Today, on the samadhi day of Sree Narayana Guru, Kerala Chief Minister S. Pinarayi Vijayan paid tribute to the spiritual leader and social reformer. In a statement, Vijayan said that Guru was the driving force of Kerala's renaissance and that his teachings are still relevant today.
Vijayan highlighted Guru's strong voice against upper casteism and casteism, his call for lower classes to organize themselves and become strong and enlightened, and his vision for an egalitarian New Kerala.
"Each of the Guru's visions is a reflection of anti-caste-secular ideas in the social environment of Kerala," Vijayan said. "The Siva Pratishtha at Aruvipuram was an open challenge and warning of Sree Narayana Guru to the upper caste. Guru's words and actions were the way to shake the caste foundation of Kerala's social system. Sree Narayanaguru's memory will fuel our strides towards an egalitarian New Kerala."
Guru's samadhi day is commemorated annually on September 20. It is a public holiday in Kerala, and people from all walks of life pay their respects to the Guru at temples and other institutions associated with him.
