Mottukkinaru

Abandoned well is called ‘Mottukkinaru’ in Tamil. There will be no water in those Wells and fully covered by bush. It looks very weird.

It is uncommon seeing a ‘Mottukkinaru’ in my childhood. It is very rare to find a one. We are very much scared about it. There are lots of rumors spread about the ‘Mottukkinaru’. Ghosts are staying there. Thieves are hiding there, etcetera etcetera.

On the way to my elementary school, there was a ‘Mottukkinaru’. We don’t go near it. We all walk a distance away and cross that area.

Once upon a time these wells are used for agricultural purpose. They might have water that time. We could see the stones and pillars which are used to take water from the well. These wells are dried after years and left it abandoned.

To avoid the children approaching near that wells, elders told ghost stories relating to that well. We all believed that ghost stories are real and scared about the well.

Sometimes I thought, why those ghosts are living there, even there is no water to drink for them. Those ghosts are very poor.

Nowadays these ‘Mottukkinarus’ are increasing around all the places. It is a sign for drought hit. Peoples leave the wells because of no water in it. Ground water level is going down each year.

In childhood, I have seen several times with full of water in my farm well. It is around 70 feet deep. We can touch the water in hand by sitting on the wall. Nowadays it is rare to see 3 feet water in it.

Across India , the ground water level goes down and down. Farmers are suffering to plant their land.

We forgot to maintain the ponds and Lakes. All the ponds and lakes around the cities are destroyed and developed(!) with buildings. Nowadays there are few ponds only existing which are belongs to temples.

All the water we are getting from rain is going to sea without any use. We are forced to get drinking water from miles apart.

We destroyed the ponds and getting purified water from the sea by spending lot of money. What a shame. Government is very proud to do this.

Those ancient kings are not foolish who maintained the ponds and lakes for each and every celebration they had. They had known the meaning of thirsty.

Thirsty is a big word. We have to pay for it all of these ignorances.

-- Saravanan Rathinavel
dglsaro@gmail.com

Shanthi Akka Family

I met Shanthi akka when we moved to the town from my village. She lived with her parents in the right opposite house. She and my sister have same age. Both of them studied in same class in different schools. So, I called her ‘akka’ (elder sister).

Always I go to her home to watch TV. Especially Friday ‘Olium Olium’ and Sunday Morning ‘Mahabharatham’, ‘HeMan’ and evening Tamil Movie.

Used to watch hindi movies on Saturday evening. Sometimes, I used their home to escape from my father’s study torture.

Making paper bags is Shanthi’s family job. They did this in their home. Their hall fully occupied by the papers and paper bags. In their home everybody makes paper bags. I learned how to make paper bags. It was very easy and convenient one.

In those 90’s most of the shops using paper bags to pack the things. Whatever things you buy at grocery stores, it will be wrapped by the paper or they pack it with paper bags.

I used to read the jokes and articles from the paper bags when we buy things from shops.

Like Shanthi akka family, So many families make paper bags at their convenient times. We could see they take the paper bags to sell in the near by shops.

Paper bags are Eco friendly. It doesn’t make any harmful thing to the earth. Papers are easily biodegradable. Papers are reused as paper bags and recycled.

Few years later, I could see some shops using the plastic bags to pack the groceries. They told, paper bags are tear when we use it for heavy packages. But they used plastic bags for 1 Kg and half kg packing too.

Plastic bags are convenient to Shops, but not to the earth.

We have shifted our home in another part of the town. After that we don’t have that much contact with Shanthi akka family. But we met in few occasions and Diwali festival seasons.

Now all the shops bring 100 percent plastic bag usability. No one using paper bags. So no family needs to make paper bag for their meals. They forced to switch some other jobs. It was painful for them. They can’t make plastic bags at home.

Later Shanthi akka’s father started his career as an agent of a company. Mother stayed at home and watching all the TV programs. Shanthi akka married and went.

Nowadays, nobody is ready to buy paper bags, hence no one at their home making bags.

I don’t know Shanthi akka’s kids know how to make paper bags? Even they know she made paper bags in her school days?

It is pain taking thing when an Eco friendly technique ruined in front of our eyes. Shanthi akka’s family did their part to keep the earth green for few years. What about our part?

Reuse is better than recycle! I agree. You?

-- Saravanan Rathinavel
dglsaro@gmail.com