Catholic Bishops' Council calls for ban on play based on nun's life, deems it insulting
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Kochi: A play named 'Kakkukali', based on the life of nuns, received the ire of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC), which believes that it insults Catholic monastic life and Christianity and wants the play to be banned.
The creators of the play argue that it represents a form of artistic expression and freedom. Adapted from a Malayalam short story by Francis Norona, the play was written by KB Ajayakumar, directed by Job Madathil, and performed by Neythal Nataka Sangham, a theatre group based in Alappuzha.
It portrays the challenges faced by a Catholic woman from a coastal area who defies her Communist father's wishes and becomes a nun.
KCBC president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis condemned the drama stating that it was against the cultural fabric of Kerala and staging it as a blot on the culture of the state. KCBC deputy secretary Jacob Palakkapilly, in a statement, said that the play insulted the self-respect and confidence of nuns, and has been included in the state government’s international drama fest. “The communist organisations are giving huge publicity for the drama,’’ the statement read.
But, the play director Madathil said that by now they have already staged it at 15 places and that the drama will go ahead as planned.
The trouble began when opposition came from a pro outfit of the KCBC- Pro-Life which raised a banner of revolt when it was to be staged at Guruvayoor Municipality's cultural event in Thrissur.
However, the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), the youth wing of the Communist Party of India (CPI), has come out in support of the play, saying that if the creators of the play wish to stage it at Thrissur, they will provide all support for it.
With inputs from IANS