To Sustain Kerala’s Achievements, Continuity in Governance is Essential: M. A. Baby

Thiruvananthapuram: M. A. Baby, General Secretary of the CPI(M), said that those who call for a change in the government aim to destroy the achievements Kerala has made and want to take the state back to the old days when corruption and communalism were dominant. He said that Kerala did not become what it is today by chance, but through many martyrdoms and sacrifices. This Kerala, he stressed, must be taken forward.

“Some people are saying that even if the achievements we have gained are pushed backwards, there should be no continuity in governance. Even if the state is ruined, it doesn’t matter. Kerala should turn into a place filled with communalism and corruption. Is that what they want?” M.A. Baby asked.

He was speaking while inaugurating the closing ceremony of the 5th International Congress on Kerala Studies. He noted that some cultural figures are concerned about the continuity of power. While they stand with the Left, they do not want the Left government to continue in power. “They say the Left should remain as it is. But do they mean that Kerala should collapse?” Baby asked. “The change in government was brought about by interventions that pushed back the achievements Kerala had attained.”

He added that all parties, including opposition parties, should be ready to cooperate through healthy criticism in developmental activities. “We will argue where it is necessary. However, cooperation is needed wherever it is required,” he said. He pointed out that UDF-ruled local self-government institutions also have the support of the state in making Kerala’s extreme poverty eradication plan a reality. However, M.A. Baby questioned whether the Leader of the Opposition, V. D. Satheesan, is ready for such cooperation and discussions on development. He said isolated incidents should not be generalised to mislead the public and added that the Leader of the Opposition should refrain from making statements that are contrary to the truth.

“Our goal should be a prosperous Kerala. It must become a modern, middle-income state. Kerala should be developed to that level. We must be able to create alternatives within the existing economic and social system. A section of the media in Kerala has turned into factories that manufacture lies,” M.A. Baby said.