NEW DELHI: Vice President CP Radhakrishnan on Thursday lamented that contributions of Indian philosophers and social reformers like Sree Narayana Guru have not been adequately recorded in international languages, which has created a gap in global academic discourse.Releasing a book on Narayana Guru by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, Radhakrishnan said “The sage who reimagined Hinduism” will take India’s heritage to a global audience.
The VP said that the book is special because it was first released in Sivagiri Mutt, the hermitage founded by the Guru. He said a visit to the Mutt provides the inspiration to treat everyone with equality and dignity.Radhakrishnan said that the Guru emerged as a spiritual guide at a time when caste divisions and social discrimination were deeply entrenched in society. He noted the Guru’s immortal message “One Caste, One Religion, One God for humankind” was not only a spiritual proclamation but also a revolutionary call for equality, dignity and universal brotherhood.Tharoor said it is unfortunate that while Guru’s message has a universal resonance, he is hardly known outside Kerala. Talking about Kerala of the 19th century, he said that caste prejudices were so deep in the state that Swami Vivekananda had called it a “lunatic asylum”. He said Guru took up social reform in such a bad situation and shook up society to the point that Kerala is now the most progressive state in the country.
