Sri Ramanuja a great social reformer: Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan

Vijayawada: Governor Biswa Bhusan Harichandan participated at Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, being organised to commemorate the 1000th year of birth of Sri Ramanujacharya at Sriramnagar, Muchintal near Hyderabad on Thursday.

Speaking at a programme organised on the occasion at the Divya Saketam, Governor Harichandan said he felt proud and honoured after visiting the Divya Saketam, the magnificent spiritual complex, on the occasion of Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham. He said that the devotees across the world had been waiting for the opportunity to participate in the auspicious festival.

The Governor said the message of Sri Ramanuja to the entire world was equality before the God, no discrimination among different sections of the society and everybody was equal in the sphere of religion. He further said that Sri Ramanuja propagated equality when there was no equality in the society and said that everybody was not only equal before the God, there should be no untouchability and that when everybody was equal where is the question of untouchability.

The Governor said that during the freedom struggle, even Gandhiji was inspired by the message of Sri Ramanuja and propagated equality among people of all sections of the society, which was propagated one thousand years ago by Sri Ramanuja. Sri Ramanuja was a great social reformer who fought for equal rights of women and led the temple entry of untouchables as he had lot of courage, conviction, commitment and even in the Constitution the principles of equality and equal protection of law have been embedded under Art. 14, said the Governor.

He described the magnificent spiritual complex 'Divya Saketam', and the gigantic statue of Sri Ramanuja, as the dream projects of Tridandi Sri Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, and they became a reality largely because of his determination, conviction, efforts and commitment.

Tridandi Chinna Jeeyar Swamiji, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, defence minister Rajnath Singh, J Rameshwar Rao and other dignitaries attended the programme.