Nagaland Governor hails Muthukad’s mission as ‘essence’ of Indian spirit’

Dimapur / November 2, 2024

Dimapur, Nov 2: A range of tricks by internationally-acclaimed magician Gopinath Muthukad impressed Nagaland Governor Shri La. Ganesan, who lauded the magician’s cross-country ‘Inclusive India’ programme as an intense campaign towards integrating the differently-abled with society.

“We must take cue from Muthukad’s efforts towards making differently-abled people feel part of the national mainstream,” the Governor said at the show held in the city as part of the illusionist’s mission of ‘Social Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities’ that began from Kanyakumari down the country a month ago.

Describing the differently-abled people as “gods”, he said the places they occupy naturally turn into temples. “Our society my take the responsibility in continuing with the spirit,” the Governor said after the magician’s performance at the North East Institute of Social Sciences and Research (NEISSER).

Noting that Muthukad’s ‘Watch Your Watch’ show gives detailed guidelines about the social responsibilities one must adhere to while interacting with the differently-abled, Shri Ganesan said Muthukad’s show reinforces the essence of those ideals. “The magician’s motives merit high appreciation,” he said, inviting Muthukad and his team to Raj Bhavan.

Nagaland State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Shri Diethono Nakhro delivered the keynote address at the function, where differently-abled people from the state came up with a stage show. NEISSER Principal Shri C.P. Anto welcomed the gathering, while the state’s Kerala Samajam president Shri V.A. Jose proposed thanks.

The crowd at NEISSER was swept under a mesmeric spell when Muthukad transported them into time-travel through his hypnotic tricks, and even cracked open a glass cube by asking them to fix their gaze on it as a red flower popped out from inside. “The rose that sprang out symbolises the innocent soul of any new-born. All of us deserve a decent life; only that all must get equal opportunities,” the illusionist said.

Highlighting his motto of magic as an art for social reformation, Muthukad spoke of “an imperative need for us” to make people with physical disability feel they are part of the mainstream. “If we do so, the results will be miraculous. My magic bridges such vulnerable groups with society at large.” To Muthukad, those with physical disabilities suffer in three ways: physical limitations, social exclusivity and emotional insufficiency.

The magician made the show participatory, calling some from the audience on to the stage and asking them to flip through some newspapers kept there. To their amazement, they read about his just-performed tricks in the newspapers carrying today’s edition. At the same time, he made them believe that these had occurred one-and-a-half years ago and that too in their presence at that time! The write-ups from the newspapers of early 2023 described the tricks they had joined in only a few minutes ago. Surprisingly, these reports carried their names, and that of today’s place and date.

“It’s a case of mind-reading,” he said, amid the raucous applause that followed, the magician explained his tricks. “If you want to include certain portions to existing matter, you can do it with willpower.”

Sixty-year old Muthukad, a recipient of the coveted Merlin Award (2016) considered as Oscar in magic,  heads an NGO named Different Art Centre (DAC) which is steering the mission that enjoys non-financial support from the Union Government’s Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.

The magician’s trip, which began from Kanyakumari on October 6 (World Cerebral Palsy Day), has stopovers along the central plains, the hilly east, Gujarat in the west and Jammu & Kashmir up north before culminating in the national capital on December 3 (International Day for Persons with Disabilities).  “Our voyage covers all the states. We campaign across the mainland with a total of 41 events that includes the inauguration and culmination,” he points out.

Across its journey, the campaign has been circulating innovative awareness-generation videos. Each event is being organised in collaboration with the DEPwD’s regional institute or centre.

Muthukad has the credit of launching the trailblazing ‘Magic Planet’. Based in Thiruvananthapuram, it is the world’s first such theme park that protects public-oriented art forms and street performers. Its goals are familiarising the public with wizardry, reviving street tricks and employing this art to empower the marginalised.

The December 3 culmination event in New Delhi will see the participation of ministers and other parliamentarians besides top government officials.  This is Muthukad’s fifth such all-India venture using magic to spread social messages.

ENDS