THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Though India has made significant strides on economic and technological fronts, there are pockets in the nation where social evils persist, said Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu. Speaking after inaugurating the 87th Sivagiri pilgrimage meet at the Sivagiri Mutt in Varkala, he said: “We live in times of turbulence. Increasing cases of discrimination based on caste, community and gender are a cause for great concern and caste system in our country is a vicious cycle.”
While expressing his desire for a casteless and classless society in the country, he said it is time for us to retrospect and take pragmatic steps. “We must end all discrimination and should abolish the caste system. India of the future must be casteless and classless. It cannot be made by mere bills.
We need political will and administrative skill for making that possible. Though our Constitution has already criminalised the abhorrent and inhuman practice of untouchability, the movement to dispel the caste system must come from within the heart and mind of society,” he said adding the nation should be a safe space for diversity and dissent to thrive in.
Dispel notion of the ‘other’
He also stressed on the need to dispel the notion of the ‘other’ in his half-an-hour-long speech. The wrong belief that someone different from you in any manner is worthy of contempt. “We are all one. There is a strong thread of unity that has endured the test of time that binds this diverse nation together in brotherhood. We must never let the forces that divide us to be stronger than the forces that unite us,” he said. There is also perceptible degradation in moral values in the society. “We must bring our nation back on the path of moral righteousness,” he added.
While emphasising the importance of the teaching of Sree Narayana Guru in the modern era, he said Guru brought back to the minds of people the real message of ‘Advaitha’ which he formulated into a powerful practical philosophy of life as “One caste, one religion, one God for man.”
He said, “Ask not, say not, think not caste.” His life and teachings have crossed the borders of our country and have touched lives and inspired people all across the world and his teachings are of significant contemporary relevance, especially in the context of our efforts to promote social justice.Though Sree Narayana Guru was a Hindu by birth, he was not biased towards any religion. He respected and treated all religions equally. He boldly rejected the caste system and all other divisive tendencies that turn people against each other, he added. Governor Arif Mohammad Khan presided over the function.