P.Geetha on Night Vigil

[bharadwaj reshma]

We base this response on a news report published in Madhyamam Daily (not read, but was reported to us by our friends in Kozhikode) today. As per this report P.Geetha, during a public speech has demanded governmental enquiry into ‘night vigil’. She also appealed Kerala society not to ‘tolerate’ such ‘anarchists’. She repeated the already circulating argument that the discussion on night vigil has dampened the discussions on Chengara land struggle.
We are very happy to hear this public demand. Though we are not much bothered by this mantle of ‘anarchists’ discarded on our backs, the baggage of ‘ganja’ and alcohol it is filled with, is at times a bit heavy to carry. So it would be good if those who are raising these accusations have solid evidence to base them upon.
And another thing which made us happy is that the demand is made to the ‘government’. If AIDWA took brooms and cow dung, P.Geetha is ‘taking’ state to clear off the civil society of political adversaries. This is not in the least surprising as Savarna hindutva and state have always been natural allies. Poor AIDWA, they haven’t yet learned the trick of sugar coating it in revolutionary rhetoric.
Let us play a mind game. What will happen if ‘Revolutionaries’ like P.Geetha assume absolute power? Who will be ‘left’ in Kerala?
Let us ask a very simple question to those who raise hue and cry over the diminished importance for Chengara agitation.
nammude natile ‘rashtreeya’ budhijeevikal evideyayirunnu ithuvare?
.We attempted to make public protest out of the guilt that such an important and massive agitation is being suppressed by the state, party and media. We don’t make tall claims as we feel that whatever we did was insufficient. Even this ‘we’ is not an unchanging group, but individuals coming together in an issue based/ programme based manner.
To list the activities we were part of till now..
1. Raising this issue in “KariNiyamaVirudha Convention” In calicut , November 1st.
2.Continued internet and media interventions by posting appeals and facts and other issues connected with this agitation.Folloing this , Mr. Shaji gave a
Report in Thehelka which helped in attracting national attention on the issue.
3.A protest demonstration by Non CPIM forum for Democracy in IFFK in December 2007.. About 40 concerned people participated. K.Gopinath, J.Devika, Janaki, Elizabeth,K.K.Baburaj et al participated.
4.Night Vigil in front of secretariate Trivandrum, in the context of agitators resorting to suicide threat to ward off police action of eviction. About 40 concerned people participated. BRPBhaskar, Sanni Kapikkad and CSJayachandran spoke.
5.Convention at Calicut Press Club auditorium ( convenors: Gargi, Raveendran Op, Vidhu Vincent, Reshma R) subsequent to Night Vigil. A.Vasu inaugurated. Civic Chandran, V.P.Suhara, A.K.Ramakrishnan, Subrahmanian, Sanni Kapikkad spoke. A documentary on Chengara agitation was screened. An organizing committee for national convention in Pathanam Thitta on April 25 consisting of A.Vasu ( Chair Person), RekhaRaj, Elizabeth, M.B.Manoj (Convenors) was announced.
6.Tried to engage public including CPIM sympathizers through various media.

At least these “ideal” activists with ancestry and pedigree could utter Chengara while condemning Night Vigil. Instead of pouring oil into the CPIM slandering campaigns against Chengara agitations, we hope they will show us the right way in engaging politics.
We don’t mind if we are untouchables to these puritans. All these small overtures were attempted by us on mutual trust and respect. No protest is a solo performance. Neither is Night vigil. One should at least consider the whole sequence and context before condemning it in toto, if they are really friends of Chengara struggle as they claim.

We all are thriving on the hyped myths about Kerala’s public sphere and civil society.
( We were sad to read in today’s newspapers that Pinarayi Vijayan alleged CIA connection to Chengara struggle in the esteemed presence of KNPanikkar and M Mukundan, who mourn continuously over the shrinking of Malayali Civil Society) Very minimal is actually happening out there. Let us wake up out of this inflated myth
and form ourselves part of an emerging civil society, through solidarities built between the marginalized among marginalized, outcastes, stigmatized and “cultural untouchables”.

Reshma Bharadwaj
DileepRaj

DELETE button is history. Unlimited mail storage is just a click away. Go to https://edit.india.yahoo.com/config/eval_register

[Santhosh Kumar]

Dear friends who are organising support meetings for Chengara,

1) P. Geetha and her kind of revolutionary budhijeevis are upset because they were not the FIRST ones who came in support of Chengara struggle. Unfortunately for them, the Night Vigil got lots of coverage (any publicity is good publicity for them if you take some usages). Geetha always had this problem of sitting on the fence approach, if you analyze her earlier positions, for please the ruling  CPI(M).  It is good that  if Govt. is ready to  inquire about Night Vigil and Geetha (the one and only Geetha in Kerala) can use her good office with CPI(M) to do so. But it will be nice if she can also explain her position on morality issues in Kerala and whether she is taking an about turn in her past positions. (This could be the middle age blues too.)

2) Basing on Laha Gopalan's interview and his  dismissal of  Night Vigil as unrelated to them,  I wonder do Chengara struggle expect or want support from the same group? There are feeling that this group is imposing their solidarity on Chengara struggle. Did we inquire at any point of time with Laha Gopalan, who seems to be the Leader, who should give what kind of solidarity to the struggle? If our efforts are unwanted then we should spent our energy else where. it is not that there are no issues in Kerala that we all have to go to Chengara.

Any way these are some of my thoughts.

In Solidarity,

Santhosh

[Bobby Kunhu]

Hold on... I am lost
I am not sure who represents whom - when and why
I do not know who P Geetha is - does that give me the rightto comment on politics that I am aware of before being determined my ideological position
there are a number of Geethas in Kerala
Please can we have an opinion on why Chengara struggle is? Laha'simterviewnotwithstnding

 

[ranju radha]

If our efforts are unwanted then we should spent our energy else where. it is not that there are no issues in Kerala that we all have to go to Chengara.
 

if this is/was the spirit behind the solidarity movemnt it is better to stop the "work of activism" here (on Chengara) and move to some other location

but i feel it should not be so

 

 i appreciate the way (whatever maybe its limitation) the group thought and acted .... night vigil..at least it generatd some talk(good or bad)....and probably got some attention ...

let us carry it forward.. it s notthe time to stop it midway..

 

it is really funny to hear that left intellectuals' moral call against "anarchists"

are those who fight against the state in chengara also belong to this category?

 

 

 

[Dileep Raj]

                    "Did we inquire at any point of time with Laha Gopalan, who seems to be         the  Leader, who should give what kind of solidarity to the struggle? If our efforts are unwanted then we should spent our energy else where. it is not that there are no issues in Kerala that we all have to go to Chengara."

This is the most insensitive statement I have read in recent times.

 

If laha Gopalan or struggling people want any particular support activity to be stopped, we should unconditionally accept that, I believe.

 

Here the attempt is to silence certain agents. CPIM want to silence the struggling people in Chengara. CPIM and certain activists want to silence whoever voices support to the struggle.

And Mr.Santhoshkumar advises that 'we' should better  remain silent. 

 

Friends says kairali yesterday showed 'exclusive' visuals of Chengara solidarity meeting on 29th March , Trivandrum. It was organised by the existing solidarity committee led by MDThomas and Sanni Kapikkad in order to form aa state level solidarity committee. K.K.Koch presided over the meeting. Various community organisations and political party representatives participated in it.

 

"sakshi" showed visuals of K.Ajitha, Rekha Raj, K.K.Koch, Sonia ( Strevedi Convenor),ReshmaR, Deepa,C.S.jayachandran, Sanjeev, Dileep etal.. accompanied by nasty anti--women comments.

 

I remember, while we ( K.K.Koch, Rekha, Sonia, CSJayachandran,Sanjeev and I) were chating after the programme in front of the hall, Laha Gopalan was standing near us. Fortunately, they haven't 'captured' him in the frame.

 

Even Ajitha or Sonia can't escape being reduced to mere bodies in Kairali's 'reporting' of

Chengara struggle. ( Remember, this was an 'official' meeting). Can we help what we are?

Shall Ajitha, ReshmaR, Deepa , Sonia and Rekha Raj cease to be women or remain silent

as long as they participate in Chengara struggle? shouldn't K K Koch "smoke" till the struggle is over?

 

 

 

 

On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 8:06 PM, Santhosh Kumar <santhosh....@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear friends who are organising support meetings for Chengara,

1) P. Geetha and her kind of revolutionary budhijeevis are upset because they were not the FIRST ones who came in support of Chengara struggle. Unfortunately for them, the Night Vigil got lots of coverage (any publicity is good publicity for them if you take some usages). Geetha always had this problem of sitting on the fence approach, if you analyze her earlier positions, for please the ruling  CPI(M).  It is good that  if Govt. is ready to  inquire about Night Vigil and Geetha (the one and only Geetha in Kerala) can use her good office with CPI(Did we inquire at any point of time with Laha Gopalan, who seems to be the Leader, who should give what kind of solidarity to the struggle? If our efforts are unwanted then we should spent our energy else where. it is not that there are no issues in Kerala that we all have to go to Chengara.M) to do so. But it will be nice if she can also explain her position on morality issues in Kerala and whether she is taking an about turn in her past positions. (This could be the middle age blues too.)

[Bobby Kunhu]

So it looks like the agenda is prescriptive and Chengara is being sidelined for the Night Vigil - precisely what the silences and absurd accusations from GPR stood for
As of now, Chengara is an issue, regardless of whetherotherissues still exist or have been killed in Kerala
Can we turn tables and get our focus on people on a strike for livelihood, and have not focus on whether one smoked a cigarrette or not - the kind of implausible demand for a state inquiry

 

[Dileep Raj]

CPIm, Kairali Channel,Deshabhimani jointly taken, is a

'machine' capable of leading successful slander campaigns.

they are up in arms against Chengara struggle for quite some time.

As in UPjayaraj's story, Resistence continues.. Struggle continues..

Please don't ascribe victory to kairali so easily.

 

Mr. V.K.Joseph was seen in a channel couple of weeks ago

exhorting women to come out more actively for IFFK.

Well, comrade, what for? To fall prey to "Sakshi"?

remember how thwy 'showed' young women participating in IFFK

couple of year back ( Especially Kani, who was captured again in

Night Vigil)

 

Mr. Joseph, it is ironic that  Kairali turned against women in public sphere on so called 'womens day". It is ironic and sad that in revolutionary Kerala,

it si  not RSS or any othet fundamentalist group that threatens women

coming actively in public sphere, but Kairali and Deshabhimani.

 

Isn't it an issue work contesting when Chengara struggle is going on?

Please don't juxtapose such issues as if they are mutually exclusive

--
Dileep R I thuravoor

[salimtk]

isnt it the real cowardliness to let the party in power, which is searching for cia backing n israel connection, dictate the way the solidarity movements should be?  isnt it the nasty kairali way to quash all civil society vigilance and responses to the Chengara struggel? do we need to turn our 'acitivity work' to palastine issue leaving the Chengara struggle to the people at struggle only with no response from civil society?

 

(hope a better discussion is taking place between the civil society initiatives and the people/representative of the struggle by now).

 

more and more social/personal activities are coming under the definition of anarchy. nobody will say that the smoking was part of the solidarity action. but which table and how much focus is recommended? are people at chengara not allowed to smile, joke, sing,.... just because that they are on struggle? 
 

[venukm]

Engaging this kind of moral showman(woman)ship, though may obfuscate
our prime concerns, is certainly imperative . This is bound to play an
important role in challenging the politics of hatred and mistrust in
the guise of some disciplined righteousness, which essentially
reveals nothing but authoritarianism.

> > On Mon, Apr 7, 2008 at 11:14 PM, Bobby Kunhu <bobby.ku...@gmail.com>

> > > > > On Sun, Apr 6, 2008 at 11:51 PM, bharadwaj reshma <resh...@yahoo.com>

> ...
>
> read more »

[S sanjeev]

   Some of us have been running to full houses in CPI (M) television network's
  "saakshi" for the past six weeks.

  This, avid media watchers would definitely agree, is a feat not even
   K.karunakaran or M.M Hassan could achieve.

  Does this signify the emergence of  "extra" actors ? (If so it might invert
  the fashionable proposition put forward by – again, some of us – "any
  publicity is good publicity".)

  Of course the "extras" are totally disappointed with the roles assigned to
  them.

  I'm sure, had the producers asked, none of us would have accepted those
  stale and stereotypical roles – anarchist, Maoist, smoking woman, sex
  freedom fighter...

  Anyway, it is evident that this film was "made" as part of a grand project to   topple something that is neither film, nor reality television, but a poignant
subversion called "chengara"- an amazing insurrection of little selves that
refuses to accept or tolerate hegemonic scripts, producers and directors.

  They don't give a damn about such representations, obviously.

  But does that mean the "extra" actors should quit performing?

 Does that mean the "extra" actors should stop looking for better scripts and
 roles?

---

Yahoo! for Good helps you make a difference

[Dileep Raj]

                           Art Samaram and Popular Samaram

 

As in films, so in activism. " It is the form that is God all else, including even the most arrogant, can only be His instrument.S/he who breaks these laws will end up as an "art" film maker , forever banished from the community of popular films. " (D R Nagaraj, " The Comic Collapse of Authority")

 

He says, transgression is an essential component of popular cinema. To quote him again,

"Songs and dance are the logical expression of a different notion of morality: They are the ultimate expression of transgression".

 

Sanjeev, that's a brilliant coinage.. We are not Samskarika Nayakanmar but Samskarika extras.  We are no more playing second fiddle to 'art" heroes. { Niankkonnum Veettil Chodikkanum Parayanum AArumille? question repeated inSakshi as in that film!!.. Illedo...

njangal chorus pani nirthi!! nayakanmarkku vedi ozhiyanum bhavamilla.. Swantham script, swantham production...}

 

Can we joke at this time?

 

To rely one last time on Nagaraj,

 

"The comic vision is also employed to laugh at the self righteous belief in the correctness of one's ideas."

 

Let us commence a discussion on the emergence of  new genres in Politics?

Sunil P Elayidanmar Novelinte aavirbhavatheppatti ippozhum parayunnu!! varoo ee theruvukalile novel forms of life nad novel life styles kanooo...

 

On Wed, Apr 9, 2008 at 7:04 PM, S sanjeev <samv...@yahoo.com> wrote:

   Some of us have been running to full houses in CPI (M) television network's
  "saakshi" for the past six weeks.

  This, avid media watchers would definitely agree, is a feat not even
   K.karunakaran or M.M Hassan could achieve.

  Does this signify the emergence of  "extra" actors ? (If so it might invert

  the fashionable proposition put forward by - again, some of us - "any

  publicity is good publicity".)

  Of course the "extras" are totally disappointed with the roles assigned to
  them.

  I'm sure, had the producers asked, none of us would have accepted those

  stale and stereotypical roles - anarchist, Maoist, smoking woman, sex

  freedom fighter...

  Anyway, it is evident that this film was "made" as part of a grand project to   topple something that is neither film, nor reality television, but a poignant
subversion called "chengara"- an amazing insurrection of little selves that
refuses to accept or tolerate hegemonic scripts, producers and directors.

  They don't give a damn about such representations, obviously.

  But does that mean the "extra" actors should quit performing?

 Does that mean the "extra" actors should stop looking for better scripts and
 roles?

---

Yahoo! for Good helps you make a difference

[ranju radha]

break the hegemony of novels(classic) that looks/portray only the wanted 'Heroes/heroines"

make our own novels by constructing our own "Heroes/heroines" (may be unwanted for those classic lovers)

let "sakshis" clamour "morality" morality"

let their own "morality" question the call for "morality"

 

let them talk/live in those "classic" times

it s de dawn of  new novels (novel experiences)

let us feel it

let us be part of it

 

chodikkanum parayanum alulla veedukalil ninnum purathu varanulla samayamanith

saskhikal adachitta veetukalil ninnum purathu kadakkuka

aa veedukalil ninnulla adhikarathinte ashanipatamettanu nandigramum muthangayum chengarayum nilavilikkunnathu

 

it s de worst TV progrm i ve ever seen/

nammal malayalikalude kshama sammathikkanam

ninakkonnum chodikkanum parayanum arumille ennu sakshiyodaru chodikkum?

[Anil Tharayath Varghese]

Dear friends

whenever i have been reading the reports on night vigil especially by
Kairali Im always reminded of this quote (forgot who wrote it) "the
camera is the penis" in this whole episode of the reporting process.
Ive always felt that Kairali and Cpi(m) assumes this luxury of
watching or taking films of the support groups in the logic of taking
up a pornographic movie where all the actors inside the frames are to
be "sex workers" and I find the crew (irrespective of wo/ men) feels
some sort of a masturbation effect. I very feel strongly that this
"yukthi"/ logic simply comes out that these saamskaarika extras are
supporting a Dalit struggle. This reductionist logic is very much to
be scrutinised in my opinion.

Agree to the positions by ranju, dileep and sanjeev

> > > ------------------------------

> > > Yahoo! for Good helps you make a difference
>

> > > <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/mailuk/taglines/isp/control/*http://us.rd.yaho...>

[aryakrishnan ramakrishnan]

On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 11:21 AM, Anil Tharayath Varghese
<anilth...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Dear friends
>
> whenever i have been reading the reports on night vigil especially by
> Kairali Im always reminded of this quote (forgot who wrote it) "the
> camera is the penis" in this whole episode of the reporting process.
> Ive always felt that Kairali and Cpi(m) assumes this luxury of
> watching or taking films of the support groups in the logic of taking
> up a pornographic movie where all the actors inside the frames are to
> be "sex workers" and I find the crew (irrespective of wo/ men) feels
> some sort of a masturbation effect. I very feel strongly that this
> "yukthi"/ logic simply comes out that these saamskaarika extras are
> supporting a Dalit struggle. This reductionist logic is very much to
> be scrutinised in my opinion.

Getting pleasure while shooting the movie, whether masturbatory or
other, cannot be prevented. Getting pleasure while writing, reading,
doing activism also cannot be prevented. Do we need to scrutinise and
decide what feeling people get when they engage in activism, shooting
films, writing mails like this, praying or even breast feeding. Why
are we always against pleasure? I remeber Tom Of Finland, one of the
prominent artists of the century writing 'I dont consider drawings
which does not give me an erection as art'.

I think the problem of CPI(M), and the Samskarika nayika nayakar in
Kerala is that they deny pleasure. They are against pleasure.

Let us not compare pornography to this. Pornography can be of high
quality, without labor exploitation, and can be done in a very decent
way. And the actors in pornography are not necessarily sex workers,
they are actors. But what Sakshi and Kairali does is a one sided
thing, they donot seek permission or consent. Also the product,
whether it gives pleasure to the men in kairali channel, is at the
coast of other people's privacy. Let us not equate this to
pornography. This is media terrorism. Pornography deserved better
analysis and understanding.

[Dileep Raj]

I think there are certain codes for reception attached with each particular Channel/ Newspaper. A news appearing in" Crime " or "Fire" if printed in deshabhimani will be received differently. An advertisement in Vanitha, if given in "Crime" will be enjoyed differently.

A porn story if published in Bhashaposhini, will be read differently.

 

So, whether pornography or Kairali's reporting of Night Vigil, our attention should be more on its reception side than production side I suppose. We couold intervene and change the codes through which it is received.

 

I don't think Deshabhimani or kairali will dare airing/ publishing such ( manipulated) stuff

if there are no takers for it.

 

Let us provoke ourselves about the way we recieve it.. ( see for instance that 

our many sympathysers took the visuls along with the version in which it is enveloped on   on screen as the 'fact'.) 

[appunni]

Hello,
I searched for this report in Madhyamam dailies but failed.
Can you attach the copy of the news report?
If such a news was not there, this response will be an
'irrensponsible' one. Because, all these discussions started based on
this thread.
There is a democratic custom that you would have to apologise
in the name of this fake reporting (of course, if it is fake).
Otherwise, if it is true, I completely agree with you.
It is unfortunate that if such live progressive discussion
groups as this starts like mainstream medias creating reports from
nowhere and making unwanted discussions based on it.
with regards,
appunni

[kabeerkatlat]

Bharadhwaj Reshma should respond Appunni's question. You have stated a
report in Madhyamam (off course your bracketed remarks - anticipatory
bail - that you have not read the report! clearly shows the 'reported
statement' is fabricated). Atleast the moderator should interfere here
against a false (intentional) attempt but in fail.

regards,
kabeer, dubai

> >       DELETE button is history. Unlimited mail storage is just a click away. Go tohttps://edit.india.yahoo.com/config/eval_register- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Dileep Raj]

Dear Appunni ( jayaraj CN?), Kabeer,

 

Madhyamam Daily, 6th April ( Calicut Edition), 2nd page.

 

Our friends says, she was reportedly speaking at YuvajanaVedi's 8th annual meeting.

Isn't it a front organisation of CPI(ML)? Which fraction is it? ( may be jayaraj C N will be knowing)

 

Thanks for the insistence on correct reference. We live more on trust in others these days.

 

Hope you will checK the veracity of the reference and take responsibility of your allegations

 

DileepRaj

Reshma Bharadwaj 

[Anivar Aravind]

kabeerkatlat wrote:
> Bharadhwaj Reshma should respond Appunni's question. You have stated a
> report in Madhyamam (off course your bracketed remarks - anticipatory
> bail - that you have not read the report! clearly shows the 'reported
> statement' is fabricated). Atleast the moderator should interfere here
> against a false (intentional) attempt but in fail.

Geedha Forwarded it in the split-away-list Grey youth movement.
Since it was a request to moderators i am pointing the link to it
Thanks geedha for pointing it

http://groups.google.com/group/grey-youth-movement/msg/4f99964b7ed86240

[JAYARAJAN. C.N.]

Dear Aravind,
                     
                    I had already wrote a reply to Dileep&Reshma.  I think my letter was directed directly to dileep's personal id. So I am reproducing once again.I forgot to put copy to green youth. Actually  my letter to Dileep raj and Reshma had to be come between Dileep&Reshma's letter and your letter. Here is my letter.
                        
                      Dear Dileep and Reshma,
                    Thanks for your reply showing correct reference. In Idukki district where I am staying there was no such report. I checked in Madhyamam online but again failed. That is why I asked you to attach a photostat of the same.
                     After getting your reply, I contacted Com.M.K.Dasan , State Secretary, Yuvajanavedi for details regarding this. He said that P.Geetha told in the Meeting that the 'night vigil' incident has been utilised to divert attention of the people from the central issue of Chengara Land struggle. He also said that P.Geetha wanted such actions should assessed. He added that 'assessment' was intended to be carried out through progressive-democratic forces and not through an enquiry by some ' crime branch' like government agencies.
                    Com.Dasan also told me about the report in Madhayamam daily Calicut Edition Local page. He told that the news in Madhyamam was so sensational which can be expected from such media that can be negelected.
                    As far as com.Dasan's remarks are concerned, I feel it is totally correct. Because, such actions will help to expel diversionary movements and at the same time will help to grow enforcing movements.
                   I invite others remarks who were actually present in the meeting and others for getting viewpoints from different angles.
Cheers,
appunni (Jayarajan.C.N is my real name. When registered to this forum, I used my son's pet name as username. So you can call me any).

             sorry for the mistake.
cheers,
appunni

[appunni]

[ranju radha]

it is not only the moral positions of how to condcut protest, but the subjective positions of the players that matters and should also be taken into account. as Jenny pointd out.  the arguments and enthusiasm shown for hugging protests were not seen when posters pasted against Chitralekha, A dalit woman. Deshabhimani in its news reposrts hadmocked chitralekha also... these were non-issues for feminist groups. it s these very groups now come up with articles/poems/symphatheitc rhetoric etc. nothing wrong. but it d be very kind if dont patronise "all" struggles.  thnks

[Anivar Aravind]

ranju radha wrote:
>
> it is not only the moral positions of how to condcut protest, but the
> subjective positions of the players that matters and should also be
> taken into account. as Jenny pointd out. the arguments and enthusiasm
> shown for hugging protests were not seen when posters pasted against
> Chitralekha, A dalit woman. Deshabhimani in its news reposrts hadmocked
> chitralekha also... these were non-issues for feminist groups. it s
> these very groups now come up with articles/poems/symphatheitc rhetoric
> etc. nothing wrong. but it d be very kind if dont patronise "all"
> struggles. thnks

Just Uploaded Devika's article from Current issue of Mathrubhumi weekily

Check in Files section
http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth/files

Anivar