சுப்ரபாரதிமணியன் திருப்பூரை சேர்ந்தவர். சிறுகதை , நாவல், கட்டுரைகள் , கவிதைகள் என தமிழிலக்கியத்தின் பலதளங்களில் கடந்த முப்பது வருடங்களாகத் தீவிரமாக இயங்கி , அனைவராலும் அறியப்பட்ட ஒரு படைப்பாளி்,இந்திய முன்னாள் குடியரசு தலைவர் வழங்கிய கதாவிருது தமிழக அரசின் சிறந்த நாவல் ஆசிரியர் விருது உட்பட பல்வேறு விருதுகளையும் பரிசுகளையும் பெற்றுள்ளார். திருப்பூர் பகுதியில் குழந்தை தொழிலாளர் ஒழிப்பு, பெண்களை சுரண்டும் சுமங்கலி திட்டத்தை ஒழிப்பது ,நொய்யலை பாதுகாப்பது போன்ற பல்வேறு சமூக பிரச்சினையிலும் அக்கறை கொண்டவர் ,15 நாவல்கள் 15 சிறுகதை தொகுப்புகள் ,கட்டுரைத் தொகுப்புகள் உட்பட 50 நுல்கள் வெளியிட்டுள்ளார் கனவு என்ற இலக்கிய இதழை 30 ஆண்டுகளாக நடததுகிறார் திருப்பூர் தாய்தமிழ் பள்ளியோடு இணைந்து பணியாற்றுகிறார். தொலை பேசித்துறையில் உதவி கோட்ட பொறியாளராய் பணியாற்றியவர். வலைப்பதிவாக்கம் சுந்தரக்கண்ணன்
கதா பரிசு "92"-
இந்தியாவின் பல்வேறு மொழியின் சிறந்த சிறுகதை எழுத்தாளர்களுக்கான "கதா-92" பரிசை தமிழ் எழுத்தாளர்கள் சுப்ரபாரதிமணியன், ஜெயமோகன் பெற்றிருக்கிறார்கள். டெல்லி ராஷ்டிரபதி பவனில் நடைபெற்ற பரிசளிப்பு விழாவில் ஜனாதிபதி சங்கர் தயாள் சர்மா இந்திய மொழிகளின் பல்வேறு எழுத்தாளர்களுக்கு பரிசு வழங்கினார். அவ்விழாவில் எம்.டி. வாசுதேவன் நாயர், என்.எஸ். மாதவன் (மலையாளம்), வைதேகி, விவேக் ஷான்பாக் (கன்னடம்), ரெண்டல நாகேஸ்வரராவ் (தெலுங்கு) மற்றும் 12 மொழிகளின் எழுத்தாளர்களுக்கும் இப்பரிசு வழங்கப்பட்டது.
"கதா பரிசுக் கதைகள்" என்ற ஆங்கில நூலை மத்தியச் சுற்றுலாத் துறை அமைச்சர் பரூக் மரக்காயர் வெளியிட்டார். அந்த ஆங்கிலத் தொகுப்பில் பரிசு பெற்றப் படைப்பாளிகளின் சிறுகதைகள் இடம் பெற்றிருக்கின்றன. சுப்ரபாரதிமணியனின் "இடம்", ஜெயமோகனின் "ஜகன் மித்யை" கதைகளின் ஆங்கில மொழிபெயர்ப்புகளும் இடம் பெற்றுள்ளன. அப்படியே எழுத்தில் கொண்டு வந்து விட முடியாது. அதற்கென்று ஒரு ஒழுங்கமைவு தேவைப்படுகிறது. இந்த ஒழுங்கமைவிற்கு தயார்படுத்திக் கொள்வது அவசியமாகிறது. அதுவும் எழுதத் தொடங்குவதற்கான ஒழுங்கமைவில் இந்த முயற்சி முக்கியப் பங்காகி விடுகிறது. வார்த்தைகளின் ஒழுங்கமைவும், மொழியின் இயல்பும் பொருந்தி வருகிற போதே ஒருவன் எழுத ஆயத்தம் செய்து கொள்ளலாம். அதற்காகக் காத்திருக்கிற 'தவம்' அர்த்தமற்றதாகக் கூட அமைந்து விடுகிறது.தில்லி தமிழ்ச்சங்கம் ஒரு பாராடு விழாவை நட்த்தியது. அதில் நானும் உரையாற்றினேன்.----------------
சுப்ரபாரதிமணியன் -
வெள்ளி, 25 அக்டோபர், 2024
PALM LINES.. Subrabharathimanians novel
INTRODUCTION
Subrabharathimanian’s Palm Lines, looked from one angle, is linear and from another,
non-linear! The book is a collection of short stories, it may appear! Each and every chapter
can be read separately as a short story! However, the book can be read as a novel also as
some of its characters appear repeatedly in one chapter or another! This unique blend gives
the reader an unimaginable freedom. He may choose at random any chapter he likes and
read! At the same time, the book can be read as a novel without losing the sense of
connectivity! In short, the incidents give it a short story touch whereas the characters give it
the dimensions of a novel! Swinging this way and that way like a pendulum, it also becomes
multi-directional when one considers the number of characters (20+) it introduces, ranging
from school going children through middle aged men and women to those who are well in
their fifties and above! It portrays a number of incidents like the burning of a house, honour
killing, polluting a river, village temple festivals and their accompanying dual of words and
battle of hands, street corner meetings and plays, cleaning of a river, school celebrations
etc.
SYNOPSIS
Palm Lines is about the trials and tribulations of people who live in a village in the foothills
of Palani, the abode of Lord Muruga, a popular deity of the Tamil people.
Most of these people live by reading horoscopes and practising palmistry! There is a
continuous stream of people who visit the village from far off and nearby places to know
their future and to find out a way to resolve their present and future crisis. Thanks to man’s
insatiable hunger to know his future! But the cruel hands of Time thwart the peaceful lives
of the villagers!
The novel opens with picturing a burnt house in the village where casteism runs riot still.
Two young people belonging to different castes love and marry in secret. Thinking that they
are inside the house, the advocates of honour killing burn their house! The couple luckily
escape, as they are on a pilgrimage to Thiruchendur, a famous shrine of Lord Muruga! There
is a picture of Thiruvalluvar lying on the ground half eaten by the fire. Thiruvalluvar is a great
Tamil poet and the author of the world famous Thirkkural, a book of verse in coulpets,
written 2000 years ago! He advocated equality among all castes and to whom all castes are
one! His spoiled picture is a symbol of inter-caste intolerance that has started showing its
ugly teeth of late!
The next chapter brings out another different scenario- an introduction to the main style
of living of the village people-horoscope reading. We meet Ganapahty, a famous horoscope
reader of the village, to consult whom people who had come from a far off place, wait
throughout the whole night- to have their horoscopes interpreted. Ganapahy is neck deep in
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tradition and upholds the dignity of the age old art of reading horoscopes. Through his
remarks, the reader gets a glimpse of the old art as well as its new form which he never
endorses! He also sarcastically comments on how intolerably people have become
dependent on horoscopes. Through him, the author puts forth his strong views on blind
belief.
Then come Parameswari and Amalam. The former is a woman who lies with men to earn a
living and who, nevertheless, upholds some values in her trade! The latter, has a useless
drunkard for husband! They talk about the Muruga river, an important character, that
makes its impression now and then, throughout the novel. The author painfully describes
the present pathetic state of the river polluted by the irresponsible society! Not only the
river has become a virtual dust bin but the path leading to it also has become a dumping
yard! Here an important element, the author’s concern on environmental issues, is
introduced. It also brings in another important current event in Tamil Nadu, the arrest of a
former Chief Minister- an event that has been skilfully drawn in, which magically shifts the
reader from the plane of fiction to that of reality! A mention of the movie Alavandhan, that
was currently on the screen, further reinforces this effect. The chapter ends with a wordy
dual between Parameswari and Gopal, an astrologer, who leaves no stone unturned to earn
his living. He accepts the norms of his profession forced on him by the changing times. He
opens up branches of his trade and even ventures into cine-field to try his luck in that dream
world! He stands in sharp contrast to Ganapathy!
Subbaiah and Gopinath are introduced in the next chapter. Subbaiah is attached to a
movement that tries hard to bring in social changes through ceaseless propaganda through
stage plays and street corner meetings! Subbaiah is disillusioned and the Progressive Front
to which he belongs does not help him earn a livelihood! Poor fellow, his dreams of
becoming a director vapourises into thin air. He ends up as a vessel cleaner in a small hotel.
Gopinath has returned from Singapore and is in a fervent search for a bride.
Chapter 5 introduces Anbu, a player of the traditional musical instrument, Kombu. Though
humble, Anbu is a man of principles! He will play neither in any political meeting nor in the
rituals of death.
This chapter, opens with Anbu’s body on a pyre and his son, Sivan reminiscing on his
father! It portrays clearly the struggle between the father and the son over the latter not
scoring good marks in school exams. and the mother coming to her son’s rescue! A typical
domestic scene!
As the novel moves on, the reader can have a glimpse of inter-caste brotherhood, when
he witnesses a temple car festival where the pulling of the temple car was shared by both
the people of the west street and the south street. These people once fought over as to who
should have the right to pull the car. Not only the rival factors realized their mistakes but
they also shook their hands in peace! What is more, Rahim, a Muslim, serves panagam, a
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refreshing drink to the crowd-Unity in Diversity! However, the village has its own woes! One
day, the palm trees were cut down and were set on fire! Samiyappan, a traditional farmer
who worships land as mother and to whom agriculture is still a sacred profession, literally
bleeds. Unable to withstand this cruelty, he leaves his native place! He is a staunch devotee
of Nammaazvar, the father of organic farming in Tamil Nadu! He wants to spend the rest of
his life in helping those who want to practise organic farming!
With the blooming of love between Narmatha and Somasundaram, the novel takes a
lighter turn!
Street plays have their own ugly turn-Subbaiah was stoned when he was staging a street
play!
The importance of one’s social responsibility is stressed through Christopher who takes
care of mad persons wandering in the streets. He tonsures them, washes them, feeds them,
takes them to a church and leaves them in the care of loving hands.
The rich and the powerful threatening the poor and the innocent is not something new!
The village people were threatened by powerful quarry owners to leave their lands in the
banks of the Muruga river! The self-employed priest pleads with the panchayat president in
vain. He was mercilessly told to migrate to the other side of the river! He was shocked to
know that the president is also a party to this inhuman act!
Ours is a democracy. Here anybody can enter into politics and become a leader! The reader
cannot but smile when he reads Sikkandar’s words to Amalam:, “The lady who sold flowers
have become a minister…who knows…one day you too can become a minister!”
People from Bihar, Odisha, Bengal and North India flood the streets of Tirupur- the dollar
city! The migration raises a lot of problems. One such problem is described in chap. 28. A
migrant worker was alleged to have stolen from a grocery shop and he was heavily beaten!
The language problem plays havoc here. The dollar city attracts people from all directions.
People from all walks of life enter into its portals with bags full of money and mint millions!
At the same time, it turns many into paupers! They end up as labourers! Yesterday owner,
today labourer!
The novel also discusses the problems of the victims of honour killing and those who were
caught in the grips of the Sumangali scheme of the spinning mills. The scheme lures young
girls, promising them a good sum, for their marriage! Many girls fall victim and the mills who
devour their physique for years, spit them out as waste after a few years! Soundarya
withstands boldly the cruel aftereffects of honour killing and stays with her in-laws and
becomes an ardent and vociferous advocate of anti-casteism!
The last two chapters focus on cleaning of the Muruga river by Teacher Rathinavel with his
students, overcoming many bureaucratic hurdles. Rathinavel represents the youth with
social consciousness and social responsibility! The novel ends with the celebration of the
erstwhile chief minister Kamaraj’s birth day as Education Day in the school. Kamaraj
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introduced the mid-day meals scheme in the elementary schools and thereby made
hundreds of young children attend school, who, otherwise would have wasted their
childhood in child labour! His birthday is observed as a mere formality! What a pity! The
novel ends with the following words: “Near Kamaraj’s photo, ‘sat’ the clay statue of
Thiruvalluvar! It was not his usual posture of majestically standing and writing. Instead, he is
sitting with crossed legs, looking at the sky with raised eyebrows!”
Perhaps, Thiruvalluavr, the greatest Tamil poet of all times, was wondering at the changes,
Time has brought in!
-----o0o-----
Pro. Ramgopal