While asking the youth to develop compassion for other religions, film-maker and writer Nagathihalli Chandrashekar on Saturday also asked them to be guarded against groups that indulge in dividing society on caste and religious lines.
At an interaction with college students at the ‘Matte Kalyana’ programme of Dakshina Kannada district unit of Sahamata Vedike, Mr. Chandrashekar said the caste system that has been around for ages cannot be erased. It was important to look at a person as human being and not by his caste and creed.
Youth, he said, have to be careful of groups that wrongly interpret ‘Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitaha’ and state that one religion is superior to others. “Any group that professes such thoughts and terrorises people should be strongly condemned. You should be careful of such groups,” he said.
Panditacharya Shivacharya Swami, who has conceptualised the Matte Kalyana programme, said it was important for youth to interact with communities and understand each others customs and practices. “We have to develop compassion among communities,” he said, while expressing the need to end caste-based reservation system for employment and promotion.
Strongly condemning groups using the ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan to terrorise people, he said society should proscribe such groups. Like the Central Act to criminalise talaaq, he said there was need for a legislation to allow marriage of widows.
To another question, Mr. Chandrashekar said the present generation, who are living in a competitive world, face more challenges than the earlier ones. Parents, society, or educational institutions do not have answers to problems faced by the youth today. He asked students to become strong individuals and choose paths that help them achieve their dream.
Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat president B.L. Shankar appreciated the effort of holding the Matte Kalyana, which, he said, was akin to efforts made by Basaveshwara and other reformers in the 12th century. M. Mohan Alva, chairman, Alva’s Education Foundation, also spoke.
