National award winner, veteran Malayalam filmmaker George dies
Kochi (PTI): Veteran Malayalam filmmaker and national award winner K G George died on Sunday at an old age home near Kakkanad here. He was 78, according to a source at the old age home.
The veteran director suffered a stroke five years ago and the last couple of months had become very difficult for him, the source said. Condolences poured in from people, including politicians, actors and directors, from all walks of life on social media.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in his condolence message said the filmmaker's death was an irreparable loss to the Malayalam film industry. George handled issues affecting society by analysing the societal structure and the mindset of individuals, the chief minister said in his Facebook post paying tribute to the veteran director.
He worked to reduce the difference between artistic and commercial cinema, Vijayan said."There are not many directors who have handled different themes (in their films)," the chief minister said in his post.
George's funeral is likely to be held on Tuesday, the old age home said. He received the national award for best feature film Swapnaadanam (1976) and has also bagged nine state film awards since he started his film career in 1970.
Ulkaddal (1979), Onappudava (1978), Yavanika (1982) and Adaminte Variyellu (1984) are some of the best directorial works of the award winning director who was in 2015 selected for the J C Daniel Award -- the Kerala government's highest honour for outstanding contribution to Malayalam cinema.
Panchavadi Palam directed by George in 1984 is considered one of the best political satire films in Malayalam cinema.
His wife Selma George and son Arun are in Goa and daughter Thara is in abroad, the old age home said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Congress using hijab issue to pacify minority anger, alleges Karnataka LoP R Ashoka
Bengaluru: Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R. Ashoka has accused the Congress government of using the hijab issue to placate what he described as discontent among minority voters after the Davanagere by-election.
In a post on X on Wednesday, Ashoka alleged that the state government, instead of addressing issues such as price rise, corruption, farmers’ distress and law and order, was attempting to retain its minority vote base by reviving the hijab issue.
Referring to the 2022 dress code introduced by the BJP government, which prohibited hijab in schools and colleges, Ashoka said the Karnataka High Court had upheld the policy and emphasised the importance of discipline in educational institutions.
He questioned the Congress government’s move to revisit the issue and asked whether setting aside the court-backed policy to benefit one community could be described as secularism.
Ashoka further alleged that while the government was willing to permit hijab, it continued to prohibit saffron shawls.
He accused the government of dividing students on religious lines rather than treating schools and colleges as spaces of equality.
Drawing a comparison with Mamata Banerjee’s government in West Bengal, Ashoka claimed that excessive appeasement politics had harmed the state and warned that the Congress in Karnataka could face a similar political response.
He said voters in Karnataka would teach the Congress a lesson for what he termed “vote-bank politics” and for compromising constitutional and judicial principles.
