Kanavu: Dreams and Memories

Kanavu is a tribal school in Wynad, Kerela. I first heard about this school a few years back when the Kanavu children visited my kids' school and we were all invited for a live demonstration of Kalaripayattu - a martial art form from Kerela. The large football field was the chosen site; that day there were dhurries, mats, chairs arranged around a central clearing. It was evening time, children were running around in traditional clothes, young girls in sarees, boys in kurta. At the appointed time, the Kanavu children filed in and the audience fell silent. The large boulders shone pink, copper in the evening light, birds twittered around, intensifying the silence, suspense. What followed remains etched in memory, to be later recollected, relived. Young children demonstrated the basic movements, leaps, combat moves, with a confident air of the proficient, moving progressively to the older group who leaped, swooped, swirled, clashed, combated, their sticks clanging, daggers glinting, knives flashing, their metal whips cracking like lightening in the encroaching darkness-in ever faster, fiercer, breathless combats, of non-choreographed grace and deftness,agility and skill, that had us gasping in awe, fear, for their safety-and all ending with a shy, open grin at our ever enthusiastic applause.

It was night when they finished. Stars lit the dark sky-I wandered over to the school principal and asked if anyone could learn Kalaripayattu? was I too old? I still remember what he said, "anyone can learn, if there is true desire". Maybe my desire was not true enough, my faith not strong enough, my resolve to follow Kanavu (which means-dreams)too weak and easily forgotten in daily cares.

Yesterday, a friend wrote to say Kanavu is in trouble. Their source of funding has run out- but the school still exists and is now run by two young former students. It's good that Kanavu exists-that the dream still exists. Life would run dry, barren if dreams disappeared, in this case dreams of children-young warriors.

Here's a Kanavu story carried recently by Tehelka.