"Ente Keralam, Ente Malayalam" - Malayalam Quiz at Sur

"ENTE KERALAM, ENTE MALAYALAM" –
SUR MALAYALEES WITNESS THE INNOVATIVE
QUIZ CONTEST

By
Madhu Nambiar


Malayalee Community in Sur watched for the first time a publicly performed Inter-school Malayalam Quiz Contest "Ente Keralam, Ente Malayalam" conducted by Kerala Wing of Indian Social Club, Muscat, and Centre for Free Coaching in Malayalam, Sur, at Sur Club Auditorium on February 16, 2007.

Quiz Master Shibu Mohammed, Sub Editor of Deshabhimani Weekly drew applauses and appreciation from all the 28 teams of participants and the audience for his distinguished style of conducting quizzes.

There were contests in Seinor and Junior categories. Of the 28 teams, six teams were in Senior Category who were directly selected for the final round and among the 22 teams in Junior category, six teams were selected for the final after a screening test. Responses from the parents, students and Malayalee Community in general from the Sharqiya Region of the Sultanate were overwhelming. Malayalee students of Indian Schools in Sur, Jalan and Ibra participated in the Quiz contest.

There were thirty questions in the preliminary written round for juniors. Three participants scored equal marks and the tie was broken by another round of five questions and the highest scorer was selected to the final.

There were eight rounds of questions to both the Junior and Senior categories, each round with six questions. The questions were from history, politics, culture, literature, arts and sports.

In the Junior Category, "Valluvadu" team of Arathi Sajeev, Thirtha Ajay and Saravanan Mohandas of Indian School Sur with 62 points won the first prize and "Kolathunadu" team of Pravathy Prasad, Sreekutty and Bharathi Panikar of Indian School Jalan with 42 points and "Thulunadu" team of Ronz Roy, Dino Declose and Raghav Selvaraj of Indian School Jalan with 40 points won the second and third prizes respectively.

In the Senior Category, "Venadu" team of Ammu Joshi, Indulekha Mohandas and T.K. Kiran of Indian School Sur with 97 points won the first prize and "Valluvanadu" team of Manuvel Joy, Jimmy James and Sujith K. Sam of Indian School Ibra with 50 points and "Eranadu" team of Blessley Babykutty, Nanda Sanjeev and T. Theju Raj of Indian School Sur with 45 points won the second and third prizes respectively.


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In this 'television channel era', there have been various quiz competitions organised at different levels, but a quiz contest highlighting the state of Kerala has an innovative idea inculcated by the literary committee of Indian Social Club (Kerala Wing) who also took pride in pronouncing themselves as the architects of such a programme.

A cultural programme was conducted in the evening as part of Kerala's 50th anniversary celebrations and to commemmorate the Centre's (Centre for Free Coaching in Malayalam) fourth anniversary.

Mohiniyattam form of dance, based on the poem of Late Edasseri Govindan Nair's "Poothapattu", composed and performed by Dance Teacher Sridevi Sudevan was the attraction of the programme.

The celebration was inaugurated by Shibu Mohammed. In his brief speech, Shibu Mohammed recalled the dark era through which the state had passed and roles played by social reformers and bold and revolutionary steps taken and implemented by the left govenments for social reforms due to which the State of Kerala and Malayalee community have their own identity.

Roy Michle, President of School Management Committee of Indian School Jalan proudly disclosed in his brief and touching speech that 'Indian School Jalan teaches Malayalam at school level, so that the children are able to read and write Malayalam'. In Junior cateogry, second and third positions secured by Indian School Jalan students!

The function presided by P. Krishnan has honoured the visiting chief guest Shibu Mohammed by presenting a momento. While V.P. Ramachandran welcomed the guests, participants and audience; C. Mohandas, Shajahan, Rajeev, Roy Michle and Dr. Reghunadanan delivered brief speeches. Sadan gave vote of thanks.

Prizes to the winners were distributed by the Chief Guest Shibu Mohammed, followed by a cultural programme in which poem recitation, folk song, classical dance, folk dance, mohinyattam, mimicry and skit were peformed.

Kerala Wing of Indian Social Club, Muscat, has been conducting "Ente Keralam, Ente Malayalam" quiz for the last couple of years in Muscat. Last year, three teams of students from the Centre for Free Coaching in Malayalam, Sur, had participated and passed in the preliminary round.

Shibu Mohammed was in Oman for the last couple of days during when he was the quiz master of this year's "Ente Keralam, Ente Malayalam quiz contest" held in Muscat on February 9, Friday. His visit extended to Sur, to conduct quiz to students of Sharqiya Region as well on the occasion of the 50th anniversary celebration of Kerala.




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Photos:

(1)Malayalam Quiz in action at Sur Club.

(2)Kerala Wing Convener Ratheesh(second row, left) and General Convener of the Celebration Committee V.P. Ramachandran (right) watch the quzzing.

(3)Senior Category First Prize Winners: Ammu Joshi, Indulekha Mohandas and T.K. Kiran - Indian School Sur students

(4)Senior Category Second Prize Winners: Manuvel Joy, Jimmy James and Sujith K. Sam - Indian School Ibra students

(5)Senior Category Third Prize Winners: Blessley Babykutty, Nanda Sanjeev and T. Theju Raj - Indian School Sur students

(6)Junior Category First Prize Winners: Arathi Sajeev, Thirtha Ajay and Saravanan Mohandas - Indian School Sur students

(7)Junior Category Second Prize Winners: Pravathy Prasad, Sreekutty and Bharathi Panikar - Indian School Jalan students

(8)Junior Category Third Prize Winners: Ronz Roy, Dino Declose and Raghav Selvaraj - Indian School Jalan students.

(9)Organizers of Quiz in Sur, from left to right: K.C. Vijayan, V.P. Ramachandran and C. Mohandas.


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