Film on Kerala Muslims wins praise at Oxford

LONDON: A film highlighting the plight of some Muslims facing the problems of citizenship in Kerala has been praised at a function at Oxford, where the movie was screened.

The screening of the film - Pardesi - by noted cultural and political activist from Kerala P T Kunhimohammad was organised by the Muslim Educational Society of Oxford and was attended by several leading academics and scholars here.

During the partition of India, thousands of Muslims from Kerala migrated to Pakistan but returned later because of different climate and food there. The Indian government treated them as citizens of Pakistan and tried to deport them after the expiry of their visas.

According to the Kerala government, there are over 400 India-born Pakistan passport holders staying in the state. Most of them are in the Malabar districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kannur.

Several of them, now in their old age, have been issued orders for deportation to Pakistan. Some of them have obtained a stay from the Kerala High Court. Both the state and central governments are blaming each other for the plight of these 'Pakistani citizens.'

The touching film tells the story of hundreds of people who were left alien in India due to lack of documents to prove themselves and their identity.

Pardesi focuses on the plight of Valiyakathu Moosa, an Indian Muslim who moves from the Malabar region of Kerala, to Karachi, during the British rule in search for a job.

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has played the main character in three stages of his life, between the ages of 35 and 80. Jagathy Sreekumar and Sidhique also star in the film as his friends.

Taj Hargey, chairman of MECO, said: " Paradesi is an eye-opening film. This inspirational film is a must-see for all those who wish to understand the roots and repercussions of the 1947 Partition of the Indian sub-continent.

"The director should be commended for bringing this controversial subject out in the open. No one should be punished in their old age for their past mistakes, real or perceived."

Kunhimohammad's two earlier films Magrib (1993) and Garshom (1998) have won him national accolades.

Courtesy/PTI/Yahoo News

ഒരുകൂട്ടം വ്രദ്ധന്‍മാടെ ജീവിത സായാന്ദരത്തില്‍ ആറടി മണ്ണിന്ന്‌ വേണ്ടിയെങ്കിലുമുള്ള മുറവിളിയെ പാക്കിസ്താന്‍ പൌരത്വം ആരോപിച്ച്‌ ഞെക്കിക്കൊല്ലുന്ന ഭരണകൂട ഭീകരര്‍ക്ക്‌ എന്തു ഞായീകരണമാണ്‌ നമ്മോട്‌ പറായനുള്ള്ത്‌? അവരുടെ കണ്ണീരൊപ്പാന്‍ യഥാര്‍ത്യങ്ങളിലേക്കുള്ള കുഞ്ഞുമുഹമ്മദിണ്റ്റെ ക്യമറക്കണ്ണ്‌ ഇന്ന്‌ ലോകം തന്നെ അവരോടപ്പം നില്‍ക്കുന്നതിലേക്കെത്തിക്കുന്നു. യഥാര്‍ത്തത്തില്‍ മനുഷ്യന്‍ ഭൂമിയില്‍ ഒരു യാത്രക്കരനാണെന്ന മുഹമ്മദീയ വചനം എത്ര ചിന്ദോപരിചിതം. പ്രിയപ്പെട്ട ഭരണകര്‍ത്താക്കളെ.. ഈ പാവങ്ങളുടെ യാത്ര സമാധാനത്തോടെയാവാന്‍ നന്‍മകാംശിച്ച്ക്കൊണ്ട്‌ നിയമത്തിന്നു മുന്‍പില്‍ ഒന്നു കണ്ണടച്ചുകൂടെ? പുണ്യം കിട്ടും...

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