Pinarayi Vijayan said most of the conflicts that flare up between different communities are motivated by "political interests."
Kerala Chief Minister inaugurating the renovated Travancore Palace in New Delhi on Friday. (I&PRD, Kerala House)
The ongoing violence in Manipur is an example of an attack on India’s cultural diversity, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Friday, 4 August, alleging that attempts were made to impose homogeneity in the country.
Inaugurating the renovated Travancore Palace situated on prime 14 acres in Lutyens’ Delhi, Vijayan said most conflicts that flare up between different tribes, races, castes, and religions are motivated by “political interests.”
“We live in a time where the importance of social and cultural diversity and its preservation is increasingly recognised. Violence against this vibrant cultural diversity is painful for all of us,” Vijayan said, referring to incidents of violence in Manipur.
He said Manipur is a burning example of an attack on the country’s cultural diversity and attempts to impose homogeneity.
The chief minister said for generations, the Meitei and Kuki communities have coexisted on that land, shaping their history through their mutual presence in schools, factories and even within families.
“Today, we witness the erasure of this legacy of coexistence through acts of inhumanity and barbarity,” the veteran Marxist leader said.
Vijayan noted that the culture of Kerala was an amalgamation of various cultures.
“We witness the rising smoke of hatred in various parts of the country. Conflicts that ignite among different tribes, races, castes, and religions do not occur automatically; some are driven by political interests. We should strive to showcase the unity and harmony within Kerala to other lands and their populations that are engulfed by hatred,” he said.
Earlier, Vijayan inaugurated the renovated Travancore Palace. The Kerala government renovated the heritage building at a cost of ₹23.8 crore.
He said it was the dream of Malayalis living in the national capital to renovate the Travancore House and make it a cultural centre.
“Even before independence, this house was a cultural centre. This complex has been renovated to cater to the cultural sector by amalgamating Kerala’s history and rich culture,” he said.
Addressing the gathering, Vijayan said the heritage buildings, including Travancore Palace, Kerala House, and Kapurthala plot, have a significant place in the history of modern India and Kerala.
Vijayan alleged that there are efforts to tarnish the image of Kerala and our achievements.
State Finance Minister KN Balagopal, SC/ST Minister K Radhakrishnan, Law and Industries Minister P Rajeev, and MPs, Elamaram Kareem, among others, participated.
The renovated Travancore Palace has five art galleries, a conference hall, a seminar hall with a digital board library, a digital library, a restaurant, and a cafeteria among other facilities inside.
It also has a multi-purpose amphitheatre, a video wall, and an outdoor exhibition area.
The erstwhile Travancore Royal family had moved the central government and various local bodies in Delhi with a request to halt the inauguration, claiming ownership of the 14-acre prime property.
The family has claimed that around 8.195 acres were allotted to the Maharaja of Travancore in 1915 for residential purposes at a cost of ₹1,800 per acre and the remaining portion was purchased by him in 1934 utilising his funds.
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