Vice-President M. Hamid Ansari on Thursday said that social reformer Basaveshwara championed social reforms in the 12th Century by advocating eradication of social evils such as caste system and untouchability.
He was speaking after releasing multilingual translations of select Vachanas at a ceremony organised by the Kannada and Culture Department, the State government and the Basava Samiti, Bangalore, here.
The release coincided with the birth centenary celebrations of the former Vice-President B.D. Jatti.
Mr. Ansari said that Late Jatti’s political commitment was because of a deep sense of spiritualism influenced by the works of Basaveshwara.
Propagating secularism
Governor H.R. Bhardwaj said that the Vachanas advance secularism in the country. Indian secularism, Mr. Bhardwaj said, is comparable to honey which is the product of nectar collected from several flowers.
Vachana Translation Committee director and scholar M.M. Kalburgi said that the literature reflected the present Indian Constitutional values as well as human rights adopted by the United Nations centuries ago.
In his introductory address, samiti president and Jatti’s son Arvind Jatti said that 2,500 select Vachanas of 173 authors have been translated into 10 Indian languages. Their translation into another 14 recognised Indian languages is under progress, Mr. Jatti said.
Kannada and Culture Minister Govind M. Karjol and Principal Secretary, Kannada and Culture Department, Basavaraju, were present. Singer Sangeeta Katti Kulkarni rendered a few Vachanas.
