Kozhikode: Actor Salim Kumar has found himself at the center of controversy after making remarks about the younger generation during his speech at a cultural event in Kozhikode. Speaking at the inauguration of the new District Congress Committee (DCC) office at the Trivarnotsavam program, the actor expressed concerns over the behaviour of young people, particularly criticising the lack of attention and respect.

While sharing his thoughts with the audience, the actor described his experience of seeing young girls walking on the road engrossed in phone conversations. He remarked, “Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi would not have so many phone calls. They are all kids who would probably be students. I checked, and everyone was speaking on their phones while walking. They are not paying attention to anything. Even when we blew our horns, they didn’t budge.”

Kumar went on to claim that the younger generation has lost respect for Kerala, stating that many young people aspire to leave their hometowns and study abroad in countries like the UK, US and Australia. According to him, these aspirations come at the cost of local interests, such as preparing for Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) exams, which he believes has lost its appeal among the youth. “Every youth wants to leave their hometown. They are not interested in writing PSC exams,” he said.

The actor also shared his personal experience with his own children, recounting a conversation where he encouraged them to prepare for the PSC exams, only to receive a response of indifference: “What for?” Though initially upset, Kumar said he later came to terms with their decision after seeing the first page of the newspaper (protest photos).

In an attempt to emphasise his point, Kumar made a comparison between the devotion of various groups in Kerala and the actions of the younger generation. He criticised the way certain women, particularly Women Civil Police Officers (CPOs), were seen holding lit camphor (Karpuram) and performing an "army crawl" in front of the Kerala Secretariat. “I have only seen such devotion in temples like Pazhani and Sabarimala. They are doing the 'army crawl.' ASHA workers, on the other hand, are going bald, chopping off their hair. I have only seen these rituals being done at Pazhani, Sabarimala, or Tirupati but they are doing it in front of the Kerala Secretariat,” he said.

Kumar concluded that the younger generation needs to learn culture, suggesting that they are detached from traditional values and practices. His remarks, which seemed to take aim at both the youth's modern behaviour and the changing societal norms, have sparked a wave of criticism.