A global convention on universal brotherhood opened here on Sunday to commemorate the visit of Sree Narayana Guru to Sri Lanka and to deliberate on his vision of an egalitarian and just society.
The radical social revolutionary from Kerala, known for his saying, “one caste, one religion, and one god for humankind” visited the island nation in 1918 and in 1926. The Sree Narayana Guru Society was established here as per his advice.
Inaugurating the two-day convention, High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka Ashok Kantha said respect for diversity and the quest for reconciliation were not merely desirable, but imperative for lasting peace and progress. On the contribution of the Guru, he said Sree Narayana Guru's rebellion was never confrontational. He relentlessly opposed social wrongs and led one of the most successful social movements.
“Analytical concept”
Sociologist Ashis Nandy, speaking at a session on “Dharma in South Asia,” said dharma was common to all religions that dominated Asia. “Dharma is an analytical concept. This means that we have to extricate dharma from the meaning given in south and southeast Asia.” It was only the modernised version of faiths that had clear boundaries.
Indian Culture Secretary C.V. Ananda Bose said problems arose because of the multiple identities that weighed down a person. One should think that he belonged to the world and not to the east or west or north or any particular geography.
Kerala Irrigation Minister N.K. Premachandran, said the Guru's contribution to society in the State was stupendous. When the Guru emerged, Kerala was a stagnant, regressive society. It was his thoughts and action that converted Kerala into a progressive society. Bringing universal peace was also the job of religious leaders as all religions preached peace.
Sree Narayana Guru Society of Sri Lanka president M.K. Rahulan said the teachings of the Guru not only bridged the multi-cultural and multi-racial gaps but also integrated all communities and sects around the world. The convention would arouse curiosity in the younger generation on his teachings and would help spread the message of universal brotherhood.
The former IFS officer, T.P. Srinivasan, said the Guru was best described as a social revolutionary. India had many reformers but only a few revolutionaries.
Swami Prakasananda, Swami Hrithambharananda and Swami Satchidananda outlined the teachings of the Guru and emphasised the relevance of his teachings in the present day.
Bellanwila Wimalaratana Thero, Chancellor of Sri Jayawardhanapura University; Swami Sarvarupananda, president of Ramakrishna Mission (Sri Lanka); Oswald Gomis, former Archbishop of Colombo; and Fazil Mohamed Farook, All Ceylon Jammiyathul Ulama; were among those who gave benedictory speeches.
On Monday, three separate groups of delegates will discuss in concurrent sessions issues relating to ensuring quality in education, democratisation and access to preventive healthcare and hurdles in the way of a sustainable rural economy.
