Govt establishment or road to be named after Kanakadasa

The state government is keen on building a ‘Kanaka Bhavana’ in the district, MLC and chief minister’s parliamentary secretary Ivan D’Souza has stated.

“There are also plans to name a government building and a road or a circle in Mangaluru after the seer,” he added. D’Souza was addressing the Kanaka Jayanti programme organised by the district administration and the Department of Kannada and Culture at the ‘Siri Chavadi’ in the Tulu Bhavan in the city on Wednesday.

Kanakadasa had a hard life with a lot of humiliation, but he overcame all hurdles through his pure knowledge and devotion, he reminded.

The MLC said that messages of Kanakadasa, who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries, are still relevant. “Kanakadasa’s speciality as a saint poet was that he propagated the values of social equality through his works. This elevated him to the position of a social reformer rather than just a composer,” said D’Souza.

“A repository of Kanakadasa’s works is being brought out in various volumes. His works are also being researched upon by the Kanakadasa Study Chair in the Mangalore University,” the legislator added.

The MLC, meanwhile, lauded the involvement of Kuruba community members in the Kanaka Jayanti programme.

“Members of the community have been revering Kanakadasa since ages. There are a number of achievers in the community, such as former chief minister and coalition government coordination committee chairman Siddaramaiah,” D’Souza said, adding that the time is now ripe for Siddaramaiah to play a decisive role in national politics.

Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil said that the Kuruba community members should stay united and also contribute to the development of society. A cultural procession was taken out prior to the formal function.