Mammootty Calls for Collective Fight Against Poverty at Kerala's Extreme Poverty Eradication Announcement

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala's renowned actor Mammootty, speaking as the chief guest at the formal announcement of the 'Extreme Poverty-Free Kerala', on Kerala's 70th formation day said that the fight against poverty requires a collective, shoulder-to-shoulder struggle. He added that development cannot be considered complete while hungry stomachs remain, and expressed hope that the joy of this declaration would become its very model.

The event, held at the Nishagandhi auditorium, was inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and presided over by Minister K. Rajan.

Mammootty commended Kerala's impressive social indicators, which have often "astonished the world." He noted that Kerala achieves these significant milestones without even a twentieth of the resources of the world's wealthiest nations, placing the state at the forefront in many areas of social service.

"By declaring Kerala an extreme poverty-free state, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has taken on a responsibility even greater than the declaration itself," Mammootty said. "We have only been freed from extreme poverty; poverty still remains."

Highlighting about the state's resilience, the actor added, "Kerala has overcome many crises. It is mutual love, mutual trust, and boundless brotherhood that has brought us this far."

He expressed confidence that the government would faithfully execute the responsibilities entrusted to it by the people, but he also stressed that this requires the dedicated participation of the public as well.

"A society cannot be developed merely by constructing highways and large buildings. It is our social life that must be developed, and for that, poverty must be completely eradicated," he reiterated.

In a personal note, Mammootty mentioned that he has not been active in public forums or his hometown for about eight months. "But looking now, I see that in this period, a lot of astonishing development has taken place," he observed.

The ceremony concluded with Mammootty formally receiving the extreme poverty eradication project report from the Chief Minister, who also presented him with a gift from the state government.