Malabar has a special significance in medieval and modern history because of its cosmopolitan characteristics, academic Engseng Ho has said.
Attending a session titled ‘Graves of Tarim and Malabar: Sailing through the Sea of Saints’ at the Malabar Literature Festival (MLF) at Kozhikode Beach on Sunday, he said that the region was keeping its legacy of cultural richness intact and visible in the current social and cultural transactions too.
Mr. Ho, Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Duke University in the U.S., pointed out that the port cities across India, Africa, and South East Asia had many similarities. “This is due to the strong trade relations and cultural and knowledge exchange that existed between these regions. The cosmopolitan characteristics of Malabar and its relations with the outer world are visible in global literature,” he said. Noting that nationalism was a lie, he said that people can’t affiliate themselves to certain geographical locations or racial roots. “They are mixed and connected with each other due to multiple transactions,” he added.
As many as 28 sessions were held on the fourth and final day of the festival. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee vice-president V.T. Balram, Saji Markose, P.J. Vincent, among others, attended. MLF chairman Syed Munavvarali Shihab Thangal presided over the valedictory event.
