Malik, A Controversial Remark over Beemapalli

Beemapalli, located in Thiruvananthapuram, is one of the ancient mosques of Kerala. It is bounded with glorious history and unpleasant stories of brutality. Obviously it is considered as the spiritual retreat for Keralites hailing from different castes and faiths, for their inner and physical soreness. Recently, Malik, a political crime film directed, written and edited by Mahesh Narayanan under the banner of Anto Joseph film company has brought the unsolved forgotten stories of Beemapalli. Therefore, it is pointless to deal the ongoing issue without delving into the revered and yet painful history of Beemapalli.

Sayyidunnisa Beema Beevi, a muslim women believed to have divine power and her son Maheen Abubacker become popularized to natives with their unimaginable meditation power and glowing piety. They were believed to belong to the Prophetic (pbuh) family and migrated to Kerala in the ruling period of third ruler of Islamic Caliphate, Usman (r). After the long journey of spiritual and medical services they settled in Thiruvellam. The expertise and singular capacity of Maheen and Beema beevi spread out to the south Travancore. Despite the meditation power their pious religious personality attracted the patients and visitors. It made them to embrace Islam wholeheartedly. While the increasing conversion to Islam was blocked by the intimidated behest The King of Travancore Marthanda Varma. He feared that it will form as a challenge to their existence. Therefore, the emperor brewed clandestine conspiracies to resist suzerainty of the outsiders. But Maheen unwaveringly responded to the excessive taxation and said we wouldn’t give a single penny to any one in the land of Almighty God. This brave appearance provoked the king and they decided to kill Maheen and his peers by deception. Soon after the death of Maheen his mother Beema Beevi lost to depression. Later as a monumental, a mosque was built in the place where two of them were buried. Now that mosque is famous in the name of Beema Beevi. People believe that they could find ease and healing there.

People from every walks of life experience something soothing mesmerizing peace and tranquility from this place. There is a famous well in the name of Marunn kinar (well of medicine)believed to has abundance of divine and medical advantages from which visitors drink and bath hoping sudden cure and health. Totally, this place is bound with numerous historical events and stories of exemplary personalities like Baba Mastan. Now, the firing incident at Beemapalli has been discussing across Kerala by the recent releasing of Malik movie of Mahesh Narayanan.

Beemapalli Police Firing Incident

Beemapalli and Cheriyathura are two fishermen village in Thiruvananthapuram. There is around a kilometer and a half away from each other. Beemapalli is a Muslim populated area and Cheriyathura is a Latin, Catholic populated area. On the previous day of the firing, on May 16, 2009 when a person reportedly the goon of the place, Kombu Shibu, refused to pay the bill after having tea and made some scene, a scuffle broke out between the people of Beemapalli and who support Shibu. If the talks between them was held in the presence of sub collector who ordered to arrest him while there were no any development in his arrest. Next day Shibu came and didn’t let to conduct Uroos, a perinnial nercca in Masjid. He challenged people causing the bittersweet skirmishes to be worsened. Moreover, he intrigued with people continuously. They resisted him and they weren’t ready to disperse. At the same time there were heavy police force presence in the precincts of Cheriyathura and Valiyathura. Amid the chaotic situation, police fired upon the innocents at around 2:30 pm. According to fact-finding report of NCHRO (National confederation of human rights organization) 6 muslims killed and 52 injured. Despite the second largest firing incident in the state, the brutal murder was not covered by mainstream media except some independent reporters. And some media tried to justify this police audacious invasion and brutal homicide and to save CPIM from its responsibility of this barbaric incident. Then the state was governed by V.S Achudhanathan as chief minister and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan as Home minister. But any media even didn’t dare to reveal the party name let alone their names. However it was huge mistake from the government. Police even tried to create false narratives to pull the wool over the eyes of people. The Hindu newspaper reported that “The state police have told the judicial commission enquiry in to the police firing of Cheriyathura last year that the police restored to firing to disperse the violent mob in accordance with law and procedure.”

Although the government was declared the compensation of 10 lakh for the victim’s families, most of the killed was bread earners of those families. In an interview conducted by Media One, Nizamudheen who was lost his leg due to the injury caused in Beemapalli shoot out of May 17, 2009, said, “police fired and acted brutally. If the government has proclaimed compensation and job, yet it is mere dream so far.” Many people like Nizamudheen are still facing the painful consequences of injuries and injustice of irresponsible government.

The report of Justice Ramakrishnan commission that conducted on enquiry in to the incident has not been published yet. Therefore, it is true as day that they are concealing something and trying to glorify someone who led and become of the cause of the inhuman violence.

Malik, behind the screen

The demonization and marginalization of particular community in films is not a new tendency. But it has been continuing either covertly or overtly as it reached in this recent film Malik. Malik, the Malayalam political crime drama film directed, written and edited by Mahesh Narayanan, which focuses on Beemapalli firing incident, fans the flame of communal issue once again. Although Mahesh Narayanan said that it is a fictional story, the movie represents the issue of Beemapalli firing and tries to degrade specific community. We cannot take it as entirely coincidental like the movie screen displayed. Surely, it can be regarded as positive that the movie has caused to bring Beemapalli firing incident to discussion panel and helped newcomers to know about the forgotten event of government’s brutality.

Here, besides telling story of the film I want look over the film along its unforgivable elements. When it is scrutinized thoroughly there is only one leading element as the film remains some voids from the genuine history of Beemapalli firing. It was in tenure of living legend of Marxist part the whimsical V. S Achuthanandan and Kodiyeri Balakrishnan. The movie tries to conceal the real culprits of the incident and deliberately strives to hide them from screen.

The movie casts about the role of a goon, Shibu (In movie David represents his role) in Ramadapalli firing case. And Mahesh tries to tell that the master plan of the firing is a Muslim MLA of a Muslim League party. Purposely, one political party was shown in Malik, that too having green flag. Again and again movie dispense the islamophobic contents and try to depict Islam as extremist religion. That in one scene mahallu committee doesn’t allow Christians to enter in mosque as rehabilitation from tsunami which hit the shore. This totally against Kerala ethos. Totally film purposely concealed some crucial elements of Beemapalli firing incident and didn’t show any moral approach to the victims of the firing. Yes, like any other commercial film, it has spilled out the islamophobia and tried to not reveal and publicize the real culprits of the issue.

Here, rather than posting the criticizing reviews and opinions in public domain we should ready to do something alternative to resist the purposeful fiction oriented casting of islamophobia. Sure, this movie will affect in future generation and in their findings about the issue. Let stand hand in hand to prevent the bad and yet continuing tendency of commercial films.