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and his mother. But they would not be reconciled. Chummaru Kutty and family moved to
a house nearby that belonged to him, leaving his mother alone in the ancestral house.
After short time of separation, he brought his family back to the house, hoping that
bygones would be bygones. But that was not to be. Any little thing was provocation
enough. Kocheeryam would storm into the kitchen and harangue Mariamma, and the
latter would either talk back in defiance, or worse, ignore the mother in law completely.
Matters came to a head in early 1954. One day as Mariamma was busy on the veranda
with her new born daughter, Kocheeryam came to her seething with fury. She had a
sickle in her hand, which she swung at Mariamma’s head and broke open the skull. The
sight of blood must have stunned Kocheeryam, because she retreated from the scene.
Children cried, servants heard the commotion, Chummaru Kutty was summoned from the
fields. He sent word to his father in law, who rushed to Mariamma’s side. The bleeding
had stopped by then. Mariamma was taken in a taxi to the hospital in Kaipuzha where she
was treated. Later that day Mariamma’s older brother, having heard the near fatal
incident, came to Chamakala. There, secretly instructed by Chummarukutty, Luka
threatened the old lady with law suit and court case, and jail terms. By this time
Kocheeryam, having spent her fury, was cowering in shame and embarrassment.
Chummarukutty admonished her never more to have confrontations with anyone, to be
satisfied with what she received, and to leave Mariamma and children alone. Mariamma,
having lost a battle, won her war for the heart of Chummarukutty and the kingdom of the
kitchen. Years that followed saw Kocheeryam very much a lonely woman, spending
much time in the company of her sisters who lived nearby, and in prayer. She was
reconciled to Mariamma in time, and they both developed, not just a truce, but a loving
relationship. She died in 1964 in peace with all, in the arms of Mariamma.

Chummarukutty was not a highly educated person, nor did he pretend to be one. In fact,
he had no pretensions. But he was a practical person. He looked after the property
entrusted to him by inheritance, and added to it. He also tried his hands in various
businesses such as whole-sale tobacco, liquor store outlets and other enterprises. But his
mainstay was his fields and lands, which he looked after with alacrity. In the 50's with
government help, each village set up its own cooperative stores for fertilizers and
chemicals. Chummarukutty was the founder-president of Kaipuzha cooperative. All
appreciated his honesty and integrity. His trusted secretary once was caught having
embezzled some money, to the shame of the president. But Chummaru Kutty was never
implicated, nor did he have to resign as a result. In the midst of corruption and bribery, he
was seen as the lone honest and efficient person. His affairs brought him into close
friendship with the mighty and the poor. He was the mediator of disputes and arbiter of
family feuds. He inherited the Presidency of Northern Kuttandu Agricultural Association
from Abraham Pathyil, and under his leadership permanent bunds were built in the
Kuttandu fields, to obviate the need for expensive annual construction and costly repairs,
not to mention bund bursting and as result the farmers losing their precious crops. He was
also one of the pioneers to introduce co-co plants in the region. He counted among his
friends many non-Christians. The Nairs of Kaipuzha held him in high esteem. He helped
many families unobtrusively. The hospital in Kaipuzha found a faithful benefactor in
Chummarukutty. From the appointment of doctors to anything of import was initiated
and supported by Chummarukutty. The churches in Kaipuzha and Palathuruthu looked on

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