Koodiyattam: Sanskrit Theatre tradition of Kerala Gulf Kids Online:
Malayali commits suicide in Muscat due to labour problem
A Special Correspondent
Muscat—A young Malayali worker apparently committed suicide in a labour camp at Azaiba near Ghala, because of the continued harassment of his employers. The tragic death of Dileep (27), from Thalacherry District, Kerala, the only son of his parents is a mute reminder of the desperation with which more than four hundred employees of a manpower supplying contracting company –Stag Enterprises—have been struggling to get their overdue payment and go back to India decently. Dileep Kumar’s dead body is lying in the Mortuary of Royal Oman Police Hospital, Qurum.
According to his friends, Dileep was suffering from depression as his company, notorious for ill treatment of expatriate workers, denied him permission to go back to India after his resignation in November 2000 from the firm. Like hundreds of other employees who have already resigned from the company due to non-payment of dues of several months, non-renewal of labour card and visa plus other type of harassment, Dileep committed suicide because he was unable to go back to India even to attend his sisters marriage. His friends say that the company doctor had recommended that Dileep is having strong suicidal tendency due to depression. After resigning from Stag, he had filed a case against the company in the labour court. The company had asked him to work in Salalah, more than 1000 kms from Muscat, where the labour court is located. As the case was going on in Muscat, he did not want to go to Salalah because he could not attend the court proceedings regularly. After resigning from the company, workers face more harassment from the superiors. Even if he got favourable judgment from the labour and commercial courts, the sponsor was not willing to accept it.
Thanks to the suicide, 32 of his colleagues will now be send to India through the amnesty scheme announced by the Oman Government to allow “illegal foreign workers” go without paying any penalty. The scheme is actually helping such Omani company owners who are able to send even the dead body under the amnesty scheme. According to Omani labour rules, it is the sponsor’s responsibility to renew the labour card and visa of expatriate workers every two years, failing which he has to pay a penalty fees. In the case of several employees, the company never renewed labour card and visa.
Paradoxically enough, the company owned by an Omani, has been neglecting even the labour court and commercial court judgments in favour of its employees. “We have been running from pillar to post to get our dues and go back to India decently. Many of us filed cases in the labour and commercial courts and obtained court orders asking the company to pay legal dues, buy air ticket and send the employees back home. However, he has not implemented any of these judgments. Arbab (employer) is the biggest court and he will not bother about any court judgments,” says one worker. Earlier two of the company employees who were suffering from depression became full-fledged mental patients. The pathetic working conditions in a number of contracting companies and their labour camps in Oman are not different.
Eighty per cent of the work force in the company is from Kerala. Their monthly salary is in the range of RO 35 to RO 45, equivalent to Rs. 4000 to Rs.5,000 Indian rupees. Due to unemployment and the influence of travel agents who sell job visa promising lucrative jobs in the Middle East, many educated youth come to the Gulf countries and end up working in such cleaning companies. As a policy Stag Enterprises has been not paying the staff regularly. In addition, there are various penalties through which the meager monthly earning is pocketed by senior managers and the company itself. For instance, if an employee comes back from his hometown late by even one day, he will have to pay a penalty of RO 10 (equivalent to Rs.1000) per day. In the case of a Malayali worker, who overstayed in Kerala for 40 days, the penalty amounted to RO 400 (About Rs.45, 000)! If he has to repay this amount, he has to work more than one year in the company without any salary! The labourer who committed suicide was imposed a fine of RO 130.
If the worker wants to go to India, he has to buy air ticket from his own pocket. Even if the company promises that the ticket fare will be reimbursed, it is never fulfilled. Many people have not visited India for several years and even in case of emergency situations, the company does not allow them to go. Some of the workers who have been suffering from severe cases of appendix complained that they were not given any treatment. Maximum medical allowance allowed by Stag for any ailment is only RO 1 (Rs.120)!
In addition, the supervisors check the uniform, hair cut and other small things and make it a point to cut some amount from the salary. In addition, ten to twelve workers are cuddled together in one small room, which does not have air conditioner or other basic facilities. Remember that the normal temperature in the dessert environment is more than 40 to 45 degree Celsius. Even if the company gives air conditioner, workers have to pay for that! The normal working time is 10 hours per day and the quality of food offered is too poor, complaints another worker. Workers have arranged an air conditioner on their own for using in an emergency situation.
Normally workers find some part time job outside to meet their daily expenses. If any of the employees leave the company in desperation, the company will file an absconding case with the Labour Department. In the case of Dileep, who was missing for two days, the company managers were ready with material for an absconding advertisement in newspapers.
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RAJASTHAN HAS THOUSANDS OF DOWRY DEATH CASES
187 Dowry Death Cases pending before Kerala Courts.
A total of 2988 dowry death cases are pending in the High Courts all over the country. In addition, 13251 dowry death cases are pending in the subordinate courts throughout India. The highest number of dowry death cases comprising 926 such cases are pending in the Rajasthan High Court followed by 842 such cases in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, 436 cases in the Bombay High Court, 397 cases in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, 141 cases in the Himanchal Pradesh High Court, 140 in the Andhra Pradesh High Court, 71 in the Patna High Court and 35 in the Kerala High Court. As for the Karnataka High Court, the combined figure of 2064 cases is pending both in the High Court and the subordinate judiciary of the State of Karnataka.
In the case of subordinate courts, the highest number of 4,974 dowry death cases is pending in the State of Maharashtra, followed by 2213 such cases pending in the State of Bihar, 2064 cases in the State of Karnataka, 1373 cases in the State of Andhra Pradesh, 1349 cases in the State of Madhya Pradesh, 936 cases in the State of Jharkhand, 705 cases in the State of Punjab, 152 in the State of Kerala and 85 cases in the State of Himachal Pradesh.
While no time limit has been prescribed by law for courts to decide dowry death cases, both the Government and the Judiciary are concerned with the pendency of such cases. Meanwhile, various steps are being taken to expedite disposal of cases by the courts. These include amendment of the Code of Criminal Procedure, increase in the number of judges or judicial officers, appointment of special judicial and metropolitan magistrates and setting up of fast track courts.
KOODIYATTAM : SANSKRIT THEATRE TRADITION OF KERALA Koodiyattam is the sole surviving classical Sanskrit theatre of Kerala. It is a two thousand year old theatre-tradition. Recently, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared it a masterpiece of human heritage to be preserved and protected. Kulasekhara Varma Cheraman Perumal, an ancient king of Kerala was known as the creator of Koodiyattam. Attaprakaram authored by him is said to be the most authoritative book on Koodiyattam. It clearly describes the manner of acting. The acting is based on Natyasasthram which is the most authentic book on almost all Indian dance forms.
According to UNESCO , intangible heritage might be defined as embracing all forms of traditional and popular or folk culture, i.e., collective works originating in a given community and based on tradition. These creations are transmitted orally or by gesture, and are modified over a period of time through a process of collective recreation. They include oral traditions, customs, languages, music, dance, rituals, festivities, traditional medicine and pharmacopoeia, the culinary arts and all kinds of special skills connected with the material aspects of culture, such as tools and the habitat. For many populations (especially minority groups and indigenous populations), the intangible heritage is the vital source of an identity that is deeply rooted in history.
The philosophy, values, moral code and ways of thinking transmitted by oral traditions, languages and the various forms taken by its culture constitute the foundation of a community’s life. Traditionally, Koothu and Koodiyattam are the privilege of the templecastes Chakyars and Nambiars. Chakyars enact the male-characters and the Nangiars (the women of the Nambiars) enact the female-characters. The Nambiars play Mizhavu, the major percussion-instrument in Koodiyattam. The plays of Kulasekhara, Sakthibhadra, Bhasa Kalidasa and Bodhayana are performed act by act in Koodiyattam. The four-fold concept of acting dealt with in the Natyasastra, sage Bharata’s ancient dramaturgy, find its due significance in Koodiyattam. Angika (hand gestures and body movements), Vachika (verbal acting), Aharya (make-up and costuming) and Satwika (facial expressions) in Koodiyattam are highly stylised. One finds in Koodiyattam more of Natyadharmi (stylised acting) compared to other classical art forms.
Since Koodiyattam performances were proffered as offerings to the deity, they were enacted only in temples. Many temples have beautiful pavilions within their precincts which are known as Koothambalam with high sloping roofs covered with metal sheetings. A Koodiyattam performance is a long drawn-out affair, taking place at night and lasting for days. Politics, philosophy and social behaviour are covered in the comments. The pivotal role in these performances belong to the jester as he is the only one who speaks and the language is Malayalam. He translates the Sanskrit version with a touch of humour and also acts as a bridge between the actor and the audience.
