Asianet NewsableAsianet Newsable

Why does the National Anthem not inspire our artists?

  • Novelist Kamal C Chavara is facing music for allegedly insulting national anthem. 
  • Veteran director Kamal is also facing threats and was even told to leave the country!
Why national anthem is scaring and not inspiring artists

 

In what can be called a replay of the incidents that led to Tamil writer Perumal Murugan to give up writing in 2015 after he came under attack from the saffron brigade, a Malayalam writer announced on Thursday that he 'don't want to live as a writer anymore.'  

 

 Scared of the police and intelligence agencies that are allegedly making his life miserable for 'insulting' national anthem in his novel, Malayalam writer Kamal C Chavara declared on Thursday that he would stop writing and would burn his book. "They are after us. They don't allow my parents to live in peace," lamented  Chavara. "I am getting threat calls every day. I don't want to live as a writer anymore," he wrote on his Facebook wall. The police and intelligence agencies have made his life miserable, even after he was let free, the writer said.

 

Why national anthem is scaring and not inspiring artists Kamal C Chavara

This is the latest incident in the bitter national anthem debate which lapsed into law and order problem in Kerala after the Supreme Court bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra issued an order making the anthem mandatory in cinema halls.  The police crackdown on delegates who did not stand up for the anthem during International Film Festival of Kerala created an outrage in Kerala while the Sangh Parivar and some CPM ministers justified it.  

Also read: Culture Minister faces unique 'Janaganamana protest' at film festival
 

Kerala Chalachitra Academy Chairman Kamal is still facing the fury of the Saffron brigade for decrying the police action. The BJP even demanded that Kamal should go to Arabia or Pakistan if he did not want to respect the anthem. 
 

Also read: BJP to give 'home tuition' on national anthem to Kerala filmmaker Kamal
 

Writer Chavara was taken into custody last month following a complaint by a Yuvamorcha worker when the anthem debate was raging. 
 

Chavara is planning to burn his novel 'Smasanangalude Notupusthakam' (The Notebook of Cemeteries) in public on Saturday at Kozhikode. "I have requested Green Books (publishers) to take the novel off the shelf," he said. "I will take all the blame and burn the book in public."
 

Also read: Make national anthem mandatory for porn websites: Viral petition
 

Even though the ministers and DGP promised that no case had been registered against him and his friend Nadir, the police clarified the otherday that a UAPA case was still pending against him, Chavara said. 

 

The writer was taken into custody by police from Kozhikode on 17 December 2016 following a complaint from the youth wing worker of the BJP. Police swung into action soon after the DGP received the complaint and picked Kamal from his home at Kozhikode in the night.


Also read: Don't make us stand for anthem before each film: foreign filmmaker pleads

 

The incident had sparked widespread condemnation and the Left Democratic Front government in Kerala was criticised for 'toeing Modi government's policies.' Following protests, the police freed Chavara and clarified that he was not arrested.   

 

Mollywood director and Chalachitra Academy Chairman Kamal was targeted  for airing his views that nationalism should not be forced upon people. He had also stated that police had no business in IFFK halls and to take action against those who did not stand up for the anthem. 

 

Interestingly, the Supreme Court is yet to give a final verdict in the national anthem case. But that did not desist Kerala Police from taking proactive measures to implement the interim order and to pick people from cinema halls for not giving due respect to it. 

Follow Us:
Download App:
  • android
  • ios