Overview
- Speaking at the 93rd Sivagiri Pilgrimage in Varkala, the Kerala chief minister urged vigilance against efforts to confine the Guru to a single caste or religion.
- He said stoking communal schisms and othering minorities betrays the reformer’s universal humanism.
- He cautioned that fragmented mobilisation of caste and religious groups weakens democratic and secular ideals and called for aligning the Guru’s message with progressive forces to protect constitutional values.
- The Hindu reported that the speech carried political significance given Left criticism over perceived leniency toward SNDP Yogam leader Vellapally Natesan and the BDJS’s NDA alignment.
- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who addressed the conclave, said the Guru’s philosophy counters religious majoritarianism and identity politics, underscoring the event’s broader resonance.