KOZHIKODE: Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Thursday said that those who once rejected Bharat Mata and Guru Puja are now pretending to be devotees of Lord Ayyappa at Sabarimala. “Bharat Mata and Guru Puja are not political concepts but deeply cultural ones. In culturally rich Kerala, it is unfortunate that some schools oppose Guru Puja,” he said.
The governor was inaugurating the fourth-day Sarga Samvadam at the Navaratri Sargotsavam held at Kesari Bhavan in Kozhikode. Criticising those opposing indigenous traditions, the governor said, “If such feelings truly exist in their hearts, why are they not ready to openly admit it before the people? Are they doing all this for political gain? The people are watching everything.” He stressed that Bharat Mata and Guru Puja are part of a culture “deeply ingrained in our blood.”
Highlighting his association with the RSS, the governor added: “I take pride in saying that I am part of the RSS and a swayamsevak (volunteer). But the Indian media had long maintained an untouchability towards the RSS. When Guruji Golwalkar visited Kozhikode, not a single line of his speech was reported by the local media.”