Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah onThursday said all Scheduled Tribe (ST) residential schools in the state, along with Raichur University, will be renamed after Maharishi Valmiki.
He made the announcement after garlanding the statue of Maharishi Valmiki in honour of Valmiki Jayanti at Legislators’ House in Vidhana Soudha. Maharishi Valmiki, revered as the first author of Hindu epic Ramayana in Sanskrit, is considered a saintly figure.
Siddaramaiah said, “It is my wish the name and life of Valmiki, who reached the pinnacle of achievement through perseverance, should be immortalised.”
Touching on the historical contributions of marginalized communities to Indian literature and philosophy, the CM pointed out that renowned figures such as Kalidasa, the author of Shakuntala, came from the Kuruba community, while Vyasa, the author of the Mahabharata, belonged to the Besta community. Maharishi Valmiki, the revered author of the Ramayana, also hailed from a similar background.
“People made up stories about how a bandit like Valmiki couldn’t have possibly written the Ramayana, just because these communities did not have access to education and learning Sanskrit,” Siddaramaiah said, praising their achievements in overcoming societal barriers.
“Valmiki promoted equality and equal opportunities for all. The concept of Ram Rajya in the Ramayana represents a society where fairness and equal opportunities prevail,” the CM emphasized, adding Valmiki provided shelter and education to Lava and Kusha, the sons of Lord Rama, standing as a testament to his universal values.
At the event, Siddaramaiah criticises BJP, accusing the party of failing to implement the Scheduled Castes Sub-Plan (SCSP) and Tribal Sub-Plan (TSP) policies, despite being in power at the Centre and in several states.
“Our government was the first to reserve budget funds proportionate to the SC/ST population through these schemes. I initiated the concept of hostels for marginalised communities, and I will ensure there is one in every hobli,” he said.
Siddaramaiah also accused the BJP of opposing welfare schemes and only giving superficial support to the concept of equality and he highlighted that the promotional based reservations implemented by his government, which was later upheld by the Supreme Court, underscoring the Congress’s commitment to social justice.