State government committed to eliminate social evils: Sorake

Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake said Kanakadasa was the great spirit who strived for equitable society through true devotion and love.

Speaking after inaugurating the birth anniversary celebrations of Kankadasa organised by the district administration, the minister said that the poet cum spiritual crusader was the Samaritan who proposed the essence of equitable society. The legend was the poet and visionary with the virtues of devotion, simultaneously being the artist, orator, cultural ambassador, social reformer, folk analyst, rebel with humanitarian values. He added that there are many number of people who sacrificed themselves for the sake of equitable and justified society.

Assuming that the period during Kanakadasa was no different from the present day society, the minister lamented that the fight for equality has been the struggle irrespective of generations and ages. The prejudiced mindset that prevailed down the ages continues to be present in the current society with same pace, rather in more intense form. Kanakadasa is also part of Udupi temple history, as he is closely associated with Lord Krishna. The minister said Basavanna was also one of many crusaders for social equality. Dr B R Ambedkar also worked on the similar lines. He said the entire humanity is one and the mankind should be treated equally. Kudmul Ranga Rao is one more personality, who proposed the similar thoughts. He added that everyone who struggled to eradicate the preconceived notion over isolating humanity in the name of caste and creed should be remembered.

The minister also added that the present Congress government is committed towards bringing in changes to eliminate the social evils. The society needs to be changed. He said currently the SC/ST community people are receiving Rs 15000 crore as the welfare funds in contrast to the earlier Rs 75000 crore. He said the State government has taken up commendable measure by ordering for caste wise census. He stressed that the government solely believes that education is the only way out to bring in changes among the social and economic strata of the downtrodden. Accordingly, the government has announced several schemes that benefit the school students of lower castes. A girl receives Rs 2 per single attendance. A student receives Rs 1500 in the form of hostel fees. Around Rs 50000 will be spent on the programme. Government has plans to build as many as 100 additional Morarji Desai schools and another 5000 hostels for students in the current fiscal year. He said the students should have strong determination to achieve success, the minister added.

Delivering a talk on the occasion, Suma, a Kannada professor from the Government College lamented that the beliefs that divide the people in the name of caste and religion is still prevalent, despite the fight against the discrimination by great people like Kanakadasa since time immemorial. Kanakadasa remains ever relevant in this background. He believed in the equitable society. She ridiculed that development should not always be one sided. The development is not development when it forgets to treat humans as humans. Kanakadasa stands as legendry, when he stood against the people who did not allow him to enter the world of spirituality. He used spirituality as the approach to reach Lord in the midst of all those who distracted him from his mission. He proposed inclusive politics. She said everyone should go for self retrospection by questioning themselves, that is, any space for the great thinking of the legendry Kanakadasa in the present world of intellectuals, she added.
DC Dr Vishal said that just and equitable society is the need of the hour and students should make an attempt to change society by being the messengers of equality.