 He called the nation's attention to various recalcitrant social ills and evils, such as atrocities against women and children, caste discrimination and the ingrained attitudes it nurtured, abuse of the environment and public utilities, corruption and lack of accountability in the delivery of public services, religious fundamentalism, advertisement-driven consumerism, and flouting of human rights, and lamented the absence of public concern, political debate, and civic action to address them.Drawing from the experiences of his own home state Kerala, he pointed out that education was at the root of human and economic development.He hoped that the establishment would not fear the awakening of the masses through education, and spoke of the need to have faith in the people.