Women need jobs, not sarees: SHRC chief

State Human Rights Commission Chairman S R Nayak has said that the State government can ensure empowerment of women by giving them jobs, not saree.

Addressing a gathering at the Samskrutika Suggi-2011 programme on Sunday as part of Sankranti celebrations, by Saikrishna Charitable Trust, Nayak said women can be self-reliant if they are economically empowered.

The Government should not limit itself to superficial notions of empowerment such as the scheme of distributing saree indicates, he said. The Government, instead, should focus on facilitating conducive environment for leading a better life by curbing harassment of women, he added. He rued degenerating cultural and moral values in the modern days.

Nirmalananda, secretary of Adichunchanagiri mutt, called for synthesis of science and culture. “Being firmly routed in culture, progress in science should be achieved. Harmonious development of society can be achieved only through such synthetic approach and good of all can be achieved without harming anybody.”

Prizes for the winners of various competitions were distributed during the programme.
‘Srinivasa Kalyana Nritya Roopaka’ and ‘All the Best’ plays were staged. LIC Krishnappa, K R Krishnappa, Marappa, B Muniyappa, D S Nanjundaramaiah, G Shivashankar, Sandeep Chakravarty, K S Gopalakrishna and wife of G N Venkatarayalu were felicitated. 

Former MLA S V Ashwathnarayana Reddy, S M Muniyappa, M Shivananda, TAPCMS former president B M Ramaswamy, KMF director K V Nagaraj, Congress leader Yaluvanahalli N Ramesh, ZP member Y M Anita, industrialist G M Babu, Saikrishna Charitable Trust President Dr K Sudhakar, ZP ex-member P N Keshavareddy were present.

Star attraction for cultural programme

Sunday evening was a rare experience for residents of Chikkaballapur as they got to watch sandalwood stars in their own town. Nudging each other in the crowd, people of all ages swarmed actors Aindrita Ray and Ramesh to get their autographs and a snapshot with them.

The actors said the onus of preserving our culture and tradition is on every individual. Love and harmony among people from diverse backgrounds will ensure peace and progress of society, the actors added.