Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 8 (PTI) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday outrightly rejected the opposition’s charges on the LDF government’s recently concluded ‘Keraleeyam’ programme being an extravagance, and said the mass participation of people despite inclement weather was proof of the grand success of the week-long event.
The capital city became a sea of people in the past one week, and the turnout was beyond all expectations, he said.
The CM was addressing a press conference a day after ‘Keraleeyam 2023’ — an ambitious initiative of the state government that showcased the state’s progress, achievements, and cultural heritage — ended.
Attributing its success to the hard work and determination of thousands of people, Vijayan said that preparations for the next edition of ‘Keraleeyam’ would begin right away. For that, the state cabinet meeting held today has formed an organising committee with the chief secretary as its chairman, he said.
Further explaining the structure of the panel, he said the managing director of KSIDC (Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation Ltd) would be its convenor, with secretaries of various departments as its members.
“This panel will start preparations for the next edition of Keraleeyam now itself, and Kerala can be presented to the world with more excellence next year,” the CM said.
Explaining the significance of conducting such an event, he said 67 years have passed since the formation of the state, and it has been able to stand tall as an exemplary model in front of the world in various aspects within this short span of time.
The fact that a small region that had to face centuries of colonialism and feudal dominance made all these achievements adds more colour to Kerala’s success story, he said.
He said Kerala ranks first in the country on several indices of social development, including quality of life, public affairs, health, education, and so on.
Taking a dig at the opposition parties who had dubbed ‘Keraleeyam’ a waste of money and extravagance, he pointed out the participation of veteran Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar and BJP veteran O Rajagopal in the event.
“All these were indications that the criticism and accusations raised against the event did not affect the people or even those in leadership ranks,” he said.
Twenty-five seminars were successfully conducted in five venues, and as many as 220 experts presented various topics, he said, adding that over 300 cultural events have been conducted in 30 venues and a total of 4,100 artists showcased various performances.
The capital city was in a festive mood for the past one week and there was no dip in crowds or people’s participation despite the continuous rains, he pointed out, illustrating that the event was a grand success.
Vijayan further said that ‘Keraleeyam’ was a declaration that the people of the state are committed to creating a new Kerala that would stand at the forefront of preserving the values of secularism, socialist ideals, federal structure, and parliamentary democracy, which are the cornerstones of the Indian Constitution.
“Keraleeyam has strengthened the unity of people beyond all distinctions and hoisted the flag of the state’s self respect,” Vijayan said.
He said a section of people were raising questions about whether such a programme was necessary during a crisis.
The government, however, does not consider the expenditure required for the progress of the state as wasteful, the CM added.
Stating that a Nava Kerala action plan was announced during the culmination of ‘Keraleeyam’, he said a ‘Nava Kerala Sadas’, a meeting of the state ministers with the civil society representatives, would also be held as part of it from November 18.
The CM also justified the display of tribal people at the Keraleeyam festival, which triggered a row with the state Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes K Radhakrishnan, who said that putting them in a “showcase” sends the “wrong message”.
The controversial exhibition at the Keraleeyam festival displayed various tribal groups decked up in their traditional attire, living in huts, and depicting their various arts, crafts, and dance forms.
“The propaganda that the tribal people were displayed in the showcase is wrong,” Vijayan argued. “Presenting the lives of the tribal groups before the world is not a new thing. We see everywhere in the world the presentation of their lives and rituals,” he said when his reaction was sought on the matter.
He also alleged that the campaign was an attempt at maligning the Keraleeyam event, as it gained a lot of public attention. PTI LGK ANE
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