Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan asks teachers to protect democratic values

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Teachers should be more vigilant than ever in the protection of secular and democratic values, said Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

He was inaugurating the diamond jubilee celebrations of the All Kerala Private College Teachers’ Association (AKPCTA) at the V J T Hall  on Tuesday.

Stating there were deliberate attempts to rewrite history and include communal elements in textbooks, the Chief Minister urged teachers to resist these undesirable practices in the education sector.

Pinarayi pointed out profit motive was on the rise in the higher education sector. He cited the recent trend of managements demanding money for admission to arts and science courses and asked teachers to report such unhealthy practices. He said there were deliberate attempts to belittle the achievements of Kerala as some sections could not digest the LDF Government’s upholding of secular values.

“The education sector is being used to undermine secularism in the country,” Pinarayi said. “By including communal elements in text books, the minds of students are being injected with the venom of communalism.”    

The Chief Minister said in order to spread communalism, ideas which have no scientific basis are being propagated even by people in high positions. He also accused Hindutva forces of distorting history and attempting to re-write it by glorifying their role. The RSS had abstained from the freedom struggle and had expressed its allegiance to the British, he said.

AKPCTA president A G Oleena presided over the function. Education Minister C Raveendranath delivered the keynote address. A Sampath MP and  AKPCTA general secretary K L Vivekanandan spoke.