Noted literati MN Karassery’s visit to UK leaves Malayalee arts fraternity enriched (Video)

By A Staff Reporter

LONDON April 10: Noted writer, orator and critic MN Karassery or Mohiyuddin Nadukkandiyil Karassery was on a visit to the UK for the last six months. MN Karassery is known for his writing and lectures on politics, literature, art and culture.

During his visit he attended various events, visited places and met with different individuals. He has now returned to Kerala. This website spoke to a few who were able to experience MN Karassery in person.

Mini Raghavan – London

“On behalf of Kattan Kappiyum Kavithayum (literary wing of Malayalee Association of UK), I contacted Karassery mash to invite him to speak on a Facebook live session about Onam, Kerala’s harvest festival. Mash responded with a YouTube video explaining Onam’s cultural and geographical importance and what it meant to him, which felt like a breath of fresh air.

“There weren’t many words exchanged between Mash and I, but it seemed like we were connected in some ways. We have kept in touch from time to time ever since.

“In October 2022, I received a text message from Mash in which he said that he would visit his son in London shortly.

“A few days later, I got a message from Dijo Xavier, one of the organisers of Standing with Mahsa Amini, about the demonstration Mash planned to extend solidarity with Mahsa Amini, the girl who was killed by the State in Iran for not wearing a hijab. This sounded exciting to me as I was already in touch with the Women, Life, Freedom movement for Iranian expatriates in the UK, which included some of my students at college. This group regularly held demonstrations and vigils at Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus to protest the murder of Mahsa Amini and her supporters in Iran.

“When I met Mash at Hyde Park Corner, he was still the fiery person whose words would either fan or flame your thoughts. He stood up to the agitated mob, explaining that women should have the right to wear or not wear a hijab. In the 21st century, it’s not about force, but about the freedom to choose we should be talking about, mash concluded.

“In the end, I left the gathering, which was disrupted by supporters of the Iranian regime and the chaos of Hyde Park, with Mash’s words still ringing in my head despite the torrential rain.

“Following that, Kattan Kappiyum Kavithayum organised a Q&A session with Mash at MAUK Eastham, where we had a calm time with Mash addressing questions with a smile.

“Mash has a unique way of quieting certain types of questions that may elicit hate or fury, but it was fascinating to see the master’s agility to meet any queries with a smile.

“When Mash was around, it felt like “standing on the shoulders of giants,” I’m proud to say.

Xavier Dijo United Rationalist of UK

“I have heard a lot about MN Karassery Mash, but I had never met him in person. My friend Ummer Kottakal told me that Mash was in the UK, and I contacted him through Ummer. He responded by saying, “Let’s meet and do some activism to make a positive impact on society.” So, on October 23, 2022, we organized a demonstration in Hyde Park in support of the human rights movement that had erupted in Iran. Many people from Kerala and other parts of the world attended the demonstration, and it was through this event that I had the opportunity to get to know Mash and speak with him at length.

“When I asked Mash whether there would be backlash if we participated in a demonstration about Iran but never participated in any other demonstrations, he gave me a very logical explanation. He said that there are 100 problems in the world, and just because we haven’t responded to 99 of them for various reasons doesn’t mean that we should ignore the 100th one. This is a very correct position, and it is often the case that we are unable to respond to all of the problems in the world. However, this should not prevent us from responding to the ones that we can; our democracy exists through criticism and responses.

“After the demonstration, we had planned to go out to dinner, but heavy rain prevented us from doing so. However, we met up with Mash a few times after that. During these gatherings, we had the opportunity to talk about many things in India and the world. Even if you don’t agree with Mash on a lot of things, it is easy to discuss and argue with him about it.

“Although he was a fervent adherent of Gandhian principles, he never showed any ill will or anger towards people who spoke against Gandhi. Instead, he treated their criticism with tremendous sympathy.

“Mash taught me the importance of civic activism in advancing our civilization. It is incredible to see someone of his age maintaining a sense of social action and commitment to modern values like gender justice and women’s equality, rather than pursuing the shelter of religion.