THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Presented in the backdrop of nationwide agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac has made a political statement with his 11th budget.
Isaac, who devoted the first eight paragraphs of his speech, to attack the Modi Government at the Centre and its handling of anti-CAA protests, said, “The rulers in Delhi speak only in the language of hatred and rancour.”
Quoting a slew of writers – from Tagore to Anwar Ali – his budget document had the ‘Death of Gandhi’, a painting by artist Tom Vattakuzhy, as its cover. Through this, Isaac later told mediapersons, the state government was sending the message that “we will not forget who murdered Gandhi.”
Isaac began his two-and-a-half-hour-long speech by saying the budget comes at a time when the nation is facing unusual challenges.
“Democracy and dictatorship are standing face to face. The rulers in Delhi speak only in the language of hatred and rancour. Their followers consider violence and attack as their karma. The administrative setup has completely yielded to communalism. This is the India of today,” he said.
He said it was Kerala that assumed moral leadership of anti-CAA agitation. “When the country is facing a threat to its existence, Kerala should create a new model of unity. The joint agitation by LDF and UDF against CAA – keeping aside political differences – was a surprise to other states,” he said.
“The Chief Minister and the Opposition leader observing satyagraha on the same platform sent a powerful message to the whole nation. The Assembly then unanimously passed a resolution against the communal amendment. Even while filing a case against the Centre in the Supreme Court, we were in unison,” he said.
Extensively quoting from Malayalam writers Anand, Anwar Ali, O P Suresh and P N Gopikrishnan, Isaac said protests were rising up everywhere in the country against CAA. Referring to a work by Drupath Gautham, a 15-year-old higher secondary student at Meenangadi, Isaac said fear has engulfed even the imagination of children.
“We are passing through a period of perhaps the biggest agitation in the history of independent India. Students, youth and women are at the forefront of the struggle,” he said, further quoting the lines of Prabha Varma, Vinod Vaishakhi and Rafeeq Ahammed.
The LDF’s human chain against CAA too found a mention in Isaac’s speech. Referring to the novel ‘Mullappooniramulla Pakalukal’ by Benyamin, Isaac wondered whether the writer had foreseen the human chain along the NH where people stood holding hands. The human chain revealed the beauty of virtue, he said, taking a cue from KGS.
‘Won’t forget who murdered Gandhi’
Isaac told reporters that ‘Death of Gandhi’ by Tom Vattakkuzhy was chosen as the cover picture of his speech to make a political statement. “This sends out the message that we will not forget who murdered Gandhi,” he said. “This is important at a time when history is being rewritten. There is an attempt to erase certain popular memories and use the National Register of Citizens to divide the population on communal lines. Kerala will stand united,” he said.
1,000 teacher posts to be created in colleges
With an outlay of I493 crore for the higher education sector, the state budget proposed creation of 1,000 teachers’ posts in colleges. Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said a government order will be issued before March for the creation of posts as per the criteria of 16 hours’ teaching per week. However, academics have dubbed this announcement as an eyewash. “Government approval is mandatory for appointment of teachers in aided colleges. For the past four years, many teaching posts have been left unfilled in colleges. The 1,000 new posts are, in fact, against the existing vacancies and the government would entail no extra financial commitment for these appointments. It’s unclear why it was announced as a budgetary proposal,” said K Jayaprakash, former member secretary, Kerala State Higher Education Council.
Rs 210-crore outlay for technical education sector
The outlay for technical education sector is I210 crore. While I22 crore will be earmarked for Cusat, I18 crore each will be allocated to APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala State Science and Technology Museum and Institute of Human Resources Development. While engineering colleges will get I37 crore each, I40 crore each has been allocated for polytechnic colleges.