Rs 25 cr earmarked for Basava Research Centre: CM

Colourful procession taken out as part of Basava Jayanthi in city

He was speaking after inaugurating Basava Jayanthi celebrations, organised jointly by District Administration, Kannada and Culture Department, Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha. Federation of Basava Balaga and Veerashaiva Sangha Samsthe, at Kalamandira in the city.

That apart, the government also has plans to install the statue of Goddess Bhuvaneshwari at the famous Lalbagh Gardens in Bangalore. An amount of another Rs  25 crore has been earmarked for the very project too.

Lauding Basaveshwara as one among many social reformers, the nation witnessed after Gautama Buddha, the chief minister said he is still alive even after nine centuries of his existence, through his ‘vachanas’. He had despised untouchability, encouraging women’s empowerment and equality across the society.

Saying that he nurtured special love towards Mysore, evident with visits to the city of palaces now  and then, the chief minister said that the city could be developed as a hub of development and sought the cooperation of all cutting across party barriers. Besides, the atmosphere is conducive to make city a model for others.

Mayor of Lambeth city in London Dr Neeraj Patil, who has his roots in Karnataka explained the travails he had to face for deciding on the installation of the bust of Basaveshwara in that city.

Many were sceptical about the project and Patil had to ask them to form a commission to study Basaveshwara before going ahead.

A historian was selected to head the committee and the findings were as expected. The historian said that the social thinker was far ahead of his times, removing the hurdles for putting up the bust.

The memorial will come up opposite to Parliament in the foreign city. The visiting mayor quoted the words of ‘Father of Nation’ Mahatma Gandhiji in Belgaum session of Congress in 1922 - If he (Basavanna) had lived in our times, he would have been worshipped as god.

Earlier a procession was taken out from the statue of Revolutionary Basaveshwara in the park opposite JSS Mahavidyapeetha to the programme venue. Idols of the revolutionary placed on vehicles was taken out in the procession. Children dressed as Basavanna, Akka Mahadevi and other vachanakaras were seated in horse-drawn tongas, besides cultural troupes added colour to the event.

UK inspired democracy

‘The pioneer of democracy was UK’. When the Mayor of Lambeth city in London Dr Neeraj Patil said these words, there was a pin drop silence, with the gathering seemed to be confused over the speaker hailing a foreign country.

Patil continued and said the ‘UK’ here stands for ‘Uttara Karnataka’, not commonly referred ‘United Kingdom’, to the applause of the gathering.  The ‘Anubhava Mantapa’ founded by Allama Prabhu was the first step towards a democratic set up. Allama Prabhu was the speaker and Akkamahadevi leader of the opposition, and both in their own way, lived to realise the dreams of Basavanna.

Skips ‘Raithageethe’

Owing to time constraints, the organisers preferred to give rendition of ‘raithageethe’ a miss, and Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa who initiated the song at every programme to pay tributes to the agrarian community, kept mum.

The occasion was Basava Jayanthi celebrations organised under the joint auspices of District Administration, Kannada and Culture Department, Akhila Bharatha Veerashaiva Mahasabha, Federation of Basava Balaga and Veerashaiva Sangha, Samsthe, at Kalamandira.

The moderator urged the gathering to rise from their seats as a mark of respect, announcing the rendition of ‘Naadageethe’ (State song) and ‘Raitghageethe’. No sooner, state song was completed, most of the audience were expecting farmers song, but to their surprise, Deputy Commissioner Harsh Gupta took over the mike for welcome address. It was overheard from the gathering that- farmers get their due only when the governments feel it necessary.