Latest news with #Zacharia
New Indian Express
21-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Paul Zacharia says Kerala's modernity rooted in cultural harmony at Dr Gopinath Mohanty Memorial Lecture
BHUBANESWAR: Kerala's modernity has been sustained by a sanity that goes beyond communal divisiveness and preserved in hands of the common people of the state - the Hindus, Muslims and Christians, who help and respect one another and coexist with cultural harmony, said acclaimed author Paul Zacharia on Sunday. Delivering the 34th Dr Gopinath Mohanty Memorial Lecture here on 'Emergence of Modern Mind: The Kerala Experience', the renowned Malayalam writer said tremendous pressure was at work to demolish the coexistence, considered the heart of Kerala's modernity and prosperity. He said the ghosts of the past revived in new form are still trying for dominion with ferocity in Kerala. 'However, it is saved in the hands of the common people, at least for now,' Zacharia said. The writer said Hinduism, Islam and Christianity have all played a major role in the shaping of Kerala. 'There has been intense competition among people of these religions, especially after Independence, for political power, economic power, educational opportunities and government jobs. However, they managed not to create enmity and hate among themselves,' Zacharia said and added this spirit of co-existence was the first building block of Kerala's modernity. Terming Gopinath Mohanty as an unofficial chronicler of the tribal people of Odisha, Zacharia said the former was an outstanding humanist who held the lives of the tribal people close to his heart all his life both as an author and administrator. Two translated works of Mohanty, who dominated the Odia literature for over four decades, were unveiled at the event organised by Odisha Sahitya Akademi and Gopinath Mohanty Foundation Trust. Culture director and Odisha Sahitya Akademi president Bijay Ketan Upadhyaya, Gopinath Mohanty Foundation Trust chairperson Prof Omkar Nath Mohanty and other dignitaries also spoke.
Al Jazeera
14-04-2025
- Business
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Bethlehem carvers fret over second Easter without tourists
On most Easter holidays, the cobbled streets of Bethlehem — the occupied West Bank town revered as the birthplace of Jesus — would be bustling with tourists. Pilgrims and sightseers once packed the souvenir shops, providing a vital lifeline for local artisans. But since Israel's war on Gaza erupted in October 2023, the usual flow of visitors has dried up. Attalah Zacharia, a veteran olive wood carver, now relies heavily on exports to Europe and the United States. But even that stream of income is now in jeopardy, as recently announced US tariffs threaten to choke off the few remaining sales. Easter and Christmas are traditionally high seasons for Bethlehem, where tourism accounts for 70 percent of the city's annual income. 'Bethlehem as a tourist destination has faced a very difficult period during the last two years,' said Anton Salman, the city's mayor. Without visitors, the town's artisan workshops have fallen eerily quiet. In Zacharia's store, rows of intricately carved crucifixes and nativity figurines gather dust. Palestinian carvers sit idle, surrounded by the wares they once sold to a global clientele. 'There is no tourism,' Zacharia said, 'so there is no work'. His workshop, a family business established in the West Bank in 1960, has been forced to slash its workforce from 25 to just 10 employees. Zacharia now opens only two days a week. He estimates his business has suffered a 75 percent decline since the start of the war. Piles of the soft, richly grained olive wood traditionally used for Bethlehem's carvings lie stacked outside his shop. On a long workbench, miniature figures of Jesus on the cross are lined up, each unique due to the wood's natural markings. 'Before, of course, the situation was completely normal, the entire crew was working,' Zacharia said. 'I don't know what the future holds.' Israel resumed its bombardment of Gaza last month, breaking a ceasefire that had begun in January. With no end in sight to the conflict, tourism in Israel and the occupied West Bank has plummeted. Compounding the crisis, Israel has barred entry to most of the 150,000 Palestinians from the West Bank who once worked in Israel, dealing a heavy blow to the Palestinian economy — which contracted by 25 percent in the past year. Bassem Giacaman, another seasoned woodworker whose shop overlooks Manger Square, momentarily perks up when a rare customer enters his factory. US President Donald Trump this week delayed the implementation of new import tariffs for 90 days after they triggered a four-day market rout and raised fears of a looming global recession. But for business owners like Giacaman, the reprieve offers only a temporary relief. If the tariffs are enforced, he says, the consequences will be dire. Already, two clients have put their orders on hold. With most Palestinian exports routed through Israeli markets, artisans face the risk of a 17 percent tax on their goods. 'I'll have to increase my prices,' he said. 'It will be damaging to every business in the West Bank.' Giacaman says one of his handcrafted wooden crucifixes even made its way into the hands of Trump. He proudly shows on his phone a photograph of the former US president holding the miniature cross. While the image offers a moment of pride, it does not reflect broader political sentiment. He adds that neither he nor many other Palestinians support Trump.
