Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan has, on Thursday, underlined the need of the people of the country working together in order to make India a developed and stronger nation.

“Our dreams about a happier, more developed and stronger India can become a reality only if we work in tandem to achieve our national goals of inclusive growth, transparency and above all, people’s participation in governance,” Governor Khan said in his Republic Day address at the Central Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

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The governor showered praises on both the Centre and state governments in his Republic day address.

Praising the Narendra Modi Government for its fight against the Covid pandemic, Khan said it is because of the ‘Atmanirbhar policy announced by the prime minister that the vaccination drive in the nation is in full swing.

“The Atmanirbhar Bharat announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the days of the pandemic, rekindled the spark of creativity and innovation, taking the Gandhian concept of Gram Swaraj to the next level. The spirit of Atmanirbharta or self-reliance has been deep-seated in the Indian ethos, as is seen in the advice of Rishi Markandeya to Yudhishtir, in Vana Parva of Mahabharata. Happy is the man who cooks for his food earned by his own efforts, without depending on others,” said Khan.

He further said that the two vaccines against Covid-19, developed by Indian scientists and doctors in record time and trusted by the world, will remain an endearing and epic stride in the history of Indian science, symbolizing the Indian spirit of self-reliance.

He said the spirit of self-reliance as well as ‘Make in India’ was evident not only in the development of the vaccines but also in the development of Swasth-Vayu ventilators and mass production of Personal Protective Equipment [PPE] kits.

Moreover, drawing strength from the Indian tradition of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam, we supplied medicines and equipment required to treat Covid infection globally, including the developed nations. Today, we as the ‘Pharmacy of the World’ are supplying Covid Vaccine to our neighbourhood and other nations.

Complimenting the state government for its achievements, the governor said, “I am happy that the government of Kerala, led by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan has succeeded in making Kerala the first in the country to digitize its general education sector.”

“As the first state to introduce IT coding curriculum right from Class I onward, we are moving ahead to ensure transparency in governance by introducing a single digital platform for the delivery of various government services and to expand e-services to more areas. The decision to establish special courts to try cases related to dowry harassment and violence against women is expression of our firm resolve to ensure gender justice by wiping out evil practices like dowry,” he added

Lauding the state government for addressing key areas such as agriculture, environment, housing, health care and education by further its vision of a ‘Navakeralam’ (New Kerala), Arif Mohammed Khan said the completion of over 3.2 lakh houses under the LIFE Mission has added strength to India’s dream of providing houses to over one crore beneficiaries through various schemes including the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

“By building a strong network of educational and research institutions of greater quality in Kerala, we can help realise the national dream of transforming India as the world’s knowledge hub, as envisaged in the National Educational Policy,” the governor further said.