Dropping Gandhi’s name from employment scheme reflects ideological intolerance: Kerala LoP Satheesan

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 16
Leader of the Opposition in Kerala, V.D. Satheesan, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Union government over its decision to drop Mahatma Gandhi’s name from the national employment guarantee scheme, calling it a manifestation of ideological intolerance and hostility towards Gandhian values.

Satheesan said the move exposed the Sangh Parivar’s deep discomfort with both the name and the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi. “Gandhian philosophy, anchored in non-violence, inclusiveness and social justice, constitutes the moral foundation of the Indian Republic,” he said, adding that forces driven by divisive and hateful politics are inherently uneasy with Gandhi’s politics of love, harmony and reconciliation.

Alleging that the decision was part of a systematic attempt to erase the legacy of the freedom struggle and its leaders, Satheesan pointed out that several welfare schemes earlier named after Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi had been renamed over the years, alongside repeated efforts to belittle their contributions.

The BJP-led government, he alleged, was attempting to project the nation as belonging to a single ideological stream, while ignoring the collective role played by the Congress and its leaders in building modern India.

Referring to the employment guarantee programme, Satheesan said the scheme, introduced by the UPA government in 2005, was among the most transformative welfare initiatives in independent India. It helped reduce hunger, addressed rural distress and enabled millions -- particularly women -- to achieve a measure of economic self-reliance. By assuring wage employment, it emerged as a vital safety net for the rural poor and a cornerstone of social security.

The Leader of the Opposition accused the Modi government of trying to appropriate the “parentage” of the scheme while distancing it from its historical and ideological origins. He asserted that removing Gandhi’s name would not diminish the relevance of Gandhian ideals, which continue to resonate deeply within the country’s social and political conscience.

“Gandhi’s ideas cannot be erased through administrative decisions,” Satheesan said, adding that the country would collectively resist the move. He demanded that the Centre immediately withdraw what he termed an arrogant and unnecessary decision, warning that it would only deepen political polarisation rather than serve any genuine public interest.