A slice of Kerala in the city

The seven-month Malayalam certificate course has become a meeting point of different cultures, friendship, and more, says E.C. Sabu, who has been teaching Malayalam for 26 years

June 22, 2016 04:36 pm | Updated October 18, 2016 12:50 pm IST

A section of the students

A section of the students

When O.N.V. Kurup, Malayalam’s most celebrated contemporary poet, lyricist and Jnanpith winner passed away, a mixed group of non-Malayalees in the city observed a minute of silence. They were students at a Malayalam course. “People who have read Tamil translations of the works of Malayalam literary figures like Thakazhi Sivasankara Pillai, M.T. Vasudevan Nair, O.N.V. Kurup, and Vaikom Mohammed Basheer enrol for the course to revisit the stories in Malayalam,” says E.C. Sabu.

He has been teaching Malayalam for over two decades in the city. “I joined CMS School as Malayalam teacher in 1990 and, from then, I have been a part of the seven-month certificate course conducted by the Coimbatore Malayalam Samajam (CMS),” he says.

“The classes have benefitted thousands of people who speak Telugu, Tamil, and other languages. Every year, we are punctual with the classes,” says CMS President K. Rajagoplaan. Secretary K. Sreekumaran adds, “As there is no age limit, it attracts a variety of people from different sections of society. The course is recognised by the State Resource Centre, Kerala. We want to take it to a next level in the coming years.” Dr. N. B. Sureshkumar, director of State Resources Centre, recalls a conversation with one of the students in Coimbatore. “He works with the registration department and spoke to me fluently in Malayalam. There are Tamil professors who join the course to take up translation work. It’s inspiring that it has been going on without any break for many years. We want to get the Kerala Government’s approval and introduce a certificate diploma programme.”

While some are drawn to the course to understand Kerala’s art and culture, its landscape, people, literature, and films, there are doctors, engineers and advocates who learn it for business purposes. For others, it’s a passion to learn a new language.

“Many come here after watching Malayalam films. Drishyam is a favourite among many students. When they learn the language, they appreciate it better. We have to create such opportunities for other regional languages too to have a real sense of unity in diversity,” says Sabu.

His weekend evenings for around six months are reserved for the classes. “I have to thank my wife, K. Chitra, a Hindi professor at PSGR Krishnammal College for Women, and my daughter S. Lakshmipriya who has just completed her engineering. They have been very supportive. All my social outings come to a standstill these months,” he says.

Sabu’s teaching methodology wins over students, some of them teachers themselves. R. Manimegalai, who teaches Tamil at Kongunadu Arts and Science College, joined the course along with her student N. Deepa. “Not a single minute is wasted in his classes. As we learn the alphabets, he teaches us the right pronunciation, and throws light on the language’s Sanskrit roots too.”

Deepa, who is doing her PhD on comparative literature on the works of Tamil writer Nanjil Nadan and Malayalam writer C.V. Balakrishnan, joined the course to read, write and understand Malayalam better. “I have translated some of the short stories in Tamil too. Sabu Sir insists on reading Malayalam newspapers regularly to improve our vocabulary.”

P. Soundarapandian, a retired school teacher who came first at the end of the course, says he became a student all over again. “After retirement, I wanted to keep myself active. I meticulously followed his teaching, did my homework promptly and kept writing many drafts to familiarise myself with the language. Now, I can talk to my Malayalee friends confidently,” he says.

Sabu can talk endlessly about his students. “I feel charged when I am with them. Their enthusiasm rubs off on to you, especially some of the retired people. They feel energetic, as they mingle with young students. They don’t miss a single class. One of my students, an aged woman, has started reading Ramayana in Malayalam after completing her course. There are doctors who shut their clinic at peak hours over the weekends for the class. While joining the course, the question on everyone’s mind is ‘Is it possible to master a language in seven months?’ For the first three months, there are no text books. We time the inauguration of the new batch with the certificate distribution of the previous one. This helps new students to make friends and clear doubts with the seniors,” explains Sabu.

For Dr. V. Prabakkaran, who spent 35 years in Goa specialising in development and research on alternative therapies, it was long cherished dream to learn Malayalam, as his grandmother is a Malayalee. “My love for the language has grown manifold now.” Advocate P. Ravi Krishnan now takes up cases from Kerala too. “I have recently got a case from Sulthan Bathery and am able to understand the plight of my client better now.” Another couple, Ajaz Ahmed and wife Saaira Banu, subscribe to Mathrubhoomi to stay connected with the language.

Teaching Malayalam to a mixed group has become a part of his life, Sabu says. “The course is inching towards setting a Guinness Record as the longest running course in any regional language. Recognition from State Resource Centre is a major leap for us. Coimbatore is geographically closer to Kerala. In 20 minutes, you hit the border. The success of the course speaks a lot about the culture of friendship and peace-loving nature of the people here.”

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