Ramayana can help in nation building'

Mangalore, October 30: “Valmiki did not belong to any one community. The essence of his great epic Ramayana is a part of our daily life,” State Assembly Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat has said.

He made this observation while presiding over Valmiki Jayanthi celebrations organised by the Dakshina Kannada District Administration, the DK Zilla Panchayat, the Scheduled Communities Welfare Department, the Kannada and Culture Department and Dakshina Kannada Valmiki Nayaka Association at Zilla Panchayat in Mangalore on Monday.

Yogish Bhat said that the “Rama Mantra” which helped Valmiki, also impressed Santa Kabir and Mahatma Gandhi. “Valmiki Ramayana is strength of our country and it can help us to organise the Nation based on culture,” he added.

Main Speaker of the day, Mangalore University Deputy Librarian Dr P Y Mallayya said that  Ramayana is supreme work in Indian literature and Valmiki is one of the greatest litterateurs. “The six 'Kaandas' of Ramayana deal with human senses like lust, jealousy and curse. The epic with 24,000 shlokas has carved a niche in Indian literature,” he added.

Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Vice President Rithesh Shetty said that Valmiki community could not make use of government facilities as it is a small community. He wanted public representatives to join hands for the development of the community. Zilla Panchayat Social Justice Standing Committee President Janardhana Gowda said that the values of Ramayana should be a part of study.

Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Dr Chennappa Gowda, Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar, Zilla Panchayat Deputy Secretary Shivaramegowda, Mangalore Taluk Panchayat President K Harish Kumar, Dakshina Kannada Valmiki Nayaka Association President Haleshappa were present.

Yogish Bhat has said that the government has chalked out a Rs 500 crore rehabilitation plan for 1,500 families in the hill areas of DK, Udupi and C'magalur. The plan will be finalised with the co-operation of various departments. This would help to solve Maoist problem.