NSS to focus on individual candidates

By Our Staff Reporter

PERUNNA, APRIL 22. The Nair Service Society (NSS) today announced the guidelines for its members while exercising their franchise in the ensuing Assembly elections in the State.

The declaration made in the form of a resolution unanimously passed by the director board of the NSS, focuses on individual candidates rather than the political formations represented by these persons.

The NSS, which had been following a policy of equidistance from either of the coalitions, has been adding new dimensions to this `all- purpose theory' during the past five years of its operations and the present guidelines too, are expected to be the logical extension of what it was following ever since the exit of the NSS and its political arm, the National Democratic Party, from the UDF.

According to the resolution, NSS activists should vote for those candidates who have a sense of justice, are of good character, who stand for social justice, national interests and cooperate with the interests of the community and the NSS, irrespective of their political affiliations, caste or religion. The resolution pointed out that the need of the hour was to create an awareness that it was imperative to develop a sense of social justice beyond political considerations.

Later speaking to presspersons here, the NSS general secretary, Mr. P. K. Narayana Panicker, pointed out that though the NSS never got involved itself directly in politics, it had never gone back when issues of national interests and democracy came up for consideration. Ever since its inception it was the policy of the NSS to look beyond caste and communal considerations while resolving social problems. ``We have never hesitated to work in tandem with secular socialist movements and we have cooperated with the Congress and those political parties which stood with that party. However, the then UDF Government had negated social justice and neglected the interests of the community and the NSS and it was in this background that we were forced to take strong action against them,'' Mr. Panicker said.

The NSS stance during the 1996 elections had helped the LDF to come to power in the State, he said. However, experiences show that whoever comes to power follows a policy of appeasement of votebanks, he pointed out and added that it was this awareness that led to the formulation of the policy of equidistance which would help create awareness on social justice. The experience during the past two Parliament elections and the last panchayat- raj elections points to this fact, according to him.

Reacting to a question, he said that while the NSS welcomed inclusion of reservation for the economically backward among so called forward communities, the real test was at the implementation stage. Instead of including the issue in the manifesto, detailed guidelines for implementation should have been placed before the people, he said.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : State Elections
Previous : AGSP announces list and manifesto
Next     : Action against rebels: Murali