February 3, 2025
Derek O’Brien’s speech during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address
As is the tradition, let me begin by thanking the Hon. President. Any criticism of her speech is not directed at the Hon. President or the highest constitutional office.It is an established convention that the speech is scripted by the Government. From 2014 to2024, Mr Modi’s BJP Government wrote the SCRIPT. This year, a creaky, shaky NDA
coalition government has written the SCRIPT.I am immensely proud as an Indian to have listened to the Hon. President, who is a woman.I am immensely proud as an Indian to have heard the Finance Minister, who is a woman.
I am immensely proud that the All India Trinamool Congress was founded 28 years ago by a self-made woman. And talking about women… The BJP, for all its big talk, has 13% women MPs. AITC 39% (a decade before the Women’s Reservation Bill may be passed, MamataBanerjee’s Trinamool Congress implements).35% of ministerial positions in the Bengal government are held by women.SCRIPTS! Indian films and their SCRIPTS have played a significant role in telling the story of India.
TODAY’S THEME, 10 FILMS FROM INDIA ENTERED TO THE OSCARS.
Mother India (1957. Starring Nargis): Shows how a family of farmers were ruined trying to
pay back moneylender.
• In last five years, agricultural wages grew by just 0.2%.
• 2 out of 5 farmers are in debt. Average debt of Rs 75,000
• 30 farmers commit suicide everyday.
• Still no legal guarantee for MSP
• Bangla Shoshyo Bima Yojana, state pays entire premium, Rs 3500 crore spent, 1.12
crore farmers benefitted.
SECOND FILM
Apur Sansar (1959. Directed by Satyajit Ray): Starts with a graduate who is unemployed.
• 75 lakh youth enter the labour force every year in India
• 8 out of 10 unemployed are youth
• Unemployment rate 6 times higher for those who have studied till higher secondary, and
9 times for graduates, than those who could not read or write.
THIRD FILM
Akhri Khat (1967. Debut film of Rajesh Khanna): A woman is sold off for Rs 500 by her
stepmother, subjected to abuse.
• 51 crimes against women are registered every hour.
• 85 cases of rape reported every day
• 3 out of 10 married women have experienced spousal violence. No exception for marital
rape in new criminal laws.
• Champion women wrestlers. BJP ex-MP who is a criminal
FOURTH FILM
Garm Hava (1974. Balraj Sahni lead actor, based on a short story by Ismat Chugtai): Shows
how a minority family who decided to stay in India after partition were treated horribly.
• Punished for what you eat, what you wear, who you love.
• Anti-conversion laws violate Fundamental Rights under Article 14, 15 and 25 of the
Constitution
• Extra jurisdictional land laws (Waqf). Issue constitutional, not religious
• Hate crimes, hate speech. Acknowledge Christians and their contribution.
• In CHRISTIAN RUN educational institutions, 3 out of 4 students are non-Christians.
Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist.
FIFTH FILM
Salaam Bombay (1988. First feature film directed by Mira Nair): Shows how a child is forced
into labour and exploited.
• 20-30 lakh child labourers in the country. 2021 Census still not done.
• 1 out of 2 of the world’s wasted (low weight for height) children live in India. PM poses
with children promoting his book EXAM WARRIORS.
• NFHS-5 data: 32% children underweight, 35% children stunted
• 8 out of 10 children lack WHO recommended balanced diets. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh worst
SIXTH FILM
Lagaan (2001. Aamir Khan): The British force high taxes on a village plagued with drought.
• Individuals are paying more income tax (19% of govt revenue) than corporates (17%).
• Personal income tax made up 53% percent of direct taxes in 2023-24, the highest in 24
years.
• INCOME INEQUALITY. Top 10% of population holds 77% of total wealth.
• CESS not shared with states. In 2012, cess formed 7% of Union government’s total tax
revenues. In 2023, increased to 16%.
• States deprived of funds. Politically oppose you so punish. Fiscal federal terrorism.
Bengal owed over Rs 15,000 crore under MNREGA, Awas Yojana. Total dues 1.7 lakh
crore.
SEVENTH FILM
Shwaas (2004. Marathi film, based on a real life incident in Pune): A grandfather takes his 8
year old grandson for a check up and finds he has retinal cancer, has to be operated.
• Remove 18% GST on health and term insurance
• Ayushman Bharat conditions
• Bengal’s Swasthya Sathi (2 years earlier) no conditions. Card in name of woman head
of family. Parents of both spouses included.
EIGHTH FILM
Peepli Live (2010. Produced by Aamir Khan Productions): A farmers off the cuff remark
about committing suicide is turned into a sensationalist media circus.
• MEDIA OWNERS. DISCLOSURE. MPs disclose, so why not media owners.
Journalists fight for your rights against media owners.
• Kumbh mela tragedy. Discussion was allowed during Delhi tragedy on 29 July. Why
was no discussion allowed today?
NINTH FILM
Court (2015. Marathi film): Shows how a man is falsely accused and trapped in the legal
system
• The 22nd Law Commission suggested sedition should be well-defined. Union
government did opposite of that in BNS.
• UAPA conviction rate less than 3%.
• Father Stan Swamy case.
TENTH FILM
Newton (2017. Hindi film. Rajkumar Rao plays the titular role): An idealistic govt officer sent
on election duty and the problems he faces.
• Institutions like EC, CBI, ED being weakened.
• 95% of political leaders investigated by CBI and ED are Opposition leaders.
• Since 2014, 95% of opposition leaders being investigated by Central agencies got
reprieve when they went to BJP.
The best script writers are the people of India. They will write a new script, and then this
horror film will come to The End.
