potentsg

Staff Reporter

Recitation fails to reach expected standards, say judges

KOCHI: Smrithi Sajeevan, student of class VIII student at AKG Memorial HSS, Kannur, who recited Sugathakumari's Enthu patti namukku, won the first place in the recitation (Malayalam) competition at the State School Youth Festival.

The other poems recited by participants included Achane Kandu, written by Radha Madhavan, which depicts the plight of a father in modern times; Changampuzha Krishna Pillai's Manaswini; O.N.V. Kurup's Ujjayini; Sachitanandan's Koodikazhcha and Vayalar Rama Varma's Enikku maranamilla.

The judges said that except for a few, the recitations did not rise to the standards of last year's performance.

The participants were judged on their ability to memorise poems, pronunciation, diction and expressions (`bhaavam').

Nikhila S, a class IX student of St Teresa's HS, Kannur, won the first place in the recitation (English) event.

The topic was `The extravagance of Malayalis'.

Nikhila pointed out that Government funds were rampantly misused. Malayalis spent a lot on building palatial houses and on liquor.

The participants were of the view that Malayalis tried to imitate the flamboyant lifestyles and fashions of the U.S. and the West.

In their view, Malayalis easily fall prey to advertisements, without giving much thought to whether they really needed the product.

'It is high time students asserted themselves and created a new horizon. Simple living and high thinking should be our motto,' one of them said.