The second edition of the Brahmins’ Global Meet (BGM) 2023 began here on Friday with a clarion call for unity among the Brahmins. Lack of cohesiveness is the bane of the community, the inaugural session of the meeting chorused.
“We are all leaders; but leaders of our own self. When it comes to community leadership, we are the worst,” said V.R. Gowrishankar, chief executive officer and administrator of Sringeri Mutt, while inaugurating the three-day conference.
Calling for a deeper introspection, Dr. Gowrishankar exhorted the members of the Brahmin community to understand and listen to each other. He said that the community should strive to maintain its strength, viz., knowledge.
Dr. Gowrishankar praised the Kerala Brahmana Sabha (KBS), which hosted the event, for bringing Brahmins from different regions under a single umbrella. He said Brahmins in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and other States were financially and numerically stronger than those in Kerala. Yet, it was the KBS that brought the Brahmins from different regions on a single platform, he said.
Presiding over the inaugural session, KBS State president Karimpuzha Raman exhorted the community to be proactive rather than being lethargic or coyish to developments in the society.
He said it was the KBS that reacted first when Sanatana Dharma came under attack in a recent development. “We cannot remain quiet any longer. We need to react. We ought to be proactive,” he said amid loud cheers.
Calling upon the community members not to remain contented with IT jobs, the KBS president said that it was high time that they made a solid mark on jobs that involved policy making. “We need to be part of the country’s policy making,” he said.
According to Mr. Raman, Brahmins, if united, can have a clear say in at least 60 Assembly constituencies in Kerala where the winner’s lead is between 5,000 and 10,000 votes. “We are maintaining a policy of ‘equi-closeness’ to all parties. We are close to the Congress, the BJP and the CPI(M) as long as they support us,” he said.
Dozens of Brahmins from different parts of the globe, including the US, the U.K., the Middle East and Australia, are attending the meet.
T.S. Pattabhiraman, chairman and managing director of Kalyan Silks, was the guest of honour at the inaugural. J. Subramony, vice chairman of the BGM, welcomed the gathering.
R. Ravi Kumar, Karnataka Brahmana Mahasabha organising secretary; N. Hariharamuthu, Tamil Nadu Brahmana Samajam president; Akeeraman Kalidasa Bhattathiripad, Yogakshema Sabha president; Amiya Mukherjee, Bangladesh Brahmin Samsad advisor; C.S. Vaidyanathan, senior lawyer; and Ananth Nagaraj, founder trustee of the Forum of Business By Brahmins (BBB), spoke.
KBS general secretary N.V. Sivaramakrishnan proposed a vote of thanks.
