SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL AT THE INAUGURATION OF THE CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF SHRI R. SHANKAR, FORMER CHIEF MINISTER OF KERALA

Thiruvananthapuram, 1st May 2008

I am pleased to participate in the centenary celebrations of Shri R Shankar, who was the Chief Minister of Kerala during the most turbulent periods in the political history of the State. Besides being a towering political leader and a great statesman, he was an able administrator and an ideal teacher, advocate, social worker and journalist, who exhibited unusual courage to take decisions without fear or favour.

Kerala has been fortunate in giving birth to noble sons and daughters who have been instrumental in making what this State is today. Shri R. Shankar was amongst them.

The Kerala Society of the nineteenth and early twentieth century was faced with many social injustices. There were a number of socio-religious reform movements. The champion of the downtrodden and the torch bearer of the reform movement in Kerala was Sree Narayana Guru, the great Saint, who sowed the seeds of a social revolution in Kerala. His life and works form one of the glorious chapters of the history of Kerala. Inspired by the teachings of Sree Narayana Guru, Shri Shankar came to the forefront of the social revolution ignited by the Guru.

Shri Shankar was born in Puthoor on April 30, 1909 to a large family. However, despite less than favourable conditions at home, he was fortunate enough to receive good education, though he had to walk 14 miles a day to attend school. His determination to study as well as the support that he got from his well wishers, were both important in preparing him for dealing with the trials and tribulations of life. His life is a lesson that education helps in the realization of the latent talents of an individual. I believe that support extended to educational causes, whether to individuals or to institutions, is a noble task. When holding the portfolio of Education, Shri Shankar took special initiatives to open schools and to expand the educational infrastructure of the State.

On completion of his studies, Shri Shankar opted for a teaching profession. Later, he began practicing law and became well-known for his oratorical skills and for his inspiring speeches, on social injustice. He joined India's freedom struggle and was put in jail. As a leader, who was a product of our freedom struggle, Shri Shankar demonstrated the qualities of hard work, honesty and commitment to the welfare of the people. He was pivotal in the fight against the discriminatory attitude towards the backward classes and worked for a progressive society. He was a strong advocate of living in harmony, an important message in a State that is home to many religions and multiple cultures. Today, Kerala has been able to create its unique multi-dimensional identity in which diversities co-exist together in a harmonious manner. Kerala is a state which has upheld the basic hallmark of India that is unity in diversity.

Shri Shankar was elected to the Travancore Assembly in 1948 and became a member of the Constituent Assembly, representing the State Legislature. He was also a member of the Travancore-Cochin Assembly in 1949 and remained so till 1956, when the State of Kerala was founded. Shri Shankar became the Deputy Chief Minister in 1960 and held the office of the Chief Minister of Kerala from 1962 to 1964. He proved to be a great statesman with administrative skills and introduced economic reforms which brought about long lasting impact. The vision of leaders like Shri Shankar, who served as the Chief Minister of the State in its early days, provided the basic foundation for the advancement of the State. Shri Shankar also worked for a short while in a newspaper called "Dinamony". Here again, he proved to be an effective voice for the under-privileged and for the progress of the nation.

Sree Narayana Guru took the initiative to form the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam in 1903 to fight ill treatment of the under-privileged. Shri Shankar took active part in expanding and strengthening the SNDP. During his association with the Yogam for over 13 years and under his able leadership the Yogam gave emphasis to the field of education.

Kerala has made significant progress and, today, enjoys 100% literacy. It has the highest social development indicators in the country. Investments in health and education combined with good administration and participation by people in decision-making have made Kerala an enlightened State with a very talented human resource base. Keralites, whether living abroad or in India, and working either as administrators, doctors, engineers, scientists, nurses or construction workers have earned praise from everyone. This is good for the image of Kerala and also of India. I would like to point out that Kerala's record in reducing general disparity in many social and economic fields is commendable. Women's participation in public affairs, economic activity and the social sphere is important for healthy and sustainable growth. I would encourage that empowerment of women be made a main policy plank in all the states.

I am confident that the future of Kerala is bright. Kerala has all the ingredients necessary for making progress in the field of IT, high technology areas, tourism and other services etc. The State should continue to pursue with the promotion of holistic health care, employment oriented higher education and gender equality. It should also focus on the national agenda of "growth with inclusion" so that all sections of society benefit from the development process.

Shri Shankar became what he was, not due to any political patronage but on his own merit, his perseverance and his noble and simple life-style. Shri Shankar's political and administrative contributions are undoubtedly immense and extremely influential. Also of tremendous significance is his catalytic role in social reforms. He stressed on the upliftment of a community through its own efforts, by the establishment of schools and other educational institutions which benefited people belonging to all communities. He realized the need for modern education and also the need to develop creative skills. His emphasizes on education has, undoubtedly, contributed to where Kerala society stands today in terms of educational attainments. Such initiatives are still necessary in this country to realize the dream of an egalitarian society.

Today's function is an occasion to remember the invaluable contributions of Shri R. Shankar to public life and to the progress of Kerala.

I am pleased to join you in paying homage to Shri R. Shankar.

Thanking you,

Jai Hind.