Being attacked by violent casteists and conservatives was almost a habit for Swami Anandatheerthan. Even the relatively braver ones tend to be cautious after the first attack, but he continued with his wide-ranging efforts towards fighting casteism in Kerala and neighbouring States, combining direct action and legal moves in equal measure. For that matter, if he were living today, he would certainly have been a target of such attacks for the kind of positions that he used to take.
But, for someone who has been in the forefront of such struggles, few public records exist of his activities. Now, a new documentary Nishedhiyude Aathmashakthi, directed by Bindu Sajan and Abhijith Narayanan, sheds light on the life of the Swami, the last disciple of Sree Narayana Guru.
Through conversations with those who have gained from his initiatives in real life, the documentary, which premiered at Bharat Bhavan here on Sunday, paints a vivid picture of a man who never backed down in the fight for the oppressed and the downtrodden.
