HOPE Fest gets off to a colourful start
The Hindu
Clown shows bring a whiff of lightness to the festival
The HOPE Fest, a cultural festival that replaced the annual event of International Theatre Festival of Kerala (ITFoK) this year, started on Wednesday.
The percussion ensemble led by maestro Peruvanam Kuttan Marar kicked off the three-day festival of music, theatre performances, and cultural events. Around 150 percussion artistes participated in the event organised almost like the famous Ilanjithara Melam of the Thrissur Pooram.
With the clock ticking down to the Lok Sabha election counting day on Tuesday, opposing fronts are perceptibly edgy and poised to continue the rancorous skirmishing that marked the campaign season in Kerala. The United Democratic Front, led by the Congress, is seemingly basking in the “interim victory” granted by various exit polls. The UDF discerns that its poll strategy of turning the polls foremostly into a damning referendum on the Left Democratic Front government’s perceived failures rather than BJP’s “divisive politics” at the national level stood a fighting chance of paying off.