Spreading culture across the state

KOCHI: On January 26, the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) started an unique mass campaign programme called ‘Janotsavam’ (people’s celebration). The campaign included various cultural events including music, dance, drama, painting and sports.The residents of each panchayat were encouraged to participate in the events which were staged in front of houses or a common point within a town. Rizwan C, Convenor of the Arts and Cultural section of KSSP, said, “The aim was to create an awareness on various matters through art with the involvement of the public.”

The subjects included contemporary issues like the mob lynching of the Adivasi youth Madhu, water conservation, cancer awareness and waste management programmes. There were also events like painting the public walls, dramas,myme and musical shows.Each programme had about 10-30 participants which could sometimes reach a thousand. They included the local representatives, public library members and members of committees associated with the event. Through the programme, the KSSP aims to uplift the principles of the Constitution.

So each house received a preamble at the start of the event. “The preamble is already hung in more than one lakh houses by the this time,” said Rizwan. There was also a campus journey which described the life of the late Nobel Prize-winning scientist Marie Curie. An event called Kuttipooram was exclusively organised for children where they were taken to see different places. In some places, there were different events: so,  in Alappuzha, 500 girls took part in a cycle rally, while there was a Vadamvali competition in Kannur as well as a Porattu Nadakam in Palakkad.

Several noted figures, like the writer K. Satchidanandan, and  former Vice Chancellor of Kerala Kalamandalam K G Poulose, as well as people from the film and drama fraternities, made their presence felt at various places.The KSSP urged for more women participation and so in many places, there were many women present.

The organisers travelled through 14 districts, 140 panchayats, 2,000 plus events and countless people. The march was supposed to end with a function on February 28, National Science Day. “But people from all over the state made requests to extend the events till the school vacations,” said Rizwan. The campaign,will therefore contiue with its distinctive programmes.