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1 hour ago
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2 min readThiruvanananthapuramFeb 10, 2026 07:20 AM IST
Congress Working Committee member and former Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, has urged eminent personalities and intellectuals to reconsider their participation in a conclave hosted by the Kerala government next week.
The ‘International Conference on Development and Democracy’ is scheduled to be held on February 15.
In an open letter addressed to Professor Amartya Sen, Professor Romila Thapar, Dr Sakunthala Thilsted, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and Lok Sabha member Kanimozhi, Chennithala said that considering approaching Kerala Assembly elections, “The conference appears less an academic forum and more a carefully choreographed effort aimed at reclaiming moral legitimacy for an incumbent government whose record on democratic freedoms, institutional integrity, and public accountability is under sustained criticism and increasingly viewed as authoritarian.”
Chennithala claimed that images, selective quotations, and curated excerpts would be circulated to allegedly create the impression that leading global minds approve of the government’s claims on development and democracy and mask the lived realities experienced by many residents of Kerala.
He said participation in the conference would be interpreted not merely as academic engagement but as moral endorsement of what he described as an increasingly authoritarian dispensation. If the invitees still decide to attend, he urged them to insist that their complete remarks be placed in the public domain without any editing and that issues of civil liberties, institutional independence, and accountability be addressed openly.
Shaju Philip is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, where he leads the publication's coverage from Kerala. With over 25 years of experience in mainstream journalism, he is one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political, religious, and developmental landscape of South India. Expertise, Experience, and Authority Decades of Regional Specialization: Shaju has spent more than two decades documenting the "Kerala Model" of development, its complex communal dynamics, and its high-stakes political environment. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive reporting portfolio includes: Political & Governance Analysis: In-depth tracking of the LDF and UDF coalitions, the growth of the BJP in the state, and the intricate workings of the Kerala administration. Crime & Investigative Journalism: Noted for his coverage of high-profile cases such as the gold smuggling probe, political killings, and the state’s counter-terrorism efforts regarding radicalization modules. Crisis Management: He has led ground-level reporting during major regional crises, including the devastating 2018 floods, the Nipah virus outbreaks, and the Covid-19 pandemic response. ... Read More
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