Actor Ramesh Pisharody's speech during the Kerala budget debate is making waves. He demanded clarity on the memorial for Salim Kumar and sharply criticised political intolerance, calling it 'political communalism'. Sharing his own experiences, Pisharody argued for a more inclusive style of politics.
Thiruvananthapuram: Actor and public representative Ramesh Pisharody has grabbed headlines with his speech during the budget discussion in the Kerala Assembly. His address is now a major talking point.
Pisharody began by asking for more clarity on the memorial announced in the budget for his mentor, Salim Kumar. He pointed out that people often think 'memorial' means a statue. He suggested the government should clarify that it will be a project useful for the public, not a statue. This, he said, would help stop the criticism on social media. 'We must realise that people have given us a responsibility, not just power,' he added.
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In his speech, Pisharody said that the word 'communalism' is usually linked only to religion. But, he argued, there's another kind he calls 'political communalism'. He defined it as the belief that only one's own political party is right, and everyone else must be opposed and eliminated. 'The slogan 'Who else but LDF?' was something they themselves later found to be wrong. For them, including anyone else is not an easy task,' he remarked.
He then shared a personal story. During a public event in Palakkad district, he hugged the rival candidate, and not a single UDF worker questioned him. But under the video of that moment, he said, 'an entire region abused me, asking, 'Why did you hug our candidate?'' He also mentioned another incident. 'I was shocked to learn that someone was expelled from their party just for giving food to dear Janeesh. It made me wonder why they think like this,' he said. Pisharody added that he was happy to be part of a party that taught India about inclusiveness.
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Taking a light-hearted dig at the budget, Pisharody said there's no need to keep praising it ourselves. 'There's scope for a song like, *If this budget is to shine worldwide... the Finance Minister himself...* but we are not doing that,' he joked. He also praised the budget for using modern terms like 'Gen Z' and for being a forward-looking document. As he was about to finish, a colleague reminded him he had two minutes left. Pisharody ended his speech by saying he was 'donating' his remaining two minutes.
