The second day of the Malabar Literature Festival here on Friday started with a session on dramas ‘Four Dalit Narratives from Malabar’. In one of the 21 sessions of the day titled ‘Kathakal Kondu Mathram’, writer Unni R. confessed that he wished his short stories were not adapted for movies, as they lost their essence in the process.
Being part of the release of a book For Muslim Friend; For Those Who Are Interested in Muslim Friends later, he said wrong public conscience about Muslims was prevalent in Kerala, noting that secularism is less effective if diversity fails. Author Tomi Mathew noted that the book was an attempt to correct the existing conceptions about Muslims.
Renowned Assamese poet Hafiz Ahmed said that the core sentiment of anger embedded in Miya poetry stemmed from societal and political dynamics in the country.
Mr. Ahmed, known for his influential work Write down I am Miya, emphasised how his poetry reflected the struggle of Miya Muslims against power alliances and communalism. He stressed that the injustices and hardships faced by Miya Muslims had given rise to poetry composed in simple yet powerful language.
Mr. Ahmed wrote Write down I am Miya in 2016 as a protest against racial discrimination towards Miya Muslims and had faced jail term for speaking against racial discrimination.
M.B. Manoj, Francis Noronha, Pramod Raman, P.K. Parakkadavu, K.M. Sherif, and A.P. Kunjamu attended various other sessions.
The day’s events culminated in a ghazal night by Kumar Satyam.
