When the writer B.M. Zuhara was little she had three nicknames, Tarkakozhi (because she asked too many questions), Karachapetti (for bursting into tears often) and her favourite, Ummakutty (mother’s darling). She grew up in Tikkodi, near Calicut, at her ancestral home, Kizhekke Maliyakkal, which does not exist anymore. In her memoir, The Dreams of a Mappila Girl, translated into English by Fehmida Zakeer, she provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of Malayali Muslims in the 1950s and ’60s.
Born in an aristocratic Mappila family, Zuhara, a well-known novelist and columnist, weaves a magical narrative about her growing up years in northern Kerala. Muslims of the Malabar region of Kerala are called Mappilas. They had trading relationships with Arabs for centuries, and embraced Islam as early as the 7th century. Their unique culture is a fusion of local customs and the Islamic value system.
Ties that bind
Much of the memoir explores Zuhara’s relationship with her loving (but firm) mother and the author’s emotional attachment to her ancestral home. Being the youngest child, she was very close to her mother, and that relationship lasted till her Umma passed away. In the preface, the author declares that her life has always revolved around her Umma, who had seen her family’s wealth decline.
Her mother was deeply concerned about her children, Zuhara says. “Even though Umma was born in an aristocratic family and had lived a privileged life, she had to endure many hardships. Umma’s sadness at the reversal of the family’s fortunes often laced her words. However, she always made sure that her children had a secure and comfortable life.”
Despite having studied only up to the fourth standard, her Umma was a great reader. She managed to find the time to read and learn the Koran and the Hadith while raising 10 children. Umma was an excellent storyteller, and Zuhara says her mother’s enchanting tales of ordinary events inspired her to write when she grew up.
One of the reasons for her closeness to her mother was the near absence of her father in her life. Her Uppa and her maternal grandfather, Valiappa, were not on good terms. They were fighting many court cases against each other over property. Since her mother and she lived in Valiappa’s house, her Uppa visited them occasionally. Her grandfather, however, pampered her a lot as she was his favourite child’s daughter.
Beyond these familial ties, the book also chronicles the quotidian struggles and challenges of a Muslim girl in post-independent India. How the conservative mores of that time created hurdles in the way of leading a normal life for girls like Zuhara. For example, while watching her father and her brother practise kalaripayattu, she yearned to learn this ancient martial art but couldn’t because she was a girl. Later, when she started writing and became the first Muslim woman writer in Malayalam, she faced a lot of criticism and had to be careful with her words. She took time to tell honest stories about Mappila women, their dreams and aspirations. And, finally, she carved out a niche in the world of Malayalam literature.
The socio-cultural landscape of Kerala is also explored in this book with references to myths and legends like Unniarcha, a mythological warrior woman celebrated for her fearlessness, immortalised in the vadakkan paatu, the ballads of the region. There are descriptions of local foods, customs and traditions, some of them gone forever.
Being a successful fiction writer, Zuhara uses the literary tropes of the genre to make her memoir engaging. Memories can play tricks, but her narrative evocatively captures a lost era. Every character is dealt with sensitively, making them come alive on the pages.
The translator, Fehmida Zakeer, who also comes from the same Mappila background, has done an excellent job while rendering this memoir into English. The aroma of Kerala spices and the fragrance of screwpine waft through the pages. She effectively uses kinship terms in Malayalam giving the prose a distinct ethnic flavour. In a nutshell, the book deserves your attention.
The Dreams of a Mappila Girl: A Memoir; B.M. Zuhara, translated by Fehmida Zakeer, Sage Publications, ₹550.
The reviewer is the author of Patna Blues, which has been translated into 10 languages.
