My boyhood was witnessing the dawns of hope as it was just a decade after independence. A long cherished desire of the people for breathing free air was said to be achieved. A basic change could be seen all over without drastic social transformation. The publicity wing of Govt. used to have their film shows on various development activities. New techniques of cultivation as Japan system of farming, how to make composite manure, constructing separate toilets to the houses for rural sanitation and opening rural health centers were the subjects. Block development offices were made for integrated development of villages. An employee called Gramasevakan would regularly meet the farmers and others to solve their problems. Awareness camps were conducted for preventing epidemics etc. Arts and Sports clubs were formed in the villages with grants from Block. In our village one such club was formed viz Udaya arts club. Almost all youths were members of the club. Regular classes for music, playing instruments, dance etc were held. The club used to get regular programmes. My elder brothers were office bearers of the club. Thus I used to get in to acquaintance with the music instruments and fascinated with cultural activities. I also became the secretary of the club. But it became defunct when almost all got other engagements during eighties. A very good volleyball team was also there. My elder brothers Prof.Sundaram Pillai, Dr.Bahuleyan were very good players of volley ball. Dr.Bahuleyan while in Medical College was an active player in the college team. When I say anything about my interest in Tabala, I should say about my Moothannan, the eldest cousin brother ie the elder son of father's elder brother. He was very handsome and knew to play all musical instruments, and not only that, he knew how to make all the instruments. He was the person who wakes us up early in the morning with his flute playing .His son also began his practice in Mridhangam early in the morning. Actually we had a very good musical ambience in our early age. They were in abject poverty. They were struggling to meet both ends together. If I start writing about the starvation during those periods, it may require many pages here. But I mention some instances for references. Another one cousin brother Mr.Thankapan used to have boiled water of tapioca leaves during starvation; we can call it as chlorophyll drink. He starved continuously for weeks. He realized fully the value of foods. During fifties and sixties many of them found shelter at Bombay and in seventies they got chances to Gulf. That was the golden periods for them. He became a cook in a very rich family in SaudiArabia. Years after when we met each other he told me that he was bathing with the highly nutritional food, which was beyond his dreams once. Gulf was a dream land for the poor in southern parts of Trivandrum. Even now the houses of dalit without a gulf earner are very rare.
The golden periods of my cultural activities were during 1989 to 2002. During the LDF Govt. in 1987 Mr.V.Sasi (present MLA) who was in the post of MD became Private Secretary of minister Mr.P.K.Raghvan. He was the architect of so many unique development activities during the period. One of his visions was to provide opportunities for the artists coming out of the Music colleges. It is a fact that it is the only college where the numbers of students belonging to dalits are always more than the reserved seats. This shows the instinct attachment and heritage of dalits with music, folklore and allied branches. Boys coming out of the colleges with flying colors had to wander for want of training in modern electronic instruments costing lakhs of rupees. Mr. Sasi's ambition has blossomed. A cultural organization called Swathi Samskarika Sanghom was constituted by Govt. under charitable societies act with eminent persons viz G.Devarajan, Thirunalloor Karunakaran,Chertala Gopalan Nair etc. Almost all electronic equipments and others purchased and training arranged to the artists. A ganamela troupe was formed and programmes throughout state regularly reached. A bus was purchased for the sanghom. A rented building was taken near Ayyapa temple Thycaud. In the initial stage it was under direct control of Govt. In1990 it was put under an elected body. I was also became one of the members of Executive Committee. In 1991 new UDF Govt. came in to power. The financial assistance from Govt. was stopped. So we have to find out our own ways and means to run the sanghom. The office of sanghom became the place of assemblage of all dalit employees to discuss their problems. As I already said it was the hey days of dalit employees. Many artists began to get regular income from programmes. They became most wanted artists in the state. Mr.LeninRajendran,film director, Joby film actor had actively associated with the sanghom. A drama directed by Lenin was played throughout the state. Weeklong festival was arranged yearly at Tagore Theater. Variety of programmes was arranged. Theater was fully occupied every day. Even Asianet a prestigious channel at that time had sponsored the main gate of Tagore Theater for Rs15000/. Almost all officers and employees had whole heartedly associated with us. That was the reason behind the success. We were also having swathi family get together frequently. The print and electronic media had given good coverage. We arranged competitions at school level and prizes given. This assemblage led to form another organisation of dalit employees for redressing their grievances called Forum for Soicial Equality(FORSE)There was some concerted effort even under the auspices of senior IAS officers. One lady officer had openly come out with an article that special recruitment to SC/ST affected the quality of administration. We had very strongly come out with stiff objections. A periodical as Forse News was published regularly. We gave a memorandum to the chief minister Mr. AK.Antony requesting to provide a conducive atmosphere in the office to work fearlessly, because we never felt that we were working in our country. There were a lot of atrocities on dalit officers. Our intention was to bring the same to the notice of the CM .He didn't even spare a few seconds to hear us or to go through the memorandum. He received it put it in the tray. Thus it had the natural death.
From 2000 onwards the officers gradually began to retire from service. Nobody was there to carry the activities further. Both the organisations had thus a natural death. The selfless and restless services of many young officers were the backbone of the above activities. It has to be written in golden letters regarding the services rendered by us during the above periods in the history of dalits in seventies, eighties, and nineties.
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