Let’s Strive Harder For Nava Keralam

Speech Delivered by the Chief Minister, Pinarayi Vijayan on Independence Day

Today India is celebrating the 76th year of its independence, stepping into the 77th year. For any Indian, it is a significant moment of pride that our incredibly diverse nation has sustained its independence for over seven and a half decades. In the realms of life expectancy, literacy, and income, our indicators in 2023 stand drastically improved in comparison to our position in 1947. Today, India standsas one of the world’s predominant economic and military powers. We are a leading destination for global tourism and a formidable player in the international IT sector. Our technological prowess extends beyond our borders, reaching space and the moon. Traditional facets of our culture, such as ayurveda, yoga, and millets, are now capturing global attention. These accomplishments truly are sources of immense pride. While several nations that achieved independence around the same time as we did, or shortly thereafter, grappled with severe challenges, India persevered. Barring a brief period, we have consistently upheld our democratic values. Every Indian can take pride in the fact that today, India stands as the world’s largest democracy. Yet, it is crucial to recognise that, relative to several nations that embarked on their journey as independent states around seven decades ago, we still have considerable strides to make in various economic, social, scientific, and technological domains. Such acknowledgment should galvanise us and fuel our forward momentum.

Our resistance against colonial rule was marked by the collective involvement of every stratum of Indian society, leading to the formation of our cherished ideal, unity in diversity. In our struggle for freedom, Indians cutting across the barriers of castes, religions, regions, languages, cultures, and beliefs came together. Thus, the freedom we cherish is a shared legacy and must not be confined or attributed to any single group. Treating everyone as equals and collaboratively addressing societal issues, Kerala has, in many respects, set a benchmark for the entire nation. Our commitment to unity, secular values, and scientific temper has played a significant role in this achievement.

Moving forward, it is imperative that we fortify these pillars. Efforts that seek to undermine them must be promptly thwarted to ensure that the essence of our freedom remains undiluted. By the time India marks the 100th year of its independence, we are determined to elevate Kerala to the stature of a globally-recognised, developed, middle-income society, characterised by a knowledge-driven economy and an innovationcentric ethos. Our goal is to guarantee that the rewards of our progress are distributed equitably among all sections of the community. In 2016, Kerala’s Gross Domestic Product stood at approximately Rs 5.6 lakh crore. As per recent data, this figure has surged to Rs 10.17 lakh crore, marking an impressive growth of 84% over the past 7 years. Back in 2016, the State’s per capita income was Rs 1.48 lakh, which has now climbed to Rs 2.28 lakh, indicating a rise of more than 54%.

Moreover, we have successfully reduced Kerala’s debt ratio, bringing it down from 39% of GSDP to just under 35%. Evidently, Kerala’s economic ascent and our initiatives for infrastructuredevelopmentare yielding positive outcomes across the spectrum. To foster industrial growth, we launched the “Year of Enterprises” initiative with the objective of establishing one lakh enterprises within a year. Remarkably, we exceeded this goal in just the initial eight months, with approximately 1,40,000 enterprises taking root under this scheme. These ventures attracted investments exceeding Rs 8,300 crore, generating close to 3 lakh employment opportunities. Building on this success, the “Mission Thousand” project is now in effect, aiming to elevate a thousand selected enterprises to achieve a collective turnover of Rs. 1 Lakh Crore. Kerala’s IT sector is witnessing a dynamic surge. Over the past seven years, the State has reported IT exports amounting to Rs 85,540 crore. The sector has seen investments of Rs 7,304 crore and has created 62,000 jobs in the same timeframe.

As for IT infrastructure, we have expanded by an impressive 75 lakh square feet. Initiatives like “Industry on Campus,” “Connect Career to Campus,” and the “Young Innovators Program” are in motion to enhance the employability of our young workforce. In 2016, our ambition was to commission developmental projects worth Rs 50,000 crore via KIIFB over a span of five years. Yet, by 2021, we had already undertaken projects valued at more than Rs 65,000 crore, outstripping our initial aim. From 2016 to 2023, a cumulative 1,057 development projects, with a combined worth of approximately Rs 81,000 crore, have been set into motion. Beyond infrastructure, the State Government has been making significant strides in welfare initiatives. Over 400,000 homes delivered through the LIFE Mission since 2016, the distribution of 300,000 land titles state-wide, and the allocation of 350,000 priority ration cards to the underprivileged, stand as proof of our commitment to the people’s welfare.

Currently, unique initiatives are underway to eradicate extreme poverty, marking a first for any Indian state. A total of 64,006 families, identified as living in extreme poverty, have now been equipped with requisite government documentation. Comprehensive micro-plans tailored to enhance their quality of life and livelihoods have also been finalised. By pooling resources from multiple departments, the Government is determined to eliminate extreme poverty from Kerala by 2025. In doing so, we are actualising the principles of inclusivity and integration. Our aim is to build a New Kerala, further elevating the successes we are presently achieving across various sectors. Such an endeavour necessitates the genuine support and collaboration of every Keralite. During the freedom movement, our ancestors prioritised national independence above all. Similarly, at this pivotal moment, our focus should be the creation of a Nava Keralam. We are all committed to this cause. As we mark the 77th Independence Day, let us imbue the celebrations with purpose, pledging to fortify our freedom, unity, democracy, secular ethos, and scientific temperament.