Karnataka - Hassan   

Economic equality needed for social progress: Siddaramaiah

THE HINDU

Siddaramaiah

HASSAN: The former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said that there will not be social equality unless there is economic equality.

To achieve this, political power is required, so that the downtrodden can be brought into the mainstream.

The Congress leader was addressing a gathering at Chennarayapatna on Thursday on the occasion of Kanakadasa Jayanthi celebrations. The event was organised by the taluk Kurubara Sangha and the Kanaka Yuva Sena.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said that although discussions were on to help create a casteless society, the system still existed. Social reformers such as Basaveshwara, B.R. Ambedkar, Kanakadasa and Narayana Guru had tried hard to ensure its eradication.

Mr. Siddaramaiah said it was Kanakadasa who preached that man became great not by caste, but by knowledge. If everybody were to adopt this principle, a meaningful society could be formed.

To achieve this, people from the backward classes should become politically strong and should work for the uplift of their people.

On the occasion, Kannada Sahitya Parishat State president Nallur Prasad was felicitated. Replying to the felicitation, Mr. Prasad said Kanakadasa’s teachings were the panacea for all social evils. “We should not accord importance to leaders who play into the hands of caste-consciousness.

But, to strengthen the community, caste-consciousness is needed, but should be done away with while chalking out a political course of action.”

The former Ministers Bandeppa Kashampur, H.C. Srikantaiah and H. Vishwanath, and MLAs Varthur Prakash (Independent) and C.S. Putte Gowda (Janata Dal Secular) were present on the occasion.

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