How will life be in a country that is oppressed? What kind of survival can we find in a land where murders are a routine affair? Nobody is more eligible to describe such kind of life and survival than someone from Cambodia.
Theary Si Seng, who survived the killing fields of the cruel leader Pol Pot, will take part in the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letter from January 30 till February 2. On January 30, Theary Si Seng, author of the famous book ‘Daughters of the Killing field’, will take part in a conversation with Journalist Parasa Venkateswara Rao.
Prime Minister Modi’s foreign diplomacy and visits are often hailed by the BJP and criticised by the opposition. MBIFL will take a different look on the subject through the eyes of Shakespearean characters. The session will be attended by foreign affairs expert TP Sreenivasan and Journalist Arun Laxman.
Discrimination on the basis of one’s skin colour is not something that Keralites are too familiar with. Gavin Evans attends MBIFL to find answer to the question on whether human intellect is linked to one’s skin colour. The discussion will be based on Evan’s book ‘Journies of the divisive science of human race’. Manash Firaq Bhattacharya will moderate the discussion with Gavin Evans.
Writers like VT Bhattathirippad, NN Pilla and KT Muhammed lived and wrote at a golden time when writing, writer and their criticisms were at its peak. They demolished the decayed pillars of communities and societies with more potency than thot of Maradu flats. How freely would they have expressed themselves had they lived in the present day Kerala. The discussion on the freedom of expression will see participation from Hameed Chedamangalur, TP Rajeevan, KC Narayanan and Jayan Shivapuram.
MN Karasserry will speak on ‘How a terrorist is made’ in this year’s MBIFL. The speech will explore the reasons why activists leave their parties to take up terrorism and violence.
Students have taken up the streets in the country. Kancha Ilaiah will speak on the unrest that is developing in the universities today.