Minister for Culture Saji Cherian offered flowers at the statue of Sree Narayan Guru at Vellayambalam on Tuesday in connection with the death anniversary of the social reformer.
The programme was organised by the International Centre for Sree Narayana Guru Studies under the umbrella of the Culture Department.
The Minister said the department would organise year-long programmes that would give out the message that all religions are one. Only when religious extremism was countered strongly could gender equality be ensured in society.
Sree Narayana Guru’s stance on gender equality was to provide education to women first. Wrong practices and superstitions in society were eliminating equality for women. Sree Narayana Guru’s messages and ideas were very relevant at a time when anti-women attitudes were gaining strength.
Mr. Cherian also inaugurated a seminar on ‘Sree Narayana Guru’s philosophy and equality for women’ and released a book ‘Advaithathinte rithubhethangal,’ written by International Centre for Sree Narayana Guru Studies Director B. Sugeetha.
V.K. Prasanth, MLA, presided over the function.
