Lyricist Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri harshly criticised the cartoon award controversy of Lalitha Kala Academy. The incident was at the inaugural venue of the academy’s Chitra-Shilpa Kala Camp on Friday. “Why hurting others through art?”, asked Kaithapram.

When writer Ashokan Charuvil criticised him, saying that Kaithapram’s stand is because he is a religious fanatic, his voice became harsh and said that he was not for any religion or caste.

“I have already announced that I will cut out my surname ‘Namboodiri’. Kaithapram is enough. No need of Damodaran and Namboodiri. I am not scared of anyone. I am a person who cannot walk or sit, but my mind is still stable,” said Kaithapram.

A tug of war broke out between Kaithapram and Lalithakala academy chairman Nemom Pushparaj over remuneration for his lyrics. In his speech, Kaithapram said that his remuneration for the song in Nemom Pusharaj’s ‘Gourishangaram’ was never paid. Immediately Pushparaj said that it was paid and “maybe the poet has lost his memory”. When Kaithapram repeated that the money was not paid, it ended in a dispute.