People afraid of questioning injustice, says Zacharia

C. Soman Award presented to writer P. Surendran

August 06, 2012 10:40 am | Updated 10:40 am IST - THIRUVANANTHAPURAM

Writer Zakariya presenting the C.Soman Award instituted by the C.Soman Cultural Foundation to P.Surendran at a function in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Photo: S. Mahinsha.

Writer Zakariya presenting the C.Soman Award instituted by the C.Soman Cultural Foundation to P.Surendran at a function in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday. Photo: S. Mahinsha.

Paul Zacharia, writer, said here on Sunday that Kerala was going through a strange phase where murder had taken on a ritualistic tenor and victims were being treated like sacrificial animals.

Referring to the recent political murders, Mr. Zacharia said Kerala society was being converted into a slave society where people pawned their conscience and were afraid of questioning injustice.

He was speaking after inaugurating the C.Soman Award function organised by the C. Soman Cultural Foundation.

“We are actually going through a crisis, and it has started affecting our everyday life. I don’t think political parties in Kerala realise the gravity of this crisis,” he said.

Mr. Zacharia said Islamisation of terror continued to be a major issue in India, where even the Home Minister refused to accept the reality of Hindutva terror.

On the death of Satnam Singh, a youth from Bihar who was arrested by the police for allegedly assaulting Mata Amritanandamayi, Mr. Zacharia said one would never come to know what really happened to him.

Mr. Zacharia handed over the C. Soman Award to writer P. Surendran.

Mr. Surendran bagged the award for his short story Blood House .

Film-maker Lenin Rajendran presided over the function, in which writers K.E.N. Kunjahammed and V.K. Joseph, and S.V. Venugopan Nair, and poet D. Vinayachandran were present.

Mr. Rajendran said the foundation would organise more art and literary events, such as workshops and short film festivals, in the coming days.

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