The Ayyappa Paniker Foundation conducted a virtual gathering of poets from all over the globe in order to communicate their resistance to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Around 45 poets and 12 artists became part of the visual chain named ‘Voices from far and near’.
Poems written in different languages were translated into English and streamed in YouTube. The poems were collected and compiled by poet Santhan from Kerala.
Themes
The poets’ works touched upon themes including loneliness, the fear of the disease, the plight of the migrant workers thrown out from their jobs and forced to flee from the cities on foot. The session opened with the poem ‘The Circle’ by poet K. Satchidanandan, president of the foundation.
Some of the poets who participated were Jack Hirchman, Narayana Swami Venkatayogi and Nishi Chawla from USA, Claus Ankerson from Denmark, Laura Garavaglia, Zingonia Zingone and Anna Lombardo from Italy, Aurelia Lassaque from France, Tsippy Levin Byron from Israel, Hava Pinhas Cohen from Jerusalem, Yuyutsu Sharma from Nepal, Hugo Alberto Costa from Argentina, Azam Abidov from Uzbekistan and Chris Song Ziang from China. The Indian poets included Mangesh Narayana Rao Kale from Maharashtra, Yakoob and Shilalolitha from Andhra Pradesh, Sabarjeeth Garcha, Krishnundu and Sreedhar Babu Pasanuru from Delhi, Mamta Sagar from Karnataka, Salma from Tamil Nadu, G. Satya Sreenivas from Telangana, Adithya Sankar from Karnataka.
The Malayalam poets K.G. Sankara Pillai, Kureepuzha Sreekumar, S. Joseph, Rosemary, Santhan, Gireesh Puliyoor, Sebastian, Sivakumar Ambalapuzha, Sreejith Pernthachan, Vinod Vaisakhi, T.K. Santosh Kumar, Sabu Kottukal, Ravunni, Kalathara Gopan, Savithri Rajeevan, D. Anil Kumar and Suresh Nooranadu took part.
Artists Bose Krishnamachari, Riyas Komu, Soumen Bhaumik, Tensing Joseph, T.R. Udaya Kumar, Karakkamandapam Vijayakumar, G. Sunilkumar, C. Bhagyanath, N.N. Rimson and V. Satheeshan participated.
