more-in KOZHIKODE: The restrictions imposed on the slaughter of animals by the Union government are just a “test dose” to know the reactions of the people before pursuing their “other agenda”, academic and rationalist K.S. Bhagavan has alleged. Inaugurating the three-day centenary celebrations of Misra Bhojanam here on Saturday, he accused the Centre of trying to “bring back the Chaturvarnya system” which was against the constitutional principles of equality, liberty, fraternity, and social justice. “Soon after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in Uttar Pradesh, they started talking about building a temple for Rama in Ayodhya. From my reading of the Puranas and the Ramayana, I have observed that Rama had not done anything to alleviate the conditions of the working class, the Shudras. Other than killing people after branding them demons, what did he do? Why should we worship such a person?” Mr. Bhagavan claimed. He added that the people who Rama labelled as demons were actually materialists, Buddhists, and followers of the Charvaka philosophy. “Rama as a king never tried to change the living conditions of his subjects. His utmost duty was to protect the Chaturvarnya and the priestly class. There are ‘shlokas’ in the Sundara Kanda, where Rama calls the Buddha a ‘nastika’. Krishna too was a proponent of the same system,” Mr. Bhagavan said. He pointed out that instead of worshipping gods who followed caste system, the people should go by the ideals of the Constitution of India. Mr. Bhagavan suggested that instead of building a Rama Temple in Ayodhya, the government should take over the disputed land and build a national park, a national museum, or a hospital there. He alleged that there had been attempts to introduce a private Bill in Parliament to make the Bhagavad Gita a mandatory textbook in schools and colleges. “Instead of making the Gita a mandatory textbook, why don’t they make the Buddha’s Dhamma Pada a textbook? It was the Buddha who rationally and scientifically challenged the hollowness of the sacrifices and rituals of the priestly class aimed at appeasing gods and underlined the importance of man,” Mr. Bhagavan said. Kerala Yukthivadi Sangham State president Anil Kumar and former member of the Kerala State Planning Board C.P. John were present.

Stay updated with all the Latest Kozhikode headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.