THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance Minister K N Balagopal said communalism could not gain much ground in the state due to the influence of Sree Narayana Guru. He also said that no one will be swayed by communalism if he or she understood Guru’s ideals. He was speaking after inaugurating the global meet of Sree Narayana institutions organised on the sidelines of the Sivagiri pilgrimage on Sunday.
“Guru is not just a religious saint. His ideals have a worldview. The Daivadasakam is a paragon,” said Balagopal. State Congress president K Sudhakaran presided over the function. According to him, Guru’s vision prompted the country to become a secular nation. “Guru’s principles attracted people like B R Ambedkar. Guru created equality in society,” he said.
BJP state president K Surendran said attempts were being made to hijack Guru’s ideals and thoughts.
“Guru’s non-religious spirituality has been misrepresented. He showed the real Indian philosophy to society. There is no fundamental difference between the philosophies of Guru and Sankaracharya,” said Surendran.
Transport Minister Antony Raju inaugurated the concluding ceremony of the pilgrimage. He said Guru led people to progressive ideas. “The Guru gave a message that was acceptable to all and made the world unite,” he said.
Sree Narayana Dharma Sangham Trust president Sachidananda said more studies are necessary to know about Guru’s contribution to the freedom movement. The Guru directed T K Madhavan to incorporate progressive ideas into the freedom movement. The movement gained momentum after his directions were accepted by the Congress, said Sachidananda.
Senior BJP leader Kummanam Rajasekharan presided over the function. He said the Sivagiri pilgrimage made drastic changes in the state. Poet Prabha Varma inaugurated the cultural meet held on the sidelines of the pilgrimage.