Sir — This refers to the article, “The guru of social reforms” (March 14) by B Ashok. The article rightly pays rich tribute to the great social reformer, Swami Narayana Guru, on his 125th anniversary. Hindu society is greatly indebted to Swami Narayana Guru, who helped restore its lost glory in Kerala. After Adi Shankaracharya, Swami Narayana Guru was the greatest social reformer from Kerala.
He stemmed the tide of conversion of people from lower Hindu castes to other faiths, by guiding them towards social and spiritual empowerment in Hindu society. Unlike Periyar, Guru was a great proponent of Hindu philosophy. He never spoke against Brahmins and was against untouchability and oppression of lower castes. With his efforts to uplift the lower castes, he shaped a major reform campaign in Kerala and Hindu society at large.