Prof. C. Raveendranath, Hon’ble Minister for Education and Pro-Chancellor,
Dr. Mohanlal, Renowned Malayalam Actor,
Dr. P.T. Usha, Illustrious sports person,
Dr. K. Mohammed Basheer, Vice-Chancellor,
Dr. P. Mohan, Pro-Vice-Chancellor,
Other academicians,
My dear Teachers, my beloved Students,
Friends in Media,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmaare,
Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram,
It is with great joy and pride that I address this Special convocation, which has been called to confer the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Letters on the celebrated Actor
Shri Mohanlal and illustrious Sports person, Smt. P.T. Usha.
I understand that the University of Calicut has so far honoured 19 scholars through the conferment of Honorary Degrees. I convey my sincere congratulations to Dr. Mohanlal and Dr. P.T. Usha on their glorious rise to this University's prestigious Hall of Fame.
I also congratulate the Vice-chancellor, Syndicate and Senate of the University of Calicut on their decision to confer these honorary degrees.
Both Dr. Mohanlal and Dr. P.T. Usha are extraordinary figures who have become household names in Kerala by virtue of their professional excellence. The events and achievements in their life have become and continue to be important chapters in the progress of their fields of activity.
The rise of Dr. Mohanlal as an actor in the eighties opened a new era of originality in Malayalam cinema. With an ease and spontaneity that attracted people of all age groups, he went on to win five National Awards and six State awards for the best actor. In 1997, his film Guru was chosen as India’s official entry to the Oscars and was considered for nomination in the Best Foreign Film Category. The wide variety of characters he played evinced his unmatched range as an actor not only on the screen, but also on the stage in plays like Karnabharam and Chchayamukhi.
Dr. Mohanlal's popularity as an actor has crossed the boundaries of Malayalam cinema, as is evident from the people's response to his stellar performance in the Hindi film Company, the Tamil film Iruvar and the Telugu blockbuster,Janata Garage which fetched him the Nandi Award of Andhra Pradesh in 2016. He is the only non-Hindi actor to win the International Indian Film Academy award and the only
non-Tamil actor to win the Film Fare award for the best Tamil actor.
During a career spanning 35 years, he has acted in 350 films. But, the laurels that came his way were not from Cinema alone. In 2009, he became the first actor to be adorned with the Honorary Rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Territorial Army of India. The Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kerala, conferred on him an honorary doctorate for his contribution to Sanskrit Drama. In 2001, the Government of India honoured him with Padma Sree. The people of Kerala, on the other hand, held him close to their hearts, calling him ‘Lalettan’.
Many of Dr. Mohanlal’s gestures have proved his conviction that an artiste's role in society goes beyond entertainment. His role as a social ambassador swayed popular opinion in favour of organ donation and gave Kerala a lead in organ donation in the country. As Goodwill Ambassador for a project that looked after 2000 neglected mothers, he attracted Kerala society's attention to the need for better care for the elderly. I understand that the University of Calicut found the social commitment of this actor equally impressive as the depth of his artistic performance, while choosing him for this honour.
The second recipient today, is a legendary athlete,the queen of Indian track and field who needs no introduction to the people of our nation. She rose to national attention at a time when India's athletic scene was marked by pessimism and doubts about our future in sports. And, as she proudly held the tri-color aloft at the Los Angeles Olympics of 1984 by reaching the finals of the 400 metre hurdles, India's celebrations echoed just one name : P.T. Usha. Though she lost the medal by one by hundredth of a second, she had given a fitting reply to those who doubted whether we could ever excel in sports. That athlete who made India proud, is now on this stage as
Dr. P.T. Usha.
Out of love for the sprint queen, the people in Kerala preferred to call her Payyoli Express, since she hailed from the Payyoli Village in Kannur. Her talent was first spotted by the Dronacharya Award winning coach Shri O.M. Nambiar, under whose training she had won five medals in the inter-state competition in 1978. In 1980, she won multiple medals in the national meet, setting records. From that moment, Payyoli Express took India by storm and the rest is history.
During her athletic career of 22 years, she has secured more than a thousand medals in competitions ranging from
the university to the national levels. Her international achievements total a hundred and three medals out of which 87 are Gold. She had once held six national records, two Asian records and one Commonwealth record and some of her records still remain unsurpassed. The Government of India honoured her with Arjuna Award in 1984 and Padma Sree in 1985. The Indian Olympic Association chose her as Sports Woman of the Century in 2000. By conferring this honorary degree, the Calicut University is honouring one of its illustrious alumnus, because as a student, Dr. P.T. Usha had represented this university in sports.
Dr. Usha is well aware that the people of Kerala had watched her grow with utmost love and care. It is laudable that she is now working hard to groom athletes and sports stars who would soon hold our tri-color high in the sports arenas all over the world.
As we all know, the purpose of education is not justteaching, but the effective cultivation of total responsibility in students. It must acquaint the student with meaningful living, the lessons of which may not be seen in text books, but would be abundant in the actions of many people in society. It is the duty of universities to enlighten its academic community by identifying and recognizing such role models.
In honouring the contributions and achievements of two of the most loved Keralites living today, the University of Calicut has shown its commitment to recognize role models who, with the golden touch of their meaningful lives, have inspired our younger generations to excel in their chosen fields. That this event is one of the highlights of the Golden Jubilee celebration of this university also merits special mention.
I wish Dr. Mohanlal and Dr. P.T. Usha all the best in their future endeavours and assure them that the people of Kerala would always hold them close to their hearts. I compliment the University of Calicut for organizing this Special Convocation in a befitting manner.
Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal
Nanni
Jai Hind
