social media has been abuzz with stories of communal harmony and unity from the state of Kerala
This is our initiative to highlight some of these stories
with the highest number of Muslim population in the state
had always been stigmatised for the same reason
But it has always stood as a perfect example of Kerala’s communal harmony
A documentary titled Malappuram Beyond Tales by Thoppil Shahjahan
narrates nine heartwarming stories of communal harmony
The PJ Antony Memorial Award winning documentary was released in 2018
The 23-minute documentary begins at Thunchan Parambu in Tirur
where the memorial of Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan
considered to be the father of modern Malayalam
when eminent writers and other personalities help them write their first letter
The whole village is caught up in a festive mood
The documentary shows how a group of Muslim men get together and provide free drinks and milk to children who come for the ceremony
They also act as volunteers to ensure the event runs smoothly
but we think it is wonderful to be part of a tradition that teaches writing.”
In the Sree Kurumba Bhagavathy temple in Shobha Parambu
the head priest is traditionally appointed by the head of a Muslim family
the title given to the eldest member of a Muslim family
also leads the ceremony in which the priest is appointed
the temple’s priest Rajeev explains happily how his father was appointed to the position by the then Bappu Haji
and after his father’s term he was called to that post by Muhammed Kutty Haji
The next story on Malappuram takes to Thirunavaya’s lotus fields
Here the lotuses – cultivated by Muslim farmers – are sold to temples
including the famous Guruvayur Sree Krishna Swamy temple
Some of the temple priests have pointed out how the farmers sell the flowers at subsidised rates to them when the market price is higher
Another perfect example of communal harmony is Valancherry Moonnakkal Juma Masjid
Hundreds of people – Hindus and Muslims equally – line up at this mosque to get the free ration provided here
the mosque gives free rice to people living in the limits of the masjid
a practice that the mosque has continued for the last 20 years
The next place the documentary describes is Kottakkal’s Palappura Juma Masjid
The minbar (pulpit) at this mosque was sponsored by BS Warrier
to specifically learn about the minbar there and constructed a similar one in Kottakkal
the shrine built around the grave of Yakub Thangal
People pray at the shrine and even light the nilavilakku (a Hindu traditional lamp)
A festival is also conducted by a Hindu temple nearby to which people throng to
The story then moves to Kattilangadi Balagokulam
where the floats for the Shobha Yatra (procession) that happens during the Krishna Jayanthi festival are prepared by Iqbal
during a festival at the Mooniyoor Bhagavathy temple
the devotees first go to the shrine of Muslim preacher Mamburam Thangal
The final story is about the Perinthalmanna Town Juma Masjid
a Hindu man named Piriyani used to burst kadina vedi (a type of firecracker) every day at the time when Muslims break their fast
But the practice stopped after Piriyani’s death
everything else still continues in the district with pride
This is just a few of the traditions based on harmony
among hundreds such being practised here,” Shahjahan told TNM
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Kozhikode: In a bid to promote private sector participation in building public amenities and other infrastructure the Kerala Government seems to be offering liberal terms
As per the terms agreed to by the Kozhikode Municipal Corporation the company can mortgage the public land to raise funds for the construction of the plant
The contract has been given to Zonta Infratech as part of the Waste-to-Energy project
It has a provision to let out the government land to the private company
by allowing relaxations in the lease terms
the agreement facilitates any ‘dealings’ with the land
The Waste-to-Energy project terms were cited as a model for the project to build wayside rest stations
As per the norms of the latter project the government has to hand over the property to the company named Overseas Kerala Investment and Holding Limited (OKIHL)
an undertaking of some Non-Resident Keralites
Though this model was opposed by many local self-governance bodies
the contract was fixed after the Government’s intervention
its Waste-to-Energy project has not been implemented in a time-bound manner in not even one of these places
The contract issued by the Kozhikode Corporation has not been completed even after four years
The company has given a request letter seeking an extension of the contract
This company has received tenders worth Rs 400 crore to build waste treatment plants within the limits of various local self-government bodies
three others are also directors in the company
the company headquartered in Bengaluru has an operational capital of Rs 17.22 lakh
According to the details furnished with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs
the last annual general meeting was conducted in 2021 November
The last balance sheet was also filed 2 years ago
an asset management company which operates in the field of environment conservation including waste management
is on the first floor of Reliable Phoenix Tower on Museum Road
The boards of other companies under the Zonta Group — Zonta Infratech
Edge Varsity Learning Systems and others — are also placed here
The website claims that the company was formed in 2010
Tirur (Malappuram): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a campaign to drum up support to install a statue of Thunchath Ramanujan Ezhuthachan in Tirur
considered the 'father of modern Malayalam'
"This campaign is above politics and religion because Malayalam is the mother tongue of all of us," said BJP president K Surendran on Friday
after paying his respects at 'Thunchan Parambu' in Tirur
But Surendran dived straight into politicking
"particularly the (Indian Union) Muslim League"
of taking a stance to block the installation of Thunchath Ezhuthachan's statue in Tirur
The ruling party CPM succumbed to the pressure of the Muslim League and some people with vested interests," he said
without elaborating on who the people are with vested interests
It has become a shame for Kerala that a statue of Thunchath Ezhuthachan could not be installed in Tirur
He said the BJP would meet cultural leaders
The Pinarayi Vijayan-led government's Department of Culture should take the initiative to install the statue of Thunchath Ezhuthachan
"Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan should take the initiative
should please cooperate with it," he said
who took charge as the state president of IUML in March
Surendran said the statue should be installed either in Thunchan Parambu
which is now a premier Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre
"The statue should be installed officially," he said
Surendran started his visit to Tirur by paying homage to Ezhuthachan at Thunchan Parambu but he did not discuss the demand with the trust
the coordinator of Thunchan Memorial Trust and Research Centre
said Thunchan Paramba was the biggest and most important memorial of Ezhuthachan
there is no definite image of Ezhuthachan available for a sculptor to be modelled on," he said
uses an illustration of Ezhuthachan on its letterhead and website drawn by artist K M Vasudevan Namboothiri
"That's artist Namboothiri's imagination and we are using it
But it cannot be considered as the photograph of Ezhuthachan," he said
Tirur municipal chairman A P Naseema of the Muslim League rubbished Surendran's allegation that her party was against the statue of Ezhuthachan
She said she had taken the matter up with writer M T Vasudevan Nair
I wanted to erect the statue of Thunchath Ezhuthachan in Tirur because he is the pride of our town
So I raised the matter in the meeting of the trust held in MT's house in Kozhikode," said Naseema
who as the chairperson of the municipality is a member of the trust
"MT told me that the image of Thunchan now in circulation is an imaginary one and cannot be used to make a sculpture," she said
Surendran said an artistic impression of Ezhuthachan available in the public domain was acceptable to the people of Kerala and the sculpture can be modelled on it
the Muslim League-controlled Tirur municipal council commissioned a sculpture of the 'primal poet' and artist Rajan Ariyallur was roped in for the project
"Ezhuthachan lived some 450 to 500 years ago and his photograph is not available
We know him through his works and through writings on him
It is not proper to give a face to the sculpture," he said
So Rajan made an imposing sculpture of Ezhuthachan sitting crossed legged but the focus was on him scribbling with his iron stylus on the palm leaves
a section of IUML councillors opposed the installation of the statue
The CPM joined the issue in 2015 when the LDF got control of the municipality
"The CPM saw the matter through a historical lens," said Tirur's CPM councillor Girish
He said the party held talks with the Kerala Bhasha Institute
"It was everybody's studied opinion that erecting a sculpture will not be proper as there was no photo available," he said
"That has been the CPM's position since then," Girish said
Sculptor Rajan said the project became controversial not because the sculpture was abstract
"My work was rejected because I did not accept a model pushed by an engineer in the department," he said
political parties took up the matter and polarised society
"Just like the hijab issue now," he said
The Ezhuthachan he made was abandoned in the coconut tree pit for 12 years until the PTA of Government UP School
Rajan's Ezhuthachan was installed in the school's courtyard in March 2014
"I am happy it found a place in the school I studied," Rajan said