Thiruvananthapuram: Manorama News Conclave 2024, the prestigious forum where the nation's best minds came together, concluded in the state capital on Friday afternoon.
The conclave, titled ‘Change Makers,’ began earlier in the day with tributes to the Wayanad landslide victims. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated the event at the Hotel ‘O by Tamara’.
This year's conclave brought together 'Changemakers' from different walks of life. Since its inception in 2017, the Manorama News Conclave has addressed topics ranging from happiness and freedom to a new India. Union Minister Suresh Gopi was the chief guest at the closing session at 6 pm.
PM Modi, a changemaker: Rajnath Singh
The Defence Minister said the last decade was an era of "epochal change" in the country's economic, cultural and political spheres. Singh painted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a visionary who could tap into the disenchantment that was so pervasive in the country in 2014 and transform it into positive thinking.
He added that certain states were not doing enough for the safety of women in the country. The union minister said this in the context of the Kolkata rape incident.
"We have amended laws to provide capital punishment for heinous crimes like rape. This should be implemented with strictness," the minister said.
The Real Changemaker
Suresh Gopi, who created history by giving the BJP its first elected representative to the Parliament, was modest about his unique accomplishment while delivering his address at the Manorama News Conclave 2024.
"The change-maker who bestowed that honour upon my party and my family is not me, it is definitely the people of Thrissur," said the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Tourism.
Stars of Cannes
The conclave honoured the stars of the film All We Imagine as Light, which won the Cannes Grand Prix award. The cast, including Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, Chhaya Kadam, Anand Sami, Azeez Nedumangad, and Hridhu Haroon, also engaged in a discussion after being felicitated by Malayala Manorama Chief Editor Mammen Mathew.
While discussing the Hema Committee report, Kani Kusruti lauded WCC and survivors for coming forward and sharing their struggles. "There's no standardised pay in the film industry. Though it is based on the market value of a market, there should be a margin and contract," she said. Meanwhile, actor Divya Prabha said the Cannes recognition did not help her gain more opportunities.
Sojan Joseph, the first Malayali MP from the UK, spoke on the 'Changing face of migration'. Joseph, a mental health nurse who got elected from a constituency in the UK with an 80 per cent native population, wondered whether Kerala had ever fielded a nurse in parliamentary elections.
While admitting that there is a right-wing movement against immigration in Europe, Joseph cited a few instances where people sometimes forget to abide by a country's laws and system.
India: The Voice That Matters
Thiruvallur MP Sasikanth Senthil, BJP National Spokesperson Anil Antony, and SFI All India Secretary Dipsita Dhar discussed ‘India: The Voice that Matters'.
"Everything from birth to death is decided by caste in this country. It is the biggest elephant in the room that BJP is hiding," Congress Sasikanth Senthil said while speaking of the caste census. "Majoritarianism is itself fake. Even the majority gets a bad deal here. The Hindutva concept of the BJP survives on the caste structure. That's why they are worried about the caste census," he added.
Manipur: The Elusive Solution
Inner Manipur MP and JNU Associate Professor Bimol Akoijam discussed the ongoing crisis in Manipur at a session of the conclave. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is attempting to normalise the disorder in Manipur by staying silent on the deepening divide in the state," Akoijam said. He added that the violence in Manipur was a legacy issue created by the British but aggravated by the BJP by allowing the bloodbath to continue.
The Change We Dream
For the first time in the state's history, Kerala Chief Secretary Dr V Venu and Chief Secretary-designate Dr Sarada Muraleedharan, a husband-and-wife duo, shared the changes they envision.
"Sometimes, we push ideas to the government, and they get spurned. We must accept that and move on. They might have a better political vision about the issue," Sarada Muraleedharan said at the Conclave.
Malluminati
Directors Jeo Baby, Chidambaram, and Rahul Sadasivan discuss the transformative shifts that captivate Malayalam cinema and welcome the changes heralded by the release of the Hema Committee report.
Climate: Hanging in the balance
Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, and recipient of the Vigyan Yuva–Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, spoke of the need for societal change in tandem with climate change.
Is Kerala on a Changed Track?
Public Accounts Committee Chairman and AICC General Secretary KC Venugopal, Minister P Rajeeve, and former Union Minister V Muraleedharan seek answers and ideas on the question, 'Is Kerala on a changed track?'
Education at the Crossroads
Dr Tom Joseph, Director (New Initiatives) at Jain University, speaks on the state and higher education standards.
The Counter Question
In an interesting twist, Manorama News anchors- Shani Prabhakaran, Nisha Purushothaman and A Ayyappadas- known for their probing questions, will face counter-questions from Speaker AN Shamseer.
For more information, visit: www.manoramanewsconclave.com.