Malayalam film ‘Ozhiyathey’ highlights police action against schoolboys during the Emergency
The Malayalam film 'Ozhiyathey' depicts the true story of 19 schoolboys who were arrested and remanded during the Indian Emergency 50 years ago. The film explores the political victimization of students and the lack of accountability for police actions during that period.
Why it matters
The film sheds light on a forgotten human rights abuse during a controversial period in Indian political history, highlighting the vulnerability of marginalized communities.
Farook Abdulrahiman’s film Ozhiyathe is based on an incident which took place on a day in August, 50 years ago, during the Emergency. Nineteen boys from a government school at Koduvayoor in Palakkad district, all students of classes eight and nine — barely aged between 13 and 16 — were allegedly arrested and placed in remand for 21 days.
To this day, Farook says, the mother of one of the boys has no idea what happened. “Rightfully so, she wonders why the cops came for the boy because, according to her, one has to be a thief or commit some crime to be arrested. And these were just kids. The children too had no idea what their crime was.” Of the 19, 14 are alive.
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