BENGALURU: Controversial writer K S Bhagwan, who has been nominated for the Kanada Sahitya Academy’s lifetime achievement award, thanked those who opposed the academy’s decision on Sunday.
“They have given more publicity for my work by opposing the award,” he said while speaking at former chief minister Devraj Urs’ centenary programme organised by Kannada Kriya Samithi here.
He clarified that he is not against Hinduism but only against caste system. On Lord Rama, he said, “Rama is only a human and this has been accepted in Valmiki’s Ramayana. It is also said that he was against backward classes and women’s rights.”
“People say that there were 10 incarnations of Lord Vishnu including Buddha. But the people chased Buddha out of India because he questioned the Vedas. Babasaheb Ambedkar has studied all and has carefully drafted the constitution. Therefore now, people should look for Bheemarajya and not Ramarajya.” he added.
On FIR by VHP
Bhagwan said he is not scared of any case. “People also have asked the academy to take back the award but once the award is given, the academy will not reverse its decision. Self appointed custodians of religions do not know much. The real fact is the they are for caste system, and hence injustice and social inequalities. The policy should change to not consider religion at all government levels. If not the reservation system should continue,” he said. The writer said his phone was taken away by the police for verification of call details as he had received numerous threats.”The government has given protection and there is no problem with security,” he added.
Justice H N Nagamohan Das, who was at the programme, gave away awards to SSLC students who got high scores. “Freedom of speech is not only about free speech but also about criticism and to question traditionalism. If we all cooperate we can be in build a good society and this should be put in young minds,” he said.
Writer Chandrashekhar Patil, who hailed the rule of Devraj Urs, said, “If poor are able to think and have courage of coming into mainstream politics, it is because of Urs who himself was very poor and was into farming in Mysuru.”