Labour and Excise Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan has warned of the spread of an “extreme form of communalism” in the State.
Inaugurating the district-level Independence Day celebrations here on Tuesday, he said that a democratic set-up should ensure “equal rights to the haves and have nots alike”.
“Vegetarians and non-vegetarians should co-exist peacefully. Those who have imbibed the essence of democracy cannot be intolerant. There cannot be progress without peace and camaraderie,” he said. The Minister gave away the Chief Minister’s medals to police officials. Personnel from the Police, Excise, Forest, and Fire and Emergency Services and cadets of the NCC and Scouts and Guides participated in a colourful parade.
A declaration of ‘independence from waste’ was also made. Mr. Ramakrishnan said that waste should not be thrown in public and should be segregated as biodegradable and non-biodegradable and processed. The declaration was part of the Haritha Keralam Mission. Awareness campaigns have been planned at the grass-roots level and local bodies will launch various programmes as part of the programme in November.
In Kozhikode district, the district administration and the Kozhikode City Corporation have launched a ‘Zero Waste Kozhikode’ project.
