Certain people trying to turn India from secular nation to religious one: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kasaragod, Kerala: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Friday said that certain persons, including some in constitutional posts, were trying to turn the country from a secular nation into a religious one by giving priority to 'concocted stories' instead of intellectual thought.

Vijayan said that there was, therefore, a need to move forward cautiously and vigilantly.

"Certain persons are trying to turn our secular nation into a religious one by giving priority to concocted stories instead of intellectual thought. Unfortunately, some persons in constitutional posts are leading such efforts. Therefore, we need to move forward vigilantly and cautiously," he said after inaugurating the 36th Kerala Science Congress here.

The CM also highlighted that as the state moves forward progressively and scientifically, it was also witnessing a rise in unscientific practices and thoughts in the society.

"Even in these modern times, we saw heinous acts like human sacrifice take place in the state. Superstitious thoughts are also on the rise. We need to look at these issues seriously and defend against them. To do that, we need to create scientific awareness in society and the Kerala Science Congress is one such solution," Vijayan said.

He said that this year's theme of the Kerala Science Congress (KSC) was 'Transforming Kerala's Economy through One Health Approach'.

The CM said that the One Health policy was important as human health is intertwined with that of the environment and wildlife.

Around 70 per cent of the diseases affecting humans originate from animals and this assumes significance in view of the population density of Kerala and the huge forest land in the state, he said.

In this backdrop, the government had in 2021 implemented the first phase of the One Health policy in four districts of the state, he added.

Vijayan said that the 36th edition of the KSC was important for not only earmarking the scientific progress of the state, but also because from 2024 to 2033, 'science for sustainable development' programmes are going to be held across the world under the leadership of the United Nations.

"Kerala has set a shining example in the country in sustainable development as well as education, health and various other areas," he said.

Kerala has also set aside Rs 3,500 crore in its budget for Research and Development, he added.

"However, a major challenge to our research work is brain-drain. Therefore, we are working on projects and schemes to attract Malayali talents from developed nations," he said.