Attingal welcomed the month of October with a flurry of activities. The DHRM scare and the controversies surrounding the prospective bypass have been brushed aside by heavy rain, a cool drama festival, and arrangements for a human chain (Manushya Changala) against ASEAN FTA.
Non-stop Rain
It has been raining in Attingal and nearby areas for the last two days. Earlier, people had been praying for rain. However, once it started pouring down, as one can expect, people have started cursing the rain. Owners of rubber estates are slightly concerned as they are not getting enough days' tapping. Traditionally they get good yields during the months from October to February. The rubber tapping workers normally do not tap the tree in the case of rain on the previous night.
A Drama Festival In Rain
Curtains are up for the fourth edition of the Attingal Drama Festival. Attingal MLA Anathalavattam Anandan inaugurated the festival yesterday around 7 PM. The festival is organized by Professor G. Sankara Pillai Memorial Nadaka Samithi, which is an organization to promote and nurture a good drama culture in the region. (For those who want to know, Prof. G. Sankara Pillai was a well-known script writer and drama personality. He was a native of Chirayinkeezhu, near Attingal).
This is a 15-day event (from October 1 to October 15). One drama will be screened each day. Drama starts at 7 pm everyday. There will be a function before the start of the drama, which will feature speeches by well-known theatre personalities, a review of the previous day's drama, and an introduction to that day's drama. The drama festival is held at Raja P. Dev Nagar, which is actually the vacant parking area opposite private bus stand in Attingal.
The inauguration function was a curious one. Heavy rain started to come down as soon as the meeting had started. The tarpaulin top of the stage heroically withstood the onslaught of rain. However, water started logging in from the adjacent areas to the place where spectators sat. The stage was built at the lowest part of the ground that has a slight slope.
Still, the function was reasonably well-attended. Even when the venue was partially filled with water (in many areas of the ground, water level reached the feet level), spectators sat patiently and without any complaint. The main attractions of the function were two young girls from Attingal: Sreekutty and Lakshmisree Omankkuttan. Perhaps they might be the most famous Attingalites among couch potatoes. Sreekutty is making waves in Asianet's Idea Star Singer program and Lakshmisree Omankkuttan is doing the same in Amritha TV's Superstar program.
And A Human Chain In The Making
ASEAN Free Trade Agreement that the Indian government signed recently have come under severe criticism, especially from the Left Front. Today, on the day of Gandhi Jayanthi, CPI(M) is organizing a human chain (or Manushya Changala) to protest against an agreement which the left leaders claim to be detrimental to the interests of farmers of India.
The comrades in Attingal have left no stone unturned in their efforts for the grand success of the chain. Boards and banners announcing the events can be seen virtually everywhere. In fact, they have placed boards on the side of the NH 47 with names of various areas, such as Thachoorkunnu, Vilayinmoola, Kuzhimukku, and so on. Comrades of each area will have to stand in the place earmarked for them. Rain is likely to play spoil sport. But still, it is unlikely to be powerful enough to break the spirits of comrades and hence to break the human chain.
Do not think that people of Attingal have scrutinized the ASEAN Agreement extremely well and spotted something that people of other states failed to notice. I asked a staunch supporter of the human chain whether he is actually against ASEAN FTA. His reply sums up the feeling of local comrades: "Enikathonnum ariyilla. Party enthu pokritharam kanikkan paranjhalum njhan cheyyum. … Athayathu njhan enthu pokritharam kanichalum party kudeyulladatholam kalam ("I don't know anything about the agreement or other things. I will do whatever fuck the party [CPM] asks me to do … as long as the party supports me in whatever fuck I do."). Not that every comrade is like this. There are several learned Marxists who can unleash statistics and points against ASEAN agreement in a jiffy. However, they appear to be a minority.
Non-stop Rain
It has been raining in Attingal and nearby areas for the last two days. Earlier, people had been praying for rain. However, once it started pouring down, as one can expect, people have started cursing the rain. Owners of rubber estates are slightly concerned as they are not getting enough days' tapping. Traditionally they get good yields during the months from October to February. The rubber tapping workers normally do not tap the tree in the case of rain on the previous night.
A Drama Festival In Rain
Curtains are up for the fourth edition of the Attingal Drama Festival. Attingal MLA Anathalavattam Anandan inaugurated the festival yesterday around 7 PM. The festival is organized by Professor G. Sankara Pillai Memorial Nadaka Samithi, which is an organization to promote and nurture a good drama culture in the region. (For those who want to know, Prof. G. Sankara Pillai was a well-known script writer and drama personality. He was a native of Chirayinkeezhu, near Attingal).
This is a 15-day event (from October 1 to October 15). One drama will be screened each day. Drama starts at 7 pm everyday. There will be a function before the start of the drama, which will feature speeches by well-known theatre personalities, a review of the previous day's drama, and an introduction to that day's drama. The drama festival is held at Raja P. Dev Nagar, which is actually the vacant parking area opposite private bus stand in Attingal.
The inauguration function was a curious one. Heavy rain started to come down as soon as the meeting had started. The tarpaulin top of the stage heroically withstood the onslaught of rain. However, water started logging in from the adjacent areas to the place where spectators sat. The stage was built at the lowest part of the ground that has a slight slope.
Still, the function was reasonably well-attended. Even when the venue was partially filled with water (in many areas of the ground, water level reached the feet level), spectators sat patiently and without any complaint. The main attractions of the function were two young girls from Attingal: Sreekutty and Lakshmisree Omankkuttan. Perhaps they might be the most famous Attingalites among couch potatoes. Sreekutty is making waves in Asianet's Idea Star Singer program and Lakshmisree Omankkuttan is doing the same in Amritha TV's Superstar program.
And A Human Chain In The Making
ASEAN Free Trade Agreement that the Indian government signed recently have come under severe criticism, especially from the Left Front. Today, on the day of Gandhi Jayanthi, CPI(M) is organizing a human chain (or Manushya Changala) to protest against an agreement which the left leaders claim to be detrimental to the interests of farmers of India.
The comrades in Attingal have left no stone unturned in their efforts for the grand success of the chain. Boards and banners announcing the events can be seen virtually everywhere. In fact, they have placed boards on the side of the NH 47 with names of various areas, such as Thachoorkunnu, Vilayinmoola, Kuzhimukku, and so on. Comrades of each area will have to stand in the place earmarked for them. Rain is likely to play spoil sport. But still, it is unlikely to be powerful enough to break the spirits of comrades and hence to break the human chain.
Do not think that people of Attingal have scrutinized the ASEAN Agreement extremely well and spotted something that people of other states failed to notice. I asked a staunch supporter of the human chain whether he is actually against ASEAN FTA. His reply sums up the feeling of local comrades: "Enikathonnum ariyilla. Party enthu pokritharam kanikkan paranjhalum njhan cheyyum. … Athayathu njhan enthu pokritharam kanichalum party kudeyulladatholam kalam ("I don't know anything about the agreement or other things. I will do whatever fuck the party [CPM] asks me to do … as long as the party supports me in whatever fuck I do."). Not that every comrade is like this. There are several learned Marxists who can unleash statistics and points against ASEAN agreement in a jiffy. However, they appear to be a minority.
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