Author: Rosamma Jose
Publication: Mid-Day
Date: November 17, 2000
The Malayalam play Savamtheenikal,
which angered the Arab word, has created ripples in Kerala too. Fundamentalists
are up in arms against the MI Higher Secondary School for Girls at Puthuponni
in Malappuram district for staging the play at its youth festival.
The school authorities have already tendered an apology and suspended the
two teachers responsible for staging the play, after religious student
organisations went on a rampage, ransacking the school and attacking teachers.
The two teachers are C P Abdul Latheef and K Subhashithan.
The play had earlier
resulted in several Malayalees in Sharjah being punished. The agitators
said that certain remarks in the play written by Karthikeyan Padiyath were
derogatory to Prophet Mohammed.
A section of the audience
rose in protest during the play. A meeting convened by the school
authorities subsequently ended in commotion. School Manger A V Hamza
and Principal U M Ibrahim Kutty later tendered an apology and assured action
against all those responsible for staging the play.
