MALAPPURAM: As Nilambur heads to vote on Thursday in one of the most talked-about bypolls in Kerala, the real battle isn’t just between LDF’s M Swaraj and UDF’s Aryadan Shoukath — it’s also between two rival camps of writers and ‘cultural icons’ trying to out-endorse each other.
Both candidates are widely accepted as members of Kerala’s “buji” (intellectual) circle — well-read, well-spoken, and perhaps more likely to be found in a lit fest than a local market. The result? The campaign trail turned into something resembling a literary seminar with political banners.
The buzz began when LDF launched a campaign fronted by cultural heavyweights, wrapped under the banner "Samskarika Keralam Swarajinoppam". In simpler terms: “All the cultured folks are with Swaraj.” A public meet held on June 11 featured an all-star lineup — K R Meera, Murukan Kattakada, Benyamin, Sheela Tomy, PT Kunjumuhammed and others — who lent their names and reputations to push for Swaraj.
Social media, naturally, followed suit. Filmmaker Shahabas Aman, artist Bose Krishnamachari and many others posted statuses that basically said, “Swaraj is our guy.”
But not everyone from Kerala’s creative corridors was amused. Writers like Kalpetta Narayanan, J Devika, Joy Mathew, and K G Sankarapillai fired back, accusing the Left of trying to monopolise Kerala’s cultural identity for votes. Some even asked pointed questions — like what exactly has culture done for ASHA workers or tribal communities in Nilambur?
Then came the big twist. A few days later, many of the same critics (yes, including Kalpetta Narayanan and J Devika) showed up at a pro-Aryadan Shoukath cultural event. Apparently, culture is bipartisan. There, the UDF camp pitched Shoukath not only as a candidate but also as a cultural contributor in his own right — citing his leadership of local self-governments and promotion of art in the region.
So, Nilambur voters are now spectators in a full-fledged “war of words” between rival cultural factions. But on the ground, things are a bit more basic. As local filmmaker and voter Shamal Sulaiman bluntly put it: “The voters in Nilambur are ordinary people."
Even though the people of Nilambur endorse the art and cultural spectrum, that would be the least priority for the people here, at this time, he says. "I feel that issues like tribal protest, the need for good road and hospital services and many other things are infront of us and that's what the people of Nilambur weigh when going to the polling booths and the candidates offering that will win. Art and entertainment only comes next,” reckons Sulaiman, who is also a voter in the constituency.
PuKaSa’s state secretary from Malappuram Basheer Chungathara, however, points out that the LDF’s literary fest pulled a crowd, and beyond political alliances. "There are a lot of cultural activists in the region, even though not in the mainstream. These people are happy that Nilambur is being a space for such discussions and makes way for a new change through the LDF candidate,” explains Chungathara.
The voters head to the booths on Thursday. Intellectuals may have already cast their vote — on Facebook. But Nilambur’s actual electorate might just be more interested in a good bus service than a good book.
The final verdict? Out on June 23. Until then, the intellectuals can keep debating — preferably over a cup of chai and not a microphone.
