Mysuru: State Higher Education and District Minister G.T. Devegowda  (GTD) assured that he would make all efforts to get Valmiki Study Centres at both University of Mysore (UoM) and Karnataka State Open University (KSOU).

He was speaking after inaugurating Valmiki Jayanti celebrations organised by District Administration and other Departments at Kalamandira in city yesterday.

The Minister said that the members of Nayaka community have been demanding to set up the same Study Centre since when  Sadanandagowda was the Chief Minister of the State. However, he said that he would take all steps to look into this demand.

The community people have been urging the Government to install the Valmiki bust near Mini Vidhana Soudha in city. The Minister said that he would hold discussion with Mysuru City Corporation to fulfil this demand.

Highlighting the contributions of Maharshi Valmiki to the society, he said that this great Saint has brought fame to the community by writing ‘Ramayana,’ one of the great epics of Hinduism.

Raja Veera Madakari Nayaka, ruler of Chitradurga, who was also from the Nayaka community, has also brought recognition to the community by his valour and safeguarding the interests of the people in those days.

The Minister also expressed his gratitude to community people for electing him to the Assembly with a huge margin of votes. He said that he was supposed to take part in Shivamogga Parliamentary by-polls campaign but he skipped in the last minute as he wanted to attend Valmiki Jayanti.

Name Mysore Airport after Valmiki: Delivering a keynote address, Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychology, KSOU Dr. Manjunath urged both the District Minister GTD and MP Pratap Simha, who were present on the dais, to name the upgraded Mysore Airport in Mandakalli after Maharshi Valmiki. He said that poet laureate late Kuvempu too admired Valmiki. The Maharshi also has the credit of writing the first Sanskrit literature.

Speaking on the occasion, Pratap Simha felt that no man was born great but he/ she becomes great only by their works.

Remembering the contributions of Madakari Nayaka, he said Chitradurga Paleyagars had ruled their territory for more than  200 years after the downfall of Vijayanagara Empire. Madakari Nayaka stood like a rock against enemy forces but he met a tragic death because of the conspiracy hatched by traitors.

Promise for early gazette notification: Simha said that Union NDA Government had given its approval for inclusion of ‘Parivara’ and ‘Talawara’ communities, the two sub-sects of Nayaka community, to the list of Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka.  A gazette notification to this effect is pending. However, he said that he would pressurise the Union Government for early release of gazette notification.

Charter of demands: Earlier, State Unit President of Valmiki Yuva Sene Devaraj T. Katur presented a charter of demands to people’s representatives which included clearance of hurdles to issue caste, ‘sindhutva’ certificate, increasing reservation to 7.5% from existing 3%; development of Chitradurga Fort and burial place of Madakari Nayaka; Reservation of Mysuru Mayor post to ST community.

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