'Basavanna's vachanas based on sufferings of women, people'

The social reformer provided great opportunity for deprived classes: CM

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Monday, urged the people to adopt the principles of the 12th century social reformer Basavanna.

After inaugurating Basava Jayanti programme, organised by the district administration and Kannada and Culture department at Kalamandira, here, the chief minister said Basavanna’s vachanas were relevant not only to the present society but, also for future generations.

“Even though Basavanna preached equality for women and eradication of casteism, social evils are still in practice in parts of the State. Basavanna provided a great opportunity for the deprived classes and women at his Anubhava Mantap.
His vachanas were based on the sufferings of women and common people,” Siddaramaiah said.

He honoured writer Go Ru Channabasappa with ‘Basava Rashtriya Puraskara-2015’ for his contribution to literature and folklore.

Speaking on the occasion, Channabasappa said, personalities like Buddha, Basava, and Ambedkar and their messages should be included in the curriculum, from primary to postgraduate level.

Channabasappa urged the chief minister to renovate pilgrim centres Kudalasangama in Bagalkot district and Basavakalyana in Bidar district. He also urged the chief minister to organise national and international conventions every year in the aforementioned places.

He said, the government should provide drinking water facility to every village and toilet facility to every household as part of Basavanna’s birth anniversary celebrations.

Channabasappa demanded naming of Karnataka State Women’s University, Vijayapura, after Akkamahadevi, Gulbarga University after Basavanna and Hubli Law University after Dr B R Ambedkar.

MLA Vasu presided over the function, while Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt, Revenue Minister V Srinivas Prasad, Cooperation Minister H S Mahadev Prasad, Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree, MLAs Tanveer Sait and M K Somashekar, MLCs Go Madhusudhan and R Dharmasena, and Deputy Commissioner C Shikha were present.

Earlier during the day, hundreds of folk artistes, carrying a bust and a portrait of Basavanna, took out a procession on the major streets of the city. Cultural troupes and children, attired like Akkamahadevi, Allama Prabhu and Madiwala Machaiah, were part of the procession.

Mayor B L Bhyrappa and Suttur seer Shivarathri Deshikendra Swami flagged off the procession at Basaveshwara Circle. Regional Commissioner A M Kunjappa, Deputy Commissioner Shikha, and Zilla Panchayat president Nayima Sulthana were present.