On the afternoon of 9th February, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the centenary meet organized by the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha (KPMS) in Kochi, Kerala.
At the meeting, which was organized to mark the centenary of “Kayal Sammelanam”, Shri Modi called for the need to follow Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s idea of ‘educate, organize and agitate’, and thereby free ourselves from age-old superstitions and blind beliefs. He spoke of how the progress of a person and the nation was dependent on two important factors – ensuring good education and freedom from blind beliefs.
Speaking about the change that the nation yearns for, Shri Modi affirmed that the government in Delhi would change in 100 days, and that the new government would cultivate brotherhood, instead of spreading poison.
Expressing his concern over the prevalent present-day governance, Shri Modi spoke of how the Central government only believed in playing votebank politics, and was an expert in doing zeher ki kheti. “Those doing votebank politics are expert at doing zeher ki kheti. The Ranganath Mishra commission is for this Zeher Ki Kheti,” said Shri Modi. Urging the audience to not get bogged by the dismal system, and instead take the lead and bring the change, Shri Modi said, “Justice is our right. We will no longer keep pleading for justice. In the next 100 days we will ensure Zeher Ki Kheti stops. We all together must make Mother India great.”
Shri Modi also spoke of how most leaders focus on only enriching their families, while he himself had not done anything for his family ever since he came into power.
At the meet, Shri Modi reflected upon the vice of untouchability that had been prevalent for over a century, and spoke about the efforts of revolutionary leaders towards eradicating this. Mentioning the year 1913 as a Red Letter day in the history of India, since the Kerala Pulayar Maha Sabha was formed then to work for the upliftment of the Scheduled Castes, Shri Modi drew the crowd’s attention to the fact that many of the saints and social reformers in the past century had belonged to either the Dalit or backward sections of the society. Taking a dig at the absence of the Mayor of Kochi at the meet, Shri Modi said how even till today he was being made a victim of untouchability.
Sharing his humble beginnings, Shri Modi spoke of how he was born into a poor family and how he had seen his mother wash utensils, even as he sold tea to earn a living. Putting forth his keenness to serve all sections of the society, Shri Modi said, “I was told before shifting to CM residence that you should do a Puja. I said, call the child of the senior SC peon to do the Puja.” He also cited examples of an equalized approach, whereby the BJP in Gujarat had nominated the Dharm Guru of the Dalit community for the Rajya Sabha, and how a fisherman was also chosen for the Rajya Sabha. He also questioned the audience why a memorial honouring the momentous contribution of Mahatma Ayyankali was still not built.
Underlining the tremendous yet untapped potential of the marginalized sections of the society, while also citing this potential as the power that will bring the change, Shri Modi said, “The coming decade will be the decade for the marginalised sections of society.”
