Izikebhe Eziyizinyoka “Ezindizayo” ZaseKerala
Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! eNdiya
“NKOSI yami! Yeka izidalwa ezimangalisayo! Ziyini?” kubabaza uNeville, umngane wami waseAustralia, njengoba ayebona izinto ezimnyama ziza ngakithi ngejubane. Zaziza ngesivinini, zibonakala zishaya amaphiko azo futhi zindiza, zingawathinti nokuwathinta amanzi.
Umngane wami wayengahlaliseki esihlalweni sakhe. Emi phezu kompheme wokhuni, welula intamo yakhe ukuze abone kahle. Kwakungokokuqala ngqá ukuba abone umjaho wezikebhe eziyizinyoka.
Lezikebhe zazisaqhele cishe ngebanga elingaphezu kwekhilomitha, kodwa sasikuzwa ukushaywa kwezigubhu okuhlelekile kanye nokukhala kwamakhwela okuhlabayo. Khona-ke, njengoba lemikhumbi esheshayo kanye namatilosi ayo angamadoda ayikhulu isondela emgomweni, injabulo yezixuku yaba njengokusangana. Zibongela amaqembu ezikebhe eziwathandayo, izibukeli zabo bonke ubudala zagxumagxuma futhi zashaya ihlombe elikhulu. Abesifazane ababevunule ngezingubo ezimibalabala babevayizelisa ngokusangana amaduku abo kasilika. Lokhu kwakumane nje kuyisiqalo somjaho wezikebhe waminyaka yonke iNehru Trophy eAlleppey ezweni laseKerala, eningizimu yeNdiya.
Izikebhe eziyizinyoka ziyisici esivelele semikhosi yasemanzini eyenzelwa emifuleni nasemanzini amile endawo eyisigodi yamaphakathi neTravancore. ‘Kodwa ziyini ngempela izikebhe eziyizinyoka,’ ungase uzibuze, ‘futhi kwenzeka kanjani ukuba zibizwe kanjalo?’
Isizinda Esithile
Izikebhe eziyizinyoka ekuqaleni zaziklanyelwe ukusetshenziswa ezimpini. Ngesinye isikhathi umbuso wanamuhla waseKerala wawubuswa izinduna, noma amakhosi amaningana endawo, ngayinye inesifunda esincane sayo siqu. Izimpi zazivamile futhi zilwiwa ngokuchukuluzwa okuncane kakhulu. Izikebhe eziyizinyoka ezinhlanu zazingathwala kalula wonke amabutho enkosi asemanzini.
Ekugcineni, kwabusa umbusi onamandla futhi wahlanganisa lendawo, ngakho lezikebhe zaba nje izinto zemibukiso. Ziyahlotshiswa ngezikhathi zemikhosi futhi zisetshenziselwe ukwamukela abahlonishwa bezombangazwe nabenkolo abavakashile. Njalo ngezenzakalo ezinjalo kuba nemijaho yezikebhe. Ngo-1952, uJawaharlal Nehru, undunankulu wokuqala waseNdiya, wavakashela eAlleppey futhi wabukela umjaho wezikebhe. Engenandaba nobudala bakhe nezixwayiso zokulondeka, wathathwa injabulo futhi wagxumela esikebheni esinqobile, eshaya ihlombe futhi ehlabelela nabanye. Isipho sakhe samuva sendebe yesiliva yesikebhe esiyinyoka sabangela ukuba kube khona umjaho weNehru Trophy esasiwubukele mina nomngane wami.
Izinsalela Zempucuko Eseyadlula
Izikebhe eziyizinyoka ziyizihlenga zokhuni ezinde, ezizacile, ezibushelelezi, nezihlanganiswe kahle. Ziyahlukahluka ngobude kusukela emamitheni angu-25 kuya kwangu-30, futhi ezinkulu kakhulu, zingamamitha angu-1,5 nje kuphela ububanzi. Kwezinye izimo ingemuva lenyuka ngamamitha ayisithupha ngaphezu kogu lolwandle futhi linjengekhanda lemfezi, kungakho kuthiwa isikebhe esiyinyoka. Nokho, ikhala licije njengomlomo wenyoni.
Lezinsalela eziyivelakancane zempucuko ezinamakhulu eminyaka zikhona kuyethukela ukuba zakhiwe kulezinsuku. Izingcweti ezinekhono ezimbalwa kakhulu—inzalo yemikhaya yababazi basendulo—ezilokothayo zizame lomsebenzi omkhulu, ohilela amathani ezingodo ezibizayo nezinyanga eziningi zomsebenzi onzima. Lapho isikebhe siqedwa, siyomiswa elangeni futhi sigcotshwe ngokunakekela ngamafutha nowoyela oxutshwe nalendawo emhlophe yamaqanda ukuze zikwazi “ukundiza” ngokushesha ngokwengeziwe.
Ukuqeqeshela iqembu isikebhe esinjalo sokuncintisana akuwona umsebenzi olula. Abagwedli abacishe babe yikhulu abanezigwedlo ezimfushane bahlala ngapha nangapha bahlabe uhide kulesikebhe. Ngemuva kwesikebhe kuma abanye ababili noma abathathu abanezigwedlo ezinde ukuze baqondise isikebhe. Ukuze bagwedle kanye kanye, enye indoda ibala isikhathi ngokushaya ngenduku ebhodini elikhalayo. Kugibela okungenani nabanye abayisithupha ukuze babongele abagwedli, bashaya ihlombe kanye kanye kuyilapho beshaya amakhwela futhi bememeza.
Njengoba umjaho uqhubeka futhi injabulo ikhula, ukubalwa kwesikhathi kuyashesha, futhi izigwedlo zigwedlwa njengento eyodwa evumelanayo. Ukuya phezulu naphansi okuhlelekile kwezigwedlo ezingu-50 ohlangothini ngalunye lwesikebhe kusenza sibonakale sindiza ngamaphiko aso. Ilokhu okwamangaza umngane wami futhi kwambangela ukuba abukele ngokumangala njengoba izikebhe zazibonakala sengathi ziyawengula nje amanzi.
Umjaho udinga ukunakekela okukhulu kanye nomzamo weqembu obumbene. Ukuphazamiseka nje isikhashana komgwedli oyedwa kwanele ukuba kwenze lonke iqembu lidideke. Ngakho ngezinye izikhathi abahlabeleli abagibele ezikebheni ezincintisanayo bazama ukuphazamisa lokho kunakekela ngemisindo nemibukwane exakile. Ngokuvamile kusetshenziswa ubuqili ukuze kwehlulwe abanye.
Komunye umjaho ukaputeni weqembu wabeka inkawu endaweni ephakeme yesikebhe sakhe. Njengoba lesosilwane sasihlezi siklawuza futhi sisineka, ukaputeni welinye iqembu wakuqaphela ngokushesha okwakwenzeka. Engafuni ukwehlulwa, wabongela kakhulu, wakhumula izingubo zakhe futhi wama enqunu endaweni ephakeme yesikebhe sakhe. Lokhu kwaba nomphumela ofiselekayo. Lapho elinye iqembu libheka ngakuye, amadoda akhe siqu aqhubeka nejubane lawo elingashintshi futhi awuwina umncintiswano. Kuyena, ihlazo lokudliwa emncintiswaneni laliyoba likhulu kunehlazo lakhe lokuba nqunu.
Kuwuphawu lodumo ngedolobhana ukuba nesikebhe esiyinyoka futhi kuwudumo olukhulu ngisho nangokwengeziwe ukuwina umjaho. Ngesikhathi somncintiswano zonke izakhamuzi ziba khona ukuze zibongele iqembu lazo. Zizimisele naphezu kwesimo sezulu esibi, izibukeli ziyoqunga isibindi ezikhukhuleni zezimvula nakommiyane, zime emanzini anodaka afinyelela emadolweni ukuze zibukele lemijaho. Ngokuvamile abasekeli bamaqembu ancintisanayo bayaxabana, bashayane, futhi babambelane amagqubu kuze kube ngonyaka ozayo lapho behlangana.
Amakhosi awasancintisaneli ukulawula ikoloni nobubusi njengoba kwake kwenza okhokho bawo. Kodwa umoya wokuncintisana uyaqhubeka emdlalweni oyigugu waseKerala womjaho wezikebhe eziyizinyoka.