Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Thiruvananthapuram: On the 170th birth anniversary of Sree Narayana Guru, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday recalled the saint reformer's teachings questioning caste supremacy and social evils.
Vijayan said that the Guru took up a strong stance against caste-based oppression and economic exploitation.
The CM said that this year was also the centenary of the inter-faith conference held under Sree Narayana Guru's leadership in 1924 at the Aluva Advaita Ashram.
"The inter-faith conference gave a message of brotherhood and human unity in a society polluted by religious and caste animosity," Vijayan said in a Facebook post.
The relevance of this idea has only increased in the hundred years since then, he added.
Vijayan expressed hope that the interventions and history of the struggle by the saint reformer, who shed the light of a renaissance on Kerala society, would act as a guide forever and wished 'Sree Narayana Guru Jayanti' to everyone.
A day ago, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan paid obeisance to the saint reformer on the eve of his 170th birth anniversary.
"My humble pranams to #SreeNarayanaGuru on his 170th Jayanti. With our feet firm on the lofty principles advocated by this Universal Guru, let us allow purity to permeate our thoughts, words and deeds," Khan said in a Facebook post.
Sree Narayana Guru propagated the message of 'One Caste, One Religion and One God for Mankind'.
The 19th century spiritual guru and social reformer was born into a backward Ezhava family in an era when people from such communities faced social injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala.