Kerala's 56th birthday celebrations organised by Kerala Sahitya Akademi in Kochi

Viswa Malayala Mahotsavam, the three-day conclave initiated by the Department of Culture and the Kerala Sahitya Akademi to highlight the literary and artistic tradition of Kerala in the world map, is the star attraction of the state’s birthday celebrations this year, besides the launch of a Malayalam university in Tirur. However, as Kerala turns 56 today, to most Keralites around the world, the day means nothing more than that rare occasion to dress oneself up in traditional attire.
We breathe the same air on the first day of the Malayalam month of Chingam, that announces the onset of Onam, and on November 1; though, the latter lacks the former’s festive spirit. Sheetal Scaria, a city-based techie, says, “For all I know, November 1 is Kerala’s date of birth. And I don’t think people in my generation would want to venture into its history beyond this. They’d rather go buy a new kurta or the traditional Kerala setu mundu to go traditional for the day.” Her colleague, Ritu Ganguli, adds, “It’s my second year in Kerala and I’ll be diligently dressing myself up in traditional attire too. This is one day, besides Onam, where all of us take a walk down tradition.”
For Praveen Menon, an advocate by profession, the day means nothing special except ‘innuendo state-wide speeches on the glory of Malayalam, and spotting men and women — on roads, offices and educational institutions — turning Malayali for a day’. He points out, “However, one initiative to be launched today might change this perspective — the Malayalam university at Tirur dedicated to the study of Malayalam linguistics, literature, performing arts, visual arts and architecture, cultural anthropology and cultural and intellectual heritage studies, among others. Things might actually take a turn for the better.”
November 1 is that one day of the year when we give our mother tongue the due importance it ought to get 24x7, all through the year, says Dr K Kochappan Pillai, a retired college professor. “President Pranab Mukherjee, in his inaugural address at the Viswa Malayala Mahotsavam, rightly pointed out that a language, however it may be enriched with traditional values and heritage, would lose its relevance and popularity if it did not evolve. How many youngsters these days would give this a serious thought?” he quizzes.