The growing graph of corruption in the country was a black mark on the Republic of India and its hard-earned independence, said Mr K.B. Gansehkumar, Minister for Forests and Sports.
The Minister was delivering the Republic Day message after hoisting the national flag as part of the 63rd Republic Day celebrations at the district stadium here on Thursday.
He said corruption is a cancer spreading fast and every citizen of India was bound to fight against it. The Minister also stressed the need to make the people well aware of the need to root out corruption, helping the country in its march towards progress and prosperity.
Terrorism
Mr Ganeshkumar said the growing trend of terrorism from within the country was another major problem facing India. Underworld and mafia forces and their financial sources were behind the terrorism in the name of religion and we should realise the fact that these divisive forces that threaten the integrity, unity and the secular tenets of the country were not Indians, he added.
Mr Ganeshkumar said we should strive for bringing those who were lured by these divisive forces back to the mainstream of the society, giving them love and affection, above all religious, castiest and linguistic line of thoughts.
Social justice
The Minister said, though India could claim many achievements in various walks of life, still the country has to go a long way in ensuring social justice to all. The standard of living of many people belonging to the backward sections of the society was yet to be improved and steps should be initiated to improve their living conditions, he said.
He further stressed the need to ensure adequate protection to women and children.
The Minister also took salute and inspected the guard of honour by going round the stadium in an open jeep at the district stadium.
District Collector, P. Venugopal and Superintendent of Police, K.K. Balachandran, received the Minister at the stadium, earlier.
K. Sivadasan Nair, MLA and A. Sureshkumar, municipal chairman, were also present.
Keywords: Kerala, Republic Day, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, Corruption
