Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa offering floral tributes to 12th-century social reformer Basavanna at the Sharana Sahitya Sammelana in Mysuru on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: M.A. SRIRAM
Minister for Social Welfare H.C. Mahadevappa said here on Sunday that there was a decline in moral values in public life, and meaningful discussions were lacking in Legislative Assemblies and Parliament.
Speaking at the Sharana Sahitya Sammelana organised in the city by the district unit of the Akhila Bharata Sharana Sahitya Parishat, Mr. Mahadevappa, who is also the in-charge Minister of Mysuru, said Assemblies and Parliament are stated to be modelled after the 12th-century Anubhava Mantapa. But unlike the in-depth discussions in the past, there was no such debate in the present times in the Legislative Assemblies.
The Minister said the political leaders of the earlier generation had calibre and upheld values. But such leadership is absent in the present times, and there is an erosion of values and cultural bankruptcy, he said.
Mr. Mahadevappa said that for the establishment of a prosperous or egalitarian State, a humane atmosphere must be created and mooted that a Sharana Sahitya movement was necessary to oppose the caste system and to promote the dignity of labour and gender equality.
The Minister referred to the recent awareness drive on the Constitution, including the organisation of the human chain, and said it led to greater public awareness on the Constitution. A similar effort was necessary to promote and create greater awareness on the values enshrined in the Sharana Sahitya, he added.
Presiding over the sammelana, critic O.L. Nagabhushana Swamy remarked that the depth and significance of Sharana Sahitya were yet to be comprehended by the public at large. “Though a lot of us take pride in Sharana Sahitya, we have failed to incorporate the teachings into our daily lives,” he said.
Prof. Nagabhushana said at present more than 20,000 vachanas or compositions of the Sharanas have been published and another 5000 to 6000 of them were yet to be published and made available. This underlines the vastness and depth of the Sharana Sahitya. Yet, only about 10 to 20 vachanas are cited in speeches and discussions, and there is a lack of curiosity and awareness about the rest, he said.
He also called for digitising the vachanas to make it easier for the public to access and suggested that the Parishat should create a glossary, explaining the meanings of words found in vachana literature.
As part of the Sammelana, several books were released, including Kudala Sangama edited by D.S. Sadashivamurthy, Someshwara Shataka authored by Malalekere Gurumurthy, Jnana Yogi Sri Siddeshwara Swamiji authored by Puttappa Mudigunda, etc.
Shivaratri Deshikendra Swami of Suttur Mutt, Sharathchandra Swami of Kundur Mutt, C. Somashekar, president of Akhila Bharata Sharana Sahitya Parishat, T.S. Srivatsa, MLA, and others were present.
Earlier, a procession of folk artistes, including Veeragaase, Kamsale, Nagaari, etc. was taken out to create awareness on Sharana Vachanas.
Published – March 23, 2025 07:40 pm IST