Davanagere, June 13: Students from backward communities and followers of Saint Kanakadasa must overcome feelings of inferiority, said K.V. Prabhakar, Media Advisor to the Chief Minister. He was speaking at a talent award ceremony organized by the Kanaka Employees Association and the District Kuruba Vidya Vardhaka Sangha.
“Those who don’t know history cannot shape the future,” Prabhakar said. “The fact that our community members are being honored today as achievers is due to the struggles of our elders.”
He traced the community’s educational journey – from facing punishments for learning letters to establishing their own educational societies that now nurture talents from SSLC to MBBS levels.
Prabhakar praised MP Prabha Mallikarjun for focusing on development politics rather than getting lost in political games, calling her selection by Davanagere voters “an excellent choice.”
Prabhakar emphasized that while devotion to Kanakadasa comes naturally, people must also understand the saint’s revolutionary message. “Kanakadasa wasn’t just about devotion – he fought against caste discrimination through his works in local language when Sanskrit was imposed,” he noted.
The advisor cautioned against reducing Kanakadasa to mere worship, calling it a tactic to erase his revolutionary legacy. “We must teach our children both education and life values to build a better society,” he added.
Prabhakar described the talent awards as “a blood transfusion of confidence” that would strengthen the entire community. While praising today’s educated youth, he stressed the need for compassion, advocating for a society with no old-age homes.
The event was attended by Jagadguru Dr. Niranjananandapuri of Kagineli Mahasamsthana, MP Prabha Mallikarjun, Koppal University Vice-Chancellor Dr. B.K. Ravi, and Bal Bhavan President B.R. Naidu among others.
