Health Minister K.K. Shylaja has said that the government was planning to launch a people’s health policy in the State. Addressing the Independence Day parade at the Police Parade ground here on Monday, the Minister said that the health policy in the pipeline was meant to ensure that health care was accessible to all at affordable costs. Stressing the need for government’s intervention to make the idea of affordable health care a reality, the Minister said the aim was to provide a situation where people were mentally and physically healthy. Patriotism The Minister said patriotism should be altruism because patriotism essentially is acting for the development of the country. Only those who uphold democracy, secularism and socialism that are cornerstones of the Constitution can become true patriots. Though religion is a fact, it should not be allowed to slip into terrorism, she said adding that believers should not be rigid in their faith. As long as communities such as the Dalits continue to remain socially backward, India’s freedom could not be treated as total, she said. Collector P. Bala Kiran, District Police Chief Sanjay Kumar, MPs P.K. Sreemathy and K.K. Ragesh, and C. Krishnan, MLA, were present.