Malala Yousafzai`s diary now in Malayalam

Expressing solidarity with Malala Yousafzai, the teenage rights activist who was shot in her head by the Taliban, a Kerala-based publishing house has brought out a Malayalam version of her diary.

Thiruvananthapuram: Seeking to express solidarity with Malala Yousafzai, the teenage rights activist who was shot in her head by the Taliban for advocating girls` education, a Kerala-based publishing house has brought out a Malayalam version of her much popular diary.

Kozhikode-based book-house `Insight Publica` has published the translated version of the diary entries, which appeared in the BBC news website, to express solidarity with Malala, who is currently under treatment at a hospital in London after being shot on October 9. Popularly known as the Anne Frank of Pakistan, Malala reported the problems under Taliban rule for BBC from 2009 under the pseudo name "Gul Makai`. Her reports, in the form of the diary, invited the wrath of the orthodox community especially Taliban. She was shot in the head and neck while returning home from school last month. Titled "Malala Yousafzai: Oru Pakistani School Vidyarthiniyude Jeevitha Kurippukal (Malala Yousafzai: The Diary of a Pakistani School Girl), the book contents collection of her diary entries, interviews and the script of a documentary. According to V P Sumesh, editor of Insight Publica, the book has evoked good response from readers especially from teenage girls. "Actually we did not plan the book in such a big manner. We considered it just an attempt to express solidarity with a teenage girl who fought against the autocratic Talibans. But, the response is overwhelming especially those from girls," Sumesh told PTI. He said the book would help local people who have no access to internet to have a better understanding of the fight and contributions of Malala, an ordinary school-goer hailing from Swat Valley in Pakistan. "With a view to taking the book to more readers, we are planning to distribute the book through schools," he said. PTI