Former PM Deve Gowda pays tribute to Basaveshwara in London
London, Oct 27: Former prime minister H.D Deve Gowda paid tribute to Basaveshwara at an event here, saying the 12th century Kannada social reformer fought for eradication of caste discrimination which still prevails in India.
The event on Friday was organised by the Basaveshwara Foundation, a non-profit organisation based in the UK that has erected a statue of Basaveshwara on the bank of river the Thames.
Former mayor of the London borough of Lambeth and Chairman of the foundation Neeraj Patil welcomed the former prime minister along with MP Kupendra Reddy on behalf of the Indian-origin and Kannada communities.
Members of the two important Kannada diaspora organisations - Kannadigaru UK & Sandalwood UK, joined Gowda on the occasion.
"Basaveshwara fought for eradication of caste discrimination and social justice in Indian society and unfortunately India still remains divided along caste and religious lines and this must end, there is no place for discrimination in the modern world," said the former premier.
Gowda paid tribute to Basaveshwara for his contribution towards democracy and social justice in India.
He said "I am extremely delighted to see the statue of an Indian philosopher in the backdrop of the British parliament overlooking the river Thames. This makes every Indian and Kannadiga proud".
The project was approved by the planning department of the London borough of Lambeth and subsequently by the British Cabinet minister for culture media and sports as per the Public Statues Act, 1854. The Basaveshwara statue and its vicinity is the intellectual property of the Basaveshwara Foundation.
The Basaveshwara statue erected at the Albert Embankment is not only the first statue to be unveiled by an Indian prime minister in the UK, but is also the first conceptual statue approved by the British Cabinet in the vicinity of Parliament.
It is located at Albert Embankment in London opposite the British Parliament.
The approval was given as a mark of respect to Basaveshwara for promoting democratic ideals, social justice and gender equality during the 12th century.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled the statue in 2015.
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By-election result not a mandate for the government: Basavaraja Bommai
Bengaluru: The results of the by-elections in three constituencies do not represent a mandate for the state government, said MP Basavaraja Bommai, adding that ruling party MLAs are dissatisfied with the lack of development in the state.
Speaking to the media at the BJP office on Tuesday, he stated that by-elections typically favor the ruling government. "When we were in power, we won 13 out of 17 by-elections. The Congress should not assume that this is a verdict in their favor," he remarked.
Bommai emphasized that these results are confined to the constituencies where the by-elections were held. He also accused the state government of poorly implementing its guarantee schemes without adequate financial preparation, claiming that the schemes are being halted due to financial strain.
He alleged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government has borrowed over ₹1 lakh crore, leading to difficulties in financial management. Bommai pointed out that the state government is yet to release over ₹2,000 crore to local bodies, including village panchayats, as recommended by the 15th Finance Commission.
"Anganwadi workers and contract workers are not receiving their salaries, and contractors are refusing to take up work due to non-release of funds, even after tenders have been floated," he added.
Responding to questions about internal dissent within the BJP, Bommai denied any significant issues, stating, "There is no dissent in the BJP. Everyone is committed to the party. There may be differing opinions on some matters, but I am confident that everything will be resolved within a month." He also noted that a motivated BJP team is actively working for the party.
