Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan on Friday said social reformers Sree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali championed humanity and social justice and described them as among the greatest revolutionaries the state has seen.
Guru was not a representative of any particular caste or religion, Satheesan said, adding that humanity and love for fellow human beings formed the foundation of the ideas of the saint-social reformer. Satheesan said Ayyankali made a section of people who were historically forced to work only for their livelihood realise that education was the only path to social progress. His uncompromising struggle against caste discrimination and for the rights of oppressed sections continued to inspire society, the chief minister said. “Shree Narayana Guru and Ayyankali are, in every sense, the greatest revolutionaries Kerala has seen,” Satheesan said, paying tribute to the two reformers on their birth anniversaries.
Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan said Sree Narayana Guru transformed Keralam’s social life by declaring that humanity was the only caste of man. Guru took a firm stand against caste-based inequalities and economic exploitation and became a guiding force for socially backward sections through his call to organise, become strong and to gain enlightenment through education, he said. Every intervention by Guru questioned caste-based power structures, Vijayan said, adding that he fought against superstitions and social evils while envisioning a new society based on knowledge, hard work and self-respect.
