The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : UP Governor calls for movement for social reform

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Wednesday, Mar 19, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

UP Governor calls for movement for social reform

Special Correspondent

“Upper and backward classes should change their attitude towards Dalits”

— Photo: N. Sridharan

PRESSING FOR CHANGE: Uttar Pradesh Governor T.V. Rajeswar with V.R. Lakshminarayanan, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra, at a function in Chennai on Tuesday. R.V. Ramani, member-secretary, Kalakshetra Foundation, is in the picture.

CHENNAI: Uttar Pradesh Governor T.V. Rajeswar has called for a movement for social reformation to eliminate the bias against the lower castes.

Speaking on ‘Social, cultural and educational values in transition’ at a function organised by the Kalakshetra Foundation here on Tuesday, he said the pain of discriminatory treatment often emanated more from the intermediary backward classes than from the forward ones.

More than anything else, the men and women of the so-called upper and backward classes who looked down upon the Dalits should change their attitude towards them.

Self-respect movement

While superstitions and beliefs in all sorts of cults were growing by the day, the Governor said, the self-respect movement started by Periyar E.V. Ramasamy was essentially a social reformist movement intended to sensitise the people to the evils of ignorance and superstition. The movement gathered political overtones at a certain stage. As for education, Mr. Rajeswar said the mushrooming of technical and engineering institutions might result in devaluation of degrees.

Calling for eternal vigilance on the part of society, especially the informed and the educated, the Governor wanted erring educational institutions kept under check.

V.R. Lakshminarayanan, chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Chennai Kendra, said it was befitting that Mr. Rajeswar, a worthy son of the country, was visiting Kalakshetra which was preserving and propagating traditional dance and music forms.

R.V. Ramani, member secretary of the Kalakshetra Foundation, greeted Mr.Rajeswar.

Earlier, students of the Kalakshetra Foundation gave a short music and dance performance.

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