O R Kelu first tribal leader from CPM to become a minister
Kelu earned his place in the Cabinet due to his seniority as a state committee member of the CPM. After his selection by the party, he told media persons that his foremost priority would be the effective implementation of welfare schemes for the SC/ST communities which his predecessor initiated. He also plans to address the man-animal conflict in Wayanad, which has resulted in numerous fatalities and extensive crop damage
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Sixty-seven years after the first communist government assumed power in Kerala, and sixty years after the formation of CPI(M), the Left parties have for the first time decided to make a leader from the scheduled tribe community a minister in the state.
O R Kelu, 54, elected from Mananthavady assembly constituency in the Wayanad district, will replace the sole Dalit minister K Radhakrishnan, who quit the Cabinet on Wednesday following his election to the Lok Sabha from Alathur constituency. He is the second minister from the Scheduled Tribe community in Kerala.
P K Jayalakshmi of the Congress was the first tribal minister, appointed during Oommen Chandy government’s tenure from 2011-2016. Both Kelu and Jayalakshmi are members of the Kurichiya tribe.
Kelu earned his place in the Cabinet due to his seniority as a state committee member of the CPM. After his selection by the party, he told media persons that his foremost priority would be the effective implementation of welfare schemes for the SC/ST communities which his predecessor initiated. He also plans to address the man-animal conflict in Wayanad, which has resulted in numerous fatalities and extensive crop damage.
Kelu advanced through the ranks, becoming a member of the Thirunelli panchayat in 2000. He was later elected as the president of the Thirunelli grama panchayat and subsequently became a member of the Mananthavady block panchayat. He was elected to the state assembly for the first time in 2016.
Beyond his public duties, Kelu harbours a passion for farming. He engages in the cultivation of bananas, tapioca, and paddy.
Kelu to handle SC/ST, Backward Classes welfare portfolio
Earlier, K Radhakrishnan handled three major portfolios; welfare of SC, ST and Backward classes, Devaswom (temple affairs) and parliamentary affairs. However, Kelu will be having the portfolio of SC/ST and Backward Classes welfare.
Devaswom has been given to cooperation minister V N Vasavan while parliamentary affairs will now be handled by Excise Minister M B Rajesh.
It is noteworthy that the CPM camp celebrated its decision to assign the Devaswom portfolio to a minister from the scheduled caste community in 2021. However, despite holding ministerial office, Radhakrishnan encountered caste discrimination during his participation in a temple event in the Kannur district.
The minister publicly protested against caste discrimination, claiming that despite Kerala's advancements, a casteist mindset persisted among some people in the state. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also openly condemned the incident, promising stringent measures against those engaging in untouchability.
However, the matter subsided when the minister chose not to pursue legal action. He entrusted the temple authorities and the devotees with the task of reflecting on such practices and implementing corrective actions.