Building casteless society is essence of Constitution: CM Siddaramaiah

Mysuru, Sep 13 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Saturday, insisted that building a casteless society is the essence of the Constitution.

He also said the Constitution dreams of equality, liberty and fraternity and 12th-century social reformer/philosopher Basavanna too envisioned a society free of caste and class, where everyone lives as human beings.

Addressing a large gathering at the inauguration of Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Anubhava Mantapa and the office of the JSS Prasada Nilaya Senior Students Housing Cooperative Society near Varuna Lake in Mysuru, he stated, "It is only through education that our intellectual development takes place. Only then can we become independent, self-respecting and responsible individuals. That is why every person must get an education".

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah lauded the JSS alumni who came together to form the cooperative society.

"The society has distributed plots at the very price it had purchased the land. This is the first such example in the history of cooperative societies. I congratulate all the members for their initiative," he said.

Dwelling on the centrality of education, Siddaramaiah recalled the contribution of Sri Shivarathri Rajendra Swami.

"Ever since he became the head of the Math, Swamiji gave priority to education. He established educational institutions not only across Karnataka and India but also abroad. It is the foundation laid by him that has made this possible," he observed.

Linking the theme of the Anubhava Mantapa to Basavanna's philosophy, Siddaramaiah said, "Our society has historically been divided by caste.

"Women and the Shudra communities were denied education for centuries. It was during Basavanna's time that women were given the right to education," he said.

"Naming this structure 'Anubhava Mantapa' is apt because the original Anubhava Mantapa was the world's first Parliament, where caste and religion had no place. All communities participated, discussed social experiences and shaped reforms," he asserted.

Calling Basavanna a "Vishva Manava" (Universal Man), Siddaramaiah added that he had dreamt of a caste-free and equal society.

"Basavanna not only envisioned an egalitarian society but also gave opportunities to everyone in Anubhava Mantapa. He himself did not become president but appointed Allama Prabhu from a disadvantaged community as its head," Siddaramaiah stated.

Basavanna, 850 years ago, declared, "Do not say he is someone; say he is ours, he is ours. Yet, even today, we ask which caste a person belongs to. This was not what the Sharanas wanted," he said, urging society to rise above caste identities.

"Even after 78 years of Independence, caste has not disappeared. Only when we gain social and economic power can we challenge caste hierarchy. Vested interests are ensuring that such power does not reach the marginalised," he remarked.

The chief minister expressed hope that the newly inaugurated Mantapa would become a symbol of social harmony.

"Let this Mantapa contribute to building a caste-free society," he said, praising Rajendra Swami for his commitment to Akshara Dasoha (sharing of knowledge) and Anna Dasoha (sharing of food).

Linking social equality to his government's welfare agenda, Siddaramaiah said, "Our government has introduced Anna Bhagya as its first step towards eradicating inequality. The five guarantee schemes were also designed for this purpose. In the last two years and three months, the government has spent Rs 1 lakh crore on guarantees," he stated.

Reiterating that building a casteless society was the essence of the Constitution, the Chief Minister concluded by saying that Basavanna envisioned a society free of caste and class, where everyone lives as human beings. The Constitution too dreams of equality, liberty, and fraternity. PTI GMS ADB