Wednesday was a special day for the government employees in the district collectorate. On Wednesday, Balachandran Chullikkad, the maverick rebel poet of Malayalam and perhaps the most well known government employee in the state, formally bid adieu to his colleagues in the district treasury where he was working for the last 25 years. As pointed out by district collector P I Sheik Pareeth, he was given the warmest farewell the collectorate had ever seen. Chullikkad’s farewell speech, that was characteristically fierce and startlingly political hinted at the possible future trajectory of the poet. Recalling his own humble working class origin, the poet pointed that it was the freedom struggle and related renaissance movement in Kerala that paved the ground for poets like him to write. “It was the immense sacrifices of an early generation that changed the social fabric of our society. Those selfless acts helped the oppressed castes and women, who were denied the right to cover their breasts. It is the duty of all of us to maintain that legacy”, he said.
The poet, always considered as a staunch proponent of secularism and fierce critic of religious orthodoxy narrated an incident to denote the meaning and potential of the human love that transcends narrow reading of scriptures. “A Muslim woman colleague of mine sacrificed her Ramdan fasting to take part in my farewell lunch. In strict orthodox terms, this may not seen as a proper act in the spirit of religion. But a creative and sharp reading of the texts points out that Islam prioritises love and camaraderie over customs. I’m moved by the act of my colleague”, he said. P I Sheik Pareeth inaugurated the function. C R Omanakuttan, Sreemulanagaram Mohan, M V Benny and other dignitaries attended the function.