THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Finance Minister K N Balagopal said on Wednesday that his party, the CPM, does remember Pushpan, the DYFI worker who was paralysed in the 1994 police firing at Koothuparamba while protesting against granting government quota seats to college managements.
He was replying to some Opposition members’ questions, in the backdrop of the budget proposal to welcome foreign universities, whether the party forgot Pushpan.
“We do remember Pushpan. We all actively participated in that agitation,” Balagopal said.
The minister said the budget proposal called for discussions on welcoming foreign universities. “A policy decision is yet to be taken. Education sector needs discussion and reforms,” the minister said.
He said his party had opposed tractors and computers 40 years ago because there were people who were at the risk of losing their jobs.
“The situation has changed now. Youngsters are going abroad for education. At least Rs 30 lakh is spent on a student’s foreign education. The budget proposal is to prevent the outflow of money,” he said.
Balagopal reminded the Opposition that their late leader, Oommen Chandy, had inaugurated a protest against computerisation at the Calicut University.