Poet says TDB should use its funds to help the marginalised
Poet Sugathakumari on Thursday called upon the Travancore Devaswom Board to use the funds at its disposal to help the marginalised.
“A lot of money is spent on superstitious and ritualistic practices such as ‘vedikettu’ and ‘ezhunnelippu’ of elephants. The board should take up more charitable activities such as educating poor children, building houses for the homeless, providing treatment to the ill,” she said.
She was speaking after accepting the first ONV Puraskaram from veteran Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader V.S. Achuthanandan here on Thursday.
The award has been instituted by Thidambu, the art and cultural organisation of the Travancore Devaswom Board employees, in memory of poet O.N.V. Kurup.
Mr. Achuthanandan said like ONV, Ms. Sugathakumari too gave voice to the Malayali’s problems and emotions through her verse. She campaigned for promoting Malayalam language. She did not just write about Naturen but also waged struggles to conserve it.
Minister for Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran presented the Mannathu Padmanabhan memorial citation to oncologist V.P. Gangadharan. An aid of Rs.1 lakh to the Regional Cancer Centre was presented by TDB president Prayar Gopalakrishnan to Regional Cancer Centre public relations officer Surendran Chunakkara.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Staff Reporter / Thiruvananthapuram – July 08th, 2016
An incidental meeting with a wild tusker trapped in a trench in the Wayanad forest was the trigger which propelled Sangita Iyer to develop a deep bond with this majestic animal.
The incident happened in June 2013. The Canadian journalist and documentary film maker was on a visit to the state to take part in the rituals associated with the death anniversary of her father who hailed from Alathur in Palakad. “We were coming down from Ootty when I chanced to see the wild elephant in a trench. A wild life conservationist friend who was with me urged that I should visit Kerala again in December to see the difficult life of captive elephants,” says Sangita.
December is the time when temple festivals begin. And these festivals sans elephants, all decked up in the fineries, is something which the people of the state can’t think about!
However, what’s on display at these festivals is not caparisoned elephants but hapless victims of human torture who are made to stand for long hours in the blistering heat on legs pck marked with blisters and bruises. These hapless animals have to even bear extensive damage that the fireworks display wreak on them.
Birth of the documentary
What she saw at the festival grounds made Sangita to embark on a two year long crusade to bring to light the plight of elephants through a medium she knows best. She has made several environment related documentaries and short films in Canada and Bermuda where she worked. “But the documentary I was about to make was a bigger project. I had no money and I had to use my pension funds for the initial steps,” she says. But when people came to know about the magnitude of the project, money started pouring in. She managed to effectively crowd source the 300,000 CAD (Canadian Dollars) project. The filming started in May 2014 and by May 2016, Sangita and her team had over 200 hours of footage. She wanted to get the film screened in Kerala by December last year. But technical issues delayed it. The documentary was finally screened at the Legislative Assembly complex on June 29 before the members of the Legislative Assembly.
Accolades
After receiving accolades from Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan and other MLAs the film was subsequently screened at Thrissur. The screening was done under heavy police protection considering the fact that many festival enthusiasts had not taken the theme lightly.
According to Sangita the response she received so far is overwhelming.
When the documentary was again screened at Kalabhavan Theatre on Wednesday, not a single eye was dry. Sangita herself often gets emotional when she talks about Lakshmi, one of the female elephants featured in the documentary. “I got so attached to Lakshmi. After our initial bonding she now immediately recognises me whenever I visit her,” says Sangita. The most haunting scene in the documentary is about the crude treatment Lakshmi receives from her mahout, who pries open her eyes with his unsanitised hands to apply medicine on a wound allegedly adding to her discomfort.
Sangita doesn’t want to be just satisfied with the laurels, she wants to put an end to the plight of the captive elephants by sensitising the public.
She is in talks with leaders from religious-political and cultural sphere to spread the message.
She says she will talk to the Education Minister to seek his help in screening the documentary in schools. Her 13-part documentary series on environment awareness is currently being used as an education aid in schools in Bermuda.
A Malayalam version of the documentary with poet Sugatha Kumari’s narration is also planned.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Thiruvananthapuram / by Unnikrishnan S / July 08th, 2016
‘Thiricharivukal’ (Realisation), a short film, that seeks to counter the vituperative campaign against vaccination witnessed in some parts of Northern Kerala is now set to wow audiences nationwide. The film made by Kerala Chapter of Indian Association of Paediatricians, is being dubbed into Hindi and will be released in the first week of July.
“It was in 2008 that outbreak of diphtheria and tetanus were witnessed in the state after a gap of 30 years and most of these cases were reported from Malappuram. Kerala Branch of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) has been carrying out a campaign in support of the vaccination drive. However, the social media was full of anti-vaccination campaigns based on half-baked truths. Some naturopathy healers were behind this. So we wanted to to counter it,” said Dr Jiss Thomas Palukunnel, IAP secretary, Kottayam Branch, who conceived the idea which eventually coalesced into an eight minute-long film.
Though Paediatricians spearheaded the counter campaign, doctors from other streams, majority of whom hailed from Kottayam, were also part of the endeavor. Besides Dr Jiss Thomas, the cast includes Dr Sunu John, who is also the vice-president of IAP Kottayam Chapter, Anaesthetist Dr Bulbul, surgeon Dr Jibin and Dr Linto from the Department of Health Services. The film, which is available on You Tube link http://youtu.be/ 10pyMi4b0po, depicts a middle class family where the husband is staunchly opposed to the idea of vaccinating his daughter on the grounds that he was quite healthy despite not receiving vaccination as a child. And the opening scene shows the girl asking her father whether she could get herself vaccinated since it was Vaccination Day at her school. But the man’s stubborn stand forces his wife and daughter to fall silent.
Later on, the man realises that his friend’s daughter had died of diphteria and he rushes off to his daughter’s school. There he finds his daughter remaining all alone in the classroom as her batchmates had gone for vaccination. Transformed, he takes his daughter to the doctor to get her vaccinated thereby showing a change in the mindset.
According to Dr Jiss, the film would be screened in schools as part of IAP’s DIET (Diet, Interaction and Immunisation, Exercise and TV and social networking) programme.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Cities> Kochi / by Express News Service / June 24th, 2016
Theatre doyen Kavalam Narayana Panicker, who successfully blended the classical tradition and folk elements in the format of contemporary theatre, passed away at his home here.
He was 88. He is survived by his wife Saradamani and singer-son Kavalam Sreekumar.
He had been unwell for some time due to age related ailments, family sources said.
A multi-faceted personality who carved his niche in divergent fields, Panicker, popularly known as Kavalam, was a well-established poet, lyricist and theatre director.
Untouched by the western influence in dramas, Kavalam had evolved a unique theatre training system with Indian perspective.
His plays were known for its Indian narrative mode, usage of ethnic languages and rural flavour.
Famous for his own dramas like ‘Avanavan Kadamba’, ‘Daivathar’ and ‘Sakshi’, which are considered milestones in the history of contemporary Malayalam theatre, he also translated Sanskrit plays of classical masters like Kalidasa and Bhasa and brought them into the stage.
‘Shakunthalalam’, ‘Karnabharam’ and ‘Vikramorvasheeyam’ were among Sanskrit dramas which he adapted and gave life on the stage.
Hailing from scenic Kavalam in Alappuzha district, the veteran was the founder director of ‘Sopanam’,a theatre group.
Kavalam, who served as secretary of the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Academy in the 1960s, was accorded with Padma Bhushan in the year 2007.
He also won a number of honours, including Sangeeth Natak Akademy award, Sangeeth Natak Fellowship and Kerala State Film Award for the best lyricist.
Expressing grief over his unexpected demise, state Cultural Affairs Minister A KBalan said his contributions to the contemporary theatre was unique.
The date and time of cremation is yet to be finalized, the family added.
LGK APR SMJ
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / PTI / June 28th, 2016
Rajashree Warrier Photo : Thulasi Kakkat / The Hindu
Danseuse Rajashree Warrier on manodharma, aharya, inspiration and more.
What makes Rajashree Warrier different as dancer and choreographer is that she is not confined to the usual crossover items that often pass as today’s Bharatanatyam. There is in her art a proper understanding of her form, realising her forte, her limitations, and creating a contemporary Bharatanatyam rich in texture, rich in literature.
Manodharma is a salient feature of Rajashree’s dance. Manodharma is a bit more complex in Bharatanatyam than in classical music. This part of abhinaya is intrinsic in holding nritta (pure dance with no specific theme) and natya (representation of rasa through abhinaya) together. “It is this aspect that really excites me. When there is always something new, something surprising, each performance turns into a fresh experience for me and even for my orchestra. For the orchestra it can be a bit challenging as the rhythmic structures need to change according to my expressions and gestures. Personally, what makes classical dance an aesthetic experience is manodharma. Otherwise it can be mechanically traditional,” says Rajashree, who was initiated into dance when she was in school.
Fortunate to be moulded when she was six years of age by V. Mydhili in Thiruvananthapuram, Rajashree trained under her for nearly 18 years. Later, Rajashree learned under Jayanthi Subramaniam in Chennai.
Rajashree credits her growth as a dancer to her parents who supported her. “The early phase was enhanced watching many greats on stage and on available films. Watching legends like Balasaraswati and the ever charming Vyjayantimala helped form and deepen my appreciation and understanding of the poetry of Bharatanatyam.”
Dance was for Rajashree a logical extension of music. “Music was what my father insisted I study. Here again I was fortunate to get a teacher, Mullamottu Harihara Bhagavathar, who was a treasure trove of knowledge, especially on rare Swati Tirunal kritis. I studied, like any child of that age, rather reluctantly. Only later did I realise the greatness of my guru. When C-DIT was making a documentary on Swati Tirunal’s kritis I could help them as I was familiar with so many of them.”
She completed her degree, post-graduation and doctorate in music. But somewhere down the line dance took over. A dancer grows with the dance and this is true of Rajashree. She now performs her own compositions that are created from everything that inspires her.
“Words and concepts from the books I read, for example, Milan Kundera’s Slowness, where events are fused to movement, has helped me in creating the rhythm of my composition. Then the myriad art forms around me have inspired my dance but strictly within the structure of Bharatanatyam.”
Aharya can make an impact. Though it cannot make a great performance it can certainly mar it. The changes in Bharatanatyam today have also had its impact on aharya. “Aharya proclaims the identity of the dancer, her aesthetics. I feel that a dancer should choose suitable colours, a style that enhances her figure and ornaments that augment her features. I must feel comfortable in what I wear, should feel beautiful and confident when I step on to the stage. Here again innovation should be within the bounds of tradition rather than parading oneself, revealing too much skin and making the costume more important than the dance itself.”
These are times when there is a call for enriching the repertoire, making it contemporary. Rajashree feels that all this cannot justify sensationalism, undermining all the edifices and edicts of Bharatanatyam. “Organisers and audiences, fed on such a diet, demand this. In Kerala, the number of venues has increased but I have found a strange attitude prevalent. The organisers, most of them, want only customised dancers who would, with servility, agree to their whims and fancies. We have an audience today that does not look at Bharatanayam seriously. Their understanding of the dance form is only from the last 10 years. Unfortunately, I’m a sort of purist when it comes to my dance. I may not be perfect, but I have a style of my own, a mind of my own, and principles that I’m not willing to compromise.”
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Features> Friday Review / by K. Pradeep / Thiruvananthapuram – June 02nd, 2016
The banned ‘devadasi’ system, in which women are dedicated in local temples for the service of the deity and later allegedly forced into sex trade, still exists in many parts of India, according to a new book. “Visudha Papangalude India” (India:The Land of Holy Sins), a Malayalam book which will hit the bookstores soon, says many of the ‘devadasis’ are forced into flesh trade to earn their daily bread as they are denied a normal family life.
Journalist-turned-writer Arun Ezhuthachan unveils in the book, the plight and painful struggle of marginalised women, including ‘devadasis’, who are subjected to various kinds of exploitation in the name of rituals and religious practices. “We talk about various kinds of exploitation and harassment against women. But the problems of marginalised groups like devadasis are different,” Arun said. “It is really shocking to know that women are exploited in the name of centuries-old rituals and religious customs even now, in this 21st century.
The painful saga of widows of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, who are destined to live as Lord Krishna’s beloved Radha, is also not different,” he said.
The book, published by DC books, also throws light into the life and problems faced by sex workers in redlight areas in the country, including Kamathipura and Sonagachi.
The interview with some of the widows of Vrindavan, who reach the temple town after being ostracised by their families and society, gives a grim picture about the life of marginalised women in the modern India.
“As per law books, the devadasi system is not in practice anywhere in the country and it was banned by law in all states in different periods. But I met a number of young women who had been dedicated to deities in recent times in rural villages of states like Karnataka,” Arun, a reporter with Malayala Manorama daily, said.
As they were not allowed to marry anybody or led a normal family life, many of them were forced to turn to flesh trade either in their own villages or in red light areas in cities, he said.
According to the book, as per official figures, as many as 46,000 former devadasis have been identified in Karnataka alone, adding, they are getting a meagre pension of Rs 500 per month.(MORE) LGK JRK BN DV
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Thiruvananthapuram / PTI / May 29th, 2016
Design skills:Students of the National Institute of Fashion Technology, Kannur, holding an exhibition as part of the Graduation Show 2016 at Mangattuparambain Kannur on Thursday.– PHOTO: S.K. MOHAN
The campus of the National Institute of Fashion Technology-Kannur (NIFT-Kannur) has turned into a venue for the display of a large collection of thematic creative textile design products its students have done as part of their graduation project.
The exhibition showcases all the graduation projects and design collections of students of Master’s of Design, Fashion Management and Bachelor’s of Textile Design, Fashion Technology and Knitwear Design. The project works of 87 students of the institute are being showcased at the two-day exhibition that began on Thursday.
Among the items being displayed include apparel and home furnishing works and application of academic inputs for industry. Also displayed were some handicrafts products designed by the students.
Fashion trends
“The works being displayed feature the fashion design skills of our students and their application of latest technologies in the field,” said NIFT-Kannur Joint Director G. Ramesh Babu.
The collections are based on trend forecasts in the fashion world, he added.
A.G. Rao, Professor Emeritus, Industrial Design Centre, IIT-Mumbai, inaugurated the graduation ceremony.
The inauguration was followed by graduation award presentation and design collection fashion show by Knitwear graduating students of the institute.
source: http:// www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Special Correspondent / Kannur – May 28th, 2016
Kashi Mutt chief Samyamindra Thirtha performing thapta mudra dharana ritual at Sri Venkatachalapathy temple, Old Thirumala, Alappuzha, on Wednesday | Express Photo Service
Alappuzha :
Kashi mutt chief Samyamindra Thirtha led the ‘thapta mudra dharana’, a rare ritual of the Vaishnavite sect of Brahmins, at Sri Venkatachalapathy temple, Old Thirumala, here, on Wednesday. The seer has reached the temple as part of a four-day camp organised by the Gowda Saraswath Brahmin community.
“Special Vedic hymns were chanted as part of the ritual, which is supposed to purify the body and soul of the participants and thus help them lead a pious life. Impressions of sacred symbols like ‘sankha’(sacred conch) and ‘chakra’ (sacred circle) were made on the bodies of devotees using heated ‘pancha loha’(made of 5 metals) mudras,” said a priest of the GSB Sabha.
Besides, ‘sahasradeepalankara seva’ (festival of thousand lights) was also held. Sri Venkatachalapathy temple is the only place in the state which conducts this ritual. The seer also addressed the youths at a function organised by the Samyuktha Grama Sabha. Prizes and study materials were distributed to those who have passed various examinations and competitions with flying colours.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / May 26th, 2016
Arya Premji, wife of social reformer the late M P Bhattathiripad (Premji) was laid to rest here on Monday.
Arya Premji, 99, died at her son, senior journalist Neelan’s residence here on Sunday. Her body was cremated at the Santhikavadam on Monday evening.
Arya and Premji were part of the state’s renaissance history for being the second couple in the Namboodiri community to engage in widow marriage.
Arya was born to Neelakandan Namboodiri and Umadevi Antharjanam of Karuvattu Mana at Anthikkad in Thrissur in 1917.
She got married at the age of 14 but became a widow a year after. Premji married her when she was 27.
Premji, then a proof reader with ‘Desabhimani’ daily, had triggered a debate in the community by marrying a widow, which eventually resulted in the community ostracising them.
Arya Premji was elected to the Thrissur municipal council as a Communist party candidate in 1964.
She is survived by sons M P Neelakandan (Neelan), Hareendranathan, retired Colonel Induchoodan, daughter Sathi, in-laws Santha, Leela, Varada and Parvathy. Her son KPAC Premachandran had predeceased her.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / May 24th, 2016
The three-day HotelTech, Kerala’s premier hospitality equipment exhibition, and Kerala Culinary Challenge, which witnessed over 3,200 footfalls, concluded at Samudrika Convention Centre, Willingdon Island.
Senthil Raj from Holiday Inn, Kochi, who bagged the award for the outstanding performer, will represent India at Hotel Asia, a premier event to be held in the Maldives in September that will feature 1,000 chefs vying for the honours.Hotel Leela bagged the award in the best culinary establishment category on the basis of the competitions held at the event. And competitions were organised for chefs from star hotels across the state. As many as 85 chefs from 30 star hotels participated in the competitions and the winners were chosen by a five-member panel. At the event, the chefs decided to launch Kerala Chefs’ Forum and provide free training to 100 students as part of the corporate social responsibility(CSR).
According to the organisers, it was decided to launch a forum for the chefs since no such forum existed at present, unlike in several other states where such forums exist. The forum will cater to the various needs of chefs and provide training to them. As for the decision to provide free training in the hospitality sector, 100 students from under-privileged families, who have passed Class X, will be selected and provided training through tie-up with various hotels in the state.
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Kerala / by Express News Service / May 26th, 2016
