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Congress workers told to regain ideological moorings

Staff Reporter

Chennithala calls for political culture based on exchange of ideas

KANNUR: Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated the Kerala Patana Kendram (centre for Kerala studies) here on Friday.

The centre, started by the K.P. Muraleedharan Smaraka Welfare Trust of the Youth Congress district unit, is intended to be an informal school to inculcate the values of democracy and secularism in the new generation.

Mr. Chennithala, in his inaugural speech, said a political culture laying stress on exchange of ideas had to be cultivated to strengthen parliamentary democracy.

Seeking a strong foundation of ideas for political movements, he said Congress workers in the State lost their ideological moorings in the past because of factionalism in the party. The trend had to be reversed.

He wanted the Congress to continue as a force that brought about social changes. The Congress always emphasised welfare of the poor, and the United Progressive Alliance Government at the Centre, led by the party, was focussing on initiatives to bridge the gap between them and the rich.

Kannur University Pro Vice-Chancellor K. Kunhikrishan, inaugurated the first class of the centre.

B. Mohammed Ahamed, Principal of the centre, who presided over the function, said it would organise classes, discussions, seminars and presentations on topics such as Gandhism, secularism, communal fascism, globalisation and environmental issues.

Fifty classes would be conducted a year.

The faculty comprised experts in political, literary, technical, economic, environmental and media studies. Courses and study tours would be conducted for the students, Mr. Ahamed added.

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