My friend has a joint family

It was a big day in my friend’s family and all the members were so excited. No, it was not a marriage. Nor it was any traditional family function. It was much bigger. The family was electing the Head of the family.

This friend of mine has a large joint family. Grandfather, his two brothers, their spouses, their children and children’s children – it is almost like a society by itself. I had gone to their house years back when Grandpa was like a king and was ruling over the large family.

The village had all the required facilities. There was the village blacksmith who used to supply all the tools like kitchen knives, pickaxes etc. There was the village carpenter, village barber, village teacher, village pujari, village apothikkiri etc. etc. For Grandpa, even they were all like extended family.

But things have become different. Some of the younger lot – some older too - in my friend’s house is starting a revolt in the family and were demanding democracy within the family. Naradaa was very much interested to see how democracy is being introduced to my friend’s family.

To find out about democracy anywhere it is necessary to know about all the people there and that is what Naradaa started out to do. A sort of census. Soon I had to abandon the venture because there were many people with many relationships - blood-relations with many party relationships.It was all beyond what I could ever remember. And they had already formed many different parties and were demanding that the head of the family is to be democratically elected.

So, Naradaa decided to interview people from different parties.

                                                To be continued…….