It seems secular minds across the country are determined to keep the slain journalist Gauri Lankesh’s ideas alive in one way or the other. Aattakkalam, a street play performed in the city on Monday, was one such effort. Moreover, it was a tribute from one journalist to another.
The play, written and directed by photojournalist Prakash Karimba, touched down on every social issue that rocked the public conscience of late like the death of Murugan in Thiruvananthapuram after alleged denial of treatment following an accident. It went through the ‘beef ban’ issue in passing and also the suicide of a farmer in Kozhikode following alleged harassment by village officials. At the brink of suicide, he is thrown back to life by his determination to fight upon reading the news of Gauri’s death.
Actor Karunakaran Parambil portrayed the two characters with ease. He was at first the typical elderly man from the countryside and later a modern-day citizen who is faced with all kinds of challenges in life. Mr. Karimba’s poems played in the background complemented the play well. The play was jointly presented by the Calicut Press Club and the Janakeeya Nataka Sangham.
Protest
In a protest meeting later, social critic P.K. Pokker said the rise of communal politics was a matter of grave concern. The protest was an open criticism of BJP leader K.P. Sasikala’s alleged warning to secular writers to opt for a ‘Mrityunjaya Homam’ to save their lives.