Golden Jubilee Souvenir - Dept of English, St Thomas College, Kozhencherry

POSTGRADUATE AND RESEARCH DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH ST THOMAS COLLEGE KOZHENCHERRY Memoriae GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR



Message from the Manager Tom Thomas 04 From the Principal’s Desk 05 Foreword: 06 Editorial: Elizabeth John 07 08 Our Former Faculty 11 12 Milestones 14 15 A Trip Down Memory Lane: Mariamma Mathew 16 18 An Incidental College Education: Mary Abraham 20 22 George M. Philip: A Peerless Teacher: A.J. Philip 22 Jala Athijeevanam: Varghese C. Thomas 27 29 Sophyude Christmas Cardukal: Jacob Abraham 30 31 Van Marangalude Perukal: C. S. Manilal 33 34 Reminiscences: Daniel P 35 36 Reflections: Former teachers - Elizabeth Thomas, Susy Manaloor George, Sara Varughese, 38 CONTENTS T.M.Thomas, M.M.Chacko, Remany Titus,T.Nessie Joseph, Leela Abraham, Anne Susan Koshy 39 39 A Sharing of Perceived Insights on English Literature Course: Ruble Raj 40 41 Reminiscences: Laila M. Varghese 42 43 The Dance of the Seven Veils: Mathews Ninan 44 45 PhD Awardees, Rank Holders, Our NET/JRF Holders 46 47 Infrastructure, Development Take Toll as Kerala Hurtles Towards Chaos: Jayaraj Sivan 47 49 Desire, a Miraculous Mirage: V.G.Vijayakumaran Nair 50 51 Reflection of the Reminiscences: M.R. Sreekumari 52 53 Exodus of Indian Human Capital – A Serious 21st Century Challenge: Blessen Siby Abraham 54 55 “Disclosed”: Saji Krishna 56 57 The Worth of Love & The Strengthening Thoughts: Anuju Susan Alex 58 59 The Menace of Toxic Masculinity: Akshara M. Mani 60 65 The Magic of Memories: Sunil Thomas Samuel 84 Mother: Rev. Febin John Abraham From the Corridors of St Thomas College to the Red-bricked Walls of JNU: Salini L.R. On a Summer Evening: Parvathy Mohan Failure of State: Sajo K. Sajan Realisations. Moulding. College: Alen Itty Jose When Truth Eclipses and Post-Truth Emerges: Deepa Rachel Thomas Luminous Trails: Roshan Varughese The Global Climate Strike: A Wake-Up Call towards the Future: Miby Miriam Jacob Memories: B. Harrylal Youth Drain: Alisha Sali On Different Parts of the Plain: Arjun R. Dark Bites!: Elna Ann Thomas Translating Regional to Global: The Space of Malayalam Literature in Indian Literature: Jins Jose The Tale of Toe Nails: Rev. Dan Thomas George Online . . . But Disconnected: Yohannan V. Pendent: Febu George Mathai Kurichiyath Women, It’s Time You Stopped Wailing! : Vineetha S. Classrooms: Siby John Reflections . . . Major Programmes Conducted by the Department SNAPSHOTS - Golden Jubilee Programmes, Seminars: National & International, Other Major Programmes, Extension Activities, Alumni Meets, Student Achievements, Our Publications Present Faculty

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR It gives me immense joy to know that the Postgraduate and Research Department of English, St Thomas College, Kozhencherry is bringing out a Souvenir to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of the inception of the BA English Programme, and covers the events right up to the present day. Fifty plus years of English teaching is a milestone and an occasion to introspect on the strides taken. I take this opportunity to congratulate all behind this endeavour and wish the Department all success in the coming days. May the Department be able to empower our community to be seekers of knowledge, unbent and untiring. God bless you all. Rt. Rev. Dr Abraham Mar Paulos Episcopa Manager -6-

Memoriae... The Postgraduate and Research Department of English reached a turning point in 2017, when it completed fifty years of inception of the BA English Programme. Five more years later, a souvenir which chronicles the history of the Department is now reaching your hands. I am proud to say that the Department has always been in the forefront of academic and cultural pursuits, and shines like a jewel in the crown of St Thomas College, Kozhencherry. My special accolades to the Editorial Board led by Dr Elizabeth John, and the whole Department, for the painstaking efforts behind this Souvenir. With best wishes, Dr Roy George K. Principal in Charge -7-

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR Dear Reader, The Postgraduate and Research Department of English is glowing with pride as it places before a global audience, the chronicle of its past fifty-five years since the inception of the BA English Programme. This Golden Jubilee Souvenir is a dream come true and a document of history, a treasure for the coming generations, a spur to lead us forward. Standing as a conduit between the “ages past” and the “times to come,” I feel greatly honoured to introduce this venture to you. The Souvenir was planned as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Department under the headship of Dr Asha Susan Jacob. Dr Elizabeth John took up the onerous task of being the Chief Editor. The Editorial Board members supported her in its materialization. The Covid pandemic delayed the publication of the Souvenir. Meanwhile, during her tenure as Head, Dr John started compiling the reminiscences of former teachers and students. The work continued, and the Souvenir is now out in its present form. We gratefully acknowledge our sponsors, without whom this would not have been possible. A word of thanks to all team members of the Department of English. The Souvenir is a token of hard work, dedication and unconditional love. Wish you a Happy Reading. Dr Tom Thomas Head in Charge March 2023 -8-

Memoriae... Salutations from the Department of English! It is our pleasure and privilege to bring out this Souvenir, the first of its kind of the Department of English of our college, as a tribute to all our stalwarts since the inception of the B.A. English Degree Course in 1967. Over five decades have elapsed since then, which infers that over fifty batches of students have passed out from the portals of our institution, completing their B.A. English Degree Course. Twenty four batches have completed their Postgraduation in English as well since the Department was upgraded to the Postgraduate status in 1995. 2013 witnessed a further elevation from the Postgraduate to that of Research Department and to date 7 PhDs have been produced. It is a matter of great satisfaction and happiness that our Department has been instrumental in equipping the students to handle a foreign language with ease and confidence, enabling them to secure jobs on a global basis and maintain them with élan. Over the ages, beginning with Prof Samuel Thomas, the first Head of the Department, we have had over 50 teachers in the substantive posts and a good many guest faculty, all of whose contributions to the effective functioning of the Department, are acknowledged with heartfelt gratitude. The services rendered by each of them have gone a long way in moulding and bringing our Department to its current prestigious position. The steady growth of the Department, needless to say, is also the fruition of the concerted sincere and dedicated efforts of all its patrons and well-wishers. What began in a humble classroom of the “vallappura”, as the structure is fondly known as, has slowly and steadily emerged to the status of Research Department. Today, we have our alumni in all corners of the world, alumni who wear the badge of the St Thomas family with good cheer and pride. While it is not possible to catalogue all the events of fifty plus years in a souvenir like this, we have attempted to recount as much as possible of the major events as could be gleaned from former teachers and acquaintances. We do hope that this book will bring back fond memories to our alumni and teachers, and provide an interesting flashback to others. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to all those who have helped in any way towards the making of this Souvenir. Our thanks are especially due to those who contributed articles, those who helped in the collection of data and those who helped with financial support. The souvenir was one of the prime projects envisaged by the Department for its Golden Jubilee celebrations. However, the completion of the work has been possible only now, in the “Sapthathi” year of the College. As such, the souvenir has attempted to document programmes of the Department right up to the current times. The articles herein include contributions of our students and teachers, both former and current, and a genuine attempt has been made to preserve important events and the achievements of our stakeholders. Since we desire this commemorative book to reach all who are associated with the Department, we plan to make it available globally and digitally. We are apprehensive that many a slip may have occurred in the chronicling, since data, especially of the infancy of the Department, was difficult to come by. Nonetheless, we do hope that our efforts will be appreciated by our readers. Giving all honour and glory to God the heavenly Father, and thanking Him for all His grace and mercies which enabled the completion of this work, we humbly submit this monument of love before you. Dr Elizabeth John (For the Editorial Board) -9-

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Memoriae... A.M John ( - 1965) J.M. Philipose ( - 1965) A.V. George ( - 1965) Mathew C. Abraham ( - 1965) Elizabeth Punnen ( - 1965) Y. Oommen (1967 – 68) Sara Susmitha Mathews (1974 – 77) Geetha Mathew (1978 – 80) Abraham Joseph Padinjattedom (1978 – 81) Chitraja Nair ( - 1978) Susan Joseph (1982 – 84) Anitha Mathai (1996 – 99) Dr Lakshmi Sukumar (2007 – 11) Renjith Joseph (2007 – 08) - 11 -

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Memoriae... Former bureaucrat and writer-columnist, Chellappan Parameswaran Nair, popularly known as C. P. Nair, served as Lecturer of English at St Thomas College, Kozhencherry during the years 1959 – ’61. He left his teaching career in compliance with the wishes of his father, and targeted towards civil services, qualifying the IAS in 1962. Known for his administrative capabilities, sharp wit and humorous writing style, C.P. Nair was very much active in the socio-cultural and literary arenas of the state even after his retirement as the Chief Secretary of Kerala in 1998. He held significant posts like District Collector, Home Secretary, Labour Secretary and Commissioner of Travancore Devaswom Board during his decades-long stint as civil servant. Nair also served as the member of the Administrative Reforms Commission and headed a government panel, formed to rewrite the Kerala Education Act and Rules (KEAR) post-retirement. C.P. Nair (1959 – ’61) An award-winning writer and columnist, C P Nair wrote a handful of books winocrlukdIirnugkaTlhimakoiol,ttUakgaalnhdaadMwaolnayhailmamth, eLaKnekraaylailSOahruithMyaarAukthaidaenmdi so on and the award. - 13 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR A Trip Down Memory Lane Prof. Mariamma Mathew - Faculty member during 1969 – ’83, Prof. Mariamma Mathew is also an alumna, having studied here during 1963 – ’67. Later she joined Mar Thoma College for Women, Perumbavoor and retired from official services in 2003. “Precious memories, how they linger, How they ever flood my soul In the stillness of the midnight Precious sacred scenes unfold I Precious memories fill my soul.” am happy to learn that the English Department of St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry is bringing out a souvenir in connection with the 70th anniversary celebrations of the college. I am extremely thankful and feel honoured to have been given the opportunity to share my memories as an old student and also as a former faculty of the college. Whenever I think of St. Thomas College, I recall the lines of John Howard Payne: “Home, home, sweet, sweet home, there’s no place like home!” because St Thomas to me is a home away from home. Even now I am overwhelmed by a feeling of nostalgia and serenity at the mention of that name. It is my “Arcadia”, where I used to enjoy simple pleasures and ideal happiness. The years I spent there were some of the happiest in my life. Having been born and brought up in the neighbourhood of Kozhencherry, I considered the college as a part of my psyche even before I became a student there. I remember Kurumthottickal Achen, the great visionary whose prophetic insight and social commitment were instrumental in the birth of the college. I remember Sri. A.J. Cherian, the first Principal of the college, whom my friends and I watched with awe, as we walked to school every day. He was always dressed in western style and was accompanied by a peon carrying his bag, reminiscent of colonial days. From the road, we could see the top of the house he lived in, and my head being full of fanciful imagination, fed by the story books I had read, I used to think of it as a medieval castle. The roof of the college building, also visible from the road, was the tower of a citadel! As I grew up, these childish fancies grew dimmer and finally the day came when the college and everything associated with it became a reality. After S.S.L.C. I joined St. Thomas College for Pre-University Course (P.U.C.) in 1963. At first, I felt like Alice in Wonderland. The atmosphere was totally different from that of school. I still vividly remember my P.U.C. days - the classroom, all the teachers who taught us and many of my classmates. In P.U.C. we had to learn all subjects- English (1st language), Hindi / Malayalam (2nd language), Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Zoology, Botany, World History, Indian History, Economics, Philosophy…. and what not. We had scripture classes for Christian students and Moral Instruction classes for Non-Christian students. We had prayer sessions too in the morning when Principal Sri. A.J. Cherian played the piano, leading the choir in singing melodious Christian hymns which ignited my passion for singing and listening to Christian hymns. I enjoyed all the classes, and being an above average student, could score very high marks in all subjects. Even then I had a special affinity to English language and literature. I remember the English classes more vividly than the others - how I sat with wide open eyes and keen ears, soaking in the beauty of English literature. Even now I can see before my mind’s eye the teachers - Miss. Susy Manaloor, Sarah Varghese, Messrs. Samuel Thomas, K. M. Abraham etc. who opened the window of my soul to the beauty of literature. One year passed all too fast. P.U.C. was over. I wanted to go in for B.A. English, but B.A. in Literature had not started in St. Thomas and I joined B.Sc. Chemistry. Since I was equally at home with all subjects, I was able to come out as class topper in B.Sc. The three years I spent as an undergraduate student there were really blissful. How I wish I had a time machine and - 14 -

could go back to those Elysian days!! I enjoyed all the Memoriae... classes and remember with gratitude, all my teachers who helped in my growth as a person, moulding my all the other classes during the first year. As a result life and shaping my destiny. But the classes I enjoyed of my immaturity and “wiser-than-thou” attitude, the most and remember most vividly were the English some unpleasant incidents occurred. But I learned an classes. They are etched in my memory so deeply that unforgettable lesson: that you can tame teenagers only even now I have only to close my eyes to see myself with love. sitting in those classes and listening to my teachers - During the first year, we, the juniors, had only six hours Prof. Samuel Thomas in dhothi and long kurta teaching each per week. But there was plenty of work to do as I ‘Othello’ in his sonorous voice, Sri. K.M. Abraham had to carry out the tasks assigned to me by the seniors, waltzing into the class to teach the anthology ‘Values of most of whom had taught me previously- preparing Life’, Sri. T.O. George who taught Bernard Shaw’s ‘Apple notes to be printed for the students, correcting answer Cart’, Sri. Thomas Jacob who taught us prose in the books assigned to them by the University. etc. In second year and more clearly than all, Sri. N.V. Jacob addition to all that, we, the juniors, had to engage the who taught us poetry- Wordsworth’s ‘Tintern Abbey classes of seniors on leave. We did all these extra work Lines’, Tennyson’s ‘Ulysses’, ‘Browning’s ‘Rabbi Ben without even uttering a word of complaint. Even the Ezra’ … etc. etc… Those classes were to me “Sweeter thought of ‘questioning’ our teachers or raising voice than honey and the honeycomb”. It was those classes for our ‘rights’ didn’t occur to us. In fact, I was only that clinched my decision to pursue the study of English too happy to be entrusted with such duties and greatly Language and Literature. I hold these my teachers in enjoyed them. How the times have changed!! the highest esteem for influencing and changing my Years passed. Life in the College, especially in the life. At this point may I venture to add that in those days English Department was enjoyable. The Department of comparatively strict valuation of answer books, I had was like a family. By the time I came back after P.G., B.A the privilege of securing First Class in Part I English – English had been started and additional appointments the first ever in the history of St. Thomas. Whatever and had been made in the Department. Messrs. Mohan wherever I am today, I owe it to my teachers. Joseph, Mammen Zachariah, P. Daniel, K.C. Abraham, It would be ungracious of me if I forget to write a few George M. Philip, T.M. Thomas, T.J. Abraham … were words about the library. Having been introduced by my new faces to me when I joined. Ms. Elizabeth Thomas father, to the magic world of books, at a very early age, I and Prof. M.P. Varghese had been there even when I found the library of St. Thomas a world of enchantment. was a student. Messrs. T.S. Titus and M. M.Chacko The librarian at that time, if I remember correctly, was were appointed along with me. Many more joined in the eldest son of Kurumthottickal Achen. Recognizing the following years- Abraham Joseph, Susan Joseph, my passion for reading, he broke the rule of the library- Geetha Mathews, Susmitha, Remani Titus, Thomas lending one book per week- and gave me a fresh book Oommen, Leelamma Abraham, Nessie Joseph … as soon as I finished the previous one. Thus, the library How lively was our department!! G.M.P. cracking was a perennial source of unspeakable joy for me. jokes in his resounding voice, M.M.C singing in his I left St. Thomas in 1967 to join University College, melodious voice, T.S.T. whose duty it was to prepare Trivandrum for Postgraduation in English, much to the the timetable at the beginning of every year… There was surprise of my teachers in the Chemistry Department. a lot of good-natured banter and exchange of teasing That was the only occasion I disobeyed my teachers. remarks. I remember them all. Some of them left the Yet, to be truthful, I never had to regret my decision. Department after a few years for personal reasons; a few I came back to St. Thomas in 1969 as a teacher in the have left for ever and I pay homage to them. English Department. I remember the first day as clearly “Oft, in the stilly night, as if it were only yesterday- a lean girl with long, curly Ere slumber’s chain hath bound me, hair in braids, walking into the Department with Sad memory brings the light trembling feet and awestruck eyes, as a teacher in the Of other days around me” midst of my teachers! Initially I had some trepidation I too, left the college in 1983 for strictly personal even to sit in the Department along with my teachers. I reasons. Like a daughter who is compelled, after remember my first assignment to a batch of notorious marriage to leave her home and loved ones, to go and troublemakers - how I walked in with fear and live in her husband’s home, I too was compelled to leave trembling to a class of ninety Pre-Degree students. Our St. Thomas for family reasons and I joined Mar Thoma HoD Prof. Samuel Thomas believed in taming the new College for Women, Perumbavoor where I spent the appointees by sending them to such classes. Anyway, rest of my career and retired in 2003. Though I was after one hour, I came out of the class, still alive. That uprooted from there, still, at times, I feel a strong tug at was the inauguration of my teaching career. I shall my heart strings, whenever I think of St. Thomas. I still never forget that first batch, though I don’t remember consider St. Thomas my Alma Mater, “my home, sweet home”. - 15 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR AN INCIDENTAL COLLEGE EDUCATION Dr Mary Abraham (Marykutty Jacob) - Student of 1972 –’75, BA English, Dr Abraham is a Higher Education Policy Adviser working from Washington CDC and Kansas City, USA. irca 1972, Midnight’s Children became 25 year olds and their younger siblings entered college as first year degree seeking students. The magical realism of Mahatma Gandhi’s free-India was fading. His vision for singularity and purity through religion and culture was breeding intolerance, violence and repression. His utopian dream was turning into a nightmare mainly due to his disciple “Priyadarshani” and her maniacal hunger for power. “The Empress of India” and her reckless son Sanjay were conducting social engineering in communities and anatomical engineering on fertile men. The free press and free and fair judiciary appeared to be facing imminent demise. The seeds of totalitarianism and dictatorship were taking root in Indian soil. The class of 1975 commenced education in this tumultuous milieu. Social unrest was part and parcel of the college experience then. Colleges, including St. Thomas, were shut down for months due to protests and satyagrahas. Thus an informal extra-curricular education was burgeoning, an unplanned “college experience.” On the formal side, university authorities prescribed a colonial curriculum since the post-colonial was still under construction. The satanic verses were not yet uttered, the moor had yet to sigh and the God of small things yet to incarnate. Heck, they set aside R K Narayanan and Mark Twain as not “English” enough. Consequently, we studied Shakespeare not knowing he could have been a proto- psychologist. Better yet, the bard could have been channeling Vyasa Maharishi. After all, King Lear is another King Dhritarashtra. The Irish playwright Bernard Shaw held us in chuckles at the pretentiousness of the want-to-be class and the moral dilemmas of the normative class through his time-honored satirical plays. We didn’t have to look far for malapropism; Manglish was misappropriating both English and Malayalam words. Unaware of the implications of our lived experience, the female students of the class conducted impromptu fashion parades on campus grounds in their exclusively hand- loomed uniform saris, inviting cat calls from leering boys. Occasionally we skipped classes, rarely skipped town, went for movies, visited our friends and enjoyed our mom’s cooking. Since we had no labs or experiments to conduct, we tested our newfound knowledge of human nature and English vocabulary on the science majors. Remarkably, we were not told “you can become anything you want if you want it bad enough”. Instead our head of the department told the female students, your parents are holding you in college until their provident funds mature—implying you are mere arranged marriage material—and thus cooling any aspirations we may have tucked away. There were no romantic liaisons among our classmates, puzzling the teachers, especially the HoD Samuel Thomas. Maybe Mohan Joseph’s Dr. Faustus warned us of the dangers of playing with the devil. Although the magical powers of midnight’s children were fading in other parts of India, few Keralites held on to theirs. They retained their ability to step into mirrors and reemerge through reflective surfaces, thus laterally inverting from left to right and right to left every five years or so; on the left Marxism and on the right Socialism with a hint of Achayan Capitalism. Unbeknownst to us, we were being prepared for life, not for a job or a career. There was no pressure to become anything. We read, we learned, we played as teenagers oblivious to our impending adulthood. Today, we know we were some of the luckiest people on planet earth. In the midst of turbulence and turmoil, we experienced a college education. Most remarkably, all of us passed our BA exams on schedule. Final exam results came out, and our transcripts looked like it was duplicated in photocopy machine with our names on it—we equalized ourselves. Some of us went on to become teachers, university administrators, public servants, homemakers and expatriates in Middle East countries. But all of us succeed as citizens and community makers. I for one left the country for higher education, not knowing it was for good, never to return as a permanent resident of India. Nevertheless, I am keeping my magical powers to hold on to equanimity and be true to myself in an ever changing world. I discovered that as an English Major at St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry. - 16 -

Memoriae... GEORGE M. PHILIP: A PEERLESS TEACHER A.J. Philip - Student of the 1970 –’73 B.A. Batch, Mr Philip is a senior journalist and columnist. Winner of the Best Journalist Award, 2003, instituted by the Indian Catholic Press, and Bishop Mar Chrysostom Navathi Award for Journalism, 2008, he has held high editorial posts in The Tribune, the Indian Express and the Hindustan Times. He writes regularly for the Indian Currents, the Oman Tribune and the New Indian Express. It would be wholly inappropriate to call George M Philip (GMP) Sir as a friend, as he was my teacher at St. Thomas College, Kozhenchery, in the early seventies. It is a different matter that most of us, who did our BA in English literature, treated him more as a friend than as a teacher. How else could we tease him for his soft corner for a particular student whom he married sooner than later, only to find him blushing in response? Incidentally, he looked handsomer when he blushed. When he and Usha were declared man and wife, we reminded him about a law that prohibited child marriage. It evoked good laughter. GMP had his own way of dealing with any issue. He taught us a play by George Bernard Shaw. I won’t say he was a teacher in the classical mould like Prof Samuel Thomas who taught us Shakespeare’s King Lear and Varrier Sir who taught us Nalacharitam. They all commanded respect in almost equal measure. None of them took attendance and students were free to attend or skip their classes. Yet, everyone was present. Often, GMP would not stick to the syllabus. He was a great raconteur of anecdotes and stories. He had a way of telling stories, be it about Oommen Chandy, who was often surprised by his own beautifully-drafted statements that appeared in a newspaper from Kottayam. In GMP’s version, Chandy was a product of the Malayala Manorama Group. When he described Philip M. Prasad, the Naxalite who was arrested along with Kunnikkal Narayanan, his wife Mandakini and daughter Ajitha, we felt as if he was standing amidst us in the class. He had a vast range of subjects to discuss which might not have had any connection with the subject he taught. He was an unconventional teacher. I remember one incident. The famous scientist ECG Sudarshan had come to the college to deliver a lecture. The subject of the lecture was “Thermodynamics of Iddli”. Yes, the same Iddli that we are fond of eating with coconut chutney and sambar. Because of the subject, even English literature students attended the lecture only to realise that what he talked about was high-end Physics which we could not understand. GMP was also present at the lecture hall. When we assembled for our class, GMP asked us whether we understood anything of what Sudarshan said. We asked him whether he understood anything. He began to explain. “When steam is formed in the Iddli vessel, it creates thermodynamics…” He could not go beyond this sentence. We all had a hearty laugh at his expense. The college was a bastion of the Congress and the Kerala Congress. GMP was a Leftist, not exactly a Marxist with a membership card. He had a disdain for excessive religious feelings and practices. He saw Jesus as a revolutionary who had the courage to take the whip against those who turned his worship place into a market. It caused me enormous sorrow when I heard that GMP died in a motorcycle accident. He was too young to go, more so as he had a wife and two small children, a daughter and a son. Usha and my wife were close friends. I had just joined the Indian Express as an editorial writer when I read a small report in the Delhi edition about the “first” GMP Memorial Lecture delivered by the first Chief Minister of Kerala, EMS Namboothiripad. The report was very small. I managed to get a copy of the full report that appeared in the Kochi edition. I wrote an editorial based on the lecture and I mentioned George M Philip Sir’s full name in the editorial. It was my tribute to my favourite teacher! I am very happy to know that the GMP Memorial lecture has become an annual event at Maramon. May GMP’s memory last forever! - 17 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR P-e--A-Xn-Poh\\w Varghese C. Thomas: Student of 1990–’93 B.A. Batch, Mr Thomas is currently Asst. Editor, Malayala Manorama. He has won as many as six coveted awards: Kerala State Disaster Management Reporting Award, 2011, Kerala State Biodiversity Board Award, 2011, Kerala State Award for Climate Change Reporting, 2012, Kerala State Award for Science Journalism, 2012, Dr Mangalam Swaminathan National Award for Science Reporting, 2021 and the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award, 2010, from the President of India. Pe£maw Hcp kaql¯nsâ kmwk-vImcnI A[]X\\amWv. {]IrXn I\\nª \\p{Kln¨p \\ÂIp¶ Aaqey hn`hs¯ ]¦phbv¡m\\dnbm¯ ]nSn¸ptISv. thdn«p Nn´n¡m\\pw apt¶dm\\papÅ a\\Ênsâ IgnhptISpIqSnbmWXv. Pohsâ \\ne\\n¸p Xs¶ tNmZyw sN¿s¸Sp¶ ImeamWnXv. \\Kc§fpw hyhkmbhpw IqSpX shůn\\mbn apdhnfn Iq«p¶p. Irjnsbbpw {Kma§sfbpw _m[n¡msX kpØnc coXnbn Pew F§s\\ FÃmhÀ¡pw kpe`am¡m³ Ignbpw ? _p²n]qÀhw D]tbmKn¨m Pew In«m¡\\nbmInÃ. sNss¶bv¡p ]pdsa UÂln, s_wKfqcp, sslZcm_mZv \\Kc§fnepw cïp hÀj¯n \\pÅn `qKÀ`Pew CÃmXmIpsa¶mWv \\nXn BtbmKnsâ IW¡v. cmPys¯ 60 iXam\\w P\\§fpw shůn\\pthïn s\\t«m«tamSp¶p. 2030 BIpt¼mtg¡pw cmPy¯nsâ 40 iXam\\w {]tZi§fn shÅw CÃmXmIpw. D]tbmKn¨ tijw ]pdt¯¡p hnSp¶Xn\\m Xocp¶ {]IrXn hn`haà Pew. ip²oIcn¨m Cu Pew ]p\\cp]tbmKn¡mw. F¶m Irjnbn Pew \\ãamIp¶p amdWw IrjncoXnIÄ hdpXn t\\cnSp¶ Øe§fn s\\Ãn\\pw Icn¼n\\pw ]Icw aäpÅh ]co£n¡Ww. shÅw Ipd¨v IqSpX hnfsb¶XmhWw ]pXnb \\bw. IW¡nÃmsX Pew D]tbmKn¡p¶ \\Kc§fpw hyhkmb§fpw {Kma§sf _p²nap«n¡msX ]p\\cp]tbmK¯neqsS IqSpX Pew Isï¯Ww. 1990 Ifn ImÀjnI taJebmbncp¶p 75 iXam\\w Pehpw D]tbmKn¨ncp¶Xv. C¶v B ØnXn amdn. hnkÀPyhpw km[yX \\Kc§Ä D]tbmKn¨ tijw ]pd´Åp¶ aen\\Pew F{Xt¯mfw ip²oIcn¨v ]p\\cp] tbmKn¡p¶p F¶ tNmZyamWv DbtcïXv. ^vejv ASn¨p Ifª tijw shÅs¯ ad¡pIbmWv C¶v. CXv Pemib§fnte¡p IeÀ¶v sam¯w Pes¯ aen\\am¡p¶p. Cu ØnXn amdWsa¦n I¡qkv amen\\yw ss]¸pIfneqsS ip²oIcW Sm¦pIfnte¡p am{Xw t]mIWw. ]pXnb iuNmeb§Ä \\nÀan¡pt¼mÄ Pet{kmXkpIfnte¡p hnkÀPyw Iecp¶nsöv Dd¸m¡Ww. Zqsc \\n¶v shÅw sImïphcp¶Xpt]mse Hmtcm hoSpIfnsebpw amen\\yw XncnsI s]mXp ip²oIcW Sm¦nte¡v ss]¸phgn sImïpt]mIWw. ip²oIcn¨ tijw ]pgIfntet¡m Pemib§fntet¡m CXp Xpd¶p hnSmw. hoSpIfnse Häs¸« sk]vSnIv Sm¦pIfn aew hnLS\\¯n\\p hnt[bam¡p¶Xn\\m kwk-vIcn¡m³ {]bmkanÃ. CXn\\mbn hoSpIfn Sm¦v imkv{Xobambn cq]I¸\\ sN¿Ww. \\ndbpt¼mÄ hmcn amäp¶ I¡qkv amen\\yw hfam¡mw. ss\\{SP³ DÄs¸sS a®n\\pw sNSn¡pw Bhiyamb t]mjI§fm k¼¶amWnXv. ASp¡f ssPh amen\\y§fpambn IeÀ¯n ]mNI hmXItam F¯t\\mtfm CÔ\\ ]cepItfm B¡mw. hoSpIfn \\n¶v tiJcn¨v amen\\ys¯ hfam¡n amäp¶Xv sXmgnepw hyhkmbhpamIWw. - 18 -

Memoriae... C¶p {]fbw; \\msf hdpXn Htc kabw {]fbs¯bpw hcĨtbbpw t\\cntSï cwKamWv C¶v Pehn`h amt\\Pvsaâv. cmPys¯ 40 iXam\\w {]tZi¯v hcĨ A\\p`hs¸Spt¼mÄ 25 iXam\\w {]tZiw {]fb¯n ap§p¶p. GXm\\pw aWn¡qdpsImïv 10, 15 skâoaoäÀ t]amcn s]bvXnd§p¶p. {]fbPe¯n\\v AhImis¸« X®oÀ¯S§Ä \\nI¯n \\nÀamWw \\S¯p¶p. tXmSpIfpw aäpw \\nI¯p¶p. Ipd¨p kabw sImïv AXniàamb ag F¶Xv ImemhØm amä¯nsâ e£WamWv. Cu A[nI Pes¯ DÄs¡mÅWsa¦n \\oÀ¯S§Ä (^veUv s¹bn³kv) \\ne\\n¡Ww. ]pg, tXmSv, ]mSw hgn IS¶pt]mIp¶ agshůn\\p hnhn[ Øe§fnte¡v HgpIn ]c¡m³ Ignbpw. CXphgn `qKÀ` PehnXm\\w Dbcpw. aÂkyw DÄs¸sS Bhmk hyhØsb hosïSp¡m\\pw `£ykpc£ Dd¸m¡m\\pw Ignbpw. \\qdp IW¡n\\v tXmSpIfpw Ipf§fpw NmepIfpw \\oÀ¯S§fpw ]mS§fpw H¶nt\\msSm¶p tNÀ¯v CW¡n \\nÀ¯nbm ({KnUv) {]fbs¯ ]nSn¨psI«m\\pw hcĨsb t\\cnSm\\pamIpw. agshÅw kw`cWw \\nÀ_Ôam¡n agsb `qKÀ`¯nte¡p Xmgv¯Ww. tdmw aen\\am¡n; P¸m³ ip²am¡n ssS_À \\ZnbpsS Xoc¯mbn«pw HcpIme¯v tdman hfsc Zqsc \\n¶p NmepIfneqsSbmWv shÅw sImïph¶ncp¶Xv. \\Kcamen\\yw XÅm\\pÅ Ffp¸hgnbmbn tdmam \\Kcw ssS_À \\Znsb IcpXnbXn \\n¶pïmb A_²ambncp¶p CXv. F¶m A¸w t]mepw amen\\yw Pemib¯nte¡v hnSm¯ P¸ms\\ temIw C¶p hmgv¯p¶p. \\mw ]n´pStcïXv P¸msâ amXrI Xs¶. C³t^m {Km^nI-vkv km[yXIÄ ip²Pew In«m¯ temIs¯ P\\kwJybpsS 60 iXam\\w P\\§Ä Xmakn¡p¶Xv C´y DÄs¸sS 10 cmPy§fnÂ; sI\\nb 2.27 iXam\\w; ]m¡nØm³ 2.56 iXam\\w; DKmï 2.82 iXam\\w; Sm³km\\nb 3.16 iXam\\w; Ct´m\\ojy 3.20 iXam\\w; UnBÀkn tImwtKm 5.55 iXam\\w; ssN\\ 6.82 iXam\\w; ss\\Pocnb 7.05 iXam\\w; CtXym]y 7.17 iXam\\w; C´y 19.33 iXam\\w; _m¡nbpÅ cmPy§Ä 40.07 iXam\\w tIf¯nse hnhn[ PnÃIfn Pq¬ 1 apX Pqsse 6 hsc e`n¨ agbnse Ipdhv iXam\\¯n hb\\mSv -58 iXam\\w; CSp¡n -55; ImkÀtImSv -54; ]¯\\wXn« -53; XriqÀ -51; FdWmIpfw -48; sImÃw -47; I®qÀ -42; ae¸pdw -41; tIm«bw -40; Be¸pg -39; ]me¡mSv -37; tImgnt¡mSv -30; Xncph\\´]pcw -23; tIcfw BsI Ipdhv -46 temIs¯ P\\kwJybpsS 17 iXam\\w C´ybnÂ; temIs¯ ip²Pe¯nsâ 4 iXam\\w C´ybn hcĨm_m[nX {]tZiamb HudwK_mZv shÅw sImïphcm³ 2018  3934 Sm¦dpIÄ hm§nsb¦n 2019  CXphsc 7830 Sm¦dpIÄ hm§n C´y: Pe£maw BsI P\\w 1283 Zie£w Pe£ma¯nsâ ]nSnbn 600 Zie£w t]À; e`yambXn 70 iXam\\w Pehpw aen\\w 2020  `qKÀ`Pew häp¶ \\Kc§Ä UÂln, s_wKfqcp, sNss¶, sslZcm_mZv 2039  40 iXam\\w {]tZi¯pw ip²Pew In«m¡\\nbmhpw I\\¯ {]fbw Ncn{Xw 2005 apwss_; 2013 D¯cmJÞv; 2013 IivaoÀ; 2015 sNss¶; 2017 NWvVoKUv; 2017 s_wKfqcp; 2018 tIcfw 2019 Pqsse hcĨ 40 iXam\\w PnÃIfnÂ; {]fbw 25 iXam\\w PnÃIfn shÅs¯ aen\\am¡p¶ a\\pjyhnkÀPyw kwk-vIcn¨v D¸mZn¸n¡mhp¶ an{inX§Ä ssPhhfw; F¯t\\mÄ; CÔ\\ KpfnI; ]mNI hmXIw shÅw CÃmsX kotdm Zn\\§Ä {]Jym]n¨ \\Kc§Ä 2019 tI]v Su¬; 2019 sNss¶; 2018 jnwe (Written by Varghese C Thomas, in consultation with environmentalist Sunitha Narain, Director, General Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi) - 19 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR IY tkm-^n-bp-sS {In-kv-Xpa-kv Im-À-UpIÄ Jacob Abraham Student of the 1997 - 2000 B.A. Batch, Mr Abraham is a prolific short story writer and novelist, the recipient of several prestigious awards including Kerala State Language Institute's Karoor Award (2012), Kerala Sahitya Academi Geetha Hiranyan Endowment Award (2013), Kairali Saraswati Novel Award (2021) and DC Books Romance Fiction Award (2022). In his profession he is the Project Head, Radio Malayalam. F-Ãm {In-kvXpa-kn\\pw Rm³ {In-kv-Xpakv Hm-À-½-I-fp-tS-Xm-Wv... tkm-^nsb Hm-À-¡pw. tkm-^n Fs¶ Hm-À-¡p-¶p-ïmhptam-..? A-dn-bn-Ã. ]-¯mw-Iv-fm-kn-se {In-kvXpa-kn-\\m-Wv {In-kvXpakvHm-À-½-I-fp-tSXmWv. a-ªn-sâ sI¶nb-¦n-fn-s\\m-¸w jmtcm-¬-hn-Ã-bn-te-¡v X-Wp-¸pf-f Hm-À-½-I-Ä. tkm-^n- A-b-¨ tkm-^n h-¶Xv. tKm-h-bn- \\n-¶m-Wv {In-kv-Xpakv Im-À-Up-I-Ä tai-h-en-¸n- h-¶-Xv. A½-¨n A¸-¨-t\\m-Sv ]-d-bp¶-Xp \\n-¶-psaSp¯v ta-i-h-n-cn-¸n- sh¨p. A-½ tI-«m-Wv tkm-^n h-¶-Imcyw cm-hn-se a-dn-b-¯n-sâbpw D-®nbo-tim-bp-sS-bpw A-dnª-Xv. Hm-a-\\- ap-J§-Ä, a-ªpho-W h-gnbpw \\-£-{X-§-fpw, ]p-Â-¡qSpw B-«n-S-b-·m-cpw, þtZ..A-¸pd-s¯ sI¶n tKm-th-¶v h-¶p.. {In-kvXpa-kv {Sobpw h-À-®-_-eq-Wp-I-fpw, Iq-sS tkm^n-tam-fp-apï-v...sI-¶n- tdm-km-¸q-¡-fpw sh-f-fcn-{]m-hp-I-fpw, h-b- tKm-h-¡m-cn `mcy-tbm-Sv ]nW-§n- h-¶n-cn-¡p- en³, {In-kvXpa-kv sI-bv-¡pw ho-ªpw.. I-bmWv. C-S-bv-¡n-S-bv-¡v D-Å-Xm-Wo F-Ãm-¯nepw a-t\\m-l-cam-b Cw-Kv-fo-jnep-f-f ]n-W-¡w..h-¶-t¸m-sg Ip-Sn XpS§n..C¶-se B-iw-km-h-N-\\-§-fp-apïv. A-Xn-\\p Xm-sg cm-{Xn h-¶ Im-dp-Im-c-t\\m-Sv \\-à h-g-¡m-bn- tkm-^n F-¶v Kv-fn-ä-À s]³ sImï-v N-cn-s¨- cp¶p. C-\\n-bnt¸m Ip-d-¨p-Zn-h-k-t¯-¡v gpXn-b H-¸v. C-t¸m-Ä tkm-^n-bpsS jm-tdm-¬-hn-Ã-bn-se So-¨-d-½-bv-¡v ]-Wn-bm- {In-kv-Xpa-kv Im-À-Up-I-Ä h-cm-td-bn-Ã. bn..{In-kva-kv I-gn-tª t]m-¡p-sÅ-¶m tXm-¶p-s¶.. {In-kv-Xpa-kv ImÀ-UpIÄ HmÀ-½-I-fp-sS kv-t\\-lm-iw-k-IÄ. Pnw-KnÄ s_Â-kv.. A-½-¨n- ]-d-bp-¶-sXm¶pw A-¸-¨-³ {i-²n- Pnw-KnÄ s_Â-kv ]m-Sn cm-hn a-e-I-b-dn ¡p-¶-tX-bn-Ã. sI-¶nsb Xm-³ ]-sïF-gp- ho-Sp-I-fn-se-¯p-¶ I-tcmÄ ]m-«p-Im-sc-t¸m- Xn-X-Ån-b-Xm-sW-¶ a«n sl-À-¡p-eo-kv se kp-J-apf-f H-tcmÀ-½. ]-s£ C-t¸m-Ä ssk-¡n-fn-sâ s]U-Â-t_m-Iv-kn-te-¡v Hm-bn- {In-kv-Xpa-kv ImÀ-Up-IÄ ]-ïs¯-t¸m-se sem-gn-¡p-¶-Xn-em-bn-cp-¶p A-¸-¨-sâ {i-². BÀ¡pw In-«m-dnÃ-tÃm. H-cp {In-kv-Xp-a-kn-\\v ]-s£ A½-¨n ]-d-bp-¶-X-{X-bpw Rm³ tkm-^n-b-b¨-Xv ImÀ-Up Xp-d-¡p-t¼m-Ä c-ïp sN-hnbpw sIm-Sp-¯p tI«p. ]m-«p-tIÄ-¡p-¶ {In-kva-kv ImÀ-Um-bn-cp¶p. jm-tcm-¬-hn-Ã-bn-se ]q-t´m-«-¯n- k-t¸m-«- a-c-§-fp-sS Np-h-«n- t]m-Ä¡m-tUm-«p-I-fp-f-f A-h-fn-t¸mÄ F-hn-sS-bm-hpw. sI-¶n-b-¦nÄ aª-t{^m-¡-Wn-ªv \\n-Â-¡p-¶ tkm-^n- F-hn-sS-bm-hpw. ..? sb Rm-³ C-cp-I-®p-Ifpw hn-SÀ-¯n t\\m-¡n \\n¶p. tkm-^n-sb t\\m-¡n \\n-Â- tkm-^o \\n-t¶mÀ-½-IÄ a-ªm-bn Cu ¡p-¶ F-s¶ sI¶nb-¦n-Ä Iï-p. cm-hn s]m-gn-bp¶p. þsl b-§v am-³ Iw ln-b-À! Cu P-\\m-e-I-Ä Xp-d-¶m- ImWmw tkm-^n- bp-sam-¶n-¨v I-tcm-Ä kw-L-¯n-s\\m-¸w hn-fn tI-« `m-K-t¯-¡v t\\m-¡n-b-t¸m-Ä ]m-Snt¸m-b Ip-¶n-³-hgn. a-ªpho-W h-gn-I- sI¶n-b-¦n-Ä hn-fn-¡p¶p. ]p-I-bp-¶ kn-K-c- fn-eq-sS A-Xyp-¶-X-§-fn- a-lXzw `q-an-bn- äpï-v I-¿n-Â. tIm-gn-hm-e-³ sN-Sn-I-fpw s_m- a-\\p-jyÀ-¡v k-am-[m-\\w ]m-Sn \\-S-¶ tK³hn-Ã-bpw sN-¼-c-¯n-s¨-Sn-Ifpw A-Xn-À- {In-kXpa-kv cm-hp-I-Ä..A-\\-´-Xbn- \\n¶pw hn-cn-¡p-¶ th-en-¯-e-¸n-eq-sS \\qïv N-c- e-`n-¨ A-\\-À-L-\\n-an-j-§Ä t]m-se a-t\\m- ap-ä-¯q-sS \\S-¶v Im-¸n-I¸pw ssI-¿n-Â- l-c-am-b Zn-h-k-§Ä. a-ªnsâ \\o-eO-hn ]n-Sn-¨v kn-Kc-äv h-en-¨p-sImï-p \\n-Â-¡p-¶ I-e-À-¶ Ip-¶p-I-fn- \\n¶pw h-¶ X-Wp-¯ A-¦n-fn-\\v A-Sp-s¯¯n. \\-\\p-¯ Im-än- Pm-e-I-hn-cn-I-Ä C-fIn. þ bp _n-¡w tkm tSm-Ä B³-Uv lm-³-Uv-kw.. - 20 -

A-¦n-sf-s¶ tN-À-¯p-]n-Sn-¨p. d½pw Memoriae... Im-¸nbpw Iq-Sn-¡p-g-ª aWw. kv {Sobpw ]p-Â-¡q-Spw. Ip-sd-t\\-cw ]-f-fn-ap-ä-¯n-cp-¶p. þ em-Ìv ssSw \\n-s¶-¡m-Wp-¼w \\o-sbm-cp F-en-¡p-ªm- tZ-h-me-b-ap-ä-¯p-\\n-¶v t\\m-¡n-bm- Xm-gvhm-c-am-sI bn-cp-¶p...sh-cn sh-cn kv-tamÄ...sse-¡v F kv-am-Ä {_m-äv Im-Wmw. Cu h-gn-bmIptam k-½m-\\-s¸m-Xn-I-fp-am-bn ..lll {In-kv-Xpa-kv A¸q-¸-³ \\-S-¶p-h-cp-¶Xv. Nn-cn-¨p sImïv sI-¶n-b-¦nÄ ]-dªp. ]n-s¶ F-s¶ ]n-tä¶v jm-tcm-¬-hn-Ã-bp-sS ap-ä-¯p-f-f Im-äm-Sn-a-c-¯n tN-À-¯p-]n-Sn-¨p sIï-v tkm-^n-bp-sS A-Sp-t¯-¡v sI-¶n-b-¦n-fn-sâ t\\-Xr-Xz-¯n- R-§-Ä {In-kv-Xpakv \\-S-¶p. {So-sbm-cp-¡n. h-À-®-¡-S-em-kp-I-Ä sImï-v Rm-s\\m-cp \\-£-{X-ap-ïm-¡n tkm-^n-bv-¡v k-½m-\\n¨p. So-¨-d-½ þ tkm^n- tam-Ä ep-¡v ln-b-À...Znkv Cu-kv tdm-bn... ]-g-b {In-kva-kv Im-À-Up-I-Ä-sIm-sïm-cp am-e-XoÀ-¯v Zn s\\-I-vk-äv tUmÀ t_m-bn..ln Cu-kv bp-h-À \\yp {In-kva-kv a-c-¯n-en«p. sI-¶n-b-¦n-fn-s\\ C-S-X-S-hn-ÃmsX {^ï-v..F {In-kva-kv {^ïv.. tkm-^n-bp-sS I-®p-I-Ä d½pw tI-bv¡pw a-W¯p. ]n-¶o-Sp-f-f Zn-h-k-§-fn- B-Zy-am-bn Fs¶ t\\m¡n. sh-®-t]m-ep-f-f I-hn-fp-I-fpw Km-b-I-kw-L-¯n-s\\m-¸w Rm\\pw tkm-^nbpw sI-¶n- ]-gp-¯p-Xp-S-§p-¶ Nm-¼-§m t]m-ep-f-f Np-ïp-I-fpw b-¦nfpw Iq-Sn. a-ªp-ho-W- h-gn-I-fn- ]m-Sn-t¸m-Ip-¶ Rm-h-¸-gw t]m-ep-f-f I-®p-I-fpw. tkm-^n-bp-sS Km-b-I-kw-L-¯n-s\\m-¸w Ip-¶p-I-fn-se ho-Sp-I-Ä I-b-dn- apJ-¯p \\n¶pw Rm-³ e-Ö-tbmsS I-s®-Sp¯p. bn-d-§n. ]m-Xn-h-gn-bn- sh-¨v sI-¶n-b-¦n-Ä th-jw am-dn tkm-^n F-\\n-¡v tj-bv-¡v-lm³-Uv X¶p. C-fw {In-kva-kv ]-¸m-bmbn. Rm\\pw tkm-^n-bpw ssI-tImÀ-¯v X-Wp-¸p-f-f Ip-ªp-ssI-I-Ä. ]q-¨-¡p-ªn-sâ cm-h-gn-bn-eq-sS \\-S-¶p. lm-¸n {In-kv-a-kv..sa-dn ]-Xp-]-Xp¸v. {I-kv-a-kv...B-scms¡-tbm A-e-dn-hn-fn-¨p þ tkm b-§v am-³..tS-¡v bp-hÀ tKm-h-³ {^ïv F-duïv {In-kv-Xp-a-kn-sâ X-te-cm-{Xn- sI-¶n-b-¦n-Ä ho-«n-sem-cp B³-Uv C-³-{SUyqkv A-h-À s\\-bv-_-À-lp-Uv..FtSm ]m-À-«n-sbm-cp-¡n. ]-I-Â-ap-gp-h-³ R-§-Ä ho-Sm-sI A-e-¦- Ch-sf C-hn-sS-sbm-s¡ sImïv \\S-¶v Im-Wns¡-tSm... cn¨p. h-À-®-¡-S-em-kp-Ifpw an-\\p-§v sse-äp-I-fpw hm-Xn- ep-I-fnepw P-m-e-I-§-fnepw Xq-¡n-bn«p. sNdn-b sNdn-b R-§-Ä C-cp-h-scbpw Km-À-U-\\n- hn-«n-«v A-¦n-Ä ho-Sn-\\- \\-£-{X-§-Ä sImïv tXm-c-W-ap-ïm-¡n. So-¨-d-½ hen-b I-t¯-¡v I-b-dn-t¸mbn. tkm-^nbpw Rm\\pw Ip-sd sa-gp-IpXn-c-¡m-ep-I-Ä \\m-«p-¶ Im-³-Un-Â{_-bn- t\\-cw H-¶pw-an-ïm-sX \\n¶p. sNdn-b B-¼-Â-¡p-f-¯n- ]pXn-b hen-b h-À-® sa-gp-IpXn-cn-I-Ä \\m«n. sI-¶n- te-¡v iq-ip-sh-¡p-¶ _me-sâ in-ev-]-¯n- \\n¶pw b-¦n-Ä ho-Sn-\\p-f-fn-se sNdn-b {In-kv-Xpa-kv {So-bn- ho-gp-¶ P-e-[m-c-bp-sS i-Ðw. tkm-^n-bm-Wv B-Zyw {In-kva-kv tkm-Iv-kp-I-fn- k-½m-\\-§-Ä \\nd-¨p sh¨p. kw-km-cn-¨Xv. Cw-Kv-fo-jn- ]-d-ª-Xn- Nn-e-sXm-s¡ {In-kv-Xpa-kv A-e-¦m-c-§-Ä ]q-À-¯nbm-b ho-Sn-\\p-a-¼n- F-\\n-¡p a-\\-Ên-embn. F-\\n-¡v Xn-cn-s¨m¶pw ]-d-bm-³ F-s¶bpw tkm-^n-sbbpw \\n-À-¯n sI-¶n-b-¦n-Ä I-gn-ªn-Ã. H-¼-Xmw-Iv-fm-kn-emWv tkm-^n ]-Tn-¡p-¶Xv. t^m-t«m-sb-Sp-¯p. ]qt´m-«-¯n- \\-n¶v R-§-Ä kw-km-cn-¡p-t¼mÄ sI-¶n-b-¦n-Ä {In-kv-Xpa-kv ]m-À-«n-bv¡v A-¸-¨-s\\bpw So-¨d½ h-¶v t{_-¡v-^m-kv-än-\\v hn-fn¨p. sam-tÊ-¡v A-½-¨n-sbbpw £-Wn-s¨-¦nepw A-¸-¨-³ h-¶n-Ã. sNbv-X X-Wp-¯ \\n-e§-Ä, `n-¯n-I-fn-t·Â N-«-¯n- sI-¶n-bp-sS ]m«pw Iq-¯p-sa-¶v ]d-ªv aq-¸n-em-³ en-« Nn-{X§-Ä, hen-b ]q-]m-{X§-Ä, F-Ãm-¯n-ep-apï-v _o-Un-bv-¡v Xo sIm-fp-¯n A-c-]v-tf-kn-en-cp¶p. A½-¨n H-cp {]-tXy-I {In-kvXob `w-Kn. Sn-hn-bpw hn-kn-B-dpw So-¨-d-½-bv-s¡m-¸w Iq-Sn A-Xn-Yn-IÄ-¡v hn-cp-¶v hn-f¼n. C-cn-¡p-¶ kzo-I-c-W-ap-dn-bn- hn-e-IqSn-b Im-À-s¸-äm-Wn- sI-¶n-b-¦n-fn-\\v \\m-«n- hf-sc Ipd-¨v {^-ïvtk-bp-ffp. «n-cn-¡p-¶Xv. `n-¯n-bn-se hen-b h-ep-¸-¯n- A-´y- F-Ãm-h-cpw \\-à e-l-cn-bn-emWv. Pnw do-hv-kn-sâ sske-âv A-¯m-g-¯n-sâ s]-bn-ânw-Kpïv. ssU-\\nw-Kv tS-_n-fn- ss\\-äv tlm-fn ss\\-än-s\\m-¸w ]-ecpw Xm-f-an-«v Im-ep-I-Ä sI-bv¡pw ]m-e-¸hpw tIm-gn-¡-dnbpw ]q-h-³-]-ghpw Im-¸n- N-en-¸n-¨p. tkm-^n Nph-¸v t{^m-s¡m-s¡ C-«v {In-kva-kv bpw s{_Upw Pmapw \\n-c-¶n-cp-¡n-¶n-S-t¯-¡v F-s¶-bpw Iym-s]m-s¡ Xe-bn- NqSn A-Xn-Yn-I-Ä-¡n-S-bn-eq-sS So-¨-d-½ £-Wn-¨n-cp¯n. s{_-Un- Np-h-¶-\\n-d-¯n-eq-f-f \\-S-¶p. sI-¶n-b-¦nÄ tkm-^v-äv-{Un-s¦-¶v ]d-ªv Pmw tX-¨v tkm-^n I-gn-¡p¶-Xv Rm-³ Iu-Xp-I-t¯m-sS F-\\n-¡v dw-I-e-À¯nb tIm-f \\n-À-_-Ô-]qÀÆw X¶p. t\\m-¡n-bn-cp-¶p. sI-¶n-b-¦n-fn-sâ ap-dn-bn- \\n¶pw AXv Ip-Sn-¨p I-gn-ª-t¸m-tg¡pw F-\\n-¡v Um³-kv Pnw do-hv-kn-sâ {In-kv-Xpa-kv ]m-«pI-Ä H-gp-In-sb- sN-¿-W-sa-¶p tXm¶n. tkm-^n-tbm-sSm¯v Rm-³ Um³- ¯n.'B-³ HmÄ-Uv {In-kva-kv ImÀ-U'v F-¶ ]m-«n-s\\m-¸w kv sN-bvXp. i-cn¡pw tkm-^n-bm-Wv F-s¶-bp-sam-¯v sI-¶n-b-¦nfpw X-sâ Nn-e-¼n-¨ i-_-Z-¯n- ]m-Sp-¶pïv. Um³-kv sN-bv-XXv. Cw-Kv-fo-jv Um-³kv. hn-cp-¶n-s\\-¯n- b-h-À ssI-¿-Sn-¨v t{]m-Õ-mln¸n¨p. Um-³-kn-\\v ti-jw t{_-¡v-^m-Ìn-\\p tijw Rm-\\mZyw tkm-^nsb A-¡p- Rm-³ Ip-g-ªp-ho-Wp O-À-±n-¨p. ]m-Xn-cm-hn ho-«n-se- tU-äv Im-Wn-¡m-³ sImïp-t]mbn. ]-¨-h-b-Â-¡-S-en-\\p ¯n-b-t¸m-Ä A-¸¨-sâ ssI A-½-¨n-bp-sS I-hnf-¯v ap-I-fn-eq-sS H-cp s]-cp-¼m-¼p-t]m-se \\o-ïp-In-S-¡p-¶ hoWp. A-¡p-tU-äv ]m-e-¯n-eq-sS tkm-^n-sb ap-¶n-en-cp-¯n ssk-¡n-Ä N-hn-«n. GtXm hntZi jmw-]q-hn-sâ ku-c- ]n-tä-¶v {In-kv-Xpa-kv Zn-\\w ap-gp-h-³ Rm³ X-e-sNm-cp- `y-ap-f-f tkm-^n-bp-sS apSnIÄ hr-iv-On-I- Im-än- ]d-¶v ¡n I-«n-en- In-S-¶p. ho-«nepw tjm-tcm-¬-hn-Ã-bn-epw F-sâ ap-J-t¯-¡v hoWp. tkm-^n Nn-cn-¡p-¶p-ïm-bn- H-cp¡n-b {In-kva-kv hn-cp-¶n-s\\m¶pw ]-s¦-Sp-¡m-³ cp¶p. tKm-h-bn- A-h-Ä kv-¡q-fn t]m-Ip¶-Xv ssk- I-gn-ªnÃ. ]n-tä-Znh-kw a-[ym-l-\\-¯n Rm-³ ¡n-Ä N-hn-«n-bm-Wv. A-¡p-tU-äv IS-¶v h-b-en-\\-cn-In- jm-tcm¬ hn-Ã-bn-se¯n. hn-cp-¶p-Im-scm-gn-ª Xo-³- ssk-¡n-Ä \\nÀ-¯n R-§-fp-sS C-S-h-I-¸-Ån-bn-te-¡v ta-i-bn- X-te-¶v ]-Ip-¯ sI-bv-¡n-â I-j-W-§Ä tkm-^n-bv-s¡m-¸w \\-S-¶p-I-bdn. ]-Ån apä-¯v {In-kv-Xpa- tkm-^n-sb-\\n-¡p X¶p. So-¨-d-½bpw sI-¶n-b-¦nfpw - 21 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR F-\\n-¡v hn-iz-kn-¡m-³ I-gn-ªnÃ. apä-¯v bm-{X-bv-s¡- s¶h-®w hr-¯n-bm-bn h-kv{Xw [-cn-¨v tkm^n. C¯- A-h-c-h-cp-sS ap-dn-bn- D-¨-bp-d-¡-¯n-emWv. tkm-^nbpw h-W Po-³kpw So-j-À-«p-amWv. C-S-h-gn-bn-se Rm\\pw Iq-Sn c-mw \\n-e-bn-se a-eI-fn-te-¡v Xp-d-¡p-¶ hm-S-I-¡m-dn-sâ {^ï-v ko-än- sI-¶n-b-¦n-Ä. Pm-e-I-¯n-se ]m-c-s¸-än-en-cp-¶p. tKm-h-bn-se {In-kva-kv F-t¶mSpw A-½¨n-tbm-Spw bm-{X ]d-ªv tkm-^n ]m-À-«n-I-sf-¡p-dn-¨v tkm-^n ]-d-ªp-sIm-n-cp¶p. A-hn-sS Im-dn-\\-Sp-t¯-¡v \\-S¶p. A-¸-¨-\\pw ssI-hoin. Im-dv A-h-fp-sS a-½bpw {Km-³-Uv-am-bp-sam-s¡ ssh-³ Ip-Sn- sa-sà Im-gv-N-bn- \\n¶pw a-d-ªp. tkm-^n ssI-ho- ¡p-a-s{X..s^-\\n A-h-Ä cp-Nn-¨n-«p-v. _n-¨nepw tdm-Un-ep- in-s¡m-tï-bn-cp¶p. A-Sp-¯ hÀjw tkm-^n-bp-sS saÃmw ho-ªn-³ e-l-cn-bm-Wv {In-kv-Xp-a-kn-\\v. tkm-^n B-Zy-s¯ {In-kv-Xpa-kv ImÀ-Uv h-¶p. C-t¸m-Ä {In-kv- ]-d-bp-¶-Xpw tI-«n-cn-¡m-³ \\-à ckw. s]m« Cw-Kv-fo-jn- Xpa-kv Im-À-Up-I-Ä h-cm-dn-Ã. ]p-d-¯n-t¸m-Ä a-ªv Rm-³ ]-d-bp-¶ Im-cy-§-Ä tI-«-h-Ä Nn-cn-¡p-¶pv. Nn-cn- s]-¿p-¶p-v. Ip-¶n-³-N-cp-hn- H-cp {In-kv-Xpa-kv \\-£-{Xw. ¡p-t¼mÄ tkm-^n-sb Im-Wm-³ \\-à c-k-am-Wv. P-\\m-e-bn-eq-sS Rm-\\m \\-£{Xw t\\m-¡n \\n¶p. tkm-^n tKm-h-bn-se ho-«n- a½ ]m-Sp-¶ H-cp Cw-Kv-fo-jv tkm-^n-sbs¶ Hm-À-¡p-¶p-ïmIp-tam...? ]m-«v ]mSn. ]m-«v Xo-À-¶Xpw tkm-^n-sb-s¶ sI-«n-¸n-Sn-¨p I-cªp. F-¶n-«-h-Ä A-Xn-th-Kw Xm-tg-¡n-d-§n-t¸m-bn tkm-^n- Ab-¨ {In-kv-Xpa-kv ImÀ-UpIÄ Hm-tcm-¶m-bn sI-¶n-b-¦n-fn-sâ ap-dn-bn- Ib-dn I-X-I-S-¨p. ip-\\y-X-bn- Rm³ ta-i-ta \\n-c-¯n-sh¨p. FÃm-Im-À-Up-I-fnepw se-¶h-®w Rm-³ Ip-sd t\\-cw P-\\m-e-b-v¡- \\n¶p. ssa Un-bÀ tdm-bn F-¶m-sW-gp-Xn-bn-cn-¡p-¶Xv. Nn-e-Xn- ]n-s¶ \\n-i-Ðam-b X-Wp-¯ X-f-§-fn-eq-sS \\-S-¶v sem-s¡ ssa Un-b-d-kv-äv F-s¶-gp-Xn-bn-cn-¡p¶p. ho-«n-te-¡v h¶p. A-¶p cm-{Xn-sb-\\n-¡v Dd-¡w h-¶n-Ã. tkm-^n F-t¶m-Sv F-s´-¦nepw ]-d-bm³ {i-an-¨n-cp- t¶m..? A-dn-bnÃ. In-g-t¡ -a-e-I-fp-sS N-cp-hn \\-£-{X- ]n-tä-Znh-kw cm-hn-se A½-¨n F-s¶ A-Xn-cm-hnse §Ä s]m-en-bp¶-Xv P\\m-e Xp-d-¶m Im-Wmw. Xm-c-I- D-d-¡-¸m-bn- \\n¶pw hn-fn-¨p-WÀ-¯n. cm-hn Zn-hyam-b A-\\p-`q-Xn t]m-se a-ªv s]-¿p¶p. Ip-¶v Ib-dn h-cp-¶pï-v I-tcmÄ-kwLw...Xm-gzm-cw þF-Sm F-Wo-¡v tZ tkm^n-tam-fp h-¶n-cn-¡p-¶p... I-b-dn-sb-¯p-¶ ]m-«p-Im-sc Im-¯p-\\nÂ-¡p-t¼mÄ Ah-cv t]m-hm-Sm Xm-c-I-§Ä B-Imi-¯v tkm-^n-bp-sS t]-sc-gp-Xp-¶- t]m-se F-\\n¡p-tXm¶n. þC-{X s]-s«-t¶m... h³ ac§fpsS t]cpIÄ C.S. Manilal Student of 1996 - 2000 B.A. Batch, Mr Manilal C.S is currently Inspector, Dept. of Industries and Commerce. A gifted writer, he has won the Ettumanoor Kavya Vethi Award 2016, Kerala Yuvatha Award 2017, and Yuvajana Commission Kathaa Puraskaaram 2017 Imew HmÀ¡msX Imew A\\kyqXw k©cn¨p sImtïbncp¶p. t\\m¡q: skâv tXmakv ]¼bmdn \\n¶v hnfn¸mSIse Ct¸mgpw AhnsS Hcp h³acw t]mse ]q¡Ä Hcp Ip¶n³ ]pd¯v hnip² hnXdn kpKÔlmk§fm Poht\\msS tXmamÇolmbpsS \\maw t]dn hnXm\\n¨p \\n \\n¡p¶p. \\½tfm ......... \\½Ä F{Xsb{X ¡p¶ h·cw . Hcp]äw t{ijvThcy·mcpsS AIsebmWv!. {]nbs¸« h³ acta \\ns¶ kz]v\\§fn Dcphw sImï \\m¼v . Rms\\m¶v ]pWÀt¶ms«. IãXbpsS Icn¦ÃpIÄ ASp¡Sp¡mbn hwimhen h¨v AhcXv ]Sp¯pbÀ¯n. Ime¯n\\p ap³ ]nte¡v A[yb\\w F¶ A[ymßnIXbpsS CXv FgpXpt¼mÄ HmÀ½Ifnte¡v Xncpkzcq]w. ]ucmWnIX tNmcmsX Xe¸p \\o«n h¶Xv bqk^en tIt¨cn AXv Ime¯ns\\m¸w NcepIfnÄ IqSn FgpXnb hcnIfmWv. A{_lmw ]p{X\\mw ]Sns¡«pIfn IqSn hcm´bn IqSn Cklm¡n³ hwiob hÃnbn sam«n« \\of³ CS\\mgnIfn IqSn \\S¶p. B hgn s]m³ ]qth .......... {]nb h³acta ... Poh ]n³]änb F{Xsb{X XeapdIÄ. Imew \\pÅ A\\hcXw XeapdIsf \\o t]män. Hcp {]tXyIX Ft¸mgpw kq£n¨ph¨p. Hcp BImiw ImWn¡msX abnÂ]oentbbpw Ime¯n\\v asämcp Ime¯n³sd alXzw sImïv \\S¶hÀ ....... \\nsâ DSen AÚmXamWv. Hmtcm ImeIWhpw Ahsâbpw AhfpsSbpw t]cv A[nI hnNmcn¡p¶Xv Xsâ Imeambncp¶p NnÓw C«v sIm¯nsh¨hÀ........ \\n\\¡¶v DÕh kam\\ambncp¶Xv F¶mWv. s\\m´ncp¶pthm ? AXv kXysat¶m IÅsat¶m ]dbm³ asämcmÄ¡v AhImianÃ. CsXm¶pw t\\mhmsX hSp¡Ä DïmInÃtÃm.! HcpXc¯n hSp¡Ä ASbmf§fpw - 22 -

Memoriae... acWhpw BWv.C¶s¯ ASbmfs¯ \\o henb hmNmecmIpt¼mÄ sNdpXmbn thZ\\n¨n«pïv. F¦nepw Hcp kXyw DÅdnhn Dïv . F³sd amj·mcpw \\msf sImgn¨v ]pXnb DSepambn \\n¡p¶p ]pXnb tamiambncp¶nà . ]pXnb t\\mhpIÄ hcs« ]gb t\\mhpIÄ ]pXnb Hcp {Kma{]tZi¯v BbXpsImïpw kÀ¡mÀ tImtfPv AÃm¯XpsImïpw Hs¡ AhÀ {]ikvXcmbnsöv t\\mhpIfm ambv¡s¸Ss« . hcmw, ]t£ AhÀ ]IÀ¶mSnb thj§Ä¡v R§fpsS lrZb¯n sNdp]WanS Ipdbm¯ s]m³ {]nbs¸« h³acta .... F\\n¡v hmÀ²Iyambn. F³sd Xq¡w Dsï¶v Rm\\pw R§fpw hnizkn¡p¶p . sh´v I®pIÄ¡v ta Xnancw shfp¯ ]pX¸p hncn¡m³ hni¶ t\\c¯v tNmdq«n X¶hÀ. kvt\\ln¡pIbpw XpS§n Ignªncn¡p¶p. ]t£ F{X Zqc¯v \\nt¶ hoïpw hoïpw kvt\\ln¡pIbpw sNbvXhÀ.Hcp I®S t]mepw CÃmsX \\o Fs¶ Iïp. Fsâ t]cv ]mSv t]cpïv F¦nepw ssh¿ànIamb H¶nt\\mSv Hcp hnfn¨p. Cu e£¡W¡n\\v t]cpIÄ HmÀ¯p sh¡m tNmc _Ôw .]nUn F¶v R§Ä hnfn¨ncp¶ ]n Um\\n \\pÅ kq{XhmIyw GXmWv ? tb kmÀ. hm¡nepw t\\m¡nepw Cw¥ojpImc³ .thj¯n t]mfnÌÀ apïpSp¡p¶ aebmfn. Un{Kn Rm³ ]dbs« B clkyw .......\\o Bßmhv sImïv cïmwhÀj ]co£ FgpXm³ BhmsX ]p\\x{] ImWp¶ ssZh acamWv. thi\\¯n\\v hIp¸pta[mhnbmb At±l¯n\\v ap³ ]n ]eh«w sN¶p\\n¶p .Hcn¡Â t]mepw apjn¸n¨n«nÃ. IpSPm{Zn ]Tn¡m³ am{XamsW¦n Rm³ {]thi\\w Xcmw. Xe Ipep¡n Rm³ aS§pt¼mÄ Hcp hm¡pIqSn X¶p hn«p. FwSnbpsS {]kn²amb hm\\{]Øw. ]qcn¸n¡s¸SmsX \"ss]kbv¡v Ft´epw _p²nap«psï¦n AXpw t]mb {]Wbw HSp¡w hmÀ²Iy¯nsâ Nph«n \\n¶v ]dbWw. \"Fsâ PohnXs¯ B kuayImÀ¡iyw IpSPm{ZnbpsS D¨nbnte¡v XoÀYmS\\w t]mIp¶p. hgnXncn¨phn«p. Fsâ PohnX¯n\\v F´n\\v Cu A£c§Ä¡v t]mepw At±lt¯mSv Rm³ Úm\\]cXbpsS Ccn¸nS¯nte¡v. ISs¸«ncn¡p¶p. {]nbs¸« h³ ac§sf \\n§Ä FÃmhscbpw AdnbWsa¶nÃ. ]t£ FÃm Rm\\pw F³d XoÀ°mS\\¯nemWv.Fs¶ Rm\\m¡nb Ip«nIÄ¡pw \\n§sf Adnbmw. A§s\\ \\n§fpsS Cw¥ojv hn`mK¯nte¡v . hŸpc F¶v kvt\\l t]cpIÄ XeapdIfm ASbmfs¸Sp¯s¸Sp¶p. ]qÀÆw hnZymÀ°nIÄ hnfn¨ B sI«nS¯n BwKe A£c§Ä aW¡p¶ Cu IpSPm{Zn¡p¶n kvt\\ kmlnXyw AXn³sd kIe {]I¼\\hpw krãn¨p. lkvacWIfpsS XWpthäv \\n¡pt¼mÄ Ht¶ a{´hmZn\\nIÄ Ft¸mgpw HmÀan¸n¨p sImtïbncp¶p. ]dbm\\pÅq, Fsâ h³ac§Ä \\nXyXtbmsS \"Fair is foul and foul is fair\" AXv hIhbv¡msX \\n¡Ww. Csæn XoÀ¨bmbpw F\\n¡v k¦Sw BÀ¯ntbmsS IpXn¨ amIvs_¯pw Ahsâ s]®pw. hcpw. Rm³ XoÀ¨bmbpw Icªp t]mIpw apJ¯v kwib¯nsâ ambv¡m\\mhm¯ hkqcn¡eIÄ t]dn acn¨ HYtÃm.Hcp XpÅn hnip² cà¯n\\v thïn Icª tUmÎÀ t^mkvssäkv. Chscms¡bmbn ]IÀ¶m«w \\S¯nb {]nbs¸« A[ym]IÀ. ]et¸mgpw kplr¯p¡Ä almcmPmkns\\ Ipdn¨pw bqWnthgvknän tImtfPnt\\¡pdn¨pw {]apJcmb amjpamsc¡pdn¨pw - 23 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR Reminiscences IProf. Daniel P - Faculty member, 1967 – 2001; HoD, 1997 – 2001. t was in 1967 that Degree Course in English was inaugurated in St. Thomas College. I had joined the college just a few weeks before that and therefore I had no idea about the enormous effort that the Department under the leadership of Prof. Samuel Thomas must have put in to obtain the necessary approvals and provide the physical facilities required for the course. In fact when I joined the college I was pleasantly surprised by the hundreds of books that I hadn’t read in the English section of the library. After studying in Trivandrum with its enormous libraries, I hadn’t expected a comparatively new college to have such a well-stocked library. Years later in the 1990s when we made an effort to get approval for PG Course in English, I discovered how difficult and arduous the whole process was. Our campaign went on for a number of years; first with Prof T.O. George as the Head of the Department and it could only be achieved when Prof. Mammen V. Zachariah was the Head of the Department. During that period we had to work very hard to provide the facilities for securing University approval and then seek the support of ministers to get the final Government approval. We also had to find most of the fiscal base for providing all these which we managed by staging programmes in the college with the active support of students and teachers. In addition to that almost all the members on the staff made liberal contributions so that by the time the final approval was secured, we had all the necessary facilities including a very good PG level English section in the college library. During the 34 years of my service in the college, I saw this institution grow from a college with not much of a reputation to one of the premier centres of higher education in Central Travancore. Reflections . . . IProf. Elizabeth Thomas - Faculty member, 1965 – 1998. joined St Thomas College, Kozhencherry in the English Department as a Junior Lecturer in 1965, and it is now 25 years since I retired in1998. My memories are rather faint. What immediately comes to my mind regarding the college is that my colleagues were all learned, well read, brilliant people and the academic excellence of the college was superb though the infrastructure was very poor. The college had no funds those days but for meagre grants from the University and the Government. The Management found it extremely difficult to meet the various financial requirements. Despite the limited resources, all departments excelled – even better than those of several well-known colleges. Our alumni, the large number of rank holders, eminent professionals - doctors, professors, business men, and administrators all stand testimony to this. Today we cannot even imagine how a full two-day sports meet was conducted every year in the limited space with all track and field events and there were university winners as well as national champions also in the college. The library was par excellence and had an appreciable collection of English books. We spent a lot of time in the library. For me and those who stayed in the hostel, these books helped kill our boredom. A good number of Malayalam novels were also available besides the periodicals. Over the years, the college has reached heights of international renown with all modern facilities and competent faculty. My prayers for God’s blessings, that the college give guidance to cater to the growing needs of the society and in moulding worthy citizens for the nation. - 24 -

Memoriae... MProf. Susy Manaloor George - Faculty Member, 1953 – 1964. y days at St Thomas College, Kozhencherry remain vivid in my mind as vibrant days of joy and rich experiences. It is indeed laudable that the Department is bringing out a Souvenir to commemorate five decades of its growth. I wish the College continued years of excellent performance. Prof. Sara Varughese - Faculty member, 1964 – 1979. Hearty congrats and best wishes on the occasion of publishing the golden jubilee souvenir of the Department of English. May the department flourish and build an undefiled heritage, and May the good Lord bless its future endeavours. Dr T. M. Thomas - Faculty member, 1968 – 2000. This college, where I studied for one year and worked as a teacher for thirty two years is a monument to what I am today. The soul of this great Institution whispered in my ears and transformed me. Through Shakespeare, Milton and Shelley, I reached out to my students and if I live in their hearts as a preceptor, it is only because of this Institution. Hence I am profuse in my thanks to this temple of learning. Prof. M. M. Chacko - Faculty member, 1970 – 2002; HoD 2001 – 2002. Hearty congratulations to all my former colleagues on publishing a Souvenir commemorating the Golden Jubilee of our Department. Also conveying my thanks for giving me an opportunity to pen a few words therein. In my thoughts about the college, my memory flies back to the 70s, 80s and 90s in particular. God gave me an opportunity to work with a group of teachers light-hearted, lively and blessed with a great sense of humour. All of us believed that what the teacher is, is more important than what he teaches. Accordingly we strove to uphold the values, principles and traditions that our forerunners stood for. As years pass, the older generations move out of the institution. It is appreciated that the younger generation is a team of competent and dedicated teachers who are capable of carrying forward the torch lit by our forerunners. Over the years the Department has excelled in many areas, making a remarkable presence in the field of higher education. It is my hope and prayer that the ‘golden years’ of the Department lie ahead and will not wane with the Golden Jubilee celebrations. I wish the Department all success in the coming years. - 25 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR Dr Remany Titus - Faculty member, 1975 – 2007; HoD, 2002 – ’07. When I joined St. Thomas College in 1975 on a leave vacancy, I was literally thrilled because it was the fulfillment of my long cherished dream to become a college lecturer. It turned out to be the beginning of a long innings in my career, which lasted until I bade farewell to the institution at the time of my retirement in 2007. Prof. K.V. Varghese was the Principal and Prof. Samuel Thomas, the Head of the Department of English when I joined the college. Those were the days when the Department of English had more teachers than any other department. The Department was always lively, reverberating with active discussions and debates. In the year 2002-’03 St. Thomas College celebrated its Golden Jubilee and a grand, academically oriented exhibition was conducted in connection with it. I was the HoD at that time. Presenting English Language & Literature in the exhibition in such a way as to produce a visual impact posed a complex problem. For this we sought the aid of two other fine arts, painting and sculpture to bring out the visual aspect. The exhibits were displayed in two rooms – one focusing on literature and the other on language. In the literature section, attention was concentrated on the great masters, particularly William Shakespeare. A model of the Globe Theatre was made and presented. Full length portraits of great actors such as Richard Burbage, Richard Cowley and William Kempe in their roles as the great tragic heroes of Shakespeare – Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth and Othello – captured the attention of all. A sculptured bust model of Shakespeare worked out in Plaster of Paris was equally eye catching. In the section that was devoted to language, a number of linguistic charts which threw light on the different aspects of language such as speech sounds and their groupings, the evolution of graphic writing from pictures, language families and their inter-relations were among the exhibits. A display of the Holy Bible in twenty four languages was appreciated by many. Our stall Mirabilia turned out to be one of the focal attractions of the event and our student volunteers who did commendable work found themselves out of breath very often, answering queries and clearing doubts. In addition to the Departmental stall in the exhibition, we also conducted seminars at the P.G. level. Literary seminars led by eminent academicians like Dr. K. Ayyappa Panikker and Dr. P.P. Raveendran were the highlights. These seminars were attended by teachers and students of neighbouring colleges also. The formation of the Women’s Cell was a milestone in the history of our college. Experts and entrepreneurs from different fields of life were invited to the college to give talks on their career. I remember organizing discussions, debates and competitions in various subjects such as press reporting, fashion designing, literary reviewing, film reviewing and anthakshari in addition to the regular literary competitions. I look back with satisfaction on those years of activity. Surprisingly large numbers of women students who used to shun the lime light felt free to come forward and utilize the platform which was all their own. Lots and lots of them involved themselves in debates, seminars and co-curricular activities making their college life an enriching experience. I am really glad that as the Vice President and later as the President, I was given the chance to lead the activities of the Women’s Cell in its initial stage with the active support of the Principal, Prof. O.A. Cherian – under whose initiative the Women’s Cell was formed in our college – and Prof. Aleyamma Thomas, the President of the Women’s Cell. Years later I happened to meet some of the students who had risen to positions of eminence in different walks of life and they were happy to tell me how the Women’s Cell had helped them to promote their latent talents. May the Almighty’s blessings guide St. Thomas College to continue to be a beacon of light to many more students in the years to come. - 26 -

Memoriae... Prof. T. Nessie Joseph - Faculty member, 1980 – 2013; HoD, 2007 – ’13. Thoughts, stray wanderers, following neither method nor measure . . . after a decade of retirement, they come back . . . in colours, black and white, faded, revived from the recesses of the mind. A journey of 33 years of teaching, sharing and receiving life’s skills and experiences, from Sept. 1980 to May 2013 - through the portals of St. Thomas College. Two years in the Women’s Hostel too; knowing the people of Kozhencherry and living with them was a good one. Prof. O. A. Cherian - familiar to me through my mother’s words of her college days at Thiruvananthapuram, as the young, dashing SCM-er, was at the helm of the Institution then, which was a matter of comfort to me. Moreover, Prof. M. P. Verghese, then Head of the Department, also made me feel welcome at the Department. I had joined in the leave vacancy of Sara Susmitha ma’am, and became permanent when a substantive vacancy arose following the sad, untimely accidental death of GMP Sir in January 1981. The first year was one of apprehension and trepidation – stepping into the huge Pre Degree classes of 70 to 90 in strength, 10 hours per week, and Degree General Classes 70 – 120 in strength, 4 hours a week, was challenging indeed. Faces of yonder years still come up now – even in our dreams – reminding us of the mistakes and little triumphs . . . the life only a teacher has – to be ever fresh in the company of young talents. The Department of English was always a hub of good cheer and activity. The senior faculty of our Dept. - GMP Sir, T.O. George Sir, Mammen Zachariah Sir, P. Daniel Sir, T.J.Abraham Sir, T.M. Thomas Sir, Titus Sir, M. M. Chacko Sir and others - with their discussions and debates, hilarious laughter, melodious songs, and ever ready anecdotes, all ensured that the vibrations of their vocal organs never went to sleep; and the women’s wing led by ET Miss, Mariamma Mathew teacher and RT Ma’am was correspondingly dynamic and fun- filled. Capturing the mind’s eye back from the virgin greenery around the hilltop in the 1980s, the older eyes behold an array of new structures, a pageant of momentous events - the Zoology specimen pond, the Rain-harvesting centre, the Silver Jubilee Memorial Auditorium reverberating to music, dance and drum-beats on each historic occasion, the Golden Jubilee celebrations, the ten-day long all-India exhibition where our Department under the leadership of Dr Remani Titus set up the Shakespearean Theatre, the ‘Literature Tree’ and other exhibits and our then DCIII of ‘7 girls’ put up ‘the Expo Scribbles’ - a daily Newsletter . . . what all!!! These, besides the otherwise mundane realities of stretching our limits to finish the portions, conduct exams, valuation, etc. etc. - and then again, a March where it becomes ‘‘the cruellest month” - month of farewells. All beautiful memories have a “black hole”; As Mukundan expatiates in his novel Daivathinte Vikrithikal, each departure leaves a hole in our hearts. The close of each academic year brings tearful farewells as, turn by turn, each retiring teacher bids goodbye to the campus. This year, ‘the trio’, Asha, Meena (Elizabeth John) & Roshin - classmates and colleagues – is bidding farewell. Many more faces, have come and will go: “Still the show goes on” like Shakespeare laments, “When to the sessions of sweet silent thought/ I (i) summon up remembrance of things past / I sigh the lack of many a thing I sought / And with old woes new, wail my dear time’s waste.” Let me conclude my wandering thoughts offering tributes to my Department colleagues who left us early – Annie Abraham, a dear sister, and GMP Sir – a shining meteor who left us a trail of vibrant memories - then our M.P. Varghese Sir, K.C. Abraham Sir, and recently our dear Mohan Joseph Sir, who had encouraged me a lot – Thank you, all. Hello to my younger colleagues Tom, Febu, Annie, Vineetha, Anu, Susanna, Teena, Siby, Susan . . . Now, last but not the least, all my wishes and prayers to the ‘trio’ – Asha, Meena (Elizabeth) and Roshin – who came together and are leaving together – to pastures new, seeking horizons afar - All leave indelible memories – Adieu! - 27 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR Prof. Leela Abraham - Student 1965-’70; Faculty member, 1980 – 2005. Iam extremely glad to hear that the Department of English of St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry is celebrating its Golden Jubilee. I, being a resident of the neighbourhood of our college, know very well the perilous journey the college had gone through in its growing stages. Let us thank God Almighty for His blessings when we visualize the college as a centre of excellence, boldly standing high on the hills of Kozhencherry, offering a superb panoramic view. I remember with gratitude, the period I spent in my Alma Mater as a student of Pre degree and Degree classes. Later, by His Grace, I had the opportunity to join the Faculty of English. The Department of English is the one and only Department that instructs all the students (Pre degree and Degree) who enter the portals of the college. English, being an international language, caters to the needs of our ambitious students, maybe for higher studies or for attaining a good profession. Teaching of English as a foreign language is not an easy task. Our students are good at English, but they fail miserably in spoken English. Compulsory promotion of our national language is similar to shutting up the window to the outside world. Certainly, it will end up in arresting the development of our citizens and thereby the progress of our nation. The learners as well as the teachers of this international language must be vigilant against such a move that thwarts the future aspirations of our coming generations. Now, it is the golden opportunity for the Faculty members to concentrate on improving the spoken skills of our students. We know that there are chances to migrate to Western countries, especially for professionals for which high score in IELTS is mandatory. So I suggest that an initiative in this regard may be looked into. I remember with nostalgia the services of the faculty members whose dedicated services and keen interest in the language was an asset to the Department. I feel gratified when I see a few of my students on the teaching staff of the various Departments of our College. One even got the coveted post of Principal recently. After all, the priceless reward a teacher gets is the smiling faces of his/her students. As we celebrate the Golden Jubilee, let us re-dedicate ourselves so that we would be a credible community for the students, parents and the society at large. I pray and wish that God Almighty may bestow all the best upon the Department in the years to come. Dr Anne Susan Koshy - Faculty member, 1981 – 2015; HoD, 2013 – ’15. Ihave been really privileged in being part of the Department of English for more than three decades. I joined the Department in 1981 and retired from active service as HoD in 2015. With great pride and happiness I watched the Department evolve from a graduate into a postgraduate department in 1995 and later a Research Department in 2013. With a team of highly qualified and dedicated teachers, the Department has been able to mould thousands of students and equip them for future life. The Department has always maintained a good teacher-student rapport. I have spent more than half of my life in the Department and as I look back at yester years, sweet and fond memories of the Department still linger afresh in my mind. At this proud moment when the Department is celebrating its Golden Jubilee, I wish my former students good luck and also pray that the Department will be able to attain greater heights in the coming years. - 28 -

Memoriae... A SHARING OF PERCEIVED INSIGHTS ON ENGLISH LITERATURE COURSE Dr Ruble Raj - Member of the faculty of English, St Thomas College during 1981- ’89, Dr Raj later joined SB College, Changanacherry. He has served in various offices of repute – as the Principal of Marian College, Kuttikanam, Senior Principal of Good Shepherd Public School and Junior College, Thengana to mention a few. My career as an English Professor started in 1980s and evolved in line with the continuing relevance of English language. This language bestows the English Professors with the opportunity to mingle with students across disciplines. I, therefore had to strategize and develop pedagogies that suited the respective disciplines. These interactions had often motivated me to incorporate multiple spaces than the regular ones into my teaching fields to explore the nuances of English. The dynamic spaces such as Vocational English, Spoken English and Communicative English had thereby bestowed great amount of experience and practical knowledge to revision the approach and attitude towards English in general. This article explores the nuances of the courses on English Literature. This course becomes a space which can be defined as a site where this language works and it invariably imbibes the nature of various arenas such as social, cultural, political, environmental and so on. It can be located in regular classrooms, prospective job environments, representing platforms, expressing oneself and so on. These thoughts are supplemented by my perceptions and perspectives on how to approach English literature course. The courses centred on English literature have several purposes which are both specific and general. I am quite certain that the students if enquired about the intent behind choosing English literature as their major subject would have countless and disparate reasons for it. However, those reasons often act as eye-openers for me since these present the latent side of reality. The reasons include: • increased interest towards the language and literature • the prejudiced notion that it helps to improve language • as suggested by parents, peers or predecessors • the inability to find other options • to clear competitive exams and to find stable and secure jobs such as college professors, school teachers etc. • as it is perceived as a traditional and classic option often catering to social status. • as a gateway to many institutions and for varied exposure in order to excel in field such as journalism, drama, film and new media. • possess passion to become a writer or to analyse humanist approaches. Therefore, it is highly evident that the whole pedagogy needs to be innovative, efficient, flexible and relevant to the contemporary scenario. There are times when the entire structure of the course has given paramount significance to classics and canons like William Shakespeare, P B Shelley, John Keats, Geoffrey Chaucer and needless to say the history of the period, writers and the associated literature. Certainly, these contents help to lay the platform to understand and comprehend the subject. However, this structure is often accompanied by the rote learning of facts with the sole intention of clearing exams. Although this factor is inevitable, I believe that the paradigm also requires an innovative and dynamic approach considering the requirement. A lot of universities have already incorporated evolving and newly emerging literary aspects in to their curriculum. The - 29 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR inclusion of the literary elements related to gender, trauma, culinary, sports, graphics, environment, society, paintings, social media, street art has kick-started the drive which imparts relevance to the curriculum as such. These can be located in the syllabus of several universities and the students are also motivated to choose these contents for their research. Time has proven that such inclusions along with the ‘traditional’ elements motivate the students to inculcate the real spirit of literature. The students thereby, feel the urge to apply or even discover new theories to probe into the intricacies of literature. The scenario calls our attention to the outcome generated or assimilated by the students after the course completion. I would suggest that it is essential to contemplate on the following questions to evaluate the efficiency of the course and its partakers. • Have they taken in sufficient facts to establish themselves as a graduate in English literature? • Are they able to produce qualitative works such as an article, an essay or a review? • Do they have their own critical or analytical thoughts or are they replicating the ideas fed in classrooms? • What have they gathered by probing into classics? • What are their attitudes towards the novel literary trends? • How do they perceive literature? I would like to highlight some thoughts which can be used to complement the whole approach. • Encourage students to develop own definitions and critical perspectives rather than merely depending on the already established theoretical viewpoints. • Literature is commonly perceived as expressions of various dispositions such as political, social, cultural, environmental, religious and so on. Hence, it is vital that students aspiring to become journalists and writers get a guided platform. Creative writing can do wonders on that note. • Raise the literary spirit in students through adaptations of ‘classics’ either through writing or through performances. A lot of performances celebrated in social media are the outcomes of the vested interest of students motivated by like-minded teachers. • Include exclusive forums in which students get to explore and analyse the timeless appeal of the celebrated traditional works. They should be emboldened to think out of the box and thus generate individual perspectives. • Create platforms for discussions on the novel trends and the new media. This would help them to locate and analyse the literariness in these works such as blogs, posts, stories, e-mails, tweets and other components. • Encourage students to indulge in discussions based on literature across the world available in English. This would help them to mould their approach and perspectives towards the content and thus develop awareness about pan global instances. • Introduce and motivate students to prepare for and qualify tests like IELTS, BEC, TOEFL which will in turn boost their confidence in using the language. • Organise student seminars with provisions for paper presentations on a regular basis. • Ensure students’ participation in literary events of their choice. • Organise “Meet the Author” sessions giving priority to students which will further motivate them to work on their writing skills. • Introduce platforms where students get to revision and rewrite literary works incorporating instances from reality. • Include questions which help to gauge the literary ability and not of their memory power. • Incorporate sufficient provisions to make students compatible enough to qualify exams like NET, SET and other entrance examinations. This can be realised through specific workshops and exclusive sessions, thus providing inputs to find employment as well for higher education. This article doesn’t preach anything unknown or doesn’t degrade or glorify anything in particular. It can rather be perceived as an exploration which stands as a reminder, paving way to a reflective thinking. - 30 -

Memoriae... REMINISCENCES. . . Prof. Laila M. Varghese (Laila Alex) - Member of the faculty of English, St Thomas College from 1983, Prof. Varghese migrated to the U S in 1995. She is an acknowledged immigrant writer who has authored three short story collections, a novel and translations, and is the recipient of several awards- LANA (Literary Association of North America) Award, ‘Writer of the Year 2002’ - Award instituted by theMalayalee Association of Philadelphia, Award for the ‘Most Read Story 2012’ (Lilith) in E-malayalee, and ‘E-malayalee Best Writer Award’, 2016. Winter in Philadelphia… A thick blanket of snow covers the parking lot of the Philadelphia mall... I park the car and get out, careful not to step on the icy patches, planting every step firmly so as not to slip or fall. That’s when I hear that excited exclamation: … ‘Miss… Laila Miss’ I see a portly middle-aged figure walking towards me, a huge smile lighting up a bespectacled face. He reaches me and hugs me. He firmly takes my hand and guides me through the snow into the warm interior of the mall. ‘Miss, I’m ….. of the ’83 batch’. I stare blankly trying to reconcile the image of a lanky, sassy teenager to this figure of middle aged prosperity before me. My mind flies to St Thomas College, nestling in the hilly slopes of Melukara in Kozhencheri. A first bell rings. A bustle sets in, youth who hang around in different parts of the campus get up responding to that ‘go to your classes’. The sounds of motorbikes screeching to halt rend the air as latecomers rush. Can’t miss the roll call, or they may be barred from taking the exams. Teachers armed with rosters, text books and notes leave departments to meet their assigned classes. A day has started. Located at a lower level from where the main buildings were, the English Department bore witness to Canterbury Tales, King Lear and The Scholar Gypsy struggling with Principles of Linguistics, Phonetics and Deconstructive Criticism. Shakespeare reigned supreme in work assignments for staff and was assigned to seniors and modern literature and grammar relegated to the back bench of juniors. A subtle distinction nobody minded! The academic gravity of the department constantly found relief in a motley blend of anecdotes of Venad rides, cricket scores, politics and uplifting prayer circles, shared by the members. The degeneracy of religion and government, transport delays, student unrest, Saddam Hussein attacking Kuwait, threat of plague in West Africa, all found their place in these anecdotes experienced or invented. Of course, some were endowed with a more fertile imagination than the rest, making their contributions merrier. In the rare free hours, staff from other departments dropped in to share wit and wisdom. Policies and politics, fact and fiction, modernism and post modernism were all received and critiqued in the same eclectic vein! A steady stream of students dropped in and out of the department at all times with doubts and questions or summoned for censure. Sassiness, indifference and in many cases tears - 31 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR flowed freely and were met and handled with equal aplomb. Compositions, test papers, home assignments and preparation kept teachers busy. In between, alumni visited with refreshing reminders of earlier and younger days. Those offices atop the college canteen were indeed a cheerful haven!! The last bell announcing the end of work, received with a shout of youthful insolence and glee fills my ears… We are inside the warm shopping mall… ‘Miss, I can’t believe it’s you …’ He is still holding my hand, refusing to let go. He introduces his wife and family who are standing around looking amused at this bumbling, bubbling enthusiasm. ‘Miss, do you remember Rajesh? He is in Chicago, Mini is in New York…’ As the excited litany goes on with details of achievements and lives well lived, my heart swells with pride and joy and my eyes mist. His wife butts in: ‘Miss, you have to come visit us.’ ‘Please Miss….’, the portly figure pleads. In those eyes, I see once again, the eager boy picking up grade sheets. I smile. Suddenly, I am enveloped in a warm embrace… I am filled with the pleasure and satisfaction no other job can give… Thank you, thank you to all, students and friends, for the memories we made together… THE DANCE OF THE SEVEN VEILS Prof. Mathews Ninan - Writer, translator and poet, Prof. Ninan was a member of the faculty of English, St Thomas College during 1988 - 2012. He is currently Dean, Munnar Catering College. Unlike the beauteous Whirls and twirls ‘nd seductive Evermore – Dance of the seven veils, Still dancing in its Life with its seven stages Bizarre version Oft turn out onerous: Of the seven veils: Starting in helpless infancy, Living and reliving Stage by stage Moments of pain and bliss We progress over time A lifetime’s reward- Along tortuous paths Kept hoarded and hidden To yet another infancy: From prying eyes Helpless, feeble, In some deep recesses Toothless, dribbling, Of the mind! Gurgling Unintelligible gibberish! Every night they Find release Yet, somewhere locked In silent tears In the wasted body Wetting the pillow The ageless mind Till silence reigns ‘nd the mound is heaped. - 32 -

Memoriae... - 33 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR - 34 -

Memoriae... INFRASTRUCTURE, DEVELOPMENT TAKE TOLL AS KERALA HURTLES TOWARDS CHAOS Jayaraj Sivan - Student of 1988 – ’91 B.A. Batch, Mr Sivan is currently Senior Editor, The Times of India, Chennai. Don’t people in Kerala ever get angry? A visit to the home state can never fail to shock a non-resident Keralite; every other day one sees a total shutdown in the name of hartal or some other form of protest, often by obscure parties. The Malayalee is at his best when it comes to shutting the door - to normal life as well as development. On a visit to my home state years ago, I was told early in the morning when I reached the Thiruvananthapuram railway station that some spent force of a party had declared state-wide hartal. And they say that in Kerala on a hartal day nothing moves, even the birds won’t fly! The rail services were spared, fortunately. I caught a train to Thiruvalla, about 26 km from my house. From there, I had no choice but to trudge all the way. I love long walks, but this was not my cup of tea. Nearing Manjadi, I found a guy on a scooter. He was hardly looking ahead while riding, he was shooting furtive glances right and left, looking out for hooligans who may hurl stones at motorists for violating the diktat for a complete shutdown. I sought a lift and he gladly agreed, visibly relieved to have some support if confronted by thugs. However, his destination was Pullad, well before my home. “Any other day, I would have dropped you near your house. But on a hartal day, it will be risky,” he said apologetically. I thanked him profusely and walked on. I had not had anything to drink or eat since the previous night. Cribbing about the unruly political class was of no use with no audience around. And my middleclass ego did not permit me to walk into any roadside house and ask for a glass of water. Those were pre-mobile phone days and there was no way I could inform my parents that I was on a forced padayatra from Thiruvalla to Ayroor. I kept walking until I found a guy on a cycle. Now it was his turn to carry me. After a short while, I offered to pedal and he gladly accepted. The ride took me up to Cherukolpuzha. With more such help, I reached home around 2.30 p.m. On hearing about my ordeal, many relatives gathered, curious to know how I had escaped stone pelting. I was furious for, bandhs and hartals, I believe, serve no purpose. Chennai, the city I have been living in since 2001, never shuts down for any stir, whether it is sponsored by the opposition or the party in power. During my initial days and months in Chennai, it was a surprise to me – the product of a highly literate state that reacts to all ‘wrongdoings’ across the world. During my student days in St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, we once declared a strike and forced the college to shut for a day when US bombers pounded Iraq in January 1991. Whether it was a sound reason for declaring a strike in a college in Kerala is anybody’s guess. For us, George Bush’s declaration of war on Iraq was a violation of the sovereignty of Iraq and the human rights of its people. We were not bothered about Saddam Hussein’s act of aggression against Kuwait. Campus politics is good to the extent that it makes students react to issues. But one wonders whether students really understand the issues they fight for. And don’t they go overboard often? It’s infrastructure that takes the biggest blow as Kerala hurtles towards chaos. Infrastructural growth is the key to the growth of a state; an investment of Re 1 on infrastructure adds 78 paise to the state’s GDP. However, hardly any investment comes into the state and hence no new infrastructure takes shape. In decades, Kochi Metro is perhaps the only major infrastructure project to take shape in this lovely state, blessed with nature’s bounty. The flipside of Kerala’s lopsided development is that it has encouraged developers to construct skyscrapers along narrow roads. Nowhere else in the country can one find multi-storeyed buildings lining as avenue trees along roads. What we see in Kerala is not development, it is disorder, utter chaos. This state and its people cannot continue to depend on NRI remittances. Job opportunities are becoming fewer in the Middle East and our folks there are feeling the heat of localisation. High cost employees from India are being replaced with low cost ones from other developing countries. Kerala needs to look at alternative sources of income. While tourism is a major sector for growth, we need to change our attitude towards development if sectors like IT and banking should continue to thrive. In spite of all its ills, I love my state for all its inherent strengths - its unmatched natural beauty, the high awareness level of the people, their strong sense of justice and resistance to all forms of injustice, and the high social indices. Kerala is indeed a mixed bag. From a distance, perhaps it looks better than it really is! - 35 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR DESIRE, A MIRACULOUS MIRAGE V.G. Vijayakumaran Nair - Student of 1971–’74 B.A. Batch, Mr Vijayakumar is now a retired journalist. Still, even in the still of night, With the reflective views logically, A still murmuring of the conscience To remind and declare that Stills and thrills my mind in stress, Prejudice, Presumptions and The turbulent turn of things Premonitions have predominant Smashed everything into smithereens. And prominent influence, Never expected the unexpected In our mind and attitude. Developments and the uncertainty. Waited impatiently with patience, The favourable response turns For the ‘mercy season’s justice’ To be an unfavourable upshot Recollecting the ideas of Shelley. A word of hope in distress, I thought, “If winter comes, May give some relief and comfort. Can spring be far behind?” Belief never betrays, I believe but But the trials and troubles Belief belied me in bewilderment. Still continue, I feel entangled Fed up with the process of preparing The unbridled stream of thoughts The mind again and again, Seems to be taking a deviation To struggle with series of setbacks, From the normal course, knowingly Dejected and distressed, I bleed, Or unknowingly from the depth of despair, But excessive curiosity inspires The still breeze of spring swept over around The interest and the intention I’m inclined to think in distrust Prompted by the burning desire. With guilty conscience; Unpredictability of life that It is quite unbecoming of Makes it so interesting A celebrity in high repute, Fortunately or unfortunately Ignoring the ethics and dignity, Human activities are prompted by The position one held, deliberately desire... Or by incidental influence, Unexpected things happen Made an innocent soul More often than one hopes for. A target of ridicule by But fate appears to be above Inflicting sharp insult, The dignity and decency of Causing a tremor of shock, The person concerned. Instead of anticipated and I blame myself for the bitter Justifiable decision, as he expected, Accursed moment I happened But mercilessly trampled down, To express my intention. By the hierarchical authoritarianism Ridiculous! ‘A fortune’s fool’. Or by the administrative prerogatives. Heard at the riverbed convention, Hope that my doubts and views Urging the believers in true faith, Are right, relevant and reasonable Stressed to be Blessed and Not to blame or belittle anybody, Blessed to be stressed. But to calm the cloudy mind. Illustrating from the scriptures Love and desire making me mad To illumine the stressed But not a victim of desire. And the distressed, ratiocinating My respect and regard still remain - 36 -

Since the stream of light Memoriae... Enlighten the enthusiasts. A glimpse of my shattered dream An unprecedented upsurge sprouts, Insists me again against the insult. The dazzled flashes of cryptic smiles A bright divine halo inspires, With scintillating dialogues, To move against the stormy waves Heard around in the midst of mist, At times, the rhythmic waves of inflections Seems to reap the credit and credibility, Reverberate with a soul-stirring note, Claims a dignified distinction, A harbinger of gladdening tides. A reward for the ‘most unkindest’ And the sadistic brutality, Thrust upon ruthlessly by the Unscrupulous and ferocious designers. REFLECTION OF THE REMINISCENCES M.R. Sreekumari - Student of 1971 – ’74 B.A. Batch, Ms Sreekumari was formerly a teacher at Muscat. To explore and to experience, the 150th death anniversary, all the countries around the world, of Leonardo Da Vinci. To discover the beauty and history, Thrilled with ecstasy to see a building, and to taste the variety of cuisines, named “Keats and Shelley’s house”. To meet the different faces, A museum of the famous poets, with various attitudes, their famous lines on the walls. I flew to witness, I adore them the most. the beauty, the eyes can behold. Inspired by their poems, In Paris, last winter, A fondness grew for English literature. The city of fashion, luxury and romance, Reminiscing my glorious days Crammed with tourists, at St. Thomas College, Kozhencherry, anxious to see the Eiffel Tower, I walked the streets of Rome, Standing tall with pride, Like a dreamy girl, Shining at night like a million stars. wandering around the museum. Proceeding to Spain next, Reading all the evergreen lines, aiming for Barcelona, which melt the hearts of lovers. close to the Mediterranean Sea, Only Keats and Shelley in mind. with people devoted to football. Back home, like a west wind I fly. Amazing sights of Goudy’s architecture, Saying to the west wind, A majestic port and the proud statue of “Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud”. Columbus, I still hear Shelley’s words, Praying in front of the Black Madonna, “Music, when soft voices die, listening to the mesmerizing choir. vibrates in the memory”. All felt like a beautiful dream. This trip comes to an end, Then to Rome, a city of churches and chapels, but the memory vibrates in my body. The wonderful Vatican city, Tears of joy gleamed in my eyes, The divine St. Petersburg, To witness the beauty of the world. The famous Colosseum and the Roman I look back and say, Forum. So long, my dear Europe, so long! Lucky to witness, - 37 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR EXODUS OF INDIAN HUMAN CAPITAL – A SERIOUS 21ST CENTURY CHALLENGE Dr Blessen Siby Abraham - Student of the 1998 – 2003, B.A. & M.A. Batches, Dr Abraham is ELT Professional and OUP Teacher Trainer; Formerly, Educational Instructor-UNESCO Missions, MENA & Indian Ocean; Member, Teachers for Ukraine Initiative. Many difficulties have been faced by peoples, nations, and continents in travelled abroad to seek higher education, according to information provided before the twenty-first century. One of the major the parliament by the Union Education issues our nation is dealing with is the human Department. Records show that the capital’s sustained rectilinear movement number of students who left India increased outside the territory. Millions of young, considerably since 2017. The most brilliant intelligent Indians from a variety of fields Indian minds, who made up more than have left the country over the years in pursuit half of the top scorers in the board exams of better prospects. For a very long time, the between 2000 and 2018, moved abroad and notion of someone from India relocating to are still employed there, according to a study another country was regarded as a badge of by a private news agency. It must be noted honour, or a feather in one’s cap. The dream is that India invested approximately over eight now pursued by personalities with academic lakh crores in public funding for education and professional merit. in its budget 2021–22 and almost tripled its budget allocation in 2022-23, some of which At one point, the number of Indian scientists, were used to subsidise the education of physicians, and NASA scientists was cited skilled Indians who have emigrated. in the parliament as evidence of the extent of Indian impact on the USA alone. Again, Many factors contribute to the outflow of at many other multinational corporations, Indian students to institutions abroad, dearth there is a sizable Indian workforce. The of new courses being one of them. A recent debate centres on whether Indians should survey by INTO University Partnerships be proud of these eminent personalities who found that 76% of Indian students consider demonstrate a developing country’s prowess studying abroad to find employment and in knowledge, technology, management, and relocate abroad once they have earned entrepreneurship. their foreign degree. The widespread feeling among students is that the current The current scenario pertains to Indian Indian educational system is inadequate proficiency, linguistic acumen, and a higher to prepare them for the demands of the level of education which serve as the impetus increasingly globalised world. Furthermore, for relocation to nations. The problem of Indian there is a discrepancy between the goals of human capital leaving the country is getting the job system and the educational goals. serious these days. There has especially been a In the near future, we can expect cutting- significant rise in students leaving the country edge employment opportunities, but recently for better higher education. India’s unfortunately, our educational systems are incapacity to offer its citizens meritorious ill-equipped to meet such demands. possibilities is the key factor driving Indians to look for opportunities abroad. Specialists in education claim that there are many more advantages to studying Researchers believe that for many people, abroad. Students who have experienced studying abroad serves as a stepping stone worldwide exposure have an advantage for immigration rather than just a means of over the competitors they must face on a earning degrees. For a very long time, Indian professional and personal level. Students students have favoured studying at universities who study abroad become more tolerant abroad. In 2022, over 7.5 lakh Indian students of various environments by being exposed - 38 -

to new cultures, diversity, languages, and geographical Memoriae... regions. They learn to be sensitive to different cultures while collaborating across borders. Studying abroad also shores for other countries a decade ago. Yet after 2015, the helps students develop their independence by teaching number of people leaving India has once more surged for them how to manage and solve their difficulties on their a variety of reasons, including marginalisation, a crippled own. education system, low income, unemployment, minimal In addition to the students leaving India for foreign research support, and societal misjudgements. countries, there has also been a significant exodus of The Indian government is taking several steps to stop people. According to the “International Migration 2020 the so-called ‘brain drain’, but this won’t be sufficient to Highlights,” a report published by the Population Division entirely halt the momentum. To view ‘brain drain’ via of the United Nations, India experienced the largest a limiting prism like the one described above would be increase in people migrating abroad between 2000 and foolish. Investments made in the Indian educational 2020, with close to 10 million (one crore) individuals. It’s system indirectly advance other countries. “Educate India, interesting to note that the Indian government is not very Develop America!” is a well-known social media meme disturbed by this outflow, and have made the procedure that adds a comedic spin to this unresolved problem. The for renouncing Indian citizenship as straightforward as flipside of “brain drain” is “brain gain,” a phenomenon possible. that describes how the global west has advanced When it comes to the current problem of the exodus substantially as a result of the efforts of significant people of Indian human capital, those who are keen to travel who emigrated to the west from nations like India. overseas are not just students or young educated It is crucial to first comprehend the factors driving professionals. The millennial generation, for example, individuals out of India. But it’s nevertheless true that is now leaving India in search of mental peace and the this phenomenon is bad for the Indian economy. Even freedom to live as they like, free from the strict social while the exodus of human capital out of India cannot commands and regulations that the Indian society forces be completely stopped, there might be targeted efforts to down our throats. Sure, things have changed in India, but bring the Indian diaspora home. If successfully overcome, the rate of social development here has been, to put it the enormous task facing the Indian leadership could mildly, quite slow; in contrast, the rate of change appears have a significant positive impact on the economy of the to be much faster elsewhere in the world, particularly in nation. We as a country need to find answers to many the West. questions, including those of development, gender Not that a reversal of the tendency never occurred. There equality, employment opportunities, social structure, was a decline in the number of people departing Indian and quality of life. So, if even one thing goes wrong, many Indians will be forced to leave the country to find happiness elsewhere, throwing the country into chaos in the twenty-first century and ahead. - 39 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR “DISCLOSED’’ Saji Krishna - Student of the College from 1992 to 2000 for his Pre Degree, B.A. & M.A. courses, Mr Krishna is currently Lecturer, Sumait University, MZanzibar, Tanzania. iss Nancy was rather sad and upset when she opened up all her worries to me. I was a natural friend for her. Being colleagues in a well reputed college for a long time, she found herself quite comfortable talking to me and sharing many of her personal worries. This also was not unusual since quarrels and bickering between the colleagues were quite natural and they find somebody to share. Miss Nancy and Miss Dipa were thick friends and everybody knew it. After describing that thick friendship and the tussle they had, Miss Nancy broke into tears with these words, “Finally everything is closed . . . yes it is DISCLOSED” I was rather sympathetic to Miss Nancy, but her usage of the word “disclosed’ roused my curiosity. I couldn’t figure out what she meant when she used the word ‘disclosed’. Did she mean that she spoke everything to me openly? No obviously it was not that she meant. The structure of the sentence did not allow deciphering such a meaning. With some freedom that I had with her, I humbly asked her, “What did you mean by the word ‘disclosed’?” She looked at me with questioning eyes and explained, “Everything is finished, come to an end, my friendship with Dipa finished, yes it is ended it is DISCLOSED.” My curiosity did not stop me from asking further. “Did you use the word ‘disclosed’ to mean ‘everything has come to an end?” “Yes, what’s wrong with it?” She asked me with arched eyebrows. I couldn’t stop myself from correcting her instantaneously. “Oh! NO Miss Nancy, you are wrong. The word ‘disclose’ has a different meaning!” “Really? What is it?” “It means everything is revealed. The word ‘disclose’ means ‘to open up’ or ‘reveal’” I looked up for the meaning in a dictionary and showed it to her. Further, I explained the meaning with the help of an example; ‘I disclosed all my secrets to her’ “Oh my god!” Miss Nancy was rather shocked. Her eyes began to brim with tears. “Don’t tell anybody” she was slightly abashed for making such a mistake as she was a lecturer in a college. “Think myself as a great lecturer” she told herself with self-contempt. Then again with bewildered eyes she told, “I have used this word many a time in my lectures with the same meaning!” “Oh it doesn’t matter. Be careful when you use it the next time.” I consoled her. Miss Nancy was rather thankful to me. Nevertheless, the animosity between Miss Nancy and Miss Dipa did not melt down. It went to such an extent that it began to affect the team work that they had to carry out officially. One day the staff members were in a meeting with the Principal. Most of the faculty were assembled there. As soon as the meeting started, Miss Dipa entered and reluctantly sat on a chair beside Miss Nancy. Immediately Miss Nancy got up and sat on a chair beside the door, far from Miss Dipa. The Principal, a bit annoyed, casually asked Miss Nancy to explain what had really happened between them. She stood up and with sobbing voice began to explain. Pointing to Miss Dipa she said, “She was sitting in the computer lab and the door was closed. I asked her to disclose it, but she did not. I knocked at the door again and again but she did not disclose the door. I became angry. The next day I was teaching and I closed the door. She knocked on the door but I did not disclose the door…” After the explanation she sat on her chair and was looking at me with pride in her eyes of using the word with right meaning that she had learned from me. I was rather bewildered like others who were listening to her. Suddenly somebody knocked at the door from outside. The Principal asked Miss Nancy to open the door. Nancy madam spoke in a calm but confident tone, “The door is not locked, please DISCLOSE it.” Then she looked at me again with contentment in her eyes – the contentment of having used the word ‘disclosed’ appropriately! I couldn’t help staring at her, my mouth agape, my eyes popping! - 40 -

Memoriae... Anuju Susan Alex - Student at St Thomas College from 1997 to 2004 (Pre-Degree Course – M.A.), Ms Alex is currently HSST, Sr.(HG) at St. Thomas HSS, Kozhencherry. THE WORTH OF LOVE THE STRENGTHENING THOUGHTS Love, the abode of peace and piety Creates a silent ambience of gentleness The harmony of the dazzling dawn In love, the poor and the rich have no detachment and the fading dusk Where life is fulfilled Showering on the sleepy hillside With the manifestation of powerful purity Evokes the silent forest And it transforms the vagaries of a family into Beyond the carol of the ancient era success. Love is the nest of innocence The roaring of the frightening storm Permeating the fragrance of compassion Blazing over the bleeding wound The mother bird in the nest ardently Shoots the dancing dart Protects its babies under her wings Towards the graceful crescent Love is the dominion of life Where terror and violence have no role to play The rhythmic temper of the dewy Love quenches the thirst of a dove solitude With dreams of calmness, Alleviates the agony of the blaring fire While perching on the branches of a golden tree, Ah! The airy ashes of the earth In the middle of the River of Paradise Wander through the mighty minds And the Hills of Heaven The lustre of love boosts up in the birds of Paradise With the psalms of angels THE MENACE OF TOXIC MASCULINITY Akshara M. Mani - Student of 2014 – ’17 B.A. Batch. Agirl child should play with dolls. The games meant for girls should revolve around various household chores. A boy child should play with guns and cars. Our children are growing up by unknowingly endorsing these stereotypes. In this manner, the gender roles demarcated by patriarchy become stronger and stronger. Even the most basic rights like independence and freedom become an exclusive privilege of a particular gender group. It is frightening to note that, for years, this gross injustice remains the normalized reality of the world’s largest democracy. The number of attacks fuelled by toxic masculinity is steadily increasing at an alarming rate throughout the country. Toxic masculinity refers to harmful behaviour and attitudes commonly associated with some men, such as the need to repress emotions during stressful situations, and to act in an aggressively dominant way. It is toxic to believe that men are protectors of women. It can also adversely affect the relationships between members of opposite gender. The frightening aspect of this scenario is its disguised presence in the society. Unlike outright patriarchal dominance, it is not easy to identify and resolve the issues put forth by toxic masculinity. It is extremely difficult to defy a toxic demand from our closest relations, when they present it as something solely for our own good. Negations will be violently dealt with using ‘tools’ like acid/ petrol attack. Moral policing is another variant arising from the same root. Rural areas are no longer free from these new forms of violence. Besides physical violence, the holistic development of individuals and thereby society are hampered due to the chauvinistic attitude. Just like how disguised unemployment is hideously detrimental to the economy, toxic masculinity harmfully affects the society. Parenting and education techniques exclusively aiming to alleviate this menace is a must for a brighter future. Nurturing gender sensitivity through education is the key. Children should be taught to respect members of other genders. Such measures will gradually lead to the removal of patriarchal perceptions from our society. A woman should be able to walk through the streets at midnight without evoking frowning faces around her. Each one of us should become the change. - 41 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR THE MAGIC OF MEMORIES Sunil Thomas Samuel of 1996-99 B.A. and 1999-2001 M.A. Batches is a writer, speaker, and painter. He has authored five books; three in Malayalam and two in English. He has translated several books and articles from English to Malayalam and vice versa. Have you ever seen people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, a state in which the patient’s memory is almost erased? People with this condition are confused about time, place, and people. That’s really hard. The ability to remember or the capacity to retain memories is a precious gift. Every day, we are creating memories for ourselves and others. Whatever we do and wherever we go, our brain records life in the form of memories. Some would last for a longer period while some fade into oblivion. Some cannot be erased. But how do memories work? Our brain has a wonderful system of encoding the things we hear, see, touch, taste, and smell. Then it (or at least part of our experiences) is stored in our brains. It retrieves the same data according to the demand of the situation. I don’t want to delve into the scientific aspects of brain function. I am more interested in the philosophical aspects of it. Why do most people consider thoughts about their bygone days as “those good old days”? That fascination for the past despite the natural challenges and troubles it brought in is called nostalgia. Nostalgia is closely associated with memories. It’s our good feeling or passion for the lost time. It’s an idealized version of our yesteryears. When we get a glimpse or taste of that time, our hearts and minds dance to the memories attached to it. It could be about a place where you had spent your childhood or your hangout time with friends. Or it may be about a school or college where you had spent a considerable amount of your time. In life, dreams and hope help us to move forward with enthusiasm. But memories take us back to a time in the past. It’s our umbilical cord with the past. Imagine, how boring life would have been if we cannot retain our past in memories! You have a lot to recollect especially when you had spent seven long years in the same college. St. Thomas College has always been more than an educational institution. It is the place where our perspectives changed, our ideas formed, and we grew up as adults. For me, pre-degree time was formative as it helped me to realize that Maths and Science were not my cups of tea! Degree time was more about politics, romance, art, and literature. During the Post Graduate period, I was more into writing and reading. Still, all those years are alive in my mind. Over the years, we have been to different places and experiences. We chose different careers and vocations. Still, the warmth of campus friendships, the wealth of our college experiences, and the wisdom of our teachers inspire our minds. The reality of nostalgia is more meaningful to us when we think about our college days. Our world is changing faster than ever before and the youth are the greatest beneficiaries of this change. The tools of technology help us to create rapid progress in almost every field. We see these changes reflected in campuses all over the world. The real challenge is to stay updated without losing youthfulness. For a college, 70 years may not be a long period. While getting adapted to the changing times, I hope, our college will retain its youthfulness forever. While enjoying the fond memories of college life, any alumni would hope and pray for the constant growth of our Alma Mater. As the American children’s writer and cartoonist Dr. Theodor Seuss Geisel famously said, “Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” - 42 -

Memoriae... MOTHER Rev. Febin John Abraham - Student of 2008 –’11 B.A. Batch; currently the Vicar, Palakkad St Thomas Mar Thoma Church & Vellikkad Immanuel Mar Thoma Church. “No influence is so powerful as that of the mother” (Sarah Josepha Hale) Mother’s Day: Historical Background: Mother’s Day is observed with bountiful memories of love and as a token of expression of overflowing wonderful feelings for the most benevolent person on Earth. It is a celebration honouring the mother of the family, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. Mother’s Day was initiated by Anna Jarvis (Born 1864), daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis an American school teacher. Little Anna was deeply attached to her mother, but unfortunately both her parents died when Anna was still very young. Anna found the loss irreconcilable and spent her time in solitude. On the second death anniversary of her mother, Anna invited a group of like-minded friends to her home and shared her idea to honour all mothers because nothing could be compared to the sacrifices that mothers made for their children. In May 1908 Anna organized the first official Mother’s Day celebration at a Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. When the service concluded, Anna gifted each mother her own mother’s favourite flowers, ‘carnations’. This was how Mother’s Day was launched in the church tradition. It was Anna Jarvis, who single handedly took the challenge and successfully launched the tradition of observing the second Sunday of May as Mother’s Day. The idea had such a huge impact on people that on May 8, 1914 the US Senate approved its legislation and President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday of May as “Mother’s Day”. Anna Jarvis’s idea was adopted by many countries and today Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world. People take the day as an opportunity to pay tribute to their mothers and thank them for all their love and support. Mother’s Love: A Reflection: A mother values her children and takes the responsibility for their safety and well-being. She believes and hopes in the values of each one’s individual ability to stand out as a light in a dark world. Her loving arms enfold her children with tenderness, encouragement, praise, wise counsel, kind looks and caring ways, with the shelter of her love and the protection of her prayer. Once Abraham Lincoln said, “No man is poor who has a godly mother”. There have been many mothers in the history of the world who have impacted their children in a tremendous way. Abraham Lincoln was one of them. St. Augustine, the great religious leader, had a mother named Monica and it was the prayers of his mother, Monica that brought him to the foot of the cross. The Bible tells us about many wonderful mothers who are great examples for all of the mothers here today who wish to be what God wants them to be. A loving mother indeed transforms her sons into heroes, and her daughters into radiant angels. With her reassuring word she makes childhood worries disappear into thin air and with a touch of her hand she changes each child’s disquiet into calmness. The value of mother’s love cannot be measured in terms of currency, but in the moral character, wisdom and training she gives her children. (Prov. 6:20-24). Parenting is not always easy. It gives much happiness, but may also cause worry and stress. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” This can be interpreted as: Train your child according to his way (keeping in mind his individual characteristics and tendencies); when he comes to maturity, he will not depart from the training he has received. Every child has natural traits both good and bad; these are the basic tendencies unique to this child. The root word of “train up” in Hebrew is a word used to describe the palate or the roof of the mouth. It was used to describe the act of a Hebrew midwife who, after helping to deliver a baby, would dip her finger in a paste made of dates and rub it on the gums of the infant to create thirst and start the baby’s feeding instinct. The ideal parent, in like manner, creates a thirst in his/her child for the right things, all the while taking into consideration their unique personalities. The power, beauty and heroism of a mother’s love is conveyed in the Jewish proverb “A mother understands what a child does not say”. Robert Browning, the famous English poet has remarked: “Motherhood: all love begins and ends there.” - 43 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR FROM THE CORRIDORS OF ST THOMAS COLLEGE TO THE RED-BRICKED WALLS OF JNU Dr Salini L.R. - Student of 2009 – ’12 B.A. Batch; currently Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, St. Joseph’s College, Moolamattom. I am from JNU and I am not an anti-national It was like a dream coming true. After my But JNU was very gentle to newcomers. graduation days from St Thomas College, There was no ragging and the teachers were I had a dream of pursuing my higher studies very supportive. Initially I was very self- from a university. St Thomas College helped conscious in speaking in English and Hindi. me a lot to pursue my dream. My beloved But gradually I became more confident. It teachers of the department of English were was like a dream come true. It was a place very much inspiring and encouraged me to of healthy debates and discussions. Even pursue it. The journey was not smooth but though there are many political parties, it was rather interesting. I consider my UG there is no violence inside the campus. days as one of the most brilliant academic Presidential debates and elections are the phases of my life. The discussions and the greatest celebrations in JNU. The students debates inside the classrooms helped me welcomed everyone with love. There I saw a lot to achieve my dream. The college students from across the country coming and its scenic beauty have always calmed in large numbers to pursue their dreams my mind. It was a vibrant campus with of becoming civil servants. Majority of campus politics and various arts and sports them came from economically weaker and activities. Library was a great relief at that marginalised sections of society. I was a time. Whenever there was no class, library South Indian, but I never felt discriminated became the best place to read and rest. I can there. They even gave me platforms to still feel the breeze of wind I experienced contest in elections. I was also lucky to while sitting there and reading the books. study at a time when the ‘so called’ anti I remember the days when we used to national figures like Kanhaiya Kumar was walk all the way from bus stand to college. the JNUSU President. It was a conspiracy It was indeed a tiresome exercise. But it framed to defame the university. Whenever also gave me ample time for gossips and the government proclaimed a policy which to discuss the events in the class. Coming caused inconvenience to the public, it was from school, college astonished me with its from JNU that the first voice of protest charm of young dazzling minds. The giving would arise. It was this that triggered the up of uniforms and wearing of colourful government to label them as anti- nationals. dresses itself was a new way of seeing and However, this did not lower our fighting approaching the world. In the last year of spirits. Many accused us as unproductive my graduation in college, I had decided and as those who are simply eating the tax to pursue my Postgraduation in one of the payers’ money without any benefit to the universities. I began to read vigorously. I nation. These are indeed wrong accusations applied for entrance exams and approached as JNU still remains as India’s best university all with a lot of fear and anxiety. When and has produced many Ministers, Civil I cleared my exam in JNU, it was a big Servants and even Nobel laureates. For a girl surprise for me. That victory was due to like me who came from a small village in the blessings of my beloved teachers and Kerala, it opened vast arenas of knowledge. the inspiration of the then principal Dr. It was because of the subsidised education Alexander K Samuel. I still remember the that JNU provided that students were discussions that happened in classrooms. It able to join there and pursue their goals. was a very encouraging place which fostered It was St Thomas College which gave me my critical thinking capacity. It was indeed confidence to go ahead and study there. The difficult for me to depart from my college, discussions, debates and the tremendous but the sorrow was only for a short while. opportunities it provided fostered my JNU welcomed me with open arms. Initially dream. The books and teachers were the I was very much afraid of how it was going to power house of my intellectual abilities. be. There was a lot of anxiety and pressure. Looking back, I remember it was the college - 44 -

which encouraged me to participate in intercollegiate Memoriae... and university fests. It was the trust that was enshrined upon me that took me to the red walls of JNU. The strong and I am not an anti-national. In these changing times, foundation that moulded me in college helped me not to I hope that public funded universities like JNU would panic when I reached JNU. The distance from St Thomas continue to remain amidst the political turmoil. I cannot to JNU was very long, but I really enjoyed the journey. It end my note without a note of gratitude to my dear was one of the biggest surprises life unfolded before me. alma mater for giving me the inspiration to become a Today when debates are revolving around the benefits of student in India’s best university. I cannot forget the love, JNU, I can confidently say that it is one of the best funded encouragement and passion of my beloved teachers from public universities and it opened up diversified thoughts English, Malayalam and History departments that made and discussions. For me, it presented a mini India where me realize my dream of being a JNUite. I have basked in students from across the country came and studied in the sun rays of St. Thomas College and been swathed in large numbers. I can confidently say that I am from JNU the misty winter of JNU. I remain ever gratefully yours – St Thomas College and JNU. ON A SUMMER EVENING Parvathy Mohan - Student of 2006 –’09 B.A. Batch, Ms Mohan is currently Assistant Professor, Dept. of English, NSS College, Changanacherry. Over a cup of tea, We sat and talked. Both of us tried in vain to understand The vast oceans of destiny between us. Without beginning, without end, we sat there. Into ages immemorial and into eternity as well, we stood up and looked. The blazing heat of summer turned Into cool evening showers. She was here, before me, My friend or my soulmate. Together we walked into yesteryears, And before us, we saw ourselves in classrooms and seminar halls, The silent spaces of study and meditation, Libraries that smelled of antiquity, Long, endless walks across sandy beaches, trails of ghost stories that ran into midnight. We also saw the dark interiors of hostel corridor echoing our songs of togetherness. Slowly, before us, unfolded Coffee houses, movie theatres, shops and restaurants. Which reverberate our songs of cheer and ecstatic delight. The pages of the books were before us, Life, myth, history and fiction blending into one another. Those were the pages where we lived once. Here we were again, beginning from where we ended. The tea was over, the talks ended and she left. And I was back home, My heart replenished with memories Of a life once lived and not forgotten. - 45 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR FAILURE OF STATE Sajo K Sajan - Student of 2010 –’13 B.A. Batch, Mr Sajan is currently Deputy Manager, Reliance Retail Limited. “Failed states once had civil, constitutional laws that were put in place, when these laws don’t work for all that’s when dictatorship arises and injustices hug the land, and prosperity becomes the luxury of the few, not the masses.” - Henry Johnson Jr. Whenever crimes increase and the state stays silent, the situation worsens, and the people move to uncivilized justice implementation via violence. This will further lead to more violence and finally to chaos and brutal anarchism. Rapes and murders are increasing in India. But the time for execution of justice through the proper channel takes years and years. The Sister Abhaya murder case, 1992 is a typical example. There are ever so many others who go through the same trauma. This shows the incapability of the system to execute law in the proper way. Another example can be seen in the implementing of internet ban and curfew in Kashmir without considering the rights of the people. Sacrificing individuals for a village and a village for the nation is justified in the uncivilized justice system. The justification for this is that although a few are losers, the majority gain. In the modern world, the attempt to reinstate this kind of brutal law is condemned by many since in this situation fundamental human rights are forgotten. The state, in several issues such as its bifurcation without anyone’s consent, its thousands being kept under custody for weeks, in the issues related to lynching and rapes in the country shows the double standard of the ruling. It seems like the administrators are even silently enjoying it. At the same time the armed force killed the rape accused in Hyderabad, bypassing the rule of law. Will the same happen to a rich man? Will they kill all the rape- accused politicians? The question remains unanswered. This shows discrimination on the basis of social status and wealth. And even the mob supported the act without considering the repercussions in the implementation of law, or the possibility in its manipulation by the rich and powerful. The rich man’s capability to run the investigation and create evidence in his own favour, will be an easy task in a corrupt country like India. Even the unusual death of judges remains unsolved; and the civil servants were arrested and jailed for raising questions. Fake cases and encounters are not new to the ‘states’. Finally, the declaration against the religious group, Islam - The Citizenship Amendment Bill is an attempt to deny citizenship just based on religion. This has also been interpreted as an attempt in social engineering to compartmentalize people on the basis of religion and caste. Some scholars say it will lead to reinstating of the caste system, where the Brahmins are at the top and Kshatriya the next, and Vaishya and Shudra the last, in the long run. In an illiterate nation like India where discriminatory beliefs and religious feelings can be easily planted, and where outside forces can easily sway illogical and unsophisticated minds, the overall success of democracy is doubtful. A successful democratic government allows people to help set the rules to which all must adhere, and have a say in the direction of their lives and work. This will foster a broader respect for peace, fair play, and compromise. - 46 -

Memoriae... REALISATIONS. MOULDING. COLLEGE Alen Itty Jose - Student of 2011–’14 B.A. Batch, Mr Jose is currently pursuing research for PhD. The first time I set foot on St. Thomas College campus I saw a multitude of people wielding red and white flags, shouting slogans in rhythm with their clenched fists punching the air, walking toward me. They were literally marching into me that I had to seek shelter at what I later learned to be the Zoology Department. That was a humongous welcome call for me to ‘College Life’ considering the fact that I had until then studied at a school which fined you for not wearing socks, yes, socks! Numerous prep talks were delivered by family and friends alike on how different College life would be from life at School. At school, just like the name implies, you are ‘schooled’ in almost everything. There is a map to give you directions and even if you wander off, the different ‘forces’ around you would put you in place. At college, you would feel as if you were in uncharted waters. When I took admission, one of my elder cousins said, “Oh, you can bunk classes from now on!” I had to refer a dictionary to figure out what ‘bunk’ meant for it was never a part of my repertoire until then! I had opted for BA in English Literature and there also I soon realised that I was in for a surprise. I remember skimming through the text titled Social Roots of Literature in search of ‘literature’. The other text titled Methodology in Humanities scared me. These two were the ‘core’ courses which left me confused regarding the nature of the ‘course’ I had opted for. “Where is literature?” I had thought. In the second semester a text written by a gentleman named Mario Klarer added so much fuel to the fire that I googled, “Courses with actual literature in Kerala”. Though it sounds stupid now, the emotion behind it was genuine then. My mind was put at ease by the poetry text “Spring Rhythms” in the 3rd semester. My joy knew no bounds. I remember being sad on the eve of this paper’s semester exam and I had confessed to my friend, “I wish this never ended”. It is only in the final year that I got to see the heavyweights like Shakespeare and Milton whom I had hoped to see on Day 1. Being in the uncharted waters of College, both academically and non-academically, I saw and learned for the first time that a chasm existed between Expectation and Reality. While navigating these waters you would make decisions majority of which would be wrong, bordering on disastrous, but all of them would be having a purpose in moulding you as a person. When we prepare for exams, we would want to revise the portions we have already studied so that nothing is left unread, and it becomes thorough. The next big lesson college had taught me was that you cannot make revisions in Life. Cruel, but a fact. Life is like a vehicle with no reverse gear. You could sit inside and look back at the places you have passed by, the people you have seen, the people you have known, the people you have seen and not known. You can slow down and introspect (probably while you sit and write something for the souvenir!) but cannot go back. The choices you make, although you make them unknowingly, will have a lasting impression on your life. All this sounds grim, I know. But if any college student is reading this, remember to do what is best for tomorrow and not today. A difficult thing to pull off but the wise thing to do. The world wasn’t this fast paced while I was at college. Introspection was easier. But now it is the opposite. Dear student, pull the chain, hit the brakes, do whatever you have to do to slow down and ‘think’. “I wish I could go back” is cliché and not a very thoughtful idea. Do I wish to go back? I don’t. Don’t get me wrong here. I would love to relive the beautiful memories with my friends and teachers. But what will I do if I go back? I haven’t got the slightest clue as to what I would do differently or whether I am even capable of doing anything any differently. I don’t know. I will never know. For that very reason the desire to go back is redundant. And voila, the third big lesson from college is that you are where and who you are intended to be. All the above lessons were learned not while I was a student but years later while I rummaged through the treasure trove of memories called College. And all I can say is, in the eternal words of Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” - 47 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR WHEN TRUTH ECLIPSES AND POST-TRUTH EMERGES Deepa Rachel Thomas - Student of 2011-’14 B.A. Batch, Ms Thomas is currently PhD Fellow, EFLU, Hyderabad. In this last leg of the second decade of the twenty-first century, India is yet striving to achieve the dreams of A P J Abdul Kalam to become the superpower nation, owing to the current political and economic climate of India. But in terms of growth in information technology, we are inundated with information and given the space to discourse on and engender anything and everything under the sun. The social media and news platforms along with political speeches led to an influx of knowledge, much of which is not validated or verified by any. This decade witnessed the increased usage of the notions of truth and post-truth as there is a rising struggle to separate truth from lies and half-truths. Cyber space has become vulnerable to the contagious malignancy of lies which are invariably spurted out by the users and propagandists, regardless of the truth or reliability of the information. With Brexit and Trump’s presidential campaign, the economy of post-truth regained momentum and the Indian socio-political situation is of no difference in terms of how truth is treated that the subject is significant to this part of the world too. Post-truth, according to Lee C. McIntyre, “is when one thinks that the crowd’s reaction actually does change the facts about a lie” (Post-truth 9). He says that “what seems new in the post-truth era is a challenge not just to the idea of knowing reality but to the existence of reality itself ” (10). The reality is attacked, negated and conveniently ignored, for lucrative reasons. The politicians are not liable for the lies they perpetuate and the followers are not scrupulous enough to sift the truth from the lies. The issue with the manipulation and complete negation of truth is that they push the masses into confusion and passive acceptance of information which leads to ignorance and the resultant chaos. While browsing for materials relating to the Sabarimala court verdict, I came across a blog by a self-claimed renowned Indian journalist, whose write-up was all lies, with not even a tint of truth, with the explicit propaganda to mispresent/re-present the facts and the legal underpinnings which entail the case. Here, the question of the absolute truth might rise. What is her truth and mine might be asked. Truth, facts, and statistical figures are to be clearly distinguished to understand how truth is misrepresented and “new truths” are engendered which are far from the truth, for political and personal gains. The browsing sites are continually edited, twisting the realities, constructing lies and presenting them as “new truths”. This is an egregious trend where histories are not re-interpreted but destroyed and lies are deliberately reconstructed and reiterated with no factual support or at times logical argument. Post-truth is not “bullshitting” (Harry G. Frankfurt 2005) or spreading fake news but the conscious and continuous attempt to denigrate and efface truth and project a lie or representation far from reality, which results in the generation of an illusioned crowd, fooled by the post-truth generators. The problem of being accustomed to post-truth is the ceasing of human interest in seeking the truth. There will be no accountability and therefore no need for credibility. The words expressed are not necessarily truths but repetitive hearing might affect our rationale, as Solomon Asch and other psychologists have demonstrated. The decisions made by the masses will be deeply affected knowingly or unknowingly and they stop thinking critically. We are in a world where truth is too expensive to afford. Lies and truths based on feelings are flooding the discursive space that the court verdicts that India is witnessing seem to be more of an emotional take, attempting to pacify and please the majority, rather than an objective verdict based solely on facts. Emotions are evoked instead of scientific temper and critical thinking and thus, the scholars of humanities should take the extra burden of being aware of the post-truth rhetoric that we perpetuate and should encourage discussions to engage the students to critically respond to the dissemination of post-truths and their causalities. - 48 -

Memoriae... LUMINOUS TRAILS Roshan Varughese - Student of 2013 -’15 B.A. & 2015 – ’17 M.A. Batches, Mr Varughese is currently pursuing research for PhD. An attempt to retrace history, an endeavour to immortalize the glorious episodes, an opportunity to revive splendid memories, the souvenir is an assemblage of multiple discourses. It aims to provide form and content to the abstract, thereby materializing the non-material. Having spent five years on this campus, each arrival to St Thomas College is homecoming for me. The shades that solidified our camaraderie, the canteen snacks that taught us comradeship and the classrooms that silently witnessed our harmony, stimulate a deep sigh. It is absence that creates meaning. The absence of those irretrievable days evokes its true meaning and a sense of wanting. The Department of English still continues to decipher knowledge with all its magnificence. The arena that quenched the epistemological quest of several prospects still continues its function and the impeccable journey has reached to its Golden Jubilee year. The long journey has delivered not only academic excellence but also inculcated fundamental values, morals and ethics that enhance social life. Hence it functions as a “school of life” and as the “nest of rejuvenation”, where we were subjected to metamorphosis. Poems that touched our soul, prose that revitalized our thinking and theoretical discourses that instilled rational sensibility, built in us an advanced world view. The world of literature remains unreachable yet, as there is more to be explored. Any discussion on our department would be incomplete without the mentioning of the bond that exists between teachers and students, practiced from the very day of its inception. The rapport that exists between faculty and students is a noteworthy element that makes our department distinct. Apart from being strict academicians, the teachers were ideal masters and benign mentors for us. We were gifted the pragmatics of generosity and nobility by our gurus. The support and immense love extended by our teachers is remembered with heartfelt gratitude. Jubilee calls for the possibility of revival as well as renewal that would amplify the growth of our department. A thousand lines of poesy cannot befit your grace. Let spectrums of success emanate throughout from you. Let not the mellifluous symphony diminish ever. May perpetual bliss halo you far and wide. Everything comes and goes, you the mighty, stay prestigious. “Too small a payment, for too great a debt.” THE GLOBAL CLIMATE STRIKE: A WAKE-UP CALL TOWARDS THE FUTURE Miby Miriam Jacob - Student of 2015-’17 M.A. Batch, Ms Jacob is currently pursuing research for PhD. The month of September 2019 witnessed strike led by a 16-year-old Swedish girl, a new ‘striking’ wave in the climate Greta Thunberg. This was followed by a change issue. It has been a few decades climate strike worldwide, which took place since environmentalists began fighting for from the 20 to 27 September 2019, and was climate justice, but nothing has come out known as the ‘Global Week for Future’. of it. These young climate activists joined In August 2018, Greta Thunberg started hands together to initiate the movement her mission with an individual climate ‘Fridays for Future’, inspired by a school strike outside the Swedish Parliament. - 49 -

GOLDEN JUBILEE SOUVENIR This was later followed by over 1,00,000 school children an average of 6 to 9 tons of CO2 emission every year. all over the world, holding placards saying “Climate The only climate solution available in this regard is Justice!”, “Declare climate Emergency”, “Go Green”, “Save the reduction of transportation footprint and thus the the Planet”, “The Earth is on Fire”, “Every Small Action reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Matters” and “Science, Not Silence”. The ‘Fridays for We also witnessed the planet’s largest rainforest, which Future’ movement asks for powerful action against fossil is the world’s “lungs”, burning down. The possible fuel extraction and mining, which causes the emission of causes are said to be the clearing of forest to make way carbon dioxide in large amounts. for agricultural development, mining, livestock and As a student from the ‘smog-affected New Delhi’ says, logging, leading to deforestation, excess carbon dioxide “we are out here to reclaim our right to live, our right emissions and global warming. Studies estimate that 99% to breathe, and our right to exist, which is all being of the Amazon fires are not due to dry season or warm denied to us by an inefficient policy system that gives weather, but driven by human actions either purposefully more deference to industrial and financial objectives or accidentally. The Amazon wildfires affect not only rather than environmental standards.” Thunberg asks, the biodiversity of the forest, but the indigenous tribes “If no one else, we will take action. We demand a safe that live within it. It is a threat for not only Brazil and its future. Is that really too much to ask?” It is a good sign neighbouring countries, but for the whole world. It is sad that it is the young people who acted out first, instead of when the decision-makers themselves forget the fact that sitting idle and blaming it on each other. And this is a it is not a matter of their own, but that of the entire world, wake-up call for all of us, who have been continuing to being the consumers of oxygen provided by these forests. destroy the planet. Now the demonstrators turn towards The United Nations Climate Action Summit 2019 held us, “You had a future, and so should we.” Yes, that sure in New York was an attempt to increase climate actions makes sense. from the part of leaders from government, business and Despite Thunberg’s strong stand on the climate issue, civil society. To put it in the UN General’s words, “The the ideas she suggests and the actions she practises, it is race is on. It is a race we can win. It is a race we must win.” sad to see misogynists attacking her in the virtual world In this race to limit climate change, the authorities need hiding under fake profiles. So many criticisms have been to address climate change, declare climate emergency, coming from all directions over Thunberg’s mental state. take immediate measures and thus achieve the goals. It In response to this, she has described herself as having is high time we did something about it before it gets too Asperger’s syndrome, which is an autism spectrum late. Every single action of ours does matter. disorder, and says it is her superpower. The sexist and Global warming due to CO2 emission, deforestation, misogynist comments, especially from prominent fossil fuel extraction etc. has become more of an ethical personalities and other political leaders, triggered against and political issue now rather than environmental. this 16-year-old school girl, clearly show their urge to Human race has gone through enough- floods, droughts, silence a young leader’s speech and to establish their heat-waves, refinery explosions and many more. And authority. Against all odds and challenges, it is amazing we cannot afford more damage to the planet and we do to see her ignoring these smashes, and going forward, not want to witness another climate change that ends becoming a Nobel Peace Prize nominee. up in our own extinction. That is when strikes like these Thunberg not only preaches but acts. She adopted various become the most important. It was the biggest protest lifestyle choices to reduce carbon footprints, from not demanding climate justice in the history of the planet – eating meat to giving up air travel as the carbon dioxide from school kids to senior citizens being part of it. It was emitted by commercial flights rose to 32% from 2013 the most peaceful strike for climate action so far. Act now to 2018 as study shows. The temperature has hit 54C in because we do not want to betray our own mother. Get big cities in recent summers. Half the children in Delhi up because we don’t want to witness anymore pollutions have irreversible lung damage simply from breathing the and wildlife extinctions. Join hands together because we air. Similarly, huge amounts of plastic garbage ends up deserve a better future, clean water and fresh air. Raise in the ocean every minute. Before thinking of recycling, your voice because we have endured enough and do not there are so many single-use plastic products we can want to take it anymore. Protest because we do not want skip – from water bottles, cups, plates and straws to the coming generations to go through the same. Rise up grocery bags and disposable razors. Another way how for your rights to live all your life in this beautiful planet. CO2 emissions impact on the environment is through Get up and act because we do not have much time. It’s motor vehicles, causing the ‘greenhouse effect’. A typical still not too late. gasoline vehicle burning one gallon of gasoline creates - 50 -