Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Saturday said that everyone has to be part of the nation-building process and the people cannot be "spectators" in the country's development.

Arlekar made the statement during the Kerala 'Piravi' or formation day celebrations held at the Raj Bhavan here.

The Governor also recalled the role played by V P Menon, the Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of the States from 1947-51, along with then Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Vallabhai Patel, in unifying the princely states into the Indian Union, according to a Raj Bhavan release.

Arlekar said that the role played by Menon, who hailed from Kerala, in having dialogues with the Maharajas of princely states and veering them all around to a nationalistic perspective cannot be forgotten.

"Everyone has to be a part of the nation-building process. While the government is doing its bit, people cannot afford to be silent spectators in the nation's development,” he said, according to the release.

He also noted that Kerala has always guided the nation with the right kind of vision, values and culture that have shaped the course of the nation and exhorted everyone to play their part effectively in their respective fields.

He observed that the road to Viksit Bharat passes through Viksit Kerala and highlighted how people from the southern state "have not lagged behind in any field and they have provided leadership in all fields of life".

There was a cultural fete, by the artiste students of Kerala Kalamandalam joined by the staff of Raj Bhavan, as part of the celebrations, the release said.