Baiju NT [December 16, 2009, 1:30:28 PM]
Tom Hickey, a British academic and leading member of the international campaign for an academic and cultural boycott of Israel, urged Kerala on Tuesday to boycott major Israeli events such as film festivals as a mark of solidarity with the Palestinian cause.
Tom was speaking at an open forum on “Cine, Truth and Resistance”, organized as part of the ongoing 14th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram.
Being one of the leading centres of progressive activism, Kerala should take the lead in declaring the boycott, he said. Kerala should take the cue from film-maker Ken Loach, who refused to allow screening of his film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival till an Israeli entry was withdrawn, he pointed out.
Kerala Culture Minister M.A. Baby, film-makers Prasanna Vithanage and Saeed Mirza and writer Beatriz Florez Silva participated in the forum.
