Thiruvananthapuram: The sudden withdrawal of the Sunday supplement of Deshabhimani, the mouthpiece organ of the CPI(M), created significant political debate and media attention across Kerala. At the center of this controversy was the unique name “Kallan Vijayan,” which actually belongs to a dedicated local theatre artist from Thiruvananthapuram.
S. Vijayakumar, broadly known as “Kallan Vijayan,” is a veteran theatre activist and stage designer based in Muthippara, Pullampara Grama Panchayat near Venjaramoodu. The moniker “Kochukallan” was affectionately given to him by his parents during childhood. As he grew deeply involved in regional arts, friends and villagers adopted the name, establishing “Kallan Vijayan” as his recognized identity in the cultural field.
Having spent over 36 years handling set design and backend stage management, Vijayakumar established a local theatre training center named Dhanya Nataka Gramam four years ago to mentor young artists.
What Triggered the Controversy
The controversy arose over the layout of the Sunday supplement, which was slated to carry a front-page cover story commemorating former Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan. On the back page, a feature written by T.C. Rajesh about Vijayakumar’s theatre hub was titled “Kallan Vijayan, Dhanya Nataka Gramam, Muthippara P.O.”
Internal editorial discussions raised concerns that publishing a prominent headline containing “Kallan Vijayan” (literally “Thief Vijayan”) alongside a high-profile political feature could be misinterpreted or weaponized politically. Consequently, the release of the supplement was halted on Sunday.
Reactions and Clarifications:
While Deshabhimani Resident Editor M. Swaraj maintained that printing delays were strictly due to technical press issues and denied the political motives, Vijayakumar confirmed to news outlets that reporters had indeed gathered details and photos from him prior to the withdrawal.
The supplement was eventually published on Monday after dropping the feature on Vijayakumar. Expressing surprise over the developments, Vijayakumar noted that he never anticipated his childhood nickname would cause such a major stir in political journalism.
For more details: Navamalayalam.com