Culture Is About Recognising Others: Mammootty

Kochi: The Indian Cultural Congress, a platform celebrating the convergence of cultural diversity, concluded today. Malayalam’s beloved actor Mammootty inaugurated the closing ceremony of the Indian Cultural Congress.

"Culture is about recognising the presence of others. It is only when we acknowledge that we are not the only beings in this world, that billions of people and other living creatures also exist and have their rightful claim to this earth and its air, that we become truly culturally enriched,' said Mammootty.

He added, "I don’t believe that only educated people have culture. Education is merely a part of culture. We have nurtured our own unique culture, and I think this event is meant to remind us of that. The most important thing is that humans trust one another.'

The organising committee’s working chairman M Anilkumar presided over the event. Speakers included linguist Ganesh N Devi, Sudamshu Deshpande, Ratna Pathak Shah, T M Krishna, MLAs P V Sreenijan and K J Maxi, CPI M General Secretary M A Baby, Cultural Department Director Divya S Iyer, Murali Cheeroth, and Pramod Payyannur.

Ahead of the inauguration, a visual tribute titled ‘Abhinayasooriyan’ was presented in honour of Malayalam’s legendary actor Mammootty. The second edition of the Indian Cultural Congress was also announced, and Mammootty unveiled its logo.

The first Indian Cultural Congress, which brought together India’s cultural diversity, was held with the call "Let’s Unite and Move Forward.' It was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday at Rajendra Maidan. Across eight main venues in the city, prominent figures from literature, theatre, music, cinema, dance, visual arts, and folk arts gathered in a cultural confluence.