“Fight Like a Fish Against the Current”: Prakash Raj Criticises Manusmriti, RSS

Film actor Prakash Raj on Saturday expressed concern over what he described as attempts by the ruling establishment to implement Manusmriti in the country “in various forms and in a hidden manner,” calling on people to resist such efforts. He said the influence of Manusmriti was having a negative impact on the sentiments of the people.

Prakash Raj was speaking at the inaugural meeting of Shramik Utsav, held at the exhibition grounds behind the AU Convention Centre in Visakhapatnam. The event was chaired by Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) State Vice President M.A. Gafur.

Addressing the gathering with the slogans “Lal Salaam” and “Jai Bhim,” Prakash Raj said his association with CITU dates back several decades. He recalled performing street plays and village programmes at the age of 18 to raise awareness among workers.

He criticised what he termed as anti-labour policies of successive governments, stating that workers were increasingly finding it difficult to earn a livelihood due to the promotion of corporate interests. Drawing a political analogy, he said that if India were a lake, the lotus visible in it represented the BJP, while its roots were the RSS. He called for resistance against the RSS, which he described as the “roots” that needed to be challenged.

Prakash Raj said that despite being a film actor, he would continue to raise his voice for workers’ rights. “I will fight like a fish swimming against the current, not like one carried away by it,” he said.

During the event, Prakash Raj presented the Shrama Award to noted poet and analyst Telakapalli Ravi.

Several leaders and dignitaries attended the programme, including CITU State President A.V. Nageswara Rao, general secretaries C.H. Narsing Rao, Kandarapu Murali and RKSV Kumar, festival committee convener Rama Prabha, CITU leaders Baby Rani and Dadi Satyanarayana, Leader newspaper editor V.V. Ramana Murthy, filmmaker Satyanand, retired AU Telugu professor Velamala Simmanna, and others.