Conversations for Equal Humanity and Equal Citizenship
The ways Malayalis read, think, debate, and dissent have changed dramatically in the age of social media. Platforms owned by global technology corporations including YouTube, WhatsApp, Facebook, and Instagram now play a decisive role in shaping public opinion, cultural expression, and political imagination in Kerala.
These platforms are not neutral spaces. Their algorithms, monetization policies, and content regulations actively influence what kind of Malayalam content is produced, circulated, rewarded, or silenced. For a language community that does not enjoy the scale or power of English or Hindi, these invisible controls raise urgent questions about cultural visibility, economic survival, and democratic participation.
Kerala’s own history reminds us that the media has always mattered. The expansion of print journalism was a crucial force during the Kerala Renaissance, enabling social reform movements, challenging caste hierarchies, and creating a vibrant public sphere where ideas of equality, dignity, and citizenship could be debated widely.
As we mark the KM Bashir Centennial, with its enduring call for Equal Humanity and Equal Citizenship, VMFT invites a contemporary rethinking of this legacy. How does today’s social media ecosystem compare to the transformative role played by print culture in an earlier era? Does social media expand democratic participation, or narrow it through commercial and algorithmic pressures? And what does progressive thought mean in a time when visibility itself is monetized?
Conceived and curated by the Discussion Series Organizing Team, Dr. Sajitha Bashir (VMFT), Dr. Fathima Nizaruddin (University of Passau), Biju Mohan, and Anakhasree S R, this initiative brings together YouTubers, digital creators, journalists, academics, technologists, and media practitioners to open a shared space for dialogue.
The discussions will examine:
● The challenges faced by Malayalam digital creators addressing serious socio-political issues
● How platform policies and monetization models shape livelihoods and content choices
● The possibilities and limits of social media as a democratic public sphere
● The future of Malayalam in an age of AI and platform capitalism
Above all, the series invites participants and audiences alike to think collectively about how Malayalam social media spaces can carry forward Kerala’s progressive traditions, grounded in equality, reason, and social justice, while responding critically to the realities of contemporary digital power.
