- Political debate resurfaces over Kerala's PM SHRI school scheme implementation
- Former Education Minister Sivankutty shifted from support to criticism of the scheme
- Chief Minister Satheesan reversed his opposition to PM SHRI after becoming leader
The political debate over the Centre's PM SHRI school scheme has resurfaced in Kerala, with previous statements of both former Education Minister V Sivankutty and Chief Minister VD Satheesan highlighting a striking reversal in their respective positions.
The controversy comes the UDF government's decision to move ahead with the PM SHRI scheme, a flagship education programme of the Narendra Modi government that had become a major political flashpoint during the previous LDF administration.
Speaking to the media recently, V Sivankutty argued that Kerala was under no compulsion to seek funds through the PM SHRI scheme. What makes this shocking is the facts were remarks made by him while serving as Education Minister paint a classic political flip flop.
Defending the LDF government's decision to sign the PM SHRI agreement at the time, Sivankutty had said Kerala should not reject funds that rightfully belonged to the state. He argued that central schemes were funded by taxpayers across the country and not by any particular political party or state government. "You tell me what is wrong with NEP," he had questioned the media in Thiruvananthapuram.
"PM SHRI funds are not the property of the Centre alone. They belong to the people of the country. Kerala has no reason to abandon funds that are legally due to it," Sivankutty had said, while maintaining that the state could simultaneously oppose aspects of the National Education Policy (NEP) that it disagreed with.
He had also asserted that Kerala was entitled to around Rs 1,500 crore under the scheme and repeatedly urged the Centre to release the funds.
Equally notable is the shift in the stand taken by VD Satheesan.
As Leader of the Opposition, Satheesan had sharply attacked the then LDF government for signing the PM SHRI agreement. He questioned the circumstances under which the agreement was executed and alleged that neither the Cabinet nor coalition partners had been adequately consulted.
Satheesan had publicly demanded answers from then Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, asking what "pressure", "blackmail" or "mystery" had led to the signing of the agreement within days of meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
He had also alleged that even senior Left leaders were unaware of the decision and described the process as being shrouded in secrecy.
Now, as Chief Minister, Satheesan's government has chosen to proceed with the very scheme that the UDF had previously projected as a symbol of the LDF government's alleged lack of transparency. But Satheeshan, as chief minister stated that he was against the secret manner of signing PM SHRI by left government without even informing it's own allies that he had criticised.
Interestingly, in the press meet Satheeshan also stated 90 crores sanctioned. Another 106 crores are in pipeline. PM SHRI guarantees 1200 crore to Kerala if state is in sync with the union government project.
As finance minister, for a government riddled in deep debts, the new government is now toeing the line for fresh please of funds in a state where citizens are particularly watchful about governments education initiatives.
The issue carries significant political weight because PM SHRI had evolved into more than an education policy debate. During both the local body and Assembly elections, the scheme became part of a broader ideological contest over the National Education Policy and the Centre's role in school education.
Political observers point out that the PM SHRI controversy was repeatedly used by the opposition to mobilise anti-BJP and anti-RSS sentiment both by UDF and LDF.
The latest development is likely to invite fresh questions from the LDF over whether the UDF, after benefiting politically from opposing the scheme, has now accepted the same arrangement in government.
PM SHRI is among the Modi government's flagship education initiatives. Until recently, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal were the two major states that had remained outside the scheme. Following the change in government in West Bengal, the state is expected to join the programme, leaving Tamil Nadu's final position under close watch.
With Kerala now moving ahead with PM SHRI, the political focus is shifting from whether the scheme should be implemented to why parties that once fiercely opposed or defended it appear to have swapped positions.
One thing is clear: Opposition rhetoric is giving way to governance realities and a classic case of acknowledgement that central schemes cannot be ignored. The "central' plank has to be used for the big leap.
