whole film can be called a retake
of the real revolutionary writer, journalist
and intransigent radical John Reed who
covered the Mexican revolution for four
months in the winter of 1913-14 without
eating and drinking and sometimes
fighting just like a comrade. So the shots
are long and lengthy takes. Even then the
film is just like a melodious revolutionary
folk song sung by a class of people born
never to compromise.
The great John Reed dies at the age
of thirty three. I was amazed on seeing
the movie. It brought in my mind the
Malayalam movies of the same genre
which depicted the angst of the early 70s.
With these recollections Paul Leduc began
to grow in me. More and more.
The writer is a film director
3
5th International Film Festival of
India has conducted in Goa and 9th
International Film Festival of Kerala
in Thiruvananthapuram recently. I had
the opportunity to participate in both the
events. I would like to share some
thoughts regarding film festivals on the
light of my experience in these festivals
What I have seen in Goa was
something that is devoid of the soul that
a true film lover expects from a film
festival. Goa doesn’t have a film culture.
In Goa, everything turns out to be a
festival because the people there find any
events as a festival. Hence, they have
changed the film festival into a mere
festival. Something that should not to
have happened.
In Goa, the roads and streets
everywhere decorated with fancy lamps

34 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

 SPECIAL FEATURE

PAUL LEDUC
The lonley jury chairperson
K. K. Chandran studied film making at IDHEC in Paris.
In the beginning of 1970’s he was known

D
uring the festival days I reach at
Kairali Theatre earlier than the
time. After a brief talk with my
colleagues and friends when I turn back
I usually see Mr. Paul Leduc the Jury
Chairperson, standing almost lonely in
the front line of the Kairali Theatre
waiting the show time.
This lonely sight of the great Mexican
Film maker and the Jury Chairperson of
the International Film Festival caught my
attention. His calm face and solitude look
used to make me thoughtful, why Paul
Leduc keeps alone and why the usual
“hunting flies” leave him alone? I knew
that his film was to be screened in the
Kalabhavan Theatre I decided to break
the silence after seeing the movie.
Paul Leduc is a Mexican and he is sixty
two years old, but doesn’t even look fifty.
He started his career as an Architect and
then as a film critic, latter on he had
as one of the Architects of Mexican New
Wave Cinema, similar to the movement
embarked on by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
in Kerala. These are just words about
Paul Leduc’s personality. His major works
like Reed: Isurgent Mexico (1973), Latino
Bar (1991), Como Ves (1988), Frida
(1984) and Dollar Mambo (1993) speak
for him more. But face to face he is more
and more undefinable and elusive. To me
he has created an image unforgettable. It
makes me remember what Andre
Tarkovosky said about the visual image
with infinite amount of content and
energy.
So I was sitting there in Kalabhavan
Theatre with great expectations. People
are less than usual, only 1/3 of the theatre.
Then when the picture started it was
coming from a small 16mm projector in
black and white, with subtitles merged
with the glittering white of the screen,
despite the film catches my self within
moments. Each shot is charged with
strength and power of Mexican
revolutionary days with sharp contrast of
black and white, overshadowed with Jyothi
American Colonialism during the early

Paul Leduc is one of the
Architects of Mexican
New Wave Cinema, similar
to the movement
embarked on by Adoor
Gopalakrishnan in Kerala
decades of 19th century.
The whole film can be called a retake
of the real revolutionary writer, journalist
and intransigent radical John Reed who
covered the Mexican revolution for four
months in the winter of 1913-14 without
eating and drinking and sometimes
fighting just like a comrade. So the shots
are long and lengthy takes. Even then the
film is just like a melodious revolutionary
folk song sung by a class of people born
never to compromise.
The great John Reed dies at the age
of thirty three. I was amazed on seeing
the movie. It brought in my mind the
Malayalam movies of the same genre
which depicted the angst of the early 70s.
With these recollections Paul Leduc began
to grow in me. More and more.
The writer is a film director
3
5th International Film Festival of
India has conducted in Goa and 9th
International Film Festival of Kerala
in Thiruvananthapuram recently. I had
the opportunity to participate in both the
events. I would like to share some
thoughts regarding film festivals on the
light of my experience in these festivals
What I have seen in Goa was
something that is devoid of the soul that
a true film lover expects from a film
festival. Goa doesn’t have a film culture.
In Goa, everything turns out to be a
festival because the people there find any
events as a festival. Hence, they have
changed the film festival into a mere
festival. Something that should not to
have happened.
In Goa, the roads and streets
everywhere decorated with fancy lamps

34 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

Film Festivals
Goa and Kerala
and colour balloons. On every junction
there was a stage on which western music,
dance, magic, cycling performance or
anything of that performed on the
beaches, dance, music performances or
commercial film exhibition were arranged
to attract people. Inox, the venue for film
exhibition was attached with teashops and
even pubs (bars). In the case of hospitality,
Goa was one step ahead than other Indian
venues. Volunteers were deployed
everywhere to welcome film lovers from
all over the country and abroad with
formal words of courtesy.
However, films and audience
constitute the soul of a film festival. In
Goa, the festival lacked the soul. The film
viewers in Goa were seen in the theatres
chatting with others and sometimes
chatting using their cell phones The
organizers were busy with receiving and
escorting Bollywood stars. The film
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
viewers were seen throwing out of the
theatres on account of security reason.
Thanks to Bollywood heroes and
heroines. Goa witnessed all these odd
happenings during the festivals.
Some theatres were used for
exhibiting premier shows of to-be-released
commercial films like ‘Musafir’. If Goa
becomes the permanent venue for IFFI,
film lovers share the apprehension that
the same tendency would be repeated.
Despite all these shortcomings, the
fact that the standard of world cinema
stood above average was a solace to the
film lovers. Motorcycle diaries, the return,
moonlessnight, Syrian bride are some
examples
Within a span of nine years, IFFI has
progressed a lot in organizing the festival
and the selection of movies. This is the
positive feature of the recently conducted
IFFK, Trivandrum. The film lovers were
happy that they could watch good film
in the festival. The discussions, formal
and informal, were serious. The young
generation from colleges who thronged
at the festival venue was serious in their
approach towards movies screened. The
number of girls who participated in the
festival was more this time. This was a
highly hopeful trend.
However, I should make some serious
points regarding both the festivals. The
organisers should exercise more discretion
in the selection of the movies. Instead of
exhibiting 200 to 300 films in a festival,
the number should be limited to 50 or
60 good films. Repeat screening would
give chance for more viewers to watch
the movie. After screening each film a
platform can be arranged for a short
discussion on the movie. This would be
a positive approach.
35
 INITIATIVES

Making Kerala nutrition-rich

A mission to reach the nutritional level of best performing countries

T
hough the Health indicators of years of age form about 11.48% of Kerala presented by NNMB 2003, shows that
Kerala are higher, compared to population and the below 14 age group 40.79% of children are underweight,
other states in India, the situation form 27.3%. The state average of IMR is 30% stunted and 33.8% wasted.
of Nutrition in critical sectors and areas 11. In spite of the State having the best The prevalence of Nutritional
of population does not portray a rosy indicators on Women and Child deficiency Goitre is recorded as 4.5%.
picture. There is widespread prevalence Development, certain disturbing trends Anaemia among Adolescent girls is a
of Malnutrition in the form of have emerged in recent years affecting this staggering 23%. Vitamin A deficiency in
Underweight, Low Birth Weight, developmental status, especially in the the form of Conjunctival Xerosis also
Wasting, Stunting, Anaemia, and other child population. This includes LBW in exists in about 0.1 % of population.
manifestations of Micro- nutrient babies, stunting of growth, wasting, low
Strategies
deficiencies among different age groups weight for age, poor maternal nutritional
of the population as a whole. Though status, prevalence of anaemia among The broad strategies that will be
Kerala is successfully implementing all women and adolescent girls. Any further adopted to reduce malnutrition are as
Nutrition oriented programmes and reduction in IMR is impossible without follows:
related programmes of housing, sanitation
and potable drinking water, the state
could not achieve the nutritional level of
best performing countries.
It is in this context that the
Honourable Finance Minister of Kerala
announced launching of the ambitious
scheme, namely, ‘Malnutrition Free
Kerala’ in his Budget -speech for 2004-
’05. He also declared allocation of ten
crore rupees as budgetary outlay towards
implementation of this prestigious
venture.
The original aim is to reduce
malnutrition of all types in a time-frame
to optimise maximum growth potential
of every individual in the State
Specific objectives
Reduction of under nutrition among
0-3 age group @ 3 % per year to reach a
level of 25% 3.2. To achieve 18.6 %
reduction in Anaemia among 0-3 age
group @ 3 % per year. To achieve 25%
reduction in Anaemia among Adolescent
girls, Pregnant and Lactating women @
3% per year. Improve coverage of Vitamin
A supplementation to achieve more than
80 % with the required number of doses. a reduction of LBW in babies, as most of Adopting Life- cycle and Rights-
To increase in the use of Iodised salt from the deaths take place within one to 28 based Approaches to Nutrition
50% to more than 90 % 3.6. To reduce days. Ensuring Child Survival means Interventions.
under nutrition among adolescent and elimination of LBW.
geriatric age group. To reduce obesity by Specific Provisions have been made
50% of present rate. Low birth weight, constituting 17.6% in the Child Rights Convention to ensure
of population, is directly related to adequate Nutrition to children and
The scheme has a time frame of five
maternal nutritional status and statistics adolescents. A recent verdict of the
years starting from the financial year 2004
show that 50 to 55% of women (Pregnant Supreme Court also directs that the
-2005
and Lactating) are anaemic. The Nutritional requirements (calorie wise,
Backgrounds prevalence of Anaemia among children protein wise and micronutrient wise) of
It is estimated that children under 6 under 3 years is 33.7%. The data children and pregnant mothers should be

20 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING

 Sl. Targetted Beneficiaries
no. state
1 Children 6 months to 3 years
2 Children 3 to 6 years
Pre- school children
Homebound severely
malnourished
Children of unsettled population
3 Children 6 to 11 years
4 Adolescent girls 11 to 18 years
5 Women 18 to 45 age group
6 Geriatric group - above 65 years
7 Unsettled population
observed in all the feeding programmes
carried out by Government and Public
sector undertakings. The above will be
the guiding principles in the
operationalisation of Malnutrition Free
Kerala also.
Family based approach:
Undernutrition and malnutrition
occur largely due to inappropriate family
practices related to diet, health care and
hygiene / sanitation. Focusing on the
family as a unit for behavioural changes
communication is an advantage because
through the family approach, it is possible
to reach the children (especially the 0-3
age group), the. adolescents, the antenatal
and postnatal mother and the elderly who
are the target groups for the programme.
o The primary focus would be to
strengthen family practices related to
o Infant and young child feeding
(exclusive breastfeeding, appropriate
complementary feeding)
o Sick childcare with appropriate medical
treatment and nutrition management
o Prevention of illnesses through
immunization and hygiene / sanitation
o Appropriate cooking and dietary
practices in the family
o Appropriate use of nutritional
supplements and micronutrient
supplements
o Diarrhoea management through ORT
to be promoted within the family.
This will be done through specially
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Total in How many Total Total to education activities will be
are eligible now be conducted for these
(BPL, SC/ST, covered covered groups periodically on a
fisher folk, at continuing basis so that
risk etc) peer pressure is built up for
sustaining appropriate
12,50,000 9,68,000 3,90,000 5,78,000
family and community
practices.
Media based
approach
In order to support the
Family Counselling and
15,00,000 9,68,000 5,40,000 4,28,000
the peer group activities,
25,61,000 7,00,000 7,00,000 7,00,000 the mass media will be
3,03,2126 8,25,000 1,25,000 7,00,000 utilized to promote the
8,36,2242 3,50,000 2,00,000 1,50,000 same messages and
practices to provide an
5,30,6436 2,41,201 66,201 1,75,000 overall positive
NA NA NA 1,00,000 environment for
behavioural change.
selected and trained Family Nutrition Social Marketing approach
Volunteers who will visit these families Certain specific food supplements
regularly and provide continuing support. such as food mixes and multiple
The Family Counsellor will be selected micronutrient premixes, and fortified
from among experienced persons n the food items such as iodised salt are essential
field with in the community. They will for ensuring the nutrition security of
be trained in nutrition topics and individuals, families and the community.
counselling skills and Their use / consumption needs to be
she will be supported and guided by promoted actively. In this context,
the local AWW and by the Panchayat level agencies like Consumer Federations
Nutrition counsellor (ICDS Supervisor/ (Triveni) and Consumer Councils
Nutrition Experts) (Margin Free) will be motivated to involve
The Nutrition Volunteer will identify in product development, quality control
all families with children 0-6 years, with and marketing in association with
antenatal mothers, nursing mothers, agencies like Kudumbashree and the
adolescent girls, and elderly persons. She PDS. Similarly, consumption of
will repeatedly visit these families and micronutrient supplements like IFA,
provide counselling and care for specific Ayurvedic iron preparations and Vit A as
nutrition and health problems and issues well as oral Rehydration Salt packets will
faced and she will encourage and motivate be actively promoted in the community
the families for adopting / strengthening by ensuring adequate supplies and
distribution by the Health Department.
appropriate family practices.
Peer Group and local Community Strengthening ongoing ICDS
based approach programmes
In order to support the family based Food supplements free of cost will be
counselling and behaviour, change provided by the ICDS programme to
communication, peer group activities will eligible families (BPL, Tribal, at-risk. etc)
be taken up at the neighbourhood and to reach the target age groups. The type
of food supplements will vary for each
community level to enable a positive
target group. For example noon meal for
environment to promote the appropriate
family practices as acceptable social 3- . 6 age- group and school going age
norms. All existing peer groups will be group, food mixes for other age groups,
etc. Funds for this component will be met
identified, such as mothers’ groups,
NHGs, SHGs, adolescent groups, youth by local self governments from ongoing
groups, religious leaders and other allocations.
community influencers. Peer group Programme Supplies such as
21
Weighing machines (adult & child),
Height Rods, MCH Cards (Mother- child
cards) TDSC 0-6 charts, Medicine kits,
ORS packets, IF A, Vitamin A tablets will
be made available in adequate quantities
wherever there is a gap.
Inter-sectoral approach to work with.
Govt. departments
Education Department
Nutrition issues will be addressed
through a School Health Programme
which will be implemented by Education
Department through the PTAs. School
based orientation programmes for PTA
members will be arranged and IEC
materials like pamphlets will be
distributed to all stakeholders. Weighing
scales with height- rod will be provided
to all schools so that Adolescent boys and.
girls 10-19 years can assess their BMI
levels. Those with unacceptably high or
low BMI will be provided Special Health
Cards and they will be followed up by a
Health & Nutrition team until the
nutritional status reverts to normalcy.
ii) Institution based approach - Social
Welfare Department
Providing Nutrition supplementation
to cover up inadequacy in Nutrition in
the food supplied in Welfare Institutions
like After-care Homes, Children’s Homes,
Old Age Homes Destitute Homes,
Orphanages, Mahilamandirams etc
Health Department
Health Department to take up
national programme of IMNCI training
for all MOs, IPHNs and AWWs with
available Government Of India (RCH)
funds to ensure that management of sick
22
children includes a strong focus on
nutrition assessment, nutrition
counselling and nutrition
management.
Tribal strategy - Tribal Dept
Apart from all other strategies
described above which will also be
implemented in the Tribal areas, special
efforts are needed to ensure household
food security for tribal families. It is
suggested that Tribal Dept funds be
mobilized to provide full weekly ration at
subsidized rates through PDS for tribal
families.
Rice Rs 3 per kilo Wheat Rs 3 per
kilo
Green. gram Rs 10/kg Oil Rs 15 !litre
Food Mix free of cost through A WCs
(Vegetables and fruits dried and
processed)
SC strategy - SC Dept
Even though almost all the SC
population have been
brought under the
mainstream of
developmental
programmes, special
focus has to be made to
SC colonies and coastal
areas while taking up
programmes under
sanitation and hygiene.
Water and
Sanitation- Rural
Development
Department
In collaboration
with RDD LSGI and Water Authority,
efforts will be made to ensure that all A
WCs, schools are supplied with drinking
water and toilets.
Scattered / Unsettled population
- Urban LSG
There are nomads, street children,
beggars, gypsies, rag pickers and other
type of floating population who are also
to be brought into the purview of this
scheme if at all a cent percent coverage in
Nutrition is aimed at. Providing Safety -
nets in the forms of food stamps, food
packets, feeding centers etc. through
permanent systems are the means to reach
out to these target groups. As this group
of people are concentrated in cities and
towns, it is advisable to entrust the
Corporations and Municipalities to
implement such a programme
throughout the year.
The target
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
IMPLEMENTATION AND
COORDINATION
Social Welfare department has been
designated as the nodal agency for
implementing this scheme. Presently,
there are a good number of welfare
programmes being implemented by this
department over and above the Women
and Children’s programme of ICDS. As
a major programme intervention
involving Rs.10 crores as budgetary
provision and taking 5 years in
implementation, it is obligatory that
certain rearrangements have to be taken
in streamlining the present administrative
set up.
A state level Empowered Committee
with membership from all collaborating
partners/ departments will be formed to
oversee the implementation of the
programme.
Convergence and Linkage
Convergence and linkage IT
mechanism will be the same intended for
Nutrition altogether.
An effective mechanism has to be
developed on the basis of a Convergence
meeting arranged at State level. Specific
roles and responsibilities of each
Department and Agency have to be
prescribed and their working streamlined.
As a follow up, separate meetings may be
arranged at District / Block / Panchayath
levels to effect convergence and ,linkage
of functionaries.
Monitoring and evaluation
Monitoring process
At the State level, the scheme will be
monitored by the Empowered committee
constituted for the purpose. The Chief
Secretary will be the Chairman and the
Secretary, Social Welfare, the Member-
Convener. The existing Monitoring
system for ICDS in the Directorate of
Social Welfare will have to be
strengthened and streamlined so as to
provide all information and data to the
Committee for a fruitful review. The
periodicity of the meeting may be twice
in a year.
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
 MASS MEDIA
Radio
The Second Coming
D. Pradeep Kumar
T
he good old radio is back with a
bang in Kerala and elsewhere,
disproving the doomsday
prophets, who have stamped it dead and
buried. The results of the listenership
surveys and the advertisement revenue are
any indication, radio still remains as the
most popular mass medium with
universal appeal.
An estimated 2000 letters flood the
radio stations in Kerala each day from
different walks of life. Telephone lines are
often jammed when phone-in
programmes are recorded, due to
overcrowding of callers. All the
listenership surveys conducted by the
Audience Research Unit of AIR during
the past four years in Kochi,
Thiruvananthapuram, Kannur and
Kozhikode have proved that radio reigns
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
ANIL
supreme in the morning hours on
working days all over the state. The local
news bulletin at 6.45am is the most
popular programme in the electronic
media. Its reach is about 70 per cent of
the total population. This is more than
the combined readership of all newspapers
in the State, according to some media
experts. The sale of radio sets, right from
the costly music systems to the cheap
pocket radios, sold by street vendors are
on the rise, these days.
Malayalam broadcasting from Kerala
turned 60 on March 13, last year. ‘This is
Trivandrum Calling’, the cosmic voice
electrified the listeners assembled near a
magic machine called radio in Travancore
capital. Thus began the era of radio
broadcast in Kerala. The radio network
in the State, now, has of stations including
5 FM stations in Thiruvananthapuram,
Devikulam, Kochi, Kozhikode and
Kannur. The tenth station is soon to be
commissioned at Manjeri. Another FM
station will be set up in Konni. All India
Radio is going digital in Kerala during
the 10th five-year plan, when terrestrial
digital transmitters are set up in
Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi. The
Direct-to-Home service of Doordarshan
will soon broadcast programmes of AIR
stations in the State, too.
Frequency modulation (FM)
transmission, with its crystal clear CD
quality sound, has actually redefined the
primitive concepts of the music box,
which plays carnatic classic music or folk
items of the past, during prime time.
Though it still has the hallow of the past
glories and cherished values as a cultural
symbol, it prefers to play popular hit
music and, what else, wanted by the
yuppies, the youth. It has restructured the
programme contents in tune with the
time. It is no more the medium of the
elderly alone. It is too young at 60.
The onslaught of TV, especially the
satellite channels, has resulted in the
dwindling number of listeners in the
evening. A meagre percentage listens to
radio in the television-households in the
evening. But radio is the medium of the
morning, as it has virtually no rivals
during the wee hours between 6 am to 9
am. It cares to the communication needs
of both the urban and the rural. It is the
only medium to lakhs of villagers in
Mankulam, Vattavada panchayats and
tribal hamlets in Idukki and Wayanad
districts, where electricity is yet to reach.
The people of some other remote and
inaccessible areas in the Western Ghats
also depend upon radio as their only
window on the outer world.
It has played a pivotal role in the
tremendous success of family planning
campaign, literacy drive, immunisation
programmes, people’s plan campaign,
social forestry, self-employment schemes,
Kudumbashree and such umpteen
development activities.
But most of the decision makers and
planners in the political and
administrative fields are seemed to be
carried away by the myth that satellite
channels are the popular mass media in
the grassroot level. They should be
educated to understand the ground
realities. Let them utilise the radio- the
universal entertainer and informer.
23
Livestock were easy victims A lonely house which dared the waves

Life
Nature takes on us for Her sport.
The quake waves devastated the coastal
after life of Kerala on 26 December 2004.
The poor hamlets of Alappad and
the fury Arattupuzha were the most battered.
Everything is not what it was before.
All shattered...lives...homes...herds.. dreams...
Photos by
Here are some photos portraying
Sugathan Vattakkad
life after the tsunami.

Silence after the wrath: Officials at a review.

24 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
Lost all

The areas not defended by sea wall were most devastated

KERALA CALLING z January 2005 25

Only debris around Nature’s havoc
 AYURVEDA
Dr. Job Thomas provision for attracting its mate. The distilled to produce an odour similar to
Musk is embedded in a gland, an oval or ketone, termed Muskone. The odour of

M
usk, known as Kasturi in
Sanskrit has been a fascination
to mankind even from
prehistoric time. The exquisite scent of
the musk carried by forest wind made him
search for its origin for hours and days
together. The sweet fragrance is
significant for the power, permanency and
stability, which would last for several
years. It has remarkable ability to
round sac, around 3.5 cm diametre,
covered by smooth upper membrane and
stiff, hairy under surface and a small
opening. It is believed that the best musk
is the condensed one, gathered from the
favourite haunts of deer after the rutting
season, when the deer breaks the gland
with its hoof and empties the contents
on its own choice.
fresh musk is so strong and it is said to
have deleteriously acted on the nervous
system, eye sight and hearing of the
hunters, quite frequently.
According to Bhavaprakash, an
ancient Ayurvedic text, there are three
varieties of musk, the Kamrup, Nepala
and Kashmira musk. Must from China
and Tibet brought via Kamroop in

Musk
permeate and everything in the vicinity
get affected by it, retaining the fragrance
with it for a long period. The strength of
the sensuous scent of musk can be easily
assessed from the act that human beings
can distinctly smell a mean 0.02 mg of
this precious scent.
Musk is the condensed, dried
secretion (testicular extract) from the Studies show that a full-grown deer ancient days might have been named
preputial follicles of the male musk deer discharges around 15 to 60 ml of musk accoridngly. The Kamroop musk, also
(Moschus moschiferus. Class: in a season. fresh musk is milky, but turns known as Assam Musk is identified by its
Ruminantia). The deer is generally found viscid and assumes the shape of irregular- stong odour and blackish colour. This is
in China, Russia, Central Asia, Assam and black tint. It possesses a bitter aromatic superior to all other and has high
Pine forests in Himalayan cliff above 2400 taste and contains ammonia, oleine, comericial and medicinal value. Nepala
metre from mean sea level. Musk is found cholesterin, fat, wax, gelatinous matter, musk is Bluish-black in colour and is of
in the male deer only during the rutting albuminons substances, chlorides of intermediate quality. Kashmira is inferior
season, lasting about one month, nature’s calcium, sodium, potassium etc. Musk is to others. Among the other available types

36 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING


Studies show that a full-grown deer discharges around 15 to
60 ml of musk in a season. fresh musk is milky, but turns
viscid and assumes the shape of irregular-black tint.
Russian musk is not esteemed due to the
poor fragrance, carbadine musk from
Mangolia and Manchuria too has an
unpleasant odour and Tonkin or Chinese
musk is devoid of any unpleasant smell
and is therefore highly priced.
Indian medicine has recognised the
therapeutic importance of musk and
Ayurveda regards it as a diffusible
stimulant, anodyne, antispasmodic,
cardiac, expectorant, disphoretic, diuretic,
laxative, antiseptic and aphrodisiac. It
stimulates the nervous, respiratory,
vascular and urogenital systems,
exhilarates the mind, brain, spinal and
peripheral nerves. By improviing the
blood circulation, it acts as a stimulant
to heart. Extended use, however, will have
narcotic and soporific effect.
Ayurveda recognised the therapeutic
value of musk with the following qualities
– Madhuratiktharasam1, Katu anurasam2,
ushnaveeryam3, guru4 and kapha vata
haram5. Ayurveda and Siddha systems use
musk as an antidote for poisoning to arrest
vomiting, cold, cough, rakta-pitham,
epilepsy, lysteria and for general toxic.
Musk is recommended in curing
dyspepsia, colitis, metastatic gout
effecting stomach or lead, low fevers with
prostration, anaemia, general debility
resultant of chronic ailments, general
depression, paralysis of tongue and
hoarsness.
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Bhavaprakash prescribes several
combinations of mriganabhi or
mrigamadha (which are Sanskrit
equivalents of Kasthuri) with honey,
makaradhwaja, gold, iron, pearls, corals,
fruits, vegetables, cardamom, and cloves
etc. for varieant diseases and disorders.
Musk combined with opium is prescribed
for convulsions in children.
Western medicinal system too
recommends the use of musk for various
adynamic fevers as typhoid, typhus and
typho-remittent fevers and in all typhoid
conditions as collapse of delirium
tremens, coma, typhoid-pneumonia, as
antispasmodic. It is given to gout, in
lockjaw or tetarius, hydrophobia
epileptiform and hysterical attacks,
chorea, shooping, cough, hiccup, asthma,
colic, laryugismus stridulus, insomnia,
meningitis and impotence. The Unani
system uses the musk as a tonic to heart,
brain, for overall vitality and for apoplexy,
paralysis, nervous diseases and cold related
diseases.
The commercial importance of musk
as a perfumery for providing odour to
liquid perfumes, soaps, powder etc.
presently overweights its use as a
medicine. Ruthless butchering of deer
during rutting season leading to the near
extermination of the animal and the ever
increasing industrial demand led to the
laboratory and subsequent large scale
production of synthetically similar
substances, the artificial musk. They
possess an entirely different chemical
structure. The substitute known as
trinitro-meta-tertiary butyl-toluene and
the corresponding compounds of toluene
and derivatives of ketones.
Adulteration with inert substances as
dried blood, liver etc. are very common
due to the heavy demand for musk.
Genuine musk does not change odour
even when buried. It is soft, but the
adulterated musk is stiff to touch. Few
grains of musk, dropped in water will
remain granular, if genuine and will melt
if adulterated. Similarly if the grain melt
and bubble when placed over a live
chareol, the musk is genuine, adulterated
will harden and become cinder.
Natural odourous substances,
resembling or identical to musk, occur
both in the animal and plant kingdom.
The animals known to secrete similar
odourous substances are gazelle (Antelope
dorcas), the marten (Mustela foina), the
alpine goat (Capra ibex), the musk-ox
(Ovibos moschatus), the zebu (Bos
indicus), the percari (Dicotyles torqatns),
the musk duck (Anas moschata), the
desman (Myogal moschata) the Nile
Crocodile (Crocodilus tulgaris) and cetain
varieties of turtles and snakes. Among the
plant varieities, more than 20 species of
plants produce substances yielding musk
odour.
Though a large number of plants and
animal secretions and the synthetic
compounds are capable of affording the
musk-odourous substances, none can
claim a near parallel to the musk of deer
and the mask deer remains very dear to
the demands for their medicinal or
commercial requirements.
1. Madhuratiktha Rasam/ The mixed taste
of sweet and bitterness.
2. Katuanurasam/ Feeling chilly taste at the
end.
3. Ushna veeryam/ Feeling heat in the body.
4. Guru/ Something heavy to digest.
5. Kaphavata haram/ Curative of
Kabhadosham and Vathadosham among
disease- causing Thridoshas.
The writer is a senior physician with Aryavaidya
Pharmacy (Coimbatore) Ltd. and AMO to
department of space, Govt. of India.
37
 ENVIRONMENT
B. Harikumar

I
deas are like dreams. Unbelievably
romantic. And, such one is carbon
trading – an idea that lays its
foundation on ‘tena thyektena bhunjeeta’
(earn by giving).
Born in the 1997 World Earth
Summit held at Kyoto, Japan, this dream-
child can make miracles on society if
practised rightly.
The convention, participated by 160
countries of the world, was to negotiate
binding limitations on greenhouse gases
for the developed nations pursuant to the
objective of the Framework Convention
on Climate Change of 1992.
The outcome was the Kyoto Protocol,
in which the developed nations agreed to
limit their greenhouse gas emissions,
relative to the levels emitted in 1990 or
pay a price to those that do. At this point
comes the carbon trading.
The idea was to make developed
countries pay for their wild ways with
emissions while at the same time
monetarily rewarding countries with good
behaviour in this regard. Since developing
countries can start with clean
technologies, they will be rewarded by
those stuck with ‘dirty’ ones. This system
poises to become a big machine for
partially transferring wealth from wealthy,
industrialised countries to poor,
undeveloped countries.

Say a company in India can prove it
has prevented the emission of x-tonnes
of carbon, it can sell this much amount
of points (or carbon credits) to a company
in say, the US which has been emitting
carbons. The World Bank has built itself
a role in this market as a referee, broker
and macro-manager of international fund
flows. The scheme has been entitled
Clean Development Mechanism, or more
commonly, Carbon Trading.
This allows industries in developed
countries to off-set their emissions of
carbon dioxide by investing in
reforestation and clean energy projects in
developing countries such as large-scale
tree plantations as a lucrative alternative
to reducing emissions.
Planting 100,000 hectares of new
forest can remove one million tones of
carbon per year from the atmosphere. As
trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide
from the air. They use this to make sugar,
starch and complex molecules like
cellulose and lignin, forming wood,
branches, roots, leaves and bark.
38
Carbon Trading
About 50 per cent of a tree’s dry
weight is carbon. If a forest is planted on
land, which has already been cleared, the
growth of the trees dramatically increases
the total carbon stored on the land.
The amount of carbon captured by
trees is estimated from the volume of the
trees, calculated from the heights and
diametres. The tree volume is then
converted to tonnes of dry wood. The
weight of dry wood is then divided into
the weight of carbon and other elements
such as hydrogen and oxygen.
For example, a fast-growing eucalypt
plantation averaging a stem growth rate
of 20 cubic metres of wood per hectare
may yield 500kg of dry wood per cubic
metre, that is 10 tonnes per hectare and
contain 50 per cent carbon, that is 5
tonnes per hectare of carbon in one year.
Such carbon projects could potentially
recover habitat on millions of hectares of
heavily populated forest and farmlands.
This would bring social, economic, and
local environmental benefits to hundreds
of thousands, and potentially millions, of
poor rural people in the developing world.
According to the researchers, there are
126 million hectares (311 million acres)
of low-yielding crop and pastureland.
Converting some of these areas to higher-
yielding agro forestry would sequester five
to 50 tons of carbon per hectare per year.
Rehabilitating dry forests in India could
double sequestration from 27 to 55 tons
of carbon yearly for every hectare of dry
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
 CO2
forest improved.
For example, in the Handia Forest
range of Madhya Pradesh, India, 95 very
poor rural villages would jointly earn at
least US$300,000 every year from carbon
payments by restoring 10,000 hectares of
degraded community forests, if their
project succeeds. Healthy forests bring all
kinds of other benefits too. They would
help to protect endangered leopards and
monkeys and improve local water
supplies. At the same time, villagers, many
of whom own no cropland would earn
money from the sale of fuel wood, high-
value timber, and tendu leaves used for
wrapping cigars. Many community-
based projects can sell carbon credits at
the expected global market price of
US$15 to $20 per ton of sequestered
carbon.
Few countries are close to making the
Kyoto limits without buying credits. So
there is considerable demand. Even as
more countries get their emissions in
order, the emissions allowed will gradually
decline over time, making the remaining
credits inevitably more expensive.
Countries will therefore have an economic
incentive to be carbon credit producers
instead of consumers. It is definitely an
incentive for developing countries to
adopt cleaner technologies sooner, so as
to continue being sellers and not buyers
as they continue to grow. We’re now
starting to see how these markets will
play out.
According to a report, a
partnership between a Norwegian
firm and a Brazilian landfill to trap
and burn methane emitted by the
landfill to the atmosphere. This will
reduce the addition of methane, a
greenhouse gas twenty one times
more powerful than CO2. Norway
would get the credit equivalent to
670,000 tons of CO2 and Brazil the
cash, currently $10.98 per ton. While
this is one of the first deals signed, it’s far
from the only one around.
Problems
It should be pointed out that carbon
trading is hugely contentious and many
environmental and social justice activists
oppose it due to its many inherent
problems.
Most emissions trading schemes have
large loopholes which distort the whole
system. These range from reliance on
‘credit-generating projects’ such as
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
monoculture tree plantations, as well as
lack of credible enforcement and
verification systems to the use of financial
instruments such as carbon hedge-funds,
banking systems, derivatives, etc.
Besides, the production of emissions
such as greenhouse gases inevitably
involves the production of toxic co-
pollutants. These often include Volatile
Organic Compounds (VOCs), Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Particulate
Matter, benzene, arsenic, dioxins,
mercury, cadmium, etc. All of these co-
pollutants have huge public health
consequences.
Like way, trading only deals with a
general reduction, while individual
polluting sites and industries may in
practice actually be able to increase their
emissions. The reality is that most
polluting industries are sited in areas of
predominately low-income and
communities of colour. Existing schemes
have actually demonstrated that massive
increases have happened in such
communities, resulting in dramatic
impacts on the people living there. It was
the result of such schemes, which is one
of the main factors behind the emergence
of the environmental justice movement.
Trading in emissions effectively
creates a commodity literally out of thin
air. As such, global pollution trading is a
form of privatisation of the atmospheric
commons (you can’t sell what you don’t
own) and allows the market and corporate
actors (many of whom are the world’s
biggest polluters) to determine the pace
and development of the ‘carbon market’.
It is precisely for this reason which
corporate lobby groups such as the
WBCSD and IETA support it. It is said
that these groups have played an
enormously obstructive role in efforts to
negotiate effective environmental
agreements and both have some of the
world’s most notorious polluters as their
key members.
Trading is a distortion of what really
needs to happen which is reductions at
source across the board. No source should
be allowed to increase its emissions due
to the above reasons.
The carbon market creates
transferable rights to dump carbon in the
environment and vegetation far in excess
of the capacity of these systems to hold
it. Billions of dollars worth of these rights
are to be awarded free of charge to the
biggest corporate emitters of greenhouse
gases in the electric power, iron and steel,
cement, paper and other sectors in
industrialised nations who have caused
the climate crisis and already exploited
these systems most.
Though there may be such anomalies,
we can lay faith on the goodness of
humankind. Private businesses and
NGOs can act as intermediaries to
combine the carbon offsets produced by
communities and sell them jointly to
buyers. For example, in Mexico, a local
environmental organization helped to
organize 400 small-scale farmers in 20
communities to sequester carbon by
planting trees around their crop fields.
With the NGO as the intermediary, the
farmers sold carbon credits equal to
17,000 tons of carbon to the International
Federation of Automobiles for between
US$10 and $12 per ton of carbon. The
CDM rules should make all community-
based forestry projects eligible for the low-
cost “fast-track” approval process.
This is too good an opportunity to let
pass by – says experts. If business leaders
are willing to take up this not so difficult
initiative, companies around the world
stand to save money while doing good
things for people and the environment, a
brave new world awaits us.
39
 LITERATURE
Malayalam criticism;
Prof. Thumpamon Thomas
M
odern criticism is concerned
with projecting the hidden and
the aesthetic aspects of a
literary world. As in other languages, in
Malayalam also, methods have been used
for gauging the levels of beauty in a
literary piece. The aim of all criticism is
one and the same but the stress of
criticism is on certain functions. A new
method of criticism sprouted as a reaction
to the previous methods. “ Art for Arts
Sake” was swayed art, “ Art for Life’s Sake”
and “Art itself is life” came to occupy the
centre stage.
The criticism in Malayalam is indeed
based on the western principles. Till that
time, the treasury of Malayalam literary
criticism was the fundamental theories of
the Aestheticians of the east.
In the place of the authorities of
Sanskrit in Malayalam criticism, now the
second half of the eighteenth century
western modes got established. Kerala
open-mindedly accepted the western
literary and intellectual ways from that
time.
P. K. Narayana Pillai, who had
The criticism in Malayalam is indeed based on the western
principles. Till that time, the treasury of Malayalam
literary criticism was the fundamental theories of
the Aestheticians of the east.
penetrative observation and a rich style,
could not understand the moderns. But
he rendered criticism in Malayalam a
strong base. He gave maturity to in
criticism in Malayalam. A. Balakrishna
Pillai s advent was the next. He proved
that the soul of criticism in Malayalam
was different from P.K’s. He wanted that
the creative writers of Kerala be
emancipated from rusty traditions of the
old nodes. He started a newspaper called
‘Kesari’ and established a club with the
40
same name. Besides, the writers were
given opportunity to familiarise with
German, French, Italian, Russian,
Spanish, Greek and American literature.
He translated Mauppasant, Balzac, Freud,
Darwin etc. He wrote articles about
Socialist Anarchist thoughts. He created
a new heaven and earth of neo-sensibility
.He prepared the youth to step over the
barriers of language, nations, and religion
and created a new style of life. He lifted
Malayalam criticism to a new horizon of
inter- disciplinary sensibility, releasing it
from the traditional ways. Even the new
critics in Malayalam own up A.
Balakrishna Pillai as the genius who
enquired into the live-relation between
art and science and brought the result of
that enquiry into literary criticism.
M. P. Paul with his commendable
clarity of vision told the Malayalis the
ideas that were undigested, as a result of
lack of practice and strangeness due to
lack of acquaintance with the western
ideas, wafted to Malayalam by A.
Balakrishna Pillai, were quite fair and
good and could transform Malayalam
criticism beyond recognition. He wrote
in a sincere, truthful style with a touch
of live- literature and made the Malayalis
familiar with modern Malayalam prose.
The next are Joseph Mundassery and
Kutty Krishna Marar who were the
greatest figures in Malayalam literary
criticism. In Mundassery’s
“Kaavyapeedika”, he co-ordinated western
and eastern literature comparing
Bharatha, Anandavardhana, and
Abhinavagupta with Aristotle, Coleridge,
and I. A. Richards.
Kutty Krishna Marar erupted like a
volcano against those who argued that
imagery embellishment and social
commitment are the dharma of literature.
The first category had their roots in
tradition; the second variety belonged to
the neo- socialist thinkers. He vociferated
against both these. Most of all he tore
into pieces the scholars who were mislead
by Dhwany Theory in its degenerated
form and the external beauty of
ornaments. He argued that poetry was
different and he established his views
through Malayala Shaili, Vrithashilpam,
Sahithyavidya, and such works of his.
Marar fixed a new dimension and
modality to Malayalam.
T.S. Eliot
The contemporary Malayalam critics
have the smack of the inter-disciplinary
style, the advent of which was launched
by A. Balakrishna Pillai. It is the
precipitate of contemporary advancement
of knowledge, Sociology, Psychology,
Philosophy, Anthropology, Linguistics,
History, Ecology and such, which have
shaped modern society- all these and
much more and Malayalam criticism now
remains a plus point embracing
everything.
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
the trendsetters
S.T. Coleridge
C.J. Thomas stands out with zest and
verve with his contributions to modern
Malayalam drama criticism. He gave the
Malayali the familiarity with the internal
and external tang of western drama.
Thomas’ s drama studies enabled the
Malayali to grasp the philosophical basis
of western drama and he prepared the
dramatist and the viewer to imbibe it. The
dramatists of Kerala went in search of new
pastors impelled by C. J . Thomas’s
studies.
From the essence of word power to
the essence of emotion, thought, genius,
craft and knowledge rendering a three
dimensional matter came Sankunny Nair
and that is an interesting light shed in
contemporary Malayalam.
With a deep knowledge of the poetics
of the West and East a logical mind, a
free vision, a gift of the gab that
demolishes adversaries and promotes to
any extent friends Sri. Sukumar Azhikode
fills a void. Azhikode in the crucible of
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
his judgement recreates poetry
and poetic studies.
Psychology, Anthropology,
Mythology, Archetype,
Sociology, Aesthetics and such
have a part to play mainly in
criticism. They see criticism as
a task, gift, thapas, wakefulness
and a scintillating process.
Parallel to this main stream
of criticism, another stream of
criticism runs in Malayalam.
Historical criticism,
Sociological criticism,
Academic criticism and such are
now challenged by a new
criticism that has sprouted in
the West. The new critics in
Malayalam are prepared to
reject the propaganda whatever
it is, whether it be political,
moralistic, humanistic or
anything. They argue that
literature is literature and that
has to be vied as literature.
“Creations are to be viewed from the angle
of beauty only,” they argue. The task of
the critics is to make clear the beauty of
the work viewing it as an organic entity
bringing out the factors that contribute
to their beauty.
For this you have to go profoundly
into the work and examine it. The mode
of exemption, which is called in English
explication, is a kind of textual
interpretation. This is a close reading of
the text. In this examination they enquire
into, what a literary work is and what are
its form and content, how does a work
earn form and content. The answer to this
question should be produced from the
work itself, not relying on the external
instruments. This study of form and
content is a new face in Malayalam
criticism. They deny romanticism; they
started imagism and find that formulation
in the most important consideration in
poetry. Images are not poetry’s ornaments
but the pith and marrow. Poetry is the
organic compound of mutually reacting
images. To understand poetry, each and
every component of the poem should be
savoured. Only then the poem can be
understood fully. These critics subjected
Aiyappa Panicker’s poem,
‘Kurukshethram’ to the textual criticism
began by I. A. Richards and T. S. Elliot.
The new critics applaud Robert
Penwar .He had said that to bring out
the true experiences of life; the only
possible thing is to picture the ironies.
They carry on in their criticism the efforts
to read different meanings, hidden
meanings, meanings that we imagine
from words, contradictory meanings that
may be guessed from.
Literature appeared on the basis of
linguistics, -the structuralist criticism also
exists. They criticize the critics of old who
looked for message in works of art. They
see literature as the application of precise
language. They oppose those who see
language as transparent and not
worthwhile. They accepted the method
of taking layer-by-layer, components of
semantics and stylistics. Their method is
to examine the style and grammar of the
writer. They try to recognize that the
writer has created a total; form
construction
Deconstruction style of criticism is as
yet in an experimental stage. Certain
lovers of novelty apply this in Malayalam.
They say that words have no precise
meanings; they believe that words are the
attempts of the mind to create meanings.
They do not even accept the proposition
of the writer. And so language does not
represent the conscious or sub- conscious
mind. Language does not yield to the
writer, the writer yields to the symbols of
language. Each word does not make the
meanings clear, but conceals the meaning.
Kerala has ever been singular and
strange also. It is the home of
experiments. In literary criticism also it
is highly experimental; and Kerala is
continuing with the successful march
forward.
41
 TOURISM
in trekking, rock climbing, elephant
safari, wilderness campaign, river cruise
by rafting, wild life watching, bird
watching etc., come to this quiet piece
of land on the way to world famous holy
hillock Sabarimala. Here you will find
familiarisation and soft ecotourism zones
or activities. The Vana Samrakshana
Samithi (Forest Protection Committee)
consists of local people and make you
available some real ecotourism products.
So the Konniens are going to find a
fortune in a novel way of nature
conservation. If you are not a hardcore
ecotourist try elephant rides, soft treks,
visit to water falls or rock tops or a cool
bath in Achankoil River.
The entire project is envisaged into
four phases. The first thing to come up
here is an elephant camp, which will have

An elephant-centred administration complex, museum,

pathways, elephant cage, mahout shed,
toilets, shops, cafeteria, biogas plant, rain

eco project
shelter etc. You may also get various things
made of elephant dung, which you won’t
get anywhere in the whole of Indian
subcontinent.
K. Santhosh Kumar here are envisaged to get well with these
aspects to make it sustainable so that the During the record phase, the nearby
Elephants, an essential element of places will also be included in the project.
uniqueness and tranquility of the place
Kerala’s cultural epitome, are going to be
is left undisturbed. With the completion of the third phase
a focal point in an yet another innovative you can have a splendid experience of soft
tourism project of God’s own country. Most of the ecotourism resources in or hard trekking facilities to nearby hilly
This time the wandering eyes are about this region lies with the Forest areas. For those who are fond of ‘water’
to find soothing sights in and around Department, and they will have an may move to Neduvathumoozhy,
Konni, a not much known place among effective liaison with tourism department, Njanaval or Kummannoor for riverine
tourists but certainly dear to elephantwhich will help to have an effective activities.
marketing facility. If you are interested
lovers. Situated in Pathanamthitta district
Ecotourism development in
and forms part of forest traits of
the Western Ghats, Konni is at Konni aims to provide local
an altitude of 500-1000 M above economic benefits in a much
sea level. Among nature lovers it bigger way. It can lead to
is known as the abode of majestic development of positive
wild elephants and as a training economic stakes among local
centre of elephants. Therefore people with regard to
the joint efforts of State’s various conservation of natural
agencies like forest, tourism resources. Private investment
departments, local government outside the forest by way of
etc. to make an eco tourism ecofriendly resorts, ecologies etc.
project based on ‘elephant
can be promoted. Local
themes’ at Konni is unique in so
many ways. handicraft and souvenirs
development will also form an
Most prominent feature of
important component.
the area is its verdant greenery The entire project is envisaged into
and the unparallel topographic Interested to hear more about
four phases. During the record the project? Contact Shri.
and ecological features. An phase, the nearby places will also
agricultural region, Konni is rich Mohan Lal, Director, Ecotourism
be included in the project. project or just log on to
in cash crops like rubber, pepper,
ginger, etc. The developments www.ecotourismkerala.com
42 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
 TRIBUTE
Peruvannan: the man and his teyyams
Dr. Raghavan Payyanad
North Malabar is unique in many
respects particularly for its ritualistic
dance form, Teyyam. The Teyyam is the
native religious act in which the
concerned deity is invited after proper
arrangements have been done before the
shrine or specific space in the household.
The power of the deity appears in the
weapon kept on the ?Peetham? (sacred
stool) and through series of rituals one
after another part by part the power enters
into the body of the performer of the deity
and gets possessed. Thus a
transformation takes place in which, the
performer becomes the real deity and
behaves accordingly.
This is possible with the help of
elaborate make-up, headgear, costumes,
series of rituals and dances with the
accompaniments of musical instruments
and chanting of tottam songs and other
verbal forms. The devotees are given with
boons and the last the power of the deity
leaves the body and returned to the place
where the deity came from.
There are more than three hundred
teyyams in North Kerala and each and
every teyyam has its unique features,
however, one can get an outline what is
teyyam from the above given description.
Each teyyam has its own and different
versions in all respects such as myths,
belief system, rituals, performances, etc.
To be an expert in teyyam, one has to
have talents in many fields such as
drawing and painting, recitation of tottam
songs, costumes preparation, art work on
tender leaves of coconut tree, playing
instruments especially chenda, rhythmic
dance, and above all make the devotees
believe that it is not the performer, but
deity itself.
As a researcher in the field of teyyam
it is known to me that there are so many
talented teyyam performers in the interior
villages of North Malabar and they are
equally good or better than the
Nartakaratnam Kannan Peruvannan. Still
he is known to the world as a great teyyam
performer. Why?
Let us begin with Kannan
Peruvannans own remarks on teyyam
performance in its own ritualistic context
and outside the context. Theoretically
the first one is called as folklore and the
later as folklorism. He was never aware
of the theoretical conceptions. Once he
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
was asked a question that was it ought to
bring teyyam from its own sacred, natural
context. It was a serious issue in North
Malabar since 1956 when the first time
teyyam was taken to New Delhi to
perform in Republic Day Parade. Teyyam
is a sacred ritual and it is part of native
religion and it is very difficult demarcate
the ritual from performing art. Moreover,
every item is associated with a belief
system of folk. In such a situation any
attempt to bring teyyam performance out
of its context was objected by the people.
Few performers who dared enough to
perform teyyam out side the shrines were
punished, even objected their traditional
right to do teyyam performances in
shrines of the respective area. This is the
context in which he was asked to answer
Kannan Peruvannan
(1917-2004)
the above said question. His answer was
that he was a devotee of deities in teyyam
and teyyam is sacred as far as he is
concerned. While giving performances
out side the shrine it is only an art form.
He never brings or he is not able to bring
teyyam out side of shrines or any social
premises. What he performs is the art
part of Teyyam.
The ‘why’ answer explains who was
Kannann Peruvannan and how he was
different from other eminent teyyam
performers. His uncompromising
devotion towards teyyam as a ritual
attracted the devotees and they accepted
him and respected him as a born ritual
man. As he had definite ideas and visions
regarding the stage performances of
Teyyam no body could not question him
even if he takes teyyam, away from shrine
and perform in other contexts.
It was in 1974 that a few teyyam
performers under the leadership of
Kannan Peruvannan gave performance of
Kativannur Veeran teyyam in Karnataka
University, Dharwar as part of a
International Seminar on ‘Hero Stones’.
It was an amazing experience to the
participants of the seminar because they
were discussing on Hero Stones. Here,
too, one of the cultural heroes of the
North Kerala was appeared before them
alive. After this event he got many
chances to perform teyyam in different
parts of India.
Mean while an Institution under the
name ‘Kalaniketanam’ was established in
his own village, Kodakkad under the
leadership of Dr. K.K.N.Kurup.
Kannan Peruvannan is not only a
teyyam performer but a folk medical
practioner also. His father, Kuttiambu
Manakkadan trained him as a medical
practioner and as teyyam performer. As
a medical practioner he rendered his
service to the people and in response
people loved and respected him.
He was born in the village
Cherumoolayil near Karivallur. As all of
us know Karivellur and the surrounding
villages such as Kayyoor were marked in
the history of Kerala for its revolutionary
actions as part of agrarian revolution.
In his youth Kannan Peruvannan also
attracted by politics and worked in the
field of agrarian revolution. In a rigid
caste system, he was supposed to fulfill
the duty of teyyam performer. A stage
came that his father was old enough not
to give teyyam performances. So, he was
forced to leave the political field. But,
this political background played a serious
role in molding an extra-ordinary teyyam
performer with modern outlook and at
the sametime committed to his own
tradition.
Narthakaratnam Kannan Peruvannan
is no more with us. But his long life list
is left forever. It was the first time that an
autobiography of a traditional artist who
belongs to a marginalised community was
published. This autobiography reveals
how an ordinary folk artist enters into the
social scenario and punch his own mark
in the history of the land. It is the first
time that a teyyam performer is given
equal or more status of classical artist such
as Kathakali or Kootiyattam. Let me say
that Kannan Peruvannan was honoured
through teyyam or teyyam was honoured
through Kannanperuvannan.
The writer is Professor & Head, Centre for Folk
Studies, Calicut University
43
 SPORTS
100 M senior boys’ race
School Games
Sam Kurien
Ernakulam, riding superbly on
Kothamangalam schools - St George
Higher Secondary and Mar Basil HS,
School Games dethroned Kottayam for the athletics title
at the 48th Kerala School Games held at
the Jawaharlal Nehru International
Stadium in Kochi in the first week of
School Games
Ernakulam dethrones Kottayam
December. Ernakulam emerged champions
with 313 points, followed by Kottayam
(219) and Idukki (82).
St George HSS, coached by Raju Paul,
became the champion school logging 135
School Games
points, while Mar Basil HSS bagged 98
points. C. Kesavan Memorial HSS,
Koruthode finished third on 60 points.
School Ga
Thus, St George upset the applecart of
Koruthode, trained by the legendary K.P.
School Games
Thomas (Thomas Master) and his son Rajas
Thomas, who had reigned supreme for long
16 years to enable hosts Ernakulam to walk
away with the coveted title.
Last year, Kottayam had won the
athletics title with the Koruthode school
contributing the major mite on the points
44
table. And St George had spearheaded the
challenge for runners-up Ernakulam.
GVHSS, Kannur won the title in
sports division with 215 points, followed
by GV Raja SS, Thiruvananthapuram
(166) and Sports Hostel, Calvary HS
Kottayam (80) in that order.
“A big crowd has come from
Kothamangalam. It’s going to be very
noisy here tonight,” said a beaming Raju
Paul before the start of the final day’s
proceedings. At the end of the day, the
champion coach had the last laugh.
Thiruvananthapuram retained the
Games title scoring 190 points. Palakkad
and Thrissur gleaned 154 and 114 to end
up second and third respectively.
State Sports Minister Dominic
Presentation desitributed trophies to
Games winners, while Education
Minister E.T. Mohammed Basheer gave
away the prizes to those who excelled in
athletics. Olympian K.M. Binu lighted
the Games flame at the stadium.
The School Games, perhaps the
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
 Vellayamkudy in Idukki district.
N.G. Vishnu of Centralised Sports
Hostel, Kottayam created a national
record in the 100M race for sub-junior
boys. Vishnu breasted the tape
clocking 11.37 seconds to better the
national record mark of 11.40 sec.
The hectic scheduling of events
invited grievances from various quarters.
The newly-formed Usha School of
Athletics marked their arrival on the stage
in style by putting up a fairly good display.
However, some of the coaches from
general schools complained that Usha
School should be competing in
Sports Division since they are enjoying
better facilities for training. Some
even went to the extent of saying that they
would better skip competing with
The Games events were held in six
venues in and around Kochi. In football,
Malappuram, which ha a rich tradition
in the game, won the Under-19 boys’
title, edging Thiruvananthapuram 1-0 in
te final, Manavir netting the
winner. Kottayam, virtually the Mount
Carmel School team, bagged the
Under-19 girls’ basketball title, defeating
Kannur 43-10 in the title round.
Kottayam beat Kannur 10-5 in the girls’
handball final match. Kottayam also
won the boys’ volleyball crown, putting
it across Alappuzha 25-18, 25-17.
Ernakulam defeated Kozhikode 27-25,
25-19 for te Under-17 girls’ volleyball
title.
The timing of the event drew flak as
the School Games were conducted soon

largest in Asia of its kind, by way of the

number of participants, assume
significance, for Sprint Queen P.T. Usha,
Olympians M.D. Valsamma, Shiny
Wilson, Anju Bobby George, K.M.
Beenamol and K.M. Binu all shot into
prominence through the same Games.
As many as 27 meet records were set
in the athletics event that was run
over three days. Eleven records were
created on the opening and final day,
and five on the second day. The
prominent among them was P.K. Priya
of Sports Authority of India, Kollam
erasing the 24-year-old record (the oldest
mark in School Games) of R. Mallika in
Ernakulam District team- Overall Champions
the senior girls long jump on the
opening day. Priya leaped to 5.75 metres Controversies withstanding, Usha School of
leaving behind the 5.59M set by Athletics proclaims that it aims
Mallika for Vimala Hridaya School,
at winning international accolades.
Kollam at the Thiruvananthapuram meet
in 1978. Priya attributed her success to Usha said that the grass tracks,
the training she had been receiving at though bald in patches, helped athletes perform better.
Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium, Kollam.

ames
U.N. Ramesh of Mar Basil clinched
a hat-trick of gold medals when he won
the boys sub-junior long jump, 80M
hurdles and 400M race. Shameena Jabber
set a national record in the sub-junior girls
3000M. For Shameena, a 10th standard
student of SJHSS, Vellayamkudy,
Olympian K.M. Beenamol is her idol.
Incidentally, Beenamol is also a native of
the Kondotty school in general schools
category next year.
Controversies withstanding, Usha
School of Athletics proclaims that it aims
at winning international accolades. Usha
had said that the grass tracks,
though bald in patches, helped athletes
perform better.
after the State Junior Athletics in
Palakkad. “Athletes need at least 10 to
15 days for recovery after a meet. Here,
many of them did not have even a
day’s rest,” opined T.P. Ouseph, former
national coach for jump events.
Ouseph has coached the likes of Anju and
Beenamol among many a prominent
athlete.

KERALA CALLING z January 2005 45


The plight of a boy without
both hands is an unending
sorrow for his villagers.
46
Learn to rewrite
the destiny
Even with full, healthy limbs
we find it difficult to push our way
through a careerist world. But,
young Pranav aged six, from a
remote village in Palakkad is to
fight his destiny from his early
childhood while his friends are
into material playfulness. Pranav is
a kid without both arms. Doctors
diagnoses his cruel fate as a genetic
disorder. He has to depend on his
legs for writing and was trained in
leg-writing by his dear nursery
teacher Anjali. He writes well and
even draws pictures with his legs.
His pictures are full of sights
imbibed by him from his cool life
and his journeys to his mom’s
home. In all journeys, his mother
is his constant companion.
His father, Balasubramaniam,
rendered partially jobless by
mechanisation of his trade is fully
dependent on his craftsmanship
for survival.
Pranav needs more than four
lakhs rupees to get him artificial
limbs. It’s a big amount. But, he
and his well-wishers have not lost
their heart.
Recently, Chief Minister
Oommen Chandy, seeing Pranav’s
plight, sanctioned Rs.2000 to his
family during his MCP. He also
promised to do all he can to give
him medical help.
Anyway, Pranav is confidant
and smiling and ever ready to pull
through his hardship. Sometimes,
even destiny is destined to be
defeated.
V.P. Sulabha
January 2005 z KERALA CALLING
 Courses &
Institutions
Certificate
courses
Certificate courses in remote
sensing, MS office and Internet at
Kriyavattom Government College,
Thiruvananthapuram. Contact 0471 –
2413087
Courses for Library
science
Kanjiramkulam K.N.M.
Government College conducts
certificate course in library science.
Classes on Saturdays and Sundays.
Application form for Rs.150. Contact:
0471 - 2264163, 2264267
Kerala Institute of Tourism and
Travel Conducts 6 months certificate
courses for the following. Air fare
ticketing and travel management.
Eligibility – Degree. Fee-Rs.7500.
Cambridge International Diploma
in Travel and Tourism. Eligibility - +2,
Equal. Fee- Rs.15000.
Front Office
Management
Eligibility - +2. Fee – Rs.5000. Age
bar – 30 years. Contact – Director, Kitts
Residency, Thaicaud,
Thiruvananthapuram – 14. www.
kittstour.org
KERALA CALLING z January 2005
Graphics and
animation course
National Institute of Speech and
Hearing conducts graphics and
animation courses. Eligibility – SSLC.
Students should be deaf
Preference for those with artistic
talents. Contact – National Institute of
Speech and Hearing, Karamana (PO),
Thiruvananthapuram – 695 002. Ph:
2340712, 2340043
Technical Education Directorate
and Kerala State Audio Visual and
Reprographic Centre conducts 6
months certificate courses at various
centres.
Eligibility – SSLC. Centre –
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Anchal,
Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam,
Kaduthuruthi, Irattupettah,
Thodupuzha, Ernakulam, Kozhikode,
Vadakara, Thirur, Manjeri,
Perunthalmanna.
IHRD, Thiruvananthapuram
Regional Centre starts personal
computer maintenance and Institution
Certificate Courses.
Eligibility – SSLC. Contact – The
Deputy Director, Regional Centre of
IHRD, Puthupally Lane, Medical
College (PO), Thiruvananthapuram
47

Sweetie sweets
of the past
Those are the halcyon days when lime
sweet was the prince-charming among the
children of Kerala.
Then chocolate took the place,
Share
your
views
spreading obesity among children; the
Send your respons-
first step towards an unhealthy life. es to the articles
Being a symbol of status, chocolates carried by this
outcast our poor old sweets like lime magazine to:
candy, coconut candy nut sweet and
the then elite parry sweets. The Editor
The result seemed alarming. Kerala Calling
Now the people are thinking of a Secretariat Annexe
return to the past. Thiruvananthapuram
Trends in the market show that old Pin: 695001
style sweets receive momentum both
among the new and old generation.
OR
To the children, a less sugar, less
e-mail to:
salt but tasty sweets.
To the elders it is a recollection of
childhood. c o n t a c t @ p r d . k e r a l a . g o v. i n
Then, who is drooling?

LIFE & LINE M. R. RAVINDRAN

48 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING


Sweetie sweets
of the past
Those are the halcyon days when lime
sweet was the prince-charming among the
children of Kerala.
Then chocolate took the place,
Share
your
views
spreading obesity among children; the
Send your respons-
first step towards an unhealthy life. es to the articles
Being a symbol of status, chocolates carried by this
outcast our poor old sweets like lime magazine to:
candy, coconut candy nut sweet and
the then elite parry sweets. The Editor
The result seemed alarming. Kerala Calling
Now the people are thinking of a Secretariat Annexe
return to the past. Thiruvananthapuram
Trends in the market show that old Pin: 695001
style sweets receive momentum both
among the new and old generation.
OR
To the children, a less sugar, less
e-mail to:
salt but tasty sweets.
To the elders it is a recollection of
childhood. c o n t a c t @ p r d . k e r a l a . g o v. i n
Then, who is drooling?

LIFE & LINE M. R. RAVINDRAN

48 January 2005 z KERALA CALLING