Drawing strength from the considerable gains made by the Left Democratic Front (LDF) in the recent local body byelections, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said that the electoral outcomes contradicted negative portrayals of the ruling front in the mainstream media. Speaking at a face-to-face programme on tribal and Dalit issues organised in continuation of the Navakerala Sadas programme in Kannur on Saturday, he expressed doubts whether journalists truly grasped the sentiments of the general public and criticised media managements of pressurising journalists to write negatively about the government.
Mr. Vijayan reiterated the government’s pledge to provide land and housing to all landless and homeless Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe, and tribal families by 2025. Highlighting past achievements, he announced the completion of over 1,40,000 houses and distribution of land to thousands of families under various schemes. He highlighted the historical marginalisation faced by SC and ST communities, attributing it to the oppressive Chaturvarna system.
“Scheduled caste and scheduled tribe categories are people who have been left far behind in social progress due to historical reasons that are not self-inflicted, but imposed by the Chaturvarna-priestly system on our society. Throwing off its yoke has been the greatest responsibility of modern society and Kerala is a society that has been able to do that to a large extent,” he said.
