BJP denigrating Guru, says Pinarayi Vijayan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that in an environment made impure by casteism and turbulent by religious bigotry, Sreenarayana Guru’s declaration of a casteless society is a lamp lighted in a benighted world. He was speaking after inaugurating the year- long centenary celebrations of Guru’s call for ‘We don’t want caste’ here on Wednesday coinciding with the 89th Maha Samadhi day celebrations.

Mr Pinarayi said in today’s circumstances people who are trying to talk religion are living several centuries behind. The Chief Minister took a dig at the Sangh Parivar by alleging that since they can never claim any role in the freedom struggle movement or in the renaissance movement, they have finally realised that they lag behind in having a social reformer or renaissance movement leader in their fold.

“It is understandable if the VHP resorts to promote caste and religion. However, what causes anxiety is when the RSS, which has got followers of the Guru’s ideologies, resort to denigrate the social reformer,” said Mr Pinarayi. Agriculture minister V.S. Sunil Kumar said that it is unfortunate that social reformer is being sidelined as a Hindu sanyasi. Speaking after inaugurating the 89th Maha Samadhi day celebrations of Guru at Chempazhanthy gurukulam, Mr Sunil Kumar said since time immemorial the fascist forces had tried to cow down leaders behind the renaissance movement or tried to destroy them. He saw a similar design in certain vested interests are trying to make Guru a mere Hindu Sanyasi.

“Unfortunately there are efforts to bring fundamentalism in our land. It is those people who are fearing the ideals of Guru,” said Mr Sunil Kumar. He added that the efforts of vested interests will not succeed as the people of Kerala will ensure that they do not succeed in denigrating Guru. Power minister Kadaka-mpally Surendran who presided over the programme said the Guru aspired for a world to become a beautiful garden which had no caste or religious barriers. “Wherever Guru had done installations, it was revered upon as model religious centre. Guru can never be seen as a Hindu sanyasi,” he said.

He also added that it is unfortunate that when the State is celebrating the centenary year of Guru’s call to abhor religion and caste, he is being dragged as a spokesperson of caste and religion. Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said in Sivagiri while inaugurating Guru's proclamation “we don't have caste” that even in this era, it has its relevance. He said whatever benefits the state is enjoying is because of Guru's life and ideologies.