The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Help Dalits fight poverty: swamiji

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jul 29, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Help Dalits fight poverty: swamiji

T.S. Ranganna

Sri Visvesha Thirtha turns 75; to continue his mission to help the poor, oppressed

BANGALORE: Sri Visvesha Thirtha Swamiji of Pejawar Math has embarked on a programme to extend to Bangalore the health care programme for the poor, which he launched in Udupi.

In an interview to The Hindu on the occasion of his completing 75 years, the swamiji said that mere sermonising people in the lower strata of Hindu society against embracing other religions would be of no avail. They needed to be helped to overcome poverty, disease and illiteracy.

The swamiji, who is considered a guru by sections of the Dalits, recalled occasions when the former minister, the late T.N. Narasimha Murthy, and Chairman of the Kannada Development Authority Siddalingiah had expressed their deep regard for him.

Narasimha Murthy had taken to task a colleague of his at a meeting of the State Cabinet for some critical comments made on the swamiji for visiting Sanganakal village in Bellary district where a Dalit was ill-treated. Siddalingiah had said that he had suspected the swamiji`s sincerity in entering a Dalit colony, but changed his opinion on realising the earnestness of the swamiji's mission.

Sri Visvesha Thirtha, who is observing a "chaturmasya" in Bangalore, said service to those affected by a natural calamity and imparting Vedic knowledge were dear to his heart.

He had launched Sri Krishna Medicine Foundation in Udupi. The Krishna Sevashrama Hospital in Jayanagar, Bangalore, provides health care to the poor. Any poor patient could approach him for financial assistance with an application along with medical reports. A corpus fund had been created to help the poor.

About uplifting the Dalits, he said: "Hindus treat Muslims and Christians with respect, but not Dalits. I have continued my movement and there is no resistance now. The Hindu leaders and mathadhipatis are supporting me. This has brought about a change and even Dalits acknowledge it."

The conversion of Dalits was an issue that had been causing concern to him.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka