KAJOL's FULL SPEECH at The Telegraph National Debate 2016 on Intolerance l Anupam Kher, Barkha Dutt Kajol's speech transcript: "I’ll leave the politics and speak about intolerance elsewhere… meaning myself! I have always been an intolerant girl. Twenty years ago, I was pictured as a demure and docile Indian girl being brought up in London by a caring and strict father who allowed me to go on my first Europe trip with friends. And there I met this boy who — quite famously — held my outstretched hand and pulled me into a train’s compartment. But once on the train, he and I were so totally on the wrong track. After all, how could any good Bharatiya nari ever tolerate someone as frisky and flirtatious as this boy called Raj, with overgrown hair and undergrown manners. The boy I was seriously intolerant of back in 1995, was Shah Rukh Khan. It was only later that I as Simran managed to not just tolerate him but also fall madly in love with because, after all, the Dilwale had to take the Dulhania away! In 1998, I was flying from Paris to India... on the flight I met Shekhar, who managed to irritate me in so many ways. I was severely intolerant of him until I realised he had a heart of gold.... After all, Pyaar Toh Hona Hi Tha. A year later, reel turned to real and I was married to this man you all know as Ajay Devgn. Those who know me and my family have often said that this intolerance runs in our blood.... There always has been intolerance in India. There is intolerance because the society is not perfect. There are fault lines. We all need to work together to make a stronger and a richer India. An India where there is much less poverty and inequality. Only then will intolerance cease to exist." Suhel Seth Marketing maven What we should really be intolerant about is intolerance itself. What we should be intolerant about is poverty, the subjugation of rights and opportunities. Why am I being part of an intolerance discourse when actually I am not intolerant? Why are we dividing India on lines of caste and creed and religion and exposing every little nuanced statement put out by stupid people as the final yardstick of this particular government… and I don’t mean this particular government… I mean that particular government. I am not for once supporting the fact that the Prime Minister doesn’t speak up when he should. I think he should… but that’s for the Prime Minister to decide. We don’t need a media circus playing on our television channels every evening, almost suggesting that our idea of India has either failed or is about to diminish. Because the idea of India is stronger than stupid utterances that will be made in a democracy as vibrant as ours. What’s happened today is that we are living in media circus times… so if an idiot says something stupid, and there are many across political parties, those become the national discourse. We are still a tolerant country. Don’t get taken in by this whole mantra of intolerance. There are stupid things happening in this country, but people will understand that basic commodities and basic rights of humanity are more important than beef bans. People will realise that you can’t alter the discourse of this country on the basis of one ideology, one principle or one faith. We need to be more tolerant about the word ‘intolerance’. We believe in a holistic and composite India. Barkha Dutt Journalist Mukul Kesavan moderator 3000: Was the crowd count on Saturday evening at the Calcutta Club The Telegraph National Debate 2016, presented by Camellia Group, in association with Maruti Suzuki and Ballantine’s Stay True Golf Retreat, with Taj Bengal as the hospitality partner and Multicon Group as the realty partner. While all ears were plugged to the talk on tolerance and intolerance, all eyes were on the half-Bengali, fully-gorgeous Kajol on stage. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal and Bhubaneswarananda Halder 50-50: Hung house in tolerance tussle What: Camellia Group presents Calcutta Club The Telegraph National Debate 2016 Where: Calcutta Club lawns Motion: In the opinion of the house tolerance is the new intolerance Verdict: Dead heat or tie, after show of hands

• published: 07 Mar 2016
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