Mysuru, Oct 15 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that if transformation has to take place in a rigid society, the ideals and philosophies of Buddha, Basava, and Ambedkar must reach more people.
He was speaking after inaugurating the International Buddhist Cultural Confluence “Buddha Mahasammelana and Journey of Human Fraternity 2025” organised at Maharaja’s College Grounds in Mysuru on Wednesday.
The event was jointly hosted by the Karnataka State Bhikshu Association, Buddhist organisations, Ambedkarite associations, and Vishvamaitri Buddha Vihara.
Tolerance of other religions and coexistence must be embraced, he underlined. "Inequality exists because not everyone has equal opportunities. Ambedkar emphasised that equality is possible only when every individual gains social and economic strength. Peace, non-violence, and truth can prevail in the country only when every individual embraces tolerance towards other religions and coexistence," he said.
"We must shed the mindset of slavery, he stressed and stated, "The Congress government has the credit of implementing the SCSP/TSP Act. Except for Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka, no other state has implemented it. Every poor person must be economically empowered.
We must shed the mentality of slavery so that everyone can live as human beings. Love must defeat hatred. The teachings of Buddha and Basavanna should be incorporated into everyone’s life, laying the foundation for building an equal society," CM Siddaamaiah underlined.
An allocation of Rs 42,000 crore has been made under the SCSP/TSP scheme. To build an equal society, every individual must gain economic strength. Our government introduced reservations in contracts. Even though the Supreme Court did not allow reservation in promotions, a committee was formed and, based on its report, reservation in promotions was implemented, he said.
He said that, along with awareness about equality, supporting programs brings social and economic strength. To eliminate inequality, our government introduced various “Bhagya” and “Guarantee” schemes during our tenure.
Because of the Shakti scheme, during the Hasanamba temple visit in one single day, out of 9 lakh devotees, nearly 70 per cent were women. Women are now independently travelling to temples and workplaces, becoming self-reliant, he said.
Through the guarantee schemes, each family is receiving Rs 4,000 to Rs 5,000 per month, he added.
To remove social inequality, people must be empowered educationally, socially, and economically. Great reformers like Buddha, Basavanna, and Ambedkar worked in this direction. The caste system is deeply entrenched in society. Because of the conspiracy of certain Manuists, real change has not yet been possible.
The Chief Minister said that Minister Priyanka Kharge had written to the government urging restrictions on organisations conducting their activities in public spaces, adding that instructions have been given to the Chief Secretary to submit a report on the steps taken in Tamil Nadu.
“There will always be obstacles to our efforts for social change. To curb superstitions and regressive practices, our government has enacted laws,” he added.
Siddaramaiah said that Ambedkar never stood for any one caste, but believed in equality and the creation of an equal society where all castes were treated as one.
“A stagnant society must be energised with economic empowerment. Ambedkar propagated the mantra of education, organisation, and struggle, and through it, he envisioned social change. In earlier times, Shudras and women were denied education,” he said.
Recalling an incident from his student days, Siddaramaiah said that despite many efforts at reform, caste-based discrimination continues to resurface in society.
--IANS
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