‘Time for Malayalis to reclaim their laughter’

Society that does not laugh will decay, says Jayakumar

October 23, 2017 01:22 am | Updated 01:22 am IST - Kozhikode

K. Jayakumar, Vice Chancellor, Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, after releasing a book on social critic Ramdas Vaidyar in Kozhikode on Sunday.

K. Jayakumar, Vice Chancellor, Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, after releasing a book on social critic Ramdas Vaidyar in Kozhikode on Sunday.

KOZHIKODE: Malayalis are scared of cracking a joke in public, as they don’t know how it will be interpreted later, K. Jayakumar, Vice Chancellor, Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, has said. He was here on Sunday to inaugurate a programme in memory of maverick social critic Ramdas Vaidyar and release a book on him.

“We have lost the innocence of our laughter. We need to reclaim our laughter, its boom, its essence,” Mr. Jayakumar said.

The former Chief Secretary said a society which did not laugh would decay and would be in the grip of social evils. “See how cartoonists evoke laughter. When we remember people like Vaidyar, we need to regain our ability to laugh,” he added.

The book has been written by veteran journalist A. Sajeevan. Former Malayala Manorama editorial director Thomas Jacob was present.

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