Ladies only
Women’s Day arrived at the festival a couple of months in advance. All teachers who served at the dining hall on Monday were women. There were 1,500 of them and they served lunch to 22,000, a record for this festival. “It is nice being part of a ladies-only team,” says T. Anitha, who came along with A.H. Zereena, P.T. Latha, and M. Sini, from GVHSS, Meppayyur.
Delayed wisdom
Competitions in Ottan Thullal and Parichamuttu Kali (HS) were scheduled to be held on Stage 5, St. Joseph’s Boys’ HSS, on Monday. However, only on Monday morning did the organisers realise that the stage was not big enough for Parichamuttu Kali. Immediately, the items scheduled for Stage 5 were moved to Stage 10, S.K. Pottekkat Cultural Centre and vice versa. Many participants of Otthan Thullal who reported at Stage 5 in the morning had to head for Stage 10, some 2 km away.
Basic amenities
The lack of a women’s toilet was a problem at St. Joseph’s BHSS. The female participants and accompanying teachers and parents took turns waiting outside the toilet while another went inside, as there was no door. The problem was solved on Sunday, the fourth day of the festival, by placing a ‘ladies only’ board outside one of the toilets and posting a few Fest Force volunteers outside it.
Healthy contest
A full-fledged medical team, led by District Medical Officer P.K. Mohanan, is at the festival venue. Spectators are also using the services of the team which comprises senior doctors and nurses.
Spreading a message
Though disaster prevention and management at the festival is their primary task, the Fire and Rescue Services personnel are using the opportunity at the main venue, Malabar Christian College, to spread a safety message. They distribute pamphlets which explain the dangers of lack of fire safety precautions at homes and public places.
Serious campaigns
The festival is also a venue for campaigns. Shafi Ponmundam, a philatelic exhibitor from Tirur in Malappuram district is scouting the city to collect 10,000 signatures in favour of his wish to get a postal stamp issued in the name of K.R. Narayanan, former President. “There are stamps in the name of Shihab Thangal and AKG, but not for K.R. Narayanan yet,” says the philatelist, who has collected over 6,500 signatures.
(Contributed by K.V. Prasad, Jabir Mushthari, Aabha Anoop, and P.K. Ajith Kumar)
