Kerala on the cusp of transformation, says CM

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that Kerala will not wait for anyone’s kindness, but will move forward with its own strength by getting rid of the “little Kerala” mentality and embracing the idea of ​​”Greater Kerala”. He was speaking after the inauguration of the Fifth International Congress of Kerala Studies. The two-day congress, organized by AKG Study and Research Centre, was held at the AKG Hall here on Saturday, February 21, 2026, and will guide the developmental thrust of the future Kerala.

Stating that the labor congress was a platform for constructive dialogue, he said that the communist movements, built on the social foundation laid by the renaissance movements, were the movements that guided Kerala forward with a progressive orientation. He said the communist movement had guided Kerala at every stage by accepting what needed to be accepted, renewing what needed to be renewed and leaving behind what needed to be left behind.

The labor congress is being held at a time when the State is on the verge of a new development trajectory. The experience of last 10 years of continuous LDF (Left Democratic Front) governance is expected to create a new direction with discussions on the way forward. He said that the last 10 years of rule were not just an administrative phase in the history of governance of Kerala but also a period that laid a solid developmental foundation for the creation of Nava Kerala.

“When Haritha Mission was established in 2016, the general practice in household waste management was to dump waste indiscriminately, often by putting it in a bag and throwing it in someone else’s residential area. By 2026, we have gone far beyond this practice and set a new model for the country in waste management. But there is a lot to be done in this sector. The allocation of ₹1.15 lakh crore to local self-government bodies has played an important role in this regard. We are playing an important role in eliminating this practice,” he said. “Before 2016, we did not anticipate that the State could turn into an investor-friendly destination. However, by amending about seven laws and ten rules and changing the public mindset, we achieved the success of becoming the number one investment-friendly State in the country,” Mr. Vijayan said.

Many developed foreign countries do not follow the practice of providing bottled drinking water. Blessed with abundant natural water resources, Kerala can learn a lot from them. “Kerala’s future should not be limited to just being a consumer state, but should become a human resource hub capable of producing world-class products and services and contributing to the global economy. We must have the political will and social unity to achieve this goal. Policies, programs and activities should be framed keeping this in mind and the labor congress is an important platform for this comprehensive process.”

“The many pioneering projects that brought transformative change to the social sphere of Kerala were not limited to the first five years of the LDF rule; instead, their continuation from 2021 has helped the State make significant progress. The secular fabric of Kerala, along with the decentralized development perspective envisaged by the State, has played an important role in shaping Kerala. The State will not allow anyone to interfere with its secular credentials. Some may feel that they have been neglected, but the truth is that the State has no part of development that has not been achieved in the last 10 years.” “We have reached the point,” he added.