K M Abbas, Kuzhur Wilson Win Thirumuttam Award

K.M.Abbas left and Kuzhur Wilson right Story Teller from Dubai creates Monnamathe Nagaram K M Abbas, the Thirumuttam award winner, is working in Gulf Today, a leading English Daily from the UAE. He is more known as a reporter of Kairali TV, the popular Malayalam channel. According to Abbas, he could pursue his writing career as his employer permitted him to do so. Moonnamathe Nagaram (The Third City) that won Thirumuttam Award is about communalism and hollowness in the life of an overseas Keralite. The current work is the author's reaction to communalism and Maradu massacre in Kerala. "The characters in the story who have no names are identified with nouns like 'I' 'We" and 'They' The story focuses on a Keralite expatriate in the Gulf who returns home in search of love. He is a man who lost everything including his wife, an icon of love and end up in a dangerous situation. Moonnamathe Nagaram is a story based on the train journey of a similar person. The central characters are like any of us, he reasoned. Hailing from an orthodox Muslim family of Arikkali Northern Kasargodu, Abbas has been working in the UAE for nearly a decade. His journalism career in the UAE started as the editor in charge of Gulf Voice, the first Malayalam monthly published from the Gulf. Its literary editor was Kochu Vava, the well-known expatriate writer who died at the young age of 43. After the monthly was closed down, Abbas joined the marketing department of Gulf Today where has been working for the last six years. Simultaneously, he has been working as the representative of Kairali Channel in Dubai. He is the executive producer of Gulf Diary, a popular Current Affairs and News Programme in Kairali TV. Back home, he was chief sub editor of Utharadesham evening newspaper for four years. He studied in Sir Sayyed College, Thalipparampu (B.Com 1982-197). Abbas is one of the many youngsters who started writing on social issues, campus love and restless college youth. Their inspiration was revolutionary poets like Balachandran Chullikkadu, Kadambanitta who wrote about the growing restlessness and uncertainty among the educated youth. "My writings have been influenced by these writers. Pomes by the revolutionary Peruvian poet Neruda have affected my writings. I have written the college magazine about campus love," Abbas says. In Dubai Abbas has translated the Arabic works of Dr.Shihab Khana and Mohammed Al Marr. Circus, is a story on the life of circus people. Even though many Malayalam writers have emerged from the Gulf region, the rich experience of the overseas Keralites life is not fully exploited in the literary works. "Gulf experience is coming in the mainstream literary works of Kerala. This is reflected in the writings of Sithara and Surabh. This may become a trend and I am trying to bring in the life experience of Gulf Malayalis," Abbas says. Many prominent Malayalam writers like Mukundan have produced literary work based on their North Indian life. Even though writings of some authors from the Gulf like Kochu Bhava have become popular, their focus was not the Gulf Malayali life. Kochu Vava has written only two stories Erachi Surab's novel Kalli Valli. Another novel Bhashanapriyarallatha Kadhapathrangal (characters who don't know the language) by Abbas was serialized in Mathrubhumi. His characters are not keen to express themselves. Sudani Galli, a short story by him got the Madhyamam Award for best short story . Sudani Galli was influenced by Somali Galli a place in Dubai. There are such pockets within crowded cities in different parts of the world. KM wishes the budding, socially conerned writer all the success in his writing career. TV channel honcho, NRI businessman figure in Kiliroor sex racket This was one of the headlines in one of the main southern online newspaper of today (4-Oct-04). Can I know why Kerala Monitor is silent on this. If our guess is correct the TV channel honcho is non other than the one who left Kuwait.Only recently Kerala Monitor praised his involvement and efforts in another case- this only prove that a leopard cannot change its colours and history repeats itself. Such people are only waiting for a chance to get a pat from people like you and you have given to him. Can you please correct your mistake? More Kerala ; TV channel honcho, two businessmen figure in Kiliroor sex racket 4-October-2004 PATHANAMTHITTA: The police have zeroed in on Latha Nair, the key accused in the Kiliroor sex scandal, and the arrest is likely to take place on Monday. Since the bail plea of Latha Nair is posted for Monday, the police are waiting for the court’s decision. Any arrest while the bail plea is pending in the court would adversely affect the police investigation, top police sources told this website’s newspaper. According to sources, the editor of a Malayalam television channel had recently met Latha Nair and the girl at a tourist resort in Alappuzha. Latha Nair, with the girl in tow, met him seeking a chance to work in some television programmes. They were together in the resort till noon and parted after having lunch, police sources said. According to the evidence collected from the house of Namboodiri who committed suicide along with his family members, the name of a leading jewellery owner, with a branch in Alappuzha, has been linked to Latha Nair and the sex racket. The jewellery owner is also said to be part of the blue-film racket controlled by Latha. The jeweller’s name is mentioned in the letter found from the priest’s residence. The involvement of an NRI returnee, a prominent figure in Alappuzha tourism industry, has figured in the list of persons mentioned by the victims. The NRI is already involved in a cheating case in a Gulf country. P.K.Sunil Journalist Chennai..Watch this space. Below Ajith Menon: New Hitman from Dubai Report about HIT 96.7 in Weblokam.com

Deteriorating Quality of Writers Worries Vengara K.P.K.Vengara, grandfather of radio broadcasting in the UAE, raised serious concern about the declining quality of Malayalam writing by young writers. The popular journalist said: "It should not be considered as an award, but a reward to reach greater heights in their writing career. It is unfortunate that many of the entries for the Thirumuttam literary award were writings made in a hurry. Words and ideas should come from the heart of the authors. Any writings without a human touch will be rejected by readers." Recollecting his friend and famous writer Kochu Vava, Vengara urged the Gulf Malayali writers to write for the sake of writing and not just aiming at the hefty award money...This idea is shared by many of us....He has also raised serious concern about the deteriorating quality of Malayalam used by radio programmers Thirumuttam Award Selection was Transparent and Impartial DUBAI - In Dubai there are many awards and rewards given by 'N' number of associations that exploit the Gulf Malayali's desire to get recognition. The organizers of Thirumuttam award constituted by Thiirumuttam, a leading cultural association, say that their award is different from other numerous fake awards. According to the organizers, the two award winners have been selected through a rigorous and transparent method, which involved many prominent writers and critics from here and Kerala. Normally such literary awards in the Gulf are given out without following the basic principles of impartiality and neutrality. Despite some criticism for giving the award to representatives of two leading visual media from Kerala, the organizers have their own rationale for the decision which has been objective and transparent. The award has been constituted in memory of N.M.Veoth, a writer and journalist from Kerala. According to Mahroof K, writer and one of the judges who made the preliminary selection, there were 42 short stories and 36 poems. "Out of 42 entries, a story written by K.M.Abbas was selected as one of the three best work. To ensure transparency in selection, all the entries were given to judges without the name of the authors. Even though there were many entries, some work did not reflect serious commitment to literary writing. "Some stories and poems appeared as if they were made just to send for the competition and earn the award money," Mahroob said. "The award was widely advertised in the mass media in the Gulf and Kerala. Out of 42 short stories written by writers from the UAE and Saudi Arabia, 10 were short listed in the preliminary selection and another panel from Kerala selected three out of the short listed stories. Moonnamathe Nagaram (The Third City) written by K M Abbas was selected for the short story award. From the poetry section, Randu Panthukal Kornishil Kandumuttumpol got the award. Kuzhur Wilson: Budding Dubai Poet Kuzhur Wilson, another budding poet in Dubai has won the award for his poetry, which is about two balls meeting in the crowded Korniche area. According to him, the idea to write this poem was his personal experience, while watching a football match by expatriates. The life of an ordinary expatriate, like a ball, is flexible and attracts merciless hits from any players, he says. Wilsonworks for Asianet Radio Dubai. Hailing from an orthodox Christian family of Kuzhur in Trichur, Wilson says the only book in his home was a Bible. It was the unique colloquial language used his illiterate mother like many other villages that inspired him to learn good Malayalam and become a poet now. Receiving the first literary award, Wilson said that even though his role models were revolutionary poets like Balachandran and Kadambanitta, he prefers to travel a different path now. His first poetry Vanchi was published in the Panampalli Memorial Government College magazine. He started journalism as the Mala reporter of Express Newspaper. He studied CSMS School of Commercial Management Studies and oriental Course in Cultural Journalism. Later he joined as reporter Kochi bureau Chandrika Newspaper. Later he worked as sub editor for Kaladarpanam edited by M.V.Devan. He was also the scriptwriter for D-Net, which produced a feature film on famous bachelors of Kerala. In this work, he featured prominent writers like Sukumar Azhikodu, D.Vinayachandran, Kunjunni Master, O.V.Usha and A.B.Vajpayee. Thirumuttam Award may be shifted to DALA The Award sponsor Sreejith, son of the famous freedom fighter and writer is learned to be unhappy about Thuirumuttam, the award organizers and may shift the award next year to a more popular organization like Dubai Art Lovers Association (DALA). KM learns that the award was sponsored by Sreejith, a not so big businessman in memory of his father late M.O.Voyeth. However, the award giving ceremony or the wide media coverage of the event did not give due importance to the deceased writer and journalist. There is also criticism from some corners that the award is willy nilly shared by representatives of two leading Malayalam channels - Kairali TV and Asianet. It has been a common practice for the innumerable number of associations in Dubai to link their name to prominent journalists and editors with the hope that their involvement in public functions would ensure wide and sometimes unwarranted media projection. Most of the associations keep the decision makers in the print, visual and radio happy by giving them awards or public platform. While the media should always be part of such socio-political activities, they should not kneel down before the associations by giving unwarranted media coverage. It is learned that Asianet, the leading Malayalam channel has instructed its senior staff from associating with such public functions. Is that one reason that kept Mr.Chandra Senan, Programme Director, Asianet Radio Dubai from attending the award giving ceremony? Journalist Committed to a Social Cause : M.C.A.Naser Watch this space. Promoting Oman or Promoting oneself ? Dear Sir This refers to the documentary -'Oman-Destination of the New Millennium', which was part of a recently held film festival in Trivandrum, capital City of Kerala, in India. I would like to let you know that I had the opportunity to see the documentary, which was screened during the Soorya film festival 2004..The documentary was conceived by a journalist named (name withheld) in Muscat. And I would like to bring to your attention the following:- If selling Oman as the Pearl of Arabia had been the objective, it would have been more appropriate for the producer to push the documentary through festivals like tourism festivals. What is hilarious is that towards the end of the documentary, the producer has shown a clipping of her family photograph to add to the Indianness. It's quite shameful that people are stooping to such low levels for promoting themselves. The editing has been done with such callousness that even the word millennium, which appears in the title of the documentary, was misspelt. Sir, We are aware that Oman is a beautiful place and is a great part of the Middle East to go on a vacation. But in the interest of Ministry of Tourism, Oman, we request you to ensure to be beware of producers like the above who in the name of promoting Oman as a tourist destination are promoting themselves.also, Also, the concerned authorities of any country such as the ministry of Tourism should ensure such documentaries to be featured at the appropriate forum like Tourism festivals and not cultural festivals which would enable them to deliver the right message to the right audience and to enhance the tourist traffic to their country. by M. Menon Muscat.

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