Celebrities join hands for marginalised people
Rima Kallingal-Ashiq Abu and Poornima-Indrajith organized a standing protest
By : vinod nedumudy
Update: 2014-10-17 04:00 GMT
Kochi: Rising above party and ideological affiliations, celebrities, social and cultural workers are coming together to take up the cause of the marginalized people and issues that are being sidelined by mainstream political parties.
Leading the brigade are star couple Rima Kallingal-Ashiq Abu and Poornima-Indrajith. After organizing a standing protest on October 2, they are now organizing a similar protest on a larger scale in front of the Secretariat at Fort Kochi on Saturday from 6pm to 6am, in solidarity of the standing protest being organised by Adivasis for land, which has now crossed 100 days. Leaders of the Congress and Left parties are joining hands in support of this unique movement based in Kochi.
“We intend to form a grand alliance of people drawn from diverse sectors like politics, culture, film, literature etc., who are concerned about social and other issues. A number of eminent personalities have joined the movement and more issues will be identified and taken up,” said Sherin Varghese, Youth Congress state secretary, who is among those who have taken the initiative to form the alliance.
Koodankulam resistance movement convenor, Udayakumar will kick off the protest on Saturday. Among those who have come forward to join the alliance are film director Rajeev Ravi, actors Sidharth Bharathan, Geethu Mohandas and Kochi-Muziris Biennale Foundation president Bose Krishnamachary and its secretary Riyas Komu, environmentalist C.R. Neelakantan, V. D. Majeendran, Fr Augustine Vattoli, Left fellow-travellers Rajasekhar V. Das, Umer Farooq and Abhilash P. K.
A slew of artistes from various music bands have joined the alliance and will be performing on Saturday. The bands include Thaikoodam Bridge, Down To Earth and Under The Water and a few kalari bands and folk troupes in tow.