Thrithala: Congress leader and MLA VT Balram drew attention at an Independence Day celebration here on Saturday by hoisting the national flag while wearing a lungi, a move he said was aimed at asserting cultural freedom and opposing discrimination.
The event was held as part of the Thrithala gram panchayat’s Independence Day functions, with panchayat president Jayanthi Vijayakumar presiding. Balram, who has been vocal against the recent “lungi vala” remark in the Rajya Sabha, said on Facebook that the choice of attire underscored the freedom to dress and follow cultural practices without stigma. He added that true independence includes freedom from discrimination and divisions, and the right to a dignified identity.
The function was attended by vice-president K Sujatha, block panchayat standing committee chair P Divya, standing committee chairs Pathil Ali, Anees Mattaya and Priya Pramod, panchayat members Shabna Nishad, Fathima Nazar, Preetha Unnikrishnan and PP Dayanandan, plan coordinator PV Mohammed Ali and PM Mohandas.
The gesture comes days after a controversy in the Rajya Sabha, where BJP member Sushmita Dev repeatedly referred to MP John Brittas, who had come to the House in a lungi, as “lungi vala”, a term he and opposition members condemned as derogatory. Brittas subsequently submitted a privilege notice over the remark. Opposition MPs staged strong protests both inside the Rajya Sabha and at Parliament’s Makar Gate, terming the comment an insult to South Indian culture and attire and an encroachment on cultural diversity.
The uproar led to loud protests and a temporary adjournment of the Rajya Sabha, after which the Chair directed that there should be no remarks demeaning dress or culture and summoned the concerned MPs for a discussion to resolve the issue.