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Communist Party of India-Marxist [CPI-(M)] Kerala State Secretary MV Govindan has responded to veteran filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan's recent remarks on Dalit, Adivasi and women filmmakers. On August 5, Govindan said Adoor’s comments “reek of feudal putrescence” and are an affront to Kerala’s progressive ideals.
Speaking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Govindan said that while Adoor claimed his statements were misinterpreted, they revealed deep-seated prejudice. “Such discourses are an injustice to a modern, democratic and progressive society such as ours,” he added.
Govindan’s remarks come in response to a controversy sparked by Adoor’s statements at a government-sponsored cinema conclave on August 3.
Adoor had claimed that state-sponsored funds for Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe (SC/ST) and women filmmakers “would pave the way for corruption”. The award-winning director had added, “The intention may be good, but the filmmakers need months of intense training before they make films.” Adoor had also said that the funds of Rs 1.5 crore awarded by the state to SC/ST and women filmmakers must be reduced to Rs 50 lakh.
Govindan dismissed such views as outdated. “Kerala has walked forward a lot, outpacing a decadent era. The oppressive caste system, an artificial feudal-era construct, has been relegated to the dustbin of history,” he said. Govindan added that the people of Kerala — shaped by working-class struggles and Renaissance movements — expect their leaders and cultural icons to act with awareness and accountability.
Gopalakrishnan’s remarks have triggered widespread outrage. The Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has taken suo motu cognisance and sought a report from the Museum Police to determine whether the statements violated the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Dalit activist and research scholar Dinu Veyil filed a formal police complaint, accusing Adoor of promoting ill will against Dalits by insinuating that they were prone to corruption and misuse of public funds.
Cultural leaders and political figures have also joined the chorus of condemnation. Assembly Speaker AN Shamseer termed the comments “inappropriate”, and Minister VN Vasavan, while attempting to downplay the controversy, reiterated the government’s commitment to schemes that uplift SC/ST and women filmmakers.
Noted singer and Sangeeta Nataka Akademi vice-chairperson Pushpavathy confronted Gopalakrishnan at the conclave, pointing to centuries of oppression faced by marginalised communities. Adoor dismissed her intervention and questioned her authority to speak.
Acclaimed director Dr Biju remarked, “The National Film Development Corporation follows a similar process. Why is training only needed when it comes to SC/ST and women filmmakers?”