At a time when the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) has drawn fire from all sides, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan on January 26 said India had always sheltered persecuted people of the world.
In his Republic Day speech at the Central Stadium here, the Governor said the concept of Indianness was rooted in diversity which implied both respect and acceptance of variety. “It is in this acceptance of diversity that India has always sheltered the persecuted people of the world,’’ he said.
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All citizens, the Governor said, were duty-bound to respect and strictly follow the Constitution with faith in the Gandhian thought that the true source of rights was duty. “The founding fathers of our nation considered democracy a sacred trust and so they adopted a Constitution that fully reflects the eternal Indian ethos, values and traditions,’’ he said.
Lauds govt. initiatives
In his speech, the Governor also lauded the development initiatives undertaken by the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
Kerala had achieved the promise of significant investments at the recently-organised Loka Kerala Sabha. The State’s top position in the Sustainable Development Goal index and its achievements in the health sector needed special mention. Kerala also offered the most liberal terms to entrepreneurs which had energised its start-up ecosystem, he said.
The real sweetness of Kerala’s achievements, however, lies in the gravity of the adversities that it faced in the past two years, he said. “With a rare spirit of oneness we overcame those hurdles with a courage and grace that reflected the trust character of Kerala society,” Mr. Khan said.
On his arrival, the Governor unfurled the national flag and inspected the parade commanded by Squadron Leader Bikram Singha of the Indian Air Force. Major Rishav Jamwal of the 13th Battalion, the Garhwal Rifles, Indian Army, was second-in-command.
Armed and unarmed units, mounted police and Army and police bands took part in the parade.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, senior officials of the State government, the Southern Air Command and Military Station, Pangode, were present. Children from city schools also presented patriotic songs on the occasion.
