Ten years ago, Kumar Sahayaraj, a teenager from the fishing village of Karumkulam in Thiruvananthapuram, dreamt of testing the waters by breaking free from his mooring and moving to “the Gulf”. Today, Kumar is a marine biotechnologist from the University of Stirling, Scotland, a winner of the Chevening scholarship and a role model for students from his tiny village by the sea.
Not very far away, there was a time when Jima Rose from Puthiyathura hesitated to introduce herself as the daughter of a fisherman. At present, her voice is heard loud and clear as she speaks for her community while representing the country at the Women Deliver Young Leaders Conference last month in Vancouver, Canada. Sindhu Nepolean, Jyothi Basu R, Princy James, Vipindas and Rethin Antony, all hailing from tiny sea-swept villages on the shore of the Arabian sea, are leaders and icons in their own right.
CSCF members at Kadalkkoodam classes
What is common to all them, apart from the traditional occupation of earning a livelihood from the sea, is Coastal Students’ Cultural Forum (CSCF), a non-governmental organisation formed in 2016 for the empowerment of students and youth in the fishing community.
“Most of the students from our families used to drop out by the time they completed their Plus Two. Girls learn computer or tailoring or are married off when they turn 18, while boys desperately seek a visa to work abroad. When we analysed the reasons for this scenario, we found that they lacked interest in studies because there was nothing in their curriculum related to their background or surroundings; they had no idea about the opportunities in this sector,” says Vipindas, secretary of CSCF.
Out of this realisation and a resolve to tackle the problem was born CSCF. It now works among students of 42 fishing villages in the district, between Pozhiyoor in the north and Anchuthengu in the south.
At a Kadalkkoodam session
“An indigenous group of people, we or our families have been braving the waves for years to make ends meet. CSCF’s objective is to create a socially-committed generation that takes pride in their roots and traditions. We are often ignored, looked down upon or ridiculed. In fact, our own parents and family members used to believe that we needed to get out of our villages and background to go far in life,” says Johnson Jament, a mentor for the students and an advisor of CSCF.
From an organisation that addressed essential academic needs of students by giving them study materials and holding career guidance sessions, CSCF has evolved as a voice for the community. The launch of Kadalkkoodam in September 2017 was a step in that direction. At the sessions of Kadalkkoodam, traditional fishermen of an older generation share the wealth of information they have garnered from years of living in close communion with the sea and the shore with members and volunteers of CSCF.
“Each day in the high seas is a new adventure for them. In those days, there was no GPS and so they followed the stars to navigate the seas. Although some of them are illiterate or barely literate, they amaze us with their stories and observations about the sea, the seabed, wind, water currents, marine ecosystem, varieties of fish, weather, climatic changes and what not,” says Lisba Yesudas, another adviser of the Forum and an assistant professor in Malayalam at St Xavier’s College.
Also called ‘Chelalikal’, these elders teach the eager learners ‘kadalpattukal’ (sea songs) and talk to them about their fishing equipment, method of fishing and the wealth of fish species that used to live in the waters off the coast of Kerala. “Songs for various occasions were sung in the dialect of the community and that varies from region to region. The lyrics are not easy to learn and comprehend for a generation that is used to a homogenised language that is common now,” points out Kumar. ‘Elam’ songs, for example, sung at work, are full of zest. ‘Kettupattukal’ reflects their lifestyle and culture, while ‘kolkkali’ songs celebrate festivals. Naturally, the lyrics reflect the lifestyle, joys, sorrows, hardship and festivities of the communities.
Staying rooted
Kadalkkoodam’s next session will begin in September. “The knowledge is passed on to us orally and so we are documenting it. The forthcoming session is for new volunteers of CSCF. People from outside the community have also evinced interest in attending,” says Jaison John, president of the Forum.
Lisba, whose doctoral thesis was on coastal language and identity, says that Kadalkkoodam is reason enough for a new generation to stay rooted in their community. “Many men and women from our villages have done well in their life. But most of them chose to shed their identity fearing alienation from mainstream society. To prevent that, CSCF is creating role models from our surroundings, leaders like Kumar, Jima, Jyothi Basu, Sindhu and many more,” adds Lisba.
- Johnson Jament is the first person from his village, Poonthura, to go abroad for higher studies. He is now a lecturer in University of Northampton’s MA (Special and Inclusive Education) programme and an education consultant with Srishti Institute of Arts, Design and Technology, both in Bengaluru. He participated in the first ocean conference organised by the UN, along with his wife, Lisba Yesudas, and Robert Panipilla, founder of Friends of Marine Life. He and Lisba were also chosen to attend the International Indigenous Language Conference in Canada.
- Jyothi Basu R, a senior research fellow in Hyderabad Central University, attended the summer school in University of Bergen, Norway. He is currently doing his doctorate in human rights, focussing on the rights of fish-vending women.
- Sindhu Nepoleon, a journalist with Asianet, is an alumnus of Hyderabad Central University.
- Princy James, who finished her post-graduation in physical oceanography from KUFOS, attended the We-Heracus Summer School, Germany in 2017.
CSCF has mentoring sessions for first year undergraduate students from the coastal villages. Valiyathura-native Lithiya Thankachan, who has finished her masters in social work, says: “I am studying about the impact of displacement on families in my village after their houses were washed away by the waves. They now stay at three relief camps. I also look into the problems at these camps.”
CSCF also gives career guidance classes. Ashmi Selvin, one of the beneficiaries of the sessions, says that the class inspired her to take up social work as her area of study. In the last three years, CSCF has sent 20 students to the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (KUFOS) in Kochi. Meanwhile, CSCF is also involved in the problems faced by fisherfolk across the State and outside. “We held events to express solidarity with the fisherfolk in Alappad and those affected by police firing in Tuticorin,” says Rethin, an executive member.
Among its new projects is Radio Monsoon, a community radio, which will give accurate weather forecast for the fishermen and will serve as a platform for those from the coastal regions to showcase their talents. The group plans to bring out a coastal language dictionary, and Vipindas will soon release a collection of poems written in their dialect.
Even as the members and the mentors forge new plans, they are pleased that the tide has turned in favour of the CSCF.
