Governor’s policy address: ‘thank you’ and apology

Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s two-hour policy speech in the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Friday (January 17, 2025) featured playful ‘thank yous’ and apologies.

The state government’s plans for the fisheries sector made Mr. Arlekar commented with a smile. “This may be a gift for me because I am a fish eater. so I thank the government,” said Mr. Arlekar, who hails from Goa, where, like Kerala, fish is a staple of the local diet.

The 70-year-old former Bihar governor who took over as the Governor of Kerala on January 2, also struggled with Malayalam terms and words contained in the policy discourse, particularly ‘Vizhinjam’ and ‘Pathanamthitta.’

This made him end his policy speech by apologizing: “I apologize if I mispronounced some words,” he said. Both motions were well received by the House.