Cong accuses Vijayan govt of ‘saffronising’ education through PM SHRI
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Thiruvananthapuram: Former Kerala Congress president M.M. Hassan on Thursday accused the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government of attempting to “saffronise” the state’s education system to appease the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Hassan alleged that the government’s move to implement the PM SHRI scheme, despite opposition from the CPI, the second-largest party in the ruling LDF, is a deliberate attempt to align Kerala’s education policy with the BJP’s ideological agenda.
“The government is luring people with the promise of central funds, just like leading a goat to the slaughterhouse by showing it green grass,” Hassan remarked.
He claimed that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Education Minister V. Sivankutty are trying to tie Kerala’s education sector to the RSS fold, betraying the state’s secular and progressive values. “This is an injustice to our future generations,” he said, alleging that the government’s last-minute approval of the scheme aimed to utilise Central funds to settle salary arrears and other routine expenditures.
Hassan accused the CPI(M) of compromising its ideological stance to maintain cordiality with the BJP, saying, “Pinarayi Vijayan alone wants to please the BJP and the Centre, but the Education Minister must not yield.” He also criticised the CPI(M) leadership for silencing the Education Minister, who had initially opposed the scheme.
“Even the CPI State Secretary’s objections to the Centre’s education policy have been ridiculed by the CPI(M) leadership,” Hassan added, asserting that the Left is now willing to sacrifice its ideals for the sake of central funds.
Citing Karnataka as an example, Hassan said that even a BJP-ruled state had framed its own education policy, rejecting the unscientific and communal elements of the National Education Policy (NEP). “Why can’t Kerala show the same courage?” he questioned, urging the state to follow Tamil Nadu’s model of legal resistance to central policies.
Hassan further alleged that the Pinarayi government routinely diverts funds from Central schemes for routine expenses. He claimed that the Centre’s condition that Kerala must accept an RSS-inspired education policy to receive funding is an attack on federal principles.
“The PM SHRI scheme’s saffronisation agenda threatens Kerala’s educational foundations and future generations. It cannot be accepted,” he concluded.
With IANS inputs