ON the occasion of the 68th Independence Day of the country, the youth in Kerala took a pledge to uphold the unity and integrity of the country and fight against the divisive and communal forces who are aiming to destroy the secular fabric of the country. The Kerala state committee of the Democratic Youth Federation of India organized a massive programme with the slogan, ‘One India, One people,’ and lakhs of youth all over the state, in various district centers took the pledge to protect the independence and secularism of the country.

In Thriruvananthapuram, CPI (M) Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury inaugurated the programme. CPI (M) state secretary Pinarayi Vijayan addressed a massive gathering in Thrissur, while Polit Bureau member Kodiyeri Balakrishnan and M A Baby inaugurated the Kollam and Kozhikode programmes respectively. JSS leader and former minister K  R Gauri Amma, renowned director Kamal and CPI (M) Central Committee members P K Sreemathi, MP and A Vijyaraghavan  inaugurated the programmes in Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Eranakulam respectively. In Palakkad, DYFI general secretary Avoy Mukherjee and in Malappuram DYFI president M B Rajesh, MP inaugurated the programme. AIDWA leader Sudha Sundararaman, DYFI state secretary M Swaraj and DYFI state president T V Rajesh, MLA and T K Hamsa inaugurated the programmes in Kannur, Idukki, Wayanad and Kasargod respectively.

While inaugurating the programme in Thiruvananthapuram, Sitaram Yechury said that increase of communal violence soon after Narendra Modi assumed office, is a serious threat. So far, 623 incidents of communal violence occurred in the country after Narendra Modi became the prime minister. Most of the incidents occurred in Uttar Pradesh where by-elections to 12 assembly constituencies are scheduled. Bihar also witnessed such riots. These kind of incidents have taken place as part of the BJP’s divisive politics, he said.

While inaugurating the programme in Thrissur, Pinarayi Vijayan said that the use of minority communalism to counter the majority communalism led by Sangh Parivar is nothing but suicidal. The threat posed by the communal forces to ruin the secular fabric of the country should be defeated only by reaffirming our faith in secularism. The safety of minorities can only be ensured by the strengthening of the Left forces in the country.