Pluralism needs to be reconstructed: Prof HS Shivaprakash
5th May Literary Fest
Dharwad, May 27: Senior writer Dr HS Shivaprakash opined that in the present context, there is a need to reconstruct both pluralism and oneness in the country.
Speaking on “India of multi-religions” at a two-day 5th May Literary Fest organized by the Ladayi Publication of Gadag, Chittara Balaga of Dharwad and Kavi Publication at Papu Auditorium here on Sunday, he said that “We have forgotten equality and coexistence. Karl Marx had called for powerless society. Unfortunately, corporate forces have been ruling the people in the country. We are in a critical situation where we need to reconstruct both pluralism and oneness”, he added.
Religion was debatable issue since two thousand years. India did not have Hindu religion earlier. When Britishers came to India, Hindu religion was brought into practice like Christianity. Earlier, the concept Hindu was not being used in religious context, but it was being used in related to a particular region or area, he opined.
“There are many schools of thoughts and religions. I have not read Brahma sutra. I have read more on non-Vedic traditions like Sharana, Naatha, Shakhya Sufi and other schools of thoughts. None of these would impose oneness on us. All the Schools of thoughts like Bhakti, Sharana, Naatha, Shakhya Sufi emerged during medieval period had advocated oneness in pluralism or unity in diversity. In Jain tradition, they have a term called ‘Anekantavada’. Each religion would evolve based on their experiences”, he said.
The word ‘Lingayat’ is an indicator of Self, while ‘Veerashaiva’ is an indicator of Practice. Sharana community is an indicator and it was used in Vachanas four thousand times. But the word ‘Hindu’ was not used for a single time. So, there is no question of reviving the Hindu religion there. Vachanas were written in over 40 years by several Vachanakars, communities and people from different professions. Many communities have opened up to the literary field to such an extent that no country or literature in the world has witnessed this development. It was happened only in Karnataka. While collecting the Vachanas, some personal agenda has crept and they were collected as Allama-centric and Bassava-centric vachanas and women writers were neglected, he said.
The factors influenced the people most in this election was neither Hindutva nor secularism. But castes and sub-castes have played major role. More than castes, people and communities have tried to identify themselves as sub-castes, Shivaprakash said.
At the end of the session, a discussion was held. Noted writers Chandrashekar Patil, SG Siddaramaiah, Ramjan Darga, Kalegowda Nagawara and others participated in it.
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Magisterial probe ordered into Goa nightclub fire; FIR lodged against owner, GM
Panaji (PTI): Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Sunday ordered a magisterial inquiry into the fire at a nightclub which claimed 25 lives.
Speaking to PTI, Sawant said an FIR has been lodged against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub and they would be arrested.
The fire broke out at Birch by Romeo Lane after midnight. The popular party venue at Arpora village, located around 25 km from the state capital Panaji, opened last year.
CM Sawant, in a post on X, said, "I am closely reviewing the situation arising from the tragic fire incident at Arpora, in which 25 people have lost their lives and six have been injured."
"All six injured persons are in a stable condition and are receiving the best medical care. I have ordered a magisterial inquiry into the entire incident to identify the cause and fix responsibility," he said.
Speaking to PTI, Sawant said the police have registered an FIR against the owner and the general manager of the nightclub, and they would be arrested.
He said this is the first time that such an incident has happened in Goa.
A preliminary inquiry has indicated that the fire started on the first floor of the club, and due to congestion and small doors, the customers could not move out, the CM said.
"Some of them rushed to the ground floor and got trapped there," he said.
