Champakulam Moolam boat race: Kuttanad Residents Mock Chief Minister With Flex Banner Following His Stand on Holiday

Alappuzha: Residents of Kuttanad staged a protest with flex banners targeting Chief Minister V D Satheesan during the Champakulam Moolam boat race, against his dismissive stand on denying a local holiday for the event. Protesters held up banners from their boats reading, "Sir, Kuttanad's holiday... just wait, you'll get it now."

The controversy stemmed from Satheesan's response in the Assembly to Kuttanad MLA Reji Cherian's request for a local holiday on the day of the boat race. The MLA had raised, as a submission, the demand for a holiday for Kuttanad taluk, to which Satheesan replied that the matter would be examined before a decision was taken. Moments later, however, he was caught turning to Minister P K Kunhalikutty, seated next to him, saying the holiday would not be granted under any circumstances — a clip that has since gone viral on social media. The Chief Minister has not offered any explanation on the matter.

Following the controversial remark, DYFI organised a protest at Champakulam, rowing a boat carrying an effigy of the Chief Minister. The Moolam Jalotsavam Fans Club also organised a separate protest. Despite all these protests, the government did not grant a local holiday for Kuttanad today.

The Champakulam Moolam boat race, marking the formal start of Keralam's boat race season, began on the Pampa river on Monday evening around 3 pm. Seven snake boats are competing this year for the much-awaited Raja Pramukh trophy. As the season's opening race, the event is set to witness an exciting contest on the Pampa.

Apart from snake boats, other boat categories such as 'Veppu', 'Iruttukuthi' and 'Churulan' are also part of the competition. Held on Moolam day in the Malayalam month of Mithunam on the Pampa river at Champakulam, this boat race is one of the oldest in Keralam.