Kozhikode: His songs have enthralled voters beyond the party flags but Kunnamangalam C.K. Alikkutty, the veteran campaign song writer, has only this fame to boast of. Mr. Alikkutty has written songs for almost all of the prominent political leaders in the state. However, he complains that only a few of them bothers to pay him his much-deserved remuneration.
It was in 1985 that he started writing election songs. He first penned his high-spirited verses for Mr. C.K. Padmanabhan, the BJP candidate. Mr. Alikkutty still recollects its lyrics, too. “I have also written for Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan, P.K. Kunhalikkutty and K.M. Mani and for youngsters like P.K. Jayalakshmi and T. Siddique,” said Mr Alikkutty.
He was winner for versification at Kerala State Art festival held in 1979. Later, he went on to win at the interzone competitions of Calicut University, as a student of Farook College, in 1985. Once the poll days are over, Mr. Alikkutty has to go back to his daily chore of writing applications which earns him hardly what he needs to make both ends meet.
“Earlier, I had tried for some government jobs. Then I stopped writing PSC examinations and know I survive on writing applications for the needy,” he says, blaming the politicians who forget him after his much sought after job is over.
“Once the electioneering is over, nobody bothers to contact me,” he complains
Mr. Alikkutty also trains students in traditional Mappila art forms like ‘Muttum Vili’ aka ‘Cheena Muttu’ and hopes that it will soon be a competition item in the State School Youth Festival.
