Edasseri Govindan Nair

Edasseri Govindan Nair is given the epithet the 'Poet of Strength'. He is celebrated now, more than when he was alive. It's indeed surprising the he never won any major award while alive. A contemporary of many poets including G. Shankarakurup, Edasseri was never considered part of any trinity. While Valayar Ramavarma thundered about the struggles of the working class and P Kunhiraman Nair sang about the beauty of the North Kerala landscape, Edasseri's eyes wandered among the hills, paddy fields and streets of Valluvanad (north-central Kerala, parts of Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur and Kozhikode districts). His pictures were rough, humanist murals of this region and its people, one of who I consider myself to be.

The first Edasseri poem I read was in 9th grade - his most popular 'Poothappaattu'. This is a story based on a Valluvanadan myth that behind the hills, there roams a 'pootham' or a vampire who is so lonely that he steals young children. Please, don't attribute any pedophilia to this, we Valluvanadan people are much too innocent to think about such things. The poem sings praises of a mother Nangeli who searches for her missing son only to discover that a Pootham has lured him away. Her fortitude and maternal love is the centerpiece of this great work.

A few years later, I was vacationing at Kunnamkulam and was browsing old dusty books from the shelf on the second floor of my grandparent's house. I started reading Edasseri's selected poems, probably was one of the language textbooks one of my aunts had to learn at college. The first poem I came accross was 'Kuttippuram Paalam' (The bridge at Kuttippuram). It was so taken over that I immediately shared it with my cousin. The next morning we were up by six, and off to Kuttipuram by bus, just to experience these lines
"Irupathimoonnolam lakshamippol
Chilavaakki nirmicha paalathinmel
Abhimaanpoorvam njanerinilppaa-
-nadiyiloodozhukunna peraar nokki."

(On this mighty bridge worth millions
I stand with pride of our success
And below I see Perar flow meek and quiet
Only to roar again next monsoon)

I have taken my liberties in paraphrasing, but this is what the poet wants to convey in the first few lines.

Edasseri was probably the first poet to genuinely raise concerns about the dangers of development and a mechanized world, that would not only alter the physical landscape, but also change the culture permanently. 'Kuttippuram Paalam" was written during a time when literature concerning the environment did not exist in any Indian languange. His words are wise and his admiration for technology bringing common good is genuine. Yet he is nostalgic about everything that is replaced and hopes we act cautiously. Now many years later, sandmining has lit the pyre for Perar, we can only lament that we didn't heed to Edasseri more often.