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When the whole world is talking about the importance of conserving existing trees and planting new one, the Indian Psychiatrists Society (IPS) has recommended that the government ban the ‘odollam’ (Cerbera odollam) tree.
Reports show that odollam fruit is responsible for 50% of plant poisoning cases and 10% of all poisoning cases in the State. In Kerala there are about 100 suicide attempts every day out of which 26 persons die. This works out to three times the national average. Tragically, almost 80% of the suicide victims are in the 15-59 age group. (See: http://www.maithrikochi.org/suicides_in_kerala.htm)
In certain areas of Kerala, odollam appears to be the preferred means of suicide. It is easily available. No money is required to be spent to buy poison. No trip to the chemist or pesticide shop. Just pull out an odollam fruit from the tree, take out the kernel and consume it. So much so, odollam has come to be known as the ‘suicide tree’.
The local names for odollam tree in different places include kattu arali; famentana, kisopo, samanta, tangena, pong-pong, buta-buta, bintaro, nyan, othalam, othalanga, pilikirbir, dog-bane, chatthankai, chiute, grey milk wood and sea mango
A team from
Odollam is also considered as a perfect murder tool. The lethal toxin called cerberin contained in the kernel of the fruit stops the heart functions. It is difficult to establish odollam poisoning pathologically. This is particularly so in the Western countries where Cerebra odollam is hardly known.
In spite of its toxic properties, odollam is used in Ayurveda, folk and Siddha systems of medicine. In Ayurveda it is considered to be effective for management of skin diseases including ringworm, vata, and rabies. Bark, leaves, fruits, and latex are used for medicinal purpose.
I came across a report saying that odollam kernels are exported from Kerala through Tamil Nadu. Allegedly it is used for the manufacture of bio-insecticides and deodorants. The highly poisonous fruit is de-husked by women with their bare hands to collect the kernel. Whether the government has looked into this operation is not clear.
What do you think? Should the Cerebra odollam tree be banned?
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Images: Top, from Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain. Others from Olavipe, copyright reserved.
Also see: EARTH SAVE - Abraham Tharakan's Blog
She cannot escape the smell of Joseph. They are not married but she spends every night in his room, sleeps on his bed. There is no sex between them though. It is only an arrangement to save money.
Joseph is the night watchman at the wedding center where she works. He does not need his room at night. She models expensive saris and fabulous jewelry till the shop closes - dressed up all day, continuously smiling at potential customers, turning and twisting all the time to show off the wares from different angles.
She needs a place to sleep. Joseph and she come to an arrangement of convenience. He would be on duty before she wraps up for the day. She would be out of the room and on her way to work before he returns in the morning. She pays Joseph an amount which is much less than what she would have had to pay for separate accommodation. And the man gains some extra cash.
But she cannot escape the smell of Joseph that hangs heavily in the room.
This is the theme of the well-written short story ‘The smell of Joseph’ by a first year engineering student, Ashwati Sashikumar. It was chosen for the first prize in the recent Sree – Malayala Manorama Short Story Competition by an eminent jury consisting of T. Padmanabhan, P. Valsala and CV Balakrishnan.
I am highly impressed and at the same time somewhat disturbed by this nicely crafted piece of fiction. As the jury mentions in its citation, it is different, and contemporary. To me, it brings to light certain realities of life, which, in the normal course, most people would not have been aware of.
Why does the heroine of the story go in for this highly susceptible but nevertheless basically honorable arrangement? Back home in a remote village there is an aging and sickly mother who needs medicines, younger siblings who have to be educated. That may sound mundane, but truth is sometimes so. It is a value system that is still found in Kerala and perhaps in other parts of
That is something noble – a silent sacrifice unknown to the world.
Next time I see a pleasant sales girl in a shop attending to the customers, I would wonder whether she too suffers from the smell of Joseph.
Thank you, Ashwati and Malayala Manorama for bringing us this story.
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Also see: Short Stories By Abraham Tharakan
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I received this story from Mr. K. Narayanan Thampi of
It is no disgrace for a man to fall, but to lie there and grunt is.
Once upon a time Nasrudin and his master went hunting in the forest. The master cut his thumb while shooting his bow and arrow because he held it incorrectly. Nasrudin stopped the bleeding and bandaged the deep wound as his master moaned in pain.
In an attempt to console his master, Nasrudin said. "Sir, there are no mistakes, only lessons, and we can learn from them if we're willing."
The master became enraged. "How dare you lecture me!" he barked. And with that he threw Nasrudin into a deserted well and continued on without his devoted servant.
A little further on, a group of forest people captured the master and took him to their chief for human sacrifice. The fire was roasting hot, and the master was about to be thrown into it when the chief noticed his bandaged thumb and set him free. It was a rule that all sacrificial victims had to be perfect specimens.
Realizing how right Nasrudin had been, the master rushed back to the well to rescue his faithful servant. Acknowledging his unjust actions, the master pulled Nasrudin out and asked him to forgive him for the terrible mistake.
Nasrudin assured him that he had not made a mistake at all. On the contrary, he insisted that there was another lesson concealed here. Nasrudin told his master that he had done Nasrudin a great service by throwing him into the well. He thanked his master for saving his life explaining that if he had continued with him into the forest, the forest people would have taken him for sacrifice and surely he would had died.
"You see," Nasrudin ventured, "there are no mistakes, only lessons to learn. What we call our mistakes can be blessings in disguise, if we're willing to learn from them." This time the master smiled and nodded in agreement.
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Also see: Communication: Interesting jokes
I was traveling and missed the photography extravaganza, All India Salon of Photography – 2008. The event was held at the
What is a photograph? It is a moment in time, an event in life, captured forever. When this is done with imagination, the resulting image rises above a mundane record to a work of art. Padma Shri Raghu Rai, the doyen of Indian photographers who was the Chief Guest at the valedictory function of the Salon said that the preserved photographic treasures enrich viewers on how photography has grown as an art form.
The PSM was started in 1857 by Dr. Alexander Hunter and the Honorable Walter Elliot. It survived the vicissitudes of time and is a premier organization that promotes photography in the country. During its one and a half centuries of existence the PSM developed affiliations with photographic communities all over the world. These include the Royal Photographic Society,
Says KO Isaac, President of the PSM, “As part of our commemorative programs celebrating 150 years of our Society's contributions to photography and fellowship, we have once again brought together hundreds of photographers together from across the length and breadth of our country, showcasing exemplary talent, unique perspectives and proving that an art such as photography unites people irrespective of caste, creed or religion; everyone coming together in celebration of their passion of photography.”
The PSM holds over thirty programs every year. These include discussions, guest lectures, expositions, travel, workshops, family fellowships and training sessions. There are special schemes for students. For details about the PSM, please visit http://www.photomadras.org/index.html
Incidentally, KO Isaac, the President of PSM, is an excellent photographer. Many of his creations have appeared on this blog. Some of them are reproduced here. Click on them for enlarged view. The copyright is reserved.
Also see:
There is hardly any input by me in this post. The picture (click for enlarged view) is from Wikimedia Commons and the text material is mostly based on the website of the Harvard School of Public Health, which publishes articles to provide ‘timely information on diet and nutrition for clinicians, allied health professionals, and the public.’
Eating sufficient quantities of vegetables and fruits every day can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It can also provide protection against cancer and promote gastrointestinal health and better vision. The relevant article can be accessed at:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/vegetables-full-story/index.html
A widely prevalent myth is that health food is bland and tasteless. This is blown in the article ‘Recipes The Bottom Line’. It starts with the statement ‘Healthy eating can be as delicious as it is nutritious—a feast for the senses as well as good for the body’.
You can read it at:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/recipes/
Another write up titled ‘Knowledge for Healthy Eating’ provides tips for healthy eating. It can be accessed at:
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/index.html
There is much more useful information on related sites of the Harvard School of Public Health.
Healthy eating, happy living.
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Kerala food: Peechappam, a forgotten item?
