’Cultural nationalism’ against Constitution’ -Media official

’Cultural nationalism’ against Constitution’ -Media official

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru ; Delivering a valedictory speech of ’Sangama Sambhrama’ organised by Department of Kannada and Culture at Pilikula Nisargadhama in Mangaluru on July 26, Chief Minister’s Media Advisor and columnist Dinesh Amin Mattu  stressed that the  idea of cultural nationalism it self is against the Constitutional values.

Stressing that cultural nationalism as absurd, Mattu said that in the present scenario, cultural politics was supported in the nation at the cost of power. India is a land of diversity. Culture should always give place to humanity.  Yet,  people are being divided in the name of culture, which is resulting in frictions between various cultures. Mattu also alleged that cultural nationalism is being publicised with hidden agendas.

It is against the Mahatma Gandhi’s geography-based idea which says that all those who were born in India are Indians. But on the pretext of cultural nationalism, the people are forcibly made to think that the word Hindu is related to a particular caste and not to Indians. The concept of Hindutva is being used as a device to perturb the integrity of the nation and added that dharma, yoga and music were also being used as tools to mislead people in the name of cultural nationalism.

Mattu meanwhile lamented that the people at the grass roots are succumbing to the mean games of powerful people as they are still affected by the caste system.

District in-charge Minister B Ramanath Rai, Department of Kannada and Culture Director K A Dayanand, Shilpakala Academy president Mahadevappa Shambhulingappa Shetty, Yakshagana Bayalata Academy president Belagallu Veeranna, Kodava Sahitya Academy president S Thammaiah, Arebhashe Academy president Kolyada Girish, Tulu Sahitya Academy President Janaki M Brahmvar, Beary Sahitya Academy President B A Muhammed Hanif, Konkani Sahitya Academy President Roy Castelino, Karnataka Sahitya Academy President Prof Malathi Pattanshetty, Karnataka Sangeetha Nrithya Academy President Gangamma Keshavamurthy, MLC Ivan D’Souza, MLA J R Lobo and others were present, amidst a large public participation.