Thiruvananthapuram :

The air of an informal get-together marked the meeting held at Manaveeyam Veedhi on Sunday to commemorate the 21st death anniversary of Vaikkom Muhammaded Basheer. A cloth-bound easy chair and an earthen water jug took centre stage while a ripe bunch of ‘poovanpazham’ and a goat perked up the backdrop. The setting was simple and yet richly evocative of the Basheerian cosmos. Poet Sugatha Kumari summed up the spirit of the event saying that the sapling of Mangosteen planted on the wayside was the most befitting tribute to the author who celebrated the equality of all beings in nature.

The meeting was organised by Thiruvananthapuram Women Writers’ Forum. Sugatha Kumari released the second edition of ‘Basheer Enna Anugraham’, a memoir penned by K A Beena, by handing over a copy to author Susmesh Chandroth. The book describes the author’s association with the iconic literary figure during her student days.

The simple nature of the event was thoughtfully orchestrated as it was in accordance with Basheer’s philosophy, said Geetha Nazeer, convener of the Writers’ Forum. Sugatha Kumari remembered that when she sent out letters to writers in the State asking for their support against the Silent Valley Project in the late 1970s, Basheer was the first to reply. “I had written to every writer in Malayalam asking for them to join in this battle to be lost. Basheer wrote back, saying – ‘I enlist my support for this battle to be lost’. He also pinned a 100 rupee note to the letter which had the value of some thousands back then,” she said.

She referred to the recent exhortation of Pope Francis to ‘feed the hungry’ and said that Basheer’s writings echo the same sentiments. “His heart went out to the hungry and the homeless. Nature was God to him. His boundless optimism and humour derived from the superior awareness of a mystic,” she said.

Susmesh Chandroth, who has coveted attention as an emerging voice among the younger generation of authors, spoke about the influence of Basheer on Malayalam literature. “Basheer’s novel ‘Shabdangal’ is a case study in technique and style. I would prescribe it as a must-do text for every student of literature and aspiring writer,” he said. He added that Basheer is a timeless author and is in the same league as the finest writers in world literature. “Whatever age you are, you will find a Basheer story that you will enjoy. Basheerian texts compliment the insights gained at every stage of life,” he said.

B Lakshmi, daughter of Guptan Nair, shared her thoughts about the book authored by K A Beena. In her valedictory speech, Beena recounted her prolonged correspondence with Basheer and the freedom she enjoyed in his home as a young girl. Shailaja P Ambu presented an impressive stage adaptation of Basheer’s famed short story, ‘Ente uppupak oru ana undarnnu’ under the direction of Sam  George.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / July 06th, 2015