Stories that portray lives in cantonments

Cantonment Kathakal, an anthology of military stories in Malayalam, is a collection of 13 short stories by ex-servicemen and their spouses. Edited by soldier-turned writer Hari Arayammakkul, the anthology will be released by Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip on Aug 5. EAGLES has proposed a military library in Kozhikode to boost the city's bid for UNESCO City of Literature status.

You might have read many tales of war and courage told by former soldiers. But what about their emotional lives, their relationships and life in cantonments?

Cantonment Kathakal, the first anthology of military stories in Malayalam, brought out by Forum for Art and Culture of Eagles (FACE), an ex-servicemen’s forum, tells such tales. The anthology is a collection of 13 short stories.

There are writers who once donned the uniform while some are their spouses who had spent a major part of their life in cantonments. The anthology is edited by Hari Arayammakkul, another soldier-turned writer.

Noted writer C.R. Parameshwaran, who has penned the longest story in the anthology, recalls the days of his military training and five years of service in the Indian Air Force with a tinge of humour. N. Kunju, former editor of Caravan Magazine, remembers the plight of trainee soldiers at the time of India’s Independence. Other writers include Col. Sonia Cherian, C. Santhosh Kumar, V.R. Gopakumar, and editor Hari Arayammakul.

Cantonment Kathakal will be formally released by Kozhikode Mayor Beena Philip on August 5. EAGLES (Ex-airmen Group for Social Excellence), the parent body of FACE, has submitted a proposal to MLA Thottathil Raveendran and the Kozhikode Corporation to set up a military library in Kozhikode, which would be a boost to the city in its bid to attain the UNESCO City of Literature status.