Folk artistes in Kozhikode stage cultural protest demanding justice for Nithin Raj

Folk artistes and cultural activists staged a creative protest, ‘Kottum Paattum’ (beats and songs), in Kozhikode on Friday (April 17, 2026) to take a stand against racial prejudice and casteist fanaticism.

Organised by Pattukoottam Kozhikode, a centre dedicated to research and performance of folk arts, the event was held in the wake of the death of Nithin Raj, a BDS student at the Anjarakkandy Dental College in Kannur on April 10. The gathering sought to use traditional art forms, including drum beats, as a medium of resistance against social divisions and caste-based discrimination.

In his inaugural address, Girish Ambra, director of Pattukoottam and also a folklorist and poet, recalled the words of Swami Vivekananda, who once described Kerala as an “asylum”.