Pārppu: Embracing the Fugitive Wisdom (Dalitity, Fugitivity & Agential Realism)

 

           

                                               

 

( image courtesy alamy.com)

Above all, do not forget.

Commit everything - each blade of grass,

teary-eyed child, and unmarked grave  to memory.

Then, tell your story. Tell it on your bruised knees.

 

                                                                  - Andrew Lam, Perfume Dreams

 

 

The memory of my maternal grandma, now fading like the gentle twilight, resurfaces with the brilliance of her distinctive words. Amidst the contours of our family vacations, my siblings and I found ourselves immersed in the enchanting days spent at her side, traversing the captivating pilgrimage to her abode. The journey, adorned with the richness of fresh red soil, enveloped by the comforting presence of coconut trees, punctuated by quaint crossroads, and graced by the iconic hanging wooden bridge over the river, unfurled a vivid canvas of communion with nature. Each step etched a sacred ritual, and the nights spent on a humble mat beneath the vast night sky carved a redemptive sanctuary within my soul – a solace during moments of loneliness.

 

Amid the kaleidoscope of Malayalam colloquial expressions generously shared by my grandmother, one term stood out with unparalleled significance – "Pārppu." Inflected with colloquial intonations and subaltern nuances, its importance transcended the confines of mere language. As a Dalit Christian woman navigating the intricate tapestry of Christian spirituality in early 20th-century Malabar, North Kerala, my grandma embodied an uncommon fusion of Eastern Christian Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, and the radical wisdom of subaltern Christian becoming.

 

                                             

 

Delving into the essence of "Pārppu" in my grandmother's distinctive vernacular, I discern a profound connection to Dalitity – a term encapsulating the marginalized existence and resistance of Dalit communities. She used to insist us to stay (Pārppu) with her one more day, and one more day ( many more) and she used this particular word Pārppu to refer that experience of with-nessing together. I assume, the term, pulsates with a call for "staying" in authenticity, urging a radical dwelling unbound by fixity. It invites us to trust in the agential capacity of intra-actions between humans and more-than-human beings, instilling a complete faith in the agential realism that encapsulates the fugitivity of a subaltern woman – a transformative force that is both therapeutic and revolutionary.

 

Embedded within the framework of new materialist theory, particularly articulated by Karen Barad, "Pārppu" seamlessly aligns itself with the concept of agential realism. Barad's insistence on distributive agency, necessitating grappling with the intricacies of existence without seeking simplistic resolutions, finds resonance in the very essence of "Pārppu." It calls us to confront the uncertainties of life with resilience and fortitude. Donna Haraway's concept of staying with the trouble further illuminates the profound significance of "Pārppu" in our contemporary context, demanding a steadfast commitment to addressing the challenges of our times without succumbing to despondency or indifference.

 

In the current ecological tipping point, the imperative of staying with the trouble, avoiding fixed categorizations, becomes paramount, echoing Barad's perspective. This harmoniously aligns with the tenets of "Pārppu," a kind of tentacular thinking, encouraging us to embrace the complexities and uncertainties of existence with an open heart and an engaged mind. In this sense, Pārppu, is an invitation to navigate the intricacies of life without succumbing to the allure of simplistic resolutions.

 

                                   

                                           (Movie Harriet cover image)

 

"Pārppu" emerges not only as a call for staying with the trouble but as a manifesto for embodied resistance – a bold invitation to authentically inhabit the flux of existence, placing trust in the agential capacities of more than human entities. It encapsulates the fugitive wisdom of Dalit spirituality, serving as itinerant hope and resilience in a world marked by war and violence. The cinematic portrayal of Harriet Tubman in the movie "Harriet" vividly captures her unique contemplative practice of "Pārppu," a radical act of communion with the more -than-human ecosystem for an itinerant/subversive discernment, showcasing its cross-cultural resonance as a subaltern ecological wisdom. This attests that another world is not merely on its way; it already exists among the people at the fringes, weaving its threads through diverse cultures and practices, beckoning us to embrace its transformative potential.