BENGALURU
Chief Minister’s media advisor K.V. Prabhakar said the country is facing an “honor killing of secularism” and that the ideals of social reformer Narayana Guru are becoming more important than ever. He was speaking at a programme organized by the Karnataka Backward Classes Recognized Editors and Reporters Association, where he presented Narayana Guru Awards to five people and honored five achievers.
Prabhakar said Narayana Guru’s life was not about only religion or rituals, but about shaping true human beings. He said caste hatred and religious violence are increasing, especially in coastal and hill districts. Many youths involved in such activities belong to backward communities like Billava, Ediga, Eelava and fishing groups. He stressed that they must be made aware of Narayana Guru’s life lessons.
He explained that Narayana Guru fought three dangerous mindsets: the mindset of exploitation, the mindset of being exploited, and the mindset of slavery. His famous message was “One caste, one religion, one God for man.” But Prabhakar said this does not mean building temples in his name everywhere. Instead, it means understanding that God is within every human being and that all are equal.
He recalled how Narayana Guru once installed Shiva for the oppressed and later placed a mirror instead of an idol to show that divinity lives inside humans. He also questioned why people today do not support priests from backward communities, though the Guru had fought for such changes.
Prabhakar said both Narayana Guru and Dr. B.R. Ambedkar supported reservation to build a fair and secular society. But today, reservation struggles are often becoming tools of caste politics. He warned that if ideals are forgotten and only words are repeated, society will move towards more division.
He concluded by urging people to follow Narayana Guru’s vision of education, social awareness, religious tolerance and universal brotherhood to save secular values and create better human beings.