Thiruvananthapuram, 15 August

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that communal forces are strengthening their efforts to destroy the idea of India and called for everyone to be united to defeat such attempts.

"Communal forces are strengthening their attempts to destroy the idea of India by trying to create religious and racial divisions. We all need to be united, irrespective of our religious and racial differences, to defeat such attempts," the CM said.

He was speaking after unfurling the national flag at the Central Stadium here on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day of the country.

Vijayan further said that in the decades since independence, India has upheld democracy, except during a short time, and this was the country's biggest achievement, as it has seen some of its neighbouring countries turning into military or puppet regimes.

"There have also been calls for setting up a religious state in some of them," he added.

Besides these, there were also imperialist threats to the sovereignty and unity of the country from outside, Vijayan said.

Despite all this, the country has moved forward in the decades since independence, he said.

He said that the country has achieved a lot in the 78 years of its independence, but there are still various social problems that need to be addressed.

The Marxist veteran said that the freedom fighters who suffered unimaginable tortures and even sacrificed their lives, did so for an India of their dreams which was free of these social problems.

"Have we been able to make that dream of India a reality? An India free of poverty, starvation deaths, child labour, illiteracy, racial divisions, communal hatred and unemployment, among others -- Could we make it a reality?

"We couldn't, that is the truth, though the country has made strides in various fields and received appreciation for the same" he said.

"We need to rededicate ourselves to change all this and create an India as dreamt of by the freedom fighters," Pinarayi Vijayan urged.

CM also said that constitutional values of freedom, democracy, secularism and socialism were not mere topics for discussion.

"They have to be mandatorily implemented and we need to rededicate ourselves in that endeavour," he said.

Referring to the development in Kerala, Viayan said that steps were being taken to turn the state into a scientific and innovative society.

He said that amidst the strengthening of the public welfare and development of the state, everyone needs to pledge to eradicate poverty and build a Kerala of the future.

"On this occasion, we need to pledge to commit ourselves to ensure that when we hear of Kerala, we are proud and when we hear of India, it would be about the strong unity of its people," the CM said.

After unfurling the national flag, he inspected the armed paramilitary contingents lined up at the stadium for a parade.

Independence Day celebrations were held in the other districts of the state and were led by respective Kerala ministers.

In Kollam district, during the I-Day event, state General Education Minister V Sivankutty held up a textbook containing the Preamble of the Constitution and highlighted the values of freedom, democracy, secularism and socialism therein.

In Kasaragod, state Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty, who led the I-Day celebrations, said that the country should be vigilant against challenges to the constitutional principles.

"Socialism, secularism, federalism and democracy are all under threat," he contended.