Kerala, a model for others to follow: Governor

Kerala’s strong sense of equality and democracy is a model for other States to follow, Governor P. Sathasivam has said.

He was speaking after inaugurating the valedictory function of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the first Kerala ministry here on Wednesday. Heaping praise on the ruling and opposition party leaders for their unity in times of crisis and on important occasions, he said that it is absent in most other states.

“After the passing away of former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the leaders of Kerala, irrespective of their party biases, travelled together to pay their last respects. They did the same when former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa was in the hospital and later when she passed away. The Chief Minister and the Ministers of the State travel regularly in economy class, while in some other States they even travel in chartered flights,” said the Governor.

The Governor also praised the Chief Minister’s recent interventions in the Assembly, saying that he replied in a convincing and dispassionate manner to the issues raised. He said that Kerala continued to be a leader for the rest of the country, with its high literacy rate and Human Development Indices.

“However, the State cannot rest on its laurels, as the old Kerala model of development is no longer a model for the present era. The agriculture sector needs urgent revival. The Higher Education sector also needs a positive push. The Nava Kerala Mission is a step towards such a revival,” he said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who presided over the function, said the current LDF government had inherited the legacy of the first Communist government, which provided the foundation for the State’s development.

“The LDF government is committed to solving the problems of large sections of people who have never got the fruits of development and at the same time surge ahead with our plans for long-time development of the State. The EMS government managed to implement 72 out of its 94 promises in the manifesto, in the short time that it was in power, before it was brought down by communal forces and vested interests,” said the CM.