No communal conflict in Kerala for a decade, asserts CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Sunday inaugurated a function organised by the Malankara Syriac Knanaya Archdiocese to mark the Knanaya Community Day and the anniversary of the episcopal consecration of Chief Metropolitan Archbishop Severios Kuriakose.

Addressing the gathering, Mr. Vijayan said Kerala had not witnessed any form of communal conflict over the past ten years. Even when certain individuals attempted to create disturbances by giving issues a divisive turn, the government acted firmly and without shielding anyone.

“At a time when communal forces are sowing seeds of hatred in many parts of the country, Kerala stands apart from such tendencies. This is not because communal forces are absent in the State, but because the government has adopted an uncompromising approach whenever such forces attempt to raise their heads,” he said.

Emphasising that secularism is not merely a word but the very lifeblood of the State, Mr. Vijayan said both minority and majority communalism pose a threat to society. The government, he added, continues to act decisively against such forces, irrespective of who is involved.