Kerala: Saddam Hussein is still a hero for people of this village, now known as Saddam Beach in Kerala.
The beach could pass off as any other village in the coastal Kerala, but its claim to fame is its name.
It used to be called the Tipu Sultan Beach till the 1991 Gulf War happened. To express solidarity with the Iraqi leader, the locals renamed it the Saddam Beach.
Fifteen years have passed since then and their hero has now been sentenced to death, but the name has stuck. And its 2000-odd inhabitants are still in awe of Saddam.
Says Lateef, a resident of Saddam beach, "Saddam is a Muslim leader and he has stood firm for what he believed in, therefore we respect him a lot and he is always in our thoughts."
Another resident, Koi Mon says, "This area has become famous. Even people who travel outside send letters with Saddam Beach as the address. We have reached a stage wherein no post will be delivered at the right place unless Saddam Beach is mentioned in the address."
Even today, the villagers here don't buy or use American products. Coca-Cola, Pepsi and chocolates are all a strict no no for them.
All this has made the beach village so popular that even the government documents recognise the name now.
But with their idol now having being found guilty of crimes against humanity and given the death sentence, the villagers' prayers for Saddam’s life seems to have not been answered.
(With inputs from Sreetama Ray)
Comments
0 comment