G Sukumaran Nair, general secretary Nair Service Society (NSS) has called for immediate intervention of the ruling UDF leadership in the functioning of the Education Department, which according to him was still run by the ‘ghost’ of anti LDF bureaucracy.
Speaking at the delegates meet of the NSS, organized as part of the 135th Mannam Jayanthy celebrations here on Sunday, Mr Nair said that in spite of the change in administration, the education policy being implemented was grossly flawed and aimed at the destabilization of the aided sector. While the change in government had reflected in the policies of other areas of governance, the one being followed by the education department was the same as the one followed by earlier government.
Mr Nair said this was because of the same bureaucracy which wielded its power during the former government were running the show. “The NSS hopes the UDF leadership would look into the issue without delay,” he said.
The NSS leader called for constitution of a central recruitment board for appointment to the various Devaswom Boards in the State. “The Bill passed by the earlier government seeking Devaswom appointments through the PSC would not stand legally as the PSC was a secular body. As such the bill should be withdrawn, he said.
“The unprecedented unity and vigor expressed by the members of the community had awaken the political leadership in the State to the fact that it is no more possible to ignore the NSS and the community,” the general secretary said and added that many of the long standing demands by the community have been realised during the past few months These include the declaration of Mannam Jayanthy as a restricted holiday and the constitution of the welfare corporation for the economically backward among the forward communities, “Both were socially relevant demands made by the NSS . The constitution of the new Corporation would not only benefit the Nair community but also the economically backward among other forward communities,” Mr Nair said and added that this was one step forward in the path to reservation on the basis economic backwardness as demanded by Mannathu Padmanabhan back in 1958. He also welcomed the amendment of the relevant provisions in Kerala Educational Rules which discriminated against the majority community on fee structure.
Referring to the presence of the UDF leaders at the Mannam Jayanthy celebration on Monday, Mr Nair said they have been invited as representatives of the government. “We had invited leaders of the LDF earlier, when they were in power. However, it appears that certain forces were holding them back,”. The NSS would invite those who consider the participation in the Mannam Jayanthy celebrations as a matter of recognition and esteem,” he said and pointed out that the NSS had no political motive in this respect. The NSS observed equal distance with the UDF, the LDF and the BJP and gave respect to all those who respected the NSS, he said.
Mr Nair said that the NSS would commence the functioning of a Civil Service Academy in Thiruvananthapuram this July. A plan to revitalize the functioning of the educational institutions is being implemented.
Under the project, the NSS educational institutions would be placed under the responsibility of local development committees who would be able to needs of the respective institutions more effectively.
