Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday, September 11, said that education will be of no use if it does not instill secularism in a person.
Speaking after inaugurating the new premises of Adichunchanagiri Mutt’s Mysuru branch, BGS Cultural Auditorium and Students’ Hostel in Hebbal in the city, Mr. Siddaramaiah emphasised the need for imparting quality education that ensures scientific and rational thinking among the educated people.
Education is not just about reading, writing or speaking. Education will be worthwhile only when it instill scientific temperament and rational thinking, he said.
“It is of no use if a person eschews secularism and follows casteism even after undergoing education,” Mr, Siddaramaiah said.
Hence, the State government is planning to make all the students read out the preamble of the Indian Constitution on September 15, which is also the International Day of Democracy.
India is a land of multiple religions, castes, languages and cultures. “We should ensure unity in diversity,” he said.
Recalling Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy’s statement made at the function earlier, Mr. Siddaramaiah said it was his government, during its earlier tenure, that introduced the practice of State government celebrating Kempe Gowda Jayanthi.
Besides, he said it was his government that had instituted the Kempe Gowda Authority and named the international airport at Devanahalli as Nadaprabhu Kempegowda International airport.
Mr. Siddaramaiah also emphasised that he shared a mutual love and respect with late Balagangadharnatha Swami of the Adichunchanagiri Mutt as well as his successor Nirmalanandanatha Swami
Earlier, Mr. Cheluvarayaswamy had sought to dispel the suspicion in the minds of a section of the Vokkaliga community about the Chief Minister by claiming that it was Mr. Siddaramaiah, who had started the tradition of government celebrating Kempegowda Jayanti.
Later, Nirmalanandanatha Swami acknowledged Mr. Siddaramaiah’s role in starting the tradition of celebrating Kempegowda Jayanti on June 27 and also pointed out that it was during the same tenure that Kempe Gowda’s samadhi was found in Kempapura in Magadi taluk.
The swami also sought to draw Mr. Siddaramaiah’s attention to the demand for naming one of the three varsities formed out of the erstwhile Bangalore University after Kempegowda.
He recalled that Mr. Siddaramaiah had assured to discuss the matter with the seer after the demand had come up, but his term came to an end within two months. Now, that Mr. Siddaramaiah is back in office, the seer said he would like to draw the Chief Minister’s attention to the pending demand.
The programme was also attended among others by MLAs Tanveer Sait and K. Harish Gowda, MLCs Dinesh Gooli Gowda, C.N. Manje Gowda, D. Thimmaiah and Marithibbe Gowda, Mayor Shivakumar, Deputy Mayor G. Roopa, besides Swami Muktidanandaji of Ramakrishna Ashram, Mysuru.
