The Hindu (Kozhikode)

‘State witnessed only Bihar model of developmen­t’

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Kerala witnessed only a Bihar model of developmen­t where the priority was given to the wellbeing of the family members of those who assumed key positions in the State, former Director General of Police Jacob Thomas has said.

Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on ‘Developmen­t: Where does Kerala go wrong?’ organised jointly by the Bharatheey­a Vichara Kendram and Seva Bharathi in connection with Dr. K. Madhavanku­tty memorial meet, the retired IPS officer said the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the United Democratic Front (UDF) candidates in the Lok Sabha election fray were seeking votes highlighti­ng secularism as they had nothing to speak about developmen­t.

“It was the poverty and corruption in Bihar that took the whole country backward in its happiness index. The situation is almost similar now where corruption and poverty in our State have hit the na

Former Director General of Police Jacob Thomas delivering the keynote address at Dr. K. Madhavanku­tty memorial meet at Town Hall in Kozhikode on Thursday.

tional index,” said Mr. Thomas. Describing resistance to corruption as the basic requiremen­t for developmen­t, Mr. Thomas said the concept of real developmen­t could be materialis­ed only by ensuring all essential products and services for the poor at their arm’s reach.

State vice president of Bharatheey­a Vichara Kendram K.P. Somarajan presided over the memorial meet. State president C.V. Jayamani delivered Dr. K. Madhavanku­tty memorial lecture.

Dr. Madhavanku­tty was a freedom fighter and former director of Bharatheey­a Vichara Kendram.

After completing medical education from the

Stanley Medical College in Chennai, he joined as tutor in the same college. He was appointed as professor when the Kozhikode Medical College was establishe­d in 1957. Later, he became the principal of Kozhikode, Thrissur and Thiruvanan­thapuram medical colleges. He was also the chairman of Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan, Kozhikode. He had contested the Lok Sabha elections in 1984 from Kozhikode with BJP support. Again, he fought the Assembly elections in 1991 from Beypore as an Independen­t supported by both the BJP and the UDF. The strange political alliance is a point of debate in political circles even now.

 ?? K. RAGESH ??
K. RAGESH

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