Dissent should not degenerate into violence: Kerala Guv on Indian democracy

Dissent and differences of opinion are essential ingredients of democratic functioning but they should not degenerate into violence, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said on Friday on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day celebrations here.

Khan also said that institutions of higher education need to be autonomous and free of outside interference that could lead the youth to take part in activities that "pollute the academic environment."

His statements come in the wake of vehement protests against him by the CPI(M)'s student wing SFI, over appointments made by him to senate of some universities, and his displeasure with the ruling Left in the state over alleged political interference in the functioning of varsities by the government.

Khan, leading the Republic Day celebrations at the Central Stadium in the state capital, said that society should not allow group rivalries or internal struggles for power to affect governance as it would set a bad example for the future generations.

The Governor further said that education was the chief means by which a society is transformed and it is the only effective method to purge the mind of old prejudices.

"The future depends on what we are in our thoughts and actions. For this, we need institutions of higher education which are truly autonomous and free from any outside interference that leads the youth to engage in activities which pollute the academic environment," he said at the event also attended by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Cooperative federalism requires support from all stakeholders including the states of the union, he added.

Khan also referred to the various accomplishments and laurels achieved by Kerala in various sectors, including startups, health and tourism.

The laurels and achievements of Kerala he referred to were -- becoming one of the best performers in the Start-up Ranking among the states, securing the first position in the National Food Safety Index, success in eradicating extreme poverty, winning the National Healthcare and Arogya Manthan awards and coming second in the Performance Grading Index (PGI) report for school education.

The Governor said that the people of a state which has made the country proud through such accomplishments were obligated to nurture a healthier democracy that encourages constructive public discourse in a spirit of mutual respect and deeper understanding.

"Dissent and differences of opinion are essential ingredients of democratic functioning. But dissent degenerating into violence, be it physical or verbal, is a betrayal of democracy and symbol of human failure.

"As a society, we should not allow group rivalries or internal struggles for power to affect governance, thereby setting a bad example for the youth." Khan said.

He said that the need of the hour was to foster in society a culture of greater civility, empathy, and dialogue that "reposes faith in the power of argument and not in the argument of power."

Khan also stressed upon the need to be more humane.

He said that through right education and austerities a man can become a "superman" and a mind can turn into a "super-mind" which can "see One in many and many in One".

"When one realises that the state of diversity of living things is rooted in the One, and that their manifestation is also from That One, then one becomes identified with the Supreme Soul.

"That realisation alone can infuse energy and wealth of spirit into our activities as we await the dawn of a greatly progressive and extraordinarily powerful India." the Governor said, referring to the verses from the Bhagavad Gita.

He highlighted the strides made by the country in various sectors, including defence, healthcare, drug manufacturing, agriculture, infrastructure development, start-ups and welfare of the poor.

The Governor said that this spurt in production, growth and export was due to the spirit of 'Aatmanirbharta' which had helped the country surmount the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Today, we as a nation take immense pride in the soft-landing of India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on the Moon's South Pole, a feat which no other country could achieve before. Mission Gaganyaan and the success of Aditya L-1, the first space based Indian mission to study the Sun, have also added to our national prestige," he further said.

India's presidency of the G-20, the Parliament passing the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, the country's upsurge as the world's preeminent nation in terms of real-time payments, our exports surpassing the USD 400 billion mark and overtaking Europe in terms of 5G user base were accomplishments that signal our potential for greater progress, Khan said.

He said that the 'Make in India' strategy was a success and the same was visible in the indigenous semi-high-speed train Vande Bharat as well as the Kochi Water Metro, the first of its kind in India, operating on electric hybrid mode.

Khan further said that genuine concern for the welfare of the citizens has been the highlight of the country's journey towards the goal of Viksit Bharat 2047.

"The Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra which reached even the remotest corners of the nation created awareness about the Government's welfare schemes and ensured access to clean cooking fuel, Ayushman Health Cards and insurance to lakhs of people," he said.

After unfurling the national flag and inspecting the parade, the Governor received the salute from the various police and armed forces contingents who vigorously marched past the podium.

Amidst a running feud between the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government and the Raj Bhavan, Khan in an unusual move on Thursday had read out only the concluding paragraph of the government's customary policy address in the Assembly.