THRISSUR: The sixth edition of the ViBGYOR International Film Festival concluded here on Sunday.
The five-day festival which screened as many as 130 short films as well as documentaries ended on a statement that the amount of human rights violations that challenge the marginalised people, activists and mediapersons is increasing day by day.
While natural resources are allowed to be looted, displacing millions of people who had controlled these resources for centuries, the representatives of governments are becoming more and more representatives of the corruption machinery. Laws are being made and implemented for the profit of a small section of people at the expense of the rest of the populace.
Support for Irom Sharmila
The participants at the festival demanded that India should stop brutal violence in Chhattisgarh, Manipur, Nagaland and other states where the Armed Forces Special Powers Act(AFSPA) legitimises the torture, rape and killing of innocent civilians.
The participants expressed their solidarity with Irom Sharmila, whose hunger fast to repeal AFSPA in Manipur is still continuing even after 10 years.
Social activist Medha Patkar, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman K R Mohanan, Babu M Palissery MLA, Rajaji Mathew Thomas MLA and others attended the closing ceremony.