Delhi’s Kerala Club Drops Note Ban Docu Screening Post RSS Threats

The documentary was later screened at a private gathering organised by the Delhi Union of Journalists.

(Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

A Malayalam documentary titled Oru Chayakkadakkarante Mann Ki Bath, which throws light on the struggles of a tea vendor in Kerala's Kollam, following demonetisation, wasn't allowed to be screened at Delhi's Kerala Club after threats from the right wing, The News Minute reported.

However, the documentary was later screened at a private gathering organised by the Delhi Union of Journalists (DUJ), the report said.

Yahiya, the tea seller who is in his late 70s, had reportedly shaved a part of his head as a sign of protest during demonetisation. Later, on the first anniversary of the note ban, Yahiya had reportedly shaved half of his moustache too, to lodge his protest.

Sanu Kammil, the director of the documentary, told TNM that it was scheduled to be screened on 23 September. Senior journalist Sukumar Muralidharan was also scheduled to address the gathering on the financial crisis, he added.

"The event was organised by the Clone Cinema Alternative, a group formed by Delhi Malayalis, in association with the Kerala Club," Kammil reportedly said.

"News about the event came on the media and workers of the RSS-BJP said that they would not allow the screening,” Kammil, who is also a journalist from Kollam, added.

The Kerala Club had to eventually cancel the screening of the film, Sanu told TNM, adding that a private screening was then held with the support of A Sampath, Kerala’s special representative in New Delhi.

Man Featured in Documentary Burnt All His Money

It is learnt that Yahiya, who wanted to see his daughters married, had started a roadside shop in his homeland after returning from Saudi Arabia, where he worked in slave-like conditions.

Yahiya was reportedly robbed one day, following which he started saving his money in pits on the ground.

Yahiya, the report said, had managed to save a sum of Rs 23,000 in these pits till 8 November 2016, when the note ban was announced.

Hoping to exchange his savings with the new currency notes, Yahiya stood in the queue in front of a bank for two days, but fainted at the end of the second day as he was unwell, the report said.

Disappointed with the turn of events, he later burnt all his money, and shaved half of his hair, claiming that he would leave it like that till the Narendra Modi government was thrown out of power.

(With inputs from The News Minute)