Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Bolster education sector, says VS

Meeting the public: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan inaugurating a public meeting held in connection with the valedictory of the Sambava Maha Sabha State meet in Pathanamthitta on Monday.

PATHANAMTHITTA: A quantum leap in the general education sector is the need of the hour, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has said. He was inaugurating the valedictory of the ‘navathy’ celebrations of SC Higher Secondary School at Ranni on Monday.

Mr. Achuthanandan said churches as well as community-based organisations had played a laudable role in the educational advancement of the State.

He said the initiative taken by the Church in setting up higher education centres was praiseworthy.

However, there were attempts to damage the general education sector that played a key role in ensuring social unity and progress, he said. The attempt to view educational institutions as part of one or the other community was not a healthy trend, he added.

Dr. Joseph Mar Thoma, Metropolitan of Mar Thoma Church, presided over the function. Jacob Punnose, Director-General of Police, who is a former student of the school, delivered the keynote address.

Anto Antony, MP, Raju Abraham, MLA, Fr P.Philip, Parent-Teacher Association president, Fr M.K. Jacob, school manager, P.K. Annamma, Principal, and V.Arundhati, student representative, spoke.

Later, the Chief Minister addressed a public meeting held in connection with the valedictory function of the Sambava Maha Sabha (SMS) annual State meet near the new private bus stand here.

On the occasion, he said that attempts were being made to alienate the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe sections from the mainstream.

He said society should be vigilant against the “attempts by certain vested interests to alienate the downtrodden sections of society, even through terrorist activities.”

Attempts to spread communalism among the downtrodden must be tackled with in all seriousness. The Chief Minister said the Left Democratic Front Government would provide land and home to all landless SC/ST families in the State in two years.

C.K.Arjunan, SMS district president, presided over the meeting. P.J.Kurien, Rajya Sabha Member, delivered the keynote address. Raju Abraham, MLA, Zakir Hussein, municipal chairman, P.K. Konniyoor, SMS State general secretary and K. Ananthagopan, CPI(M) district secretary, spoke.

A rally was also held from the District Stadium in the town, marking the culmination of the four-day State meet.

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