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நீவாடு (கடல் நீரோட்டம்)/Neevaadu
It is a novel set in the Catholic sea shore villages of Kanyakumari District. It specially speaks about catamaran (Kattumaram) fishermen and their fishing activities. Their life in the sea and the sea shore comes alive in their own dialect.
110 pages, Paperback
Published December 1, 2019
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July 27, 2020
May be three and half stars.
It is not a great story. But if you consider it as a document on the life and work of the fishermen of Kanyakumari district (Tamil Nadu, India), it is an appreciable work. The fishermen of Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts in Tamil Nadu are the early Christian converts in India. I was more interested in the Catholic sea shore villages of Tamil Nadu. I looked for literature. There are hardly any books (fiction) by the people of that region telling about their own lives.
In the recent times, there is Joe D'Cruz who writes about the Catholic fishermen of the Tuticorin district. About Kanyakumari, I think it is Kurumpanai C. Berlin who is the first to record the lives of Catholic fishermen of the area. The novella is written in the regional dialect. Reading it is a monumental task for anyone from other regions of Tamil Nadu. There is a glossary given at the end. Even then, the language can intimidate you. But once you get used to it, it is relatively easy.
We get to know about the catamaran (Kattumaram) fishermen of the 1960s or 1970s, the time period of the novel. Through the stories of two families the whole story is told. Their work in the sea, the life on the sea shore. It is not an extensive one. But it gives enough details.
Kurumpanai C. Berlin has to write a detailed and a lengthy novel. I will want it.
A Sample for the language (dialect) used:
"இப்படி மேலா வெலங்க, கீழா வெலங்க, நேரு உண்ணைக்கு, கீழா கரியட்டு, மேலா கரியட்டு, நேரு கரியட்டு என்று எல்லா திசையிலும் மரத்தைத் தொளந்து யாகப்பனும், சல்வதோரும் மாறி மாறி குளித்துத் தேடியும் தாத்துவலையையும், கல்றாள் கூடையும் கண்டுபிடிக்க முடியவில்லை."
It is not a great story. But if you consider it as a document on the life and work of the fishermen of Kanyakumari district (Tamil Nadu, India), it is an appreciable work. The fishermen of Kanyakumari and Tuticorin districts in Tamil Nadu are the early Christian converts in India. I was more interested in the Catholic sea shore villages of Tamil Nadu. I looked for literature. There are hardly any books (fiction) by the people of that region telling about their own lives.
In the recent times, there is Joe D'Cruz who writes about the Catholic fishermen of the Tuticorin district. About Kanyakumari, I think it is Kurumpanai C. Berlin who is the first to record the lives of Catholic fishermen of the area. The novella is written in the regional dialect. Reading it is a monumental task for anyone from other regions of Tamil Nadu. There is a glossary given at the end. Even then, the language can intimidate you. But once you get used to it, it is relatively easy.
We get to know about the catamaran (Kattumaram) fishermen of the 1960s or 1970s, the time period of the novel. Through the stories of two families the whole story is told. Their work in the sea, the life on the sea shore. It is not an extensive one. But it gives enough details.
Kurumpanai C. Berlin has to write a detailed and a lengthy novel. I will want it.
A Sample for the language (dialect) used:
"இப்படி மேலா வெலங்க, கீழா வெலங்க, நேரு உண்ணைக்கு, கீழா கரியட்டு, மேலா கரியட்டு, நேரு கரியட்டு என்று எல்லா திசையிலும் மரத்தைத் தொளந்து யாகப்பனும், சல்வதோரும் மாறி மாறி குளித்துத் தேடியும் தாத்துவலையையும், கல்றாள் கூடையும் கண்டுபிடிக்க முடியவில்லை."
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