An effort by the chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (Kerala State Film Academy) to jampack the government-funded institution with Marxists and Islamic fundamentalists have come a cropper thanks to an initiative by Ramesh Chennithala, Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Assembly.
Chennithala shocked the ruling CPI(M) and the cultural fraternity in the State when he released on the floor of the House, copy of a letter written by Mohammed Majeed Kamaluddin (popularly known as Kamal), chairman of Kerala State Film Academy, in which he has demanded A K Balan, minister of culture, to declare the Marxists and Islamists working in the Academy on contract basis as permanent staff.
Kamaluddin was appointed chairman of the Academy by the CPI(M)-led Pinarayi Vijayan Government as part of its policy of appeasing minorities. The movie maker is an accused in a sexual abuse case that happened in 2018. An upcoming film artist had alleged that Kamaluddein had sexually exploited her after promising the role of heroin in his new venture. But the director said that he had settled the issue then and there giving credence to the charges by the young artist.
The Film Academy chairman has said in his letter that persons who have been working as Deputy Director (Festival), Festival Programme Manager, Deputy Director (Programmes), Programme Manager on contract basis be declared as permanent staff members of the Government of Kerala. Film Academy is tasked with holding the annual International Film Festival of Kerala.
Kamaluddin has said that cultural institutions in the State should be packed with Marxists and those who uphold/follow Progressive/Marxist ideology. “This is to sustain the Left nature of the Film Academy,” Kamaluddin has written in his letter to the Minister.
“All cultural organisations funded by the Government of Kerala, viz Kerala Sahitya Academy, Music and Dance Academy, Folklore Academy, Academy of Fine Arts are jampacked with CPI(M) activists and fellow travellers of the party.
