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Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 (IANS) Former Congress unit president in Kerala MM Hassan has accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government of trying to “saffronize” Kerala’s education system to please the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
He said the state’s move to implement the PM SHRI scheme, despite opposition from CPI, the second largest party in the ruling LDF, is a deliberate attempt to align with the BJP’s ideological agenda.
Hasan commented, “The government is luring people with the promise of central funds, just like a goat is lured to the slaughterhouse after being shown green grass.”
According to him, CM Vijayan and Education Minister V. Sivankutty are trying to bind Kerala’s education sector within the ambit of RSS by betraying the secular and progressive values of the state.
”This is an injustice to our future generations,” he said, alleging that the purpose of the government approving the scheme at the last minute was to use central funds to settle salary arrears and other expenses.
Hasan said the CPI(M) was compromising its ideological stand to maintain harmony with the BJP.
“The CPI(M) and the BJP are now bound by a hidden understanding. Pinarayi Vijayan alone wants to please the BJP and the Centre, but the Education Minister should not bow down,” he said.
He also criticized the CPI(M) leadership for silencing the Education Minister, who had initially opposed the plan.
“Even the CPI state secretary’s objections to the Centre’s education policy have been ridiculed by the CPI(M) leadership,” Hasan said. He said the Left is now ready to sacrifice its ideals for the sake of central money.
Citing the example of Karnataka, Hasan said that the BJP-ruled state had also formulated its education policy rejecting the unscientific and communal elements of the National Education Policy (NEP).
“Why can’t Kerala show the same courage?” He urged the state to follow the Tamil Nadu model of legal resistance to the Centre’s policies.
Hassan alleged that the Pinarayi government regularly withdraws funds from central schemes for routine expenses.
He said the Centre’s condition that Kerala would have to accept an RSS-inspired education policy to receive funds was an attack on federal principles.
“The saffronisation agenda of the PM SHRI scheme threatens the educational foundation and future generations of Kerala. This cannot be accepted,” he said.
–IANS
SG/DPB