For the next five days, the eyes and ears of the Malayalees will be open to the arenas of the state school arts festival which starts today in Kollam. Preparations are complete in Kollam, the pride of Desinganadu, to welcome the 62nd School Arts Festival, where 14000 talents will perform in 239 genres at 24 venues. The trophy which would be awarded to the winners has reached the city already. Talents who will enliven the arenas with their dance, song, festival performances and literary tours have also arrived in the city. Kollam will usher in the spring of Kerala arts with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan lighting the lamp this morning on the stage at the historic Ashramam Ground,
Adolescents who have been endowed with the blessings of art and literature will compete at the art festival stages. All art takes people to the mystical world of experiences that cannot be known through mere words or certain expressions. There, the colours and thoughts of the goodness of life, purity and love for others lead us to another world. Through that course, we will be more refined and led to paths where good things will flourish.
In the ways of such noble arts, there should be no riots or defilements of rivalries. The worlds of art and literature should be used to build great towers of humanity. In many past arts festival venues, there have been experiences of parents, coaches and sometimes some teachers creating unnecessary chaos behind the scenes of children's creative competitions. These venues have also witnessed brawls bordering on fistfights on some occasions. No one should try to spread this feeling, which arises from the selfish thought that only his children or disciples should win the prize, to the stage of the arts festival. Children are innocent like flowers and are gifts of nature. Their genius also has a kind of divinity. Let them express it themselves. Let all the artists spread the coloured wings of their untarnished talent beyond their triumphs and failures. Let adults not pollute children's minds and thoughts with rivalry. Let the inside and outside of the venues become spaces where children's imaginations can spread their wings.
Even when we carry the reputation of being the biggest art festival in Asia like nostalgia, the quarrels of the adults that take place around the art festival venues often cast black marks on the charm of that rarity. Unnecessary controversies raised over food at the last art festival should not happen again. Let the state school arts festival in Kollam, which is supposed to contribute to the historical progress of the state through art, literature, dance, song and acting, be free of such objections and complaints. Taking the helm of the school arts festival, General Education Minister V Sivankutty is camping in Kollam. A favourite among children, let his presence help make this a generally complaint-free festival. Best wishes to all the young talents who will be rocking the festival stage.