Kerala: CM Pinarayi Vijayan slams Centre for hostile approach towards Dalits

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published Feb 24, 2024, 4:25 PM IST

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday (Feb 24) slammed the BJP-led central government alleging that the latter is taking a hostile approach against the Dalits.

Kannur: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan slammed the central government for adopting a 'hostile approach' towards the Dalit community in the country, citing the suspension of scholarship funds for students from the underprivileged group as one of its specific examples. According to him, the state's Left government has been carrying out several initiatives to guarantee social justice as well as the socio-cultural and economic advancement of the Dalit and tribal people.

The CM went on to say that in addition to raising the living conditions of the underprivileged areas, the state administration is working to eradicate the oppressive caste system that permeates society.

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The Chief Minister was speaking at the Face-to-Face Programme with people belonging to the tribal and Dalit communities in this northern district.

"The Central government is adopting a hostile approach towards the Dalit community. A clear example of this is the stopping of the scholarship amount for them," he added.

However, the state government had not stopped the scheme by pointing to the Centre's stand, he explained.

Rather, he added, the state government has chosen to fund the entire post-matric scholarship for SC/ST students whose families earn more than Rs 2.5 lakh, as well as the scholarship for students from backward classes up to the eighth standard.

"It's a social commitment. All these are proof of concern and care the state government has towards the marginalised sections of the community," the CM further said.

"Our declared policy is to provide land and housing to all landless and homeless people belonging to SC, ST and Adivasi communities by 2025," he explained.

A total of 1,40,121 houses, including 98,317 for SC and 41,804 for ST people, have been completed since the present government came to power in the southern state, he further said.

He said that 425 students from the SC, ST, and other backward classes have already been granted the chance to study at various international universities as part of the state's international Education Programme. An amount of Rs 10 lakh to 25 lakh is given as a scholarship under the scheme, he added.

According to Vijayan, his government is working on improving the standard of living for various backward communities in Kerala through various programmes, as they already live in a much better standard than in other states.

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