Chalachitra Academy council meets today

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APRIL 16. The general council of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy will meet here on Tuesday to discuss the conduct of the Sixth International Film Festival of Kerala.

It assumes significance in the context of the resignation of Mr. John Sankaramangalam from the Academy vice-chairmanship and the ouster of Mr. A. Meera Sahib, one of the festival directors, from the council.

Mr. K. G. George, general council member and one of the festival directors, who had threatened to resign, protesting Mr. Sahib's expulsion, said he would not attend the meeting.

"I am sure nothing concrete will emerge there. It will be the same old story. Why should I waste my time?" he asked.

He has put off his plan to put in his papers. "Let me first get the feedback from the meeting on Tuesday," he said.

Meanwhile, there are allegations that certain trade bodies have been pressed into service to mollify Mr. George.

Mr. S. Suresh Babu, general council member and representative of the Federation of Film Societies of India in the Academy, too has postponed his resignation plan.

"An FFSI regional meeting, held at Palakkad on April 15, had advised me to stay in the council and fight against the mismanagement of the Academy," he said.

According to the Academy constitution, the quorum is two-third of the membership. Because the meetings rarely had a quorum, the Academy had proposed to amend it to one-third. The Government is yet to give the nod, but the Academy has reportedly been following the revised number awhile.

According to sources, the mandatory executive committee meeting, which precedes the general council meet, would not be held on Tuesday. Mr. John Sankaramangalam's resignation and Mr. Meera Sahib's ouster have left the committee with very few members. They include the Academy chairman and secretary, Mr. Kaniyapuram Ramachandran, and the Finance secretary (ex-officio).

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Section  : Southern States
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