It's our alternative, claims Kerala CM

Thiruvananthapuram: LDF government has drawn up a road map for presenting an alternative model of governance before the country that is development-oriented, inclusive, secular and based on the unity of minds.

Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that at a time when the BJP government at the Centre was adopting policies to polarise the people on communal lines on the one hand and push the marginalised sections to further penury through its neo-liberal policies, it was the responsibility of the Left government to present a corruption-free, secular and development- oriented alternative model.

Both communal polarisation and neo-liberal policies need to be fought with equal force. The chief minister said the LDF government would work for the unity and welfare of the people. "We need to build a strong alternative in the face of threat posed by communal forces. Under the NDA dispensation communal polarisation is taking place from food to marriage," he said while indirectly referring to issues like Love Jihad and Beef.

He said the LDF Govenment will utilise all opportunities to strenthen secular fabric and address basic issues of people cutting across religion, caste and other divide.

Some of the initiatives taken by the government have already attracted international attention and appreciation.

The job reservation for transgender is seen as a unique initiative in the world. Latin American and French media have taken note of the steps taken by Kerala for the welfare of migrant workers catering to their education, health and insurance requirements.

Experts say the previous Kerala Model of Development was recognised worldwide with the state achieving socio, economic and health indicators comparable to the developed nations. But under the new circumstances, the state cannot rest on its laurels. The Left government needs to project its long term planning and short term relief measures. The LDF government's alternative model would focus on people's well being.

With the Centre going on an overdrive on the neo liberal policies, various sections especially workers, farmers and the marginalised have been at the receiving end for the past three years. The Left is of the opinion that BJP Government's communal agenda and neo liberal policies were interrelated. There is also a deliberate attempt to portray India as homogeneous entity to suit the interests of globalisation.

Furthermore the Centre is pursuing RSS dictated policies in education and culture sector which were detrimental to country's diverse society.

It is in this context that the Left wants to project the tasks being undertaken by Nava Kerala Mission as an alternative model across the country.  The activities under the Four Mega Missions covering education, health, environment and housing would be showcased as people's participatory model to bring ground breaking changes in the society.

Through these missions, the government wants to take Kerala to the next stage in affordable healthcare, conservation of water sources, environment protection housing for homeless and landless and modernisation of education sector.

The activities under the Four Mega Missions covering education, health, environment and housing would be showcased as people's participatory model to bring ground breaking changes in the society. Through these missions, the government wants to take Kerala to the next stage in affordable healthcare, conservation of water sources, environment protection housing for homeless and landless and modernisation of education sector.