Painting tribute to Mahatma

Thiruvananthapuram: Exhibitions of pencil sketches on Ayyankali, drawn by E. V. Anil had caught the attention of people who attended the Ayyankali Jayanti programme inaugurated by Kabali director Pa Ranjith here on Sunday. In fact, one of the characteristics of the paintings was that they were drawn in connection with various Dalit struggles or for posters, notices and little magazines associated with Dalit movements.

Mr Anil who did not have any formal training started drawing pictures as part of Dalit activism. The posters and sketches drawn in connection with the Justice for Jisha campaign had gone viral in such a way that they were repeatedly used in posters and placards across the state to ensure justice to the Dalit law college student brutally raped and killed.

The posters of the Nilpu Samaram of Adivasis were widely used on the Facebook campaign page in support of the struggle. Around 17 sketches of Ayyankali were exhibited at the PWD Guest House, the venue of the seminar Mahatma Ayyankali, the architect of Modern Kerala, on the 153rd Jayanti of the great social reformer. Mr Anil had also brought out a book based on the illustrations of social reformer Poykayil Appachan. Mr Anil told DC that he had conducted over 25 exhibitions as part of various programmes organised as part of Dalit movements.

“Painting exhibitions are a costly affair. But, the money needed for the same was not spent from my pockets as friends associated with Dalit movements met all the expenses,” Mr Anil said. "I had also conducted an exhibition of 200 paintings on Ayyankali in TISS, Mumbai. I have also drawn a large number of sketches tracing the political biography of Ambedkar," he said.