Thiruvananthapuram: While India has achieved many things post independence, social and economic inequalities, poverty, failure to ensure women's safety, racial discrimination and threat of religious sectarianism are "shackles" from which the country is yet to be liberated, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said in his Independence Day message on social media.
The Chief Minister, on his Twitter handle, urged the people to pledge to liberate the country from these shackles and "recapture the meaning of freedom in all its glory."
"Today, let's take the pledge that we will liberate our country from the shackles of poverty, caste discrimination, gender inequality, communal ideologies, sectarianism & all social injustices to recapture the meaning of freedom in all its glory. "Happy #indiaIndependenceday" he tweeted.
He also posted Independence day wishes on his Facebook page in which he said, "As an independent nation, we have achieved many things. There is still room for improvement in many areas. Economic and social inequalities are strongly prevailing in the country. Poverty has not been eradicated.
"The country is also lagging behind in ensuring women's freedom and security. Racial discrimination and oppression continue. Religious sectarianism has grown into a major threat. A significant percentage of young people are unemployed. Ordinary people, including farmers, have to struggle for survival."
In such times, the 75th Independence Day celebrations should focus on transforming into an independent sovereign nation where our Constitution envisions socialism, secularism and democracy, he said in his Facebook post.
He further said that it was time to reclaim our nationalism, which envisioned liberation, anti-imperialism and equality, and expel fascist nationalism that was sectarian, communal, inhuman and religious.
"Let us pledge to move forward with the necessary political will. The word freedom can be made meaningful. Let us make our country a model of peace and prosperity. Happy Independence Day everyone," he said.
Greeting the people of the State on the eve of the 75th Independence Day, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan said,"It is our duty to cherish our freedom and equality and strive to ensure greater dignity for every citizen by upholding the loftiest democratic values."
In a series of tweets, he extended his greetings and said,"Let us honour the memory of the patriots who sacrificed their lives for our freedom by strengthening India's march towards greater progress, self-reliance and inclusiveness. On this 75th Independence Day, I wish everyone a brighter, healthier and more prosperous future."
(With PTI inputs)