President calls for useful political system

Thrissur, Kerala, Dec 20 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam today reiterated the need for a useful political system for development of the nation.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the birth centenary celebrations of Panampilly Govinda Menon in Chalakudy near here, Dr Kalam said political parties should shred political politics and converge on developmental politics after the election process.

This transformation would enable all parties to work with zeal to uplift 220 million people living below the poverty line and remove illiteracy and unemployment.

''I would like to visualise a situation in which the political parties perform in the environment of developmental politics in our country, competing with each other, in putting forth their focused developmental vision through their manifesto,'' he added.

He said the 540 million youth, who are below 25 years of age, should see an imprint of great leaders in every action of the parliament members and legislative members.

'' They can become their role models to bring a dynamic change in politics and the developmental missions,'' he noted.

Terming Menon as a statesman, Dr Kalam said a politician should see beyond the confines of the politicial agenda to become a true statesman.

Through his unquestioned intellectual brilliance, Menon ushered in reforms on various fields including legal, education and banking, he said.

As a lawyer, Menon earned fame and name for sheer legal proficiency not only in the state, but nationally, the President noted.

Menon was elected to the Cochin State Assembly at a very young age and also became the Prime Minister of the princely State of Cochin. Before he joined the Central Cabinet as Minister of Law, he was also the Chief Minister of the then Travancore-Cochin State.

Governor R L Bhatia, State Fisheries Minister S Sarma and Former Chief Ministers K Karunakaran and Oomen Chandy were present on the occasion.

UNI MA GM MSJ DS1550