Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)

Mangaluru, Aug 12: Prof Bhagawan, a writer and critic who has stirred controversy with his remarks on Bhagavad Gita and aspects of Hinduism, on Wednesday August 12 again made explosive remarks against Hindu gods and epics, stating that Mahabharata and Ramayana depicted a form of 'suppression' and led to cruelty in society.

Prof Bhagawan was in the city on Wednesday to address the media on the recent case of Sunder Malekudiya, a Dalit whose fingers were allegedly chopped off by his landlord in Neriya of Beltangady taluk.

The press meet evoked furore among pro-Hindu activists who arrived at the venue and started protesting against his controversial remarks on Hinduism. They were soon arrested.

Prof Bhagawan said at the press meet, "Mangaluru is a place of cultured, educated people, and also wild forests. There are also wild and uncivilized people here who try to suppress the oppressed classes, and one example is the case of Sunder Malekudiya, a Dalit whose fingers were chopped off by his landlord. It was an inhuman act, more gruesome than Hitler's."

Attacking Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji of Pejawar Math, he said, "Pejawar Sri is silent on this issue (of Sunder Malekudiya). He does not want Hindus - he wants only his Madhwa sect."

Commenting on Hindu gods and epics, he said, "Rama and Krishna are sinners, and Mahabharata and Ramayana are not religious texts but books of sins, as they depict suppression of women and backward classes. The Indian Constitution is the only true book of India. In Valmiki's Ramayana, there is an instance where Rama murders Shambuka, a Shudra, and he also abandons his wife Sita. Krishna is a sinner who married 16,000 women. How can you call such figures as gods?"

"Pejawar Sri has no knowledge of Mahabharata and Ramayana. He does not speak about Constitutional righs. There is no value for his words. Exploitation has increased because of these epics as they are propogated to people in various forms and infused in people's minds," he alleged.

He also demanded that government award Rs 20 lac as compensation to Sunder Malekudiya.

K S Shivaram, state president of Karnataka backward classes awareness forum, condemned the atrocity against Sunder Malekudiya and said, "Though such a gruesome incident has occured, the government has not taken any action. We condemn this. Even Hindu organizations are silent - is he not a Hindu? If it had happened to a person from a minority community, it would have become a national issue.

"Even the people's representatives are silent. It is lamentable that even today landlords suppress the working class. Communal harmony is still getting disrupted and incidents of moral policing continue unabated," he added.

"We want equality for all classes in society. A special representative should be appointed to monitor Sunder Malekudiya's case," he said.

The protestors who arrived at the spot shouted slogans and tried to disrupt the press meet. The Barke police on receiving information rushed to the spot and rounded up nine activists.