?The saints have contributed greatly in strengthening social harmony in the country. The division in the society expanded during the foreign invasions. There was no problem of untouchability during the Vedic period and the Upanishidas also do not have any such mention. It developed at the later stage. The research of previous one thousand years proves that the defeated castes, which refused to convert themselves into Islam, were forcefully made untouchable. The similarity of gotras in the so-called untouchable and some high castes prove it. In such a difficult time the long tradition of saints spread social harmony and protected the society from further division,? said Shri Krishan Gopal, noted social activist of north-eastern region. He was delivering the 11th Karmayogi Bhanwarlal Mallawat memorial lecture in Kolkata. The lecture was organsied by Burra Bazar Library at Sharat Sadan of Hawra. Citing the example of various saints from Adi Shankaracharya, Dadu, Nanak, Jnaneshwar, Tulsi to Ravidas and Mira, he said all these saints tried to unite the whole society and not any particular caste.
Shri Rishikesh Vishwas of Matua Sangh also called for strengthening social harmony. Justice (retd.) Sushant Chatterjee, former chief justice of Orissa High Court, said the saints protected the society but the governments of today are further dividing it. He said despite being in less number the evil forces have now united and the good forces are divided. Shri Pradyut Maitra, senior Sangh Adhikari, Shri Jugal Kishor Jaithalia, noted social activist, Shri Jaigopal Gupta, secretary of the Burra Bazar Library and Shri Nemichand Kandoi and Shri Mahavir Prasad Agrawal, both vice presidents, also shared the dais. (FOC)
