Dear Kunjuppu Sir,
I admit that it is a touching story. Please read my post. Since naya paisa came in early 50s, the time of this story might be
late 40s. The doubt raised in my mind was whether tambram women were bold enough to get remarried at that time!
naya paise came into vogue april 1, 1957. still the concept of annas remained in practice for atleast another 10 -25 years. so realistically we are looking at the sixties. also please note that the grand daughter is working at (what the author refers to)the newly started neyveli lignite corporation school which is around late 1950s (my classmate mom was the first H.M. of the girls school there
)
the concept of educating girls became ok only after independence. in the 1960s early, in badagara, there was a govt doctor, a tambram woman, who was widowed after marriage. her father then educated her from college through medical college.
so the story is pretty believable. it was also in the same period, another cousin of mine (1960s early) with a daughter, widowed, married a malayali. with the curse of all her relations, except an uncle and my mother. i have mentioned this before long ago here in this forum.
what was poignant in this story, was not the remarriage, but the memories of the grandma. and her ultimate decision to stand by her grand daughter, and discard her beloved son, who fearing social norms, was willing to wash his hands off the daughter. the community was advancing, but events moved faster than the mindset. that was the beauty of the story.
