Limiting education only to upper caste is wrong: Siddaramaiah

Mysuru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday that limiting education only to the upper caste is wrong.

“Education is no one’s exclusive right. Valmiki (author of Hindu the sacred scripture Ramayana), Vyasa (author of the Hindu sacred scripture Mahabharata), and Kanakadasa all hailed from Shudra and Dalit communities. The idea that only the upper castes should be educated is wrong,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah while inaugurating and laying the foundation for development projects worth Rs 443.64 crore in the H.D. Kote constituency, organised by the Mysuru district administration and district panchayat.

Kanakadasa is a Haridasa saint and social reformer. He is an iconic and revered figure of Kuruba (shephard) community in Karnataka.

He also offered tributes to Maharshi Valmiki on his jayanti and addressed the gathering.

“The government already celebrates Valmiki Jayanti and has instituted a state-level Valmiki award. Valmiki composed 20,000 Sanskrit verses. He fought against restrictions on Shudras receiving education by learning Sanskrit and composing the Ramayana, which was a great achievement,” said the Chief Minister.

He further added that Vedavyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, was from the Bestha (fishing) community; Valmiki, who composed the Ramayana, belonged to the ‘Beda’ community; and Kalidasa, the author of ‘Shakuntala’, was from the Kuruba community.

“Education is no one’s exclusive right; it requires only opportunities. We are the architects of our own lives, so every one must seek education. Kanakadasa, from the Shudra caste, became a revered saint. Thus, caste does not hinder education,” said the Chief Minister.

He added that the notion that only the upper castes should be educated is a misconception that has been imposed on us, which is wrong.

"My father, Channappa, believed that Kurubas couldn’t study law, as the upper castes would say, but I was determined, so I pursued law and became a lawyer. I even became Chief Minister,” he said.

He pointed out that the Valmiki laid the foundation for the democracy we celebrate today. Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Ram Rajya was depicted in the Ramayana by Valmiki.

“There are false tales labelling Valmiki as a robber; do not believe them. Valmiki was a great scholar and a learned man. In H.D. Kote town today, I inaugurated development projects worth Rs 443 crore and laid foundation stones. BJP leaders spread blatant lies, claiming our government has no funds for salaries or development. If we have no money, where did this Rs 443 crore come from? Has there been any disruption in salary payments to state government employees,” the Chief Minister said.

He added that millions of beneficiaries across the state receive benefits every month from our five guarantee schemes.

“Yet BJP spreads falsehoods, saying there is no money for these schemes. Lies are the BJP’s way. Our government has allocated development funds for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in proportion to their population, something no other government in India has done,” he said.

He assured that the funds allocated to the Valmiki Development Corporation would remain intact.

“A false case was also filed against B. Nagendra, the former minister for the Scheduled Tribes. He has now been released from jail. After the by-election, I will make an appropriate decision in this regard. We work for the welfare of the poor, regardless of whether they vote for us or not. Working for the poor is our commitment,” he said.