Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reassured writers on Saturday that their freedom of expression will be safeguarded, allowing them to freely express their opinions under his government.
Addressing the 20th anniversary and award ceremony of the Karnataka State Writers and Publishers Association, the Chief Minister emphasized the importance of authors' writings being society-oriented.
He encouraged authors to focus on their contributions to society rather than questioning what society has provided for them. "Author's writings should be society oriented. Instead of questioning what society has given me, what is your contribution is to society. We have to find a satisfactory answer to this question to make our life meaningful. If all the authors and publishers focus on these shortcomings, changes can be brought in the society", Siddaramaiah said.
The Chief Minister also highlighted the issue of caste-based educational deprivation, which leads to economic and social inequality.
"Peace and harmony can be established in the society If this inequality is removed. This is the purpose of our constitution and many of our writers are working on this line of thought, he said.
He emphasized that removing this inequality is crucial for establishing peace and harmony within society. "Social and economic imparities exist in India. Dr Ambedkar said that the people who suffer from inequality are likely to destroy the edifice of India's freedom and democracy," he added.
Siddaramaiah recalled that while he may not be a literary person himself, he values the influence and contribution of writers like Ananthmurthy, Poornachandra Tejaswi, Mahadeva and others.
He noted that many writers in Karnataka are actively working towards this goal, aligning with the principles outlined in the constitution.