Cabinet to discuss proposal to establish Buddhist university: Chief Minister
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar at the International Buddhist Conference in Chamarajanagar on Sunday. | Photo credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Sunday called for a society that puts knowledge above caste, saying the ideals of Buddha, Basavanna and Dr. BR Ambedkar led the government’s vision of an egalitarian society.
“We don’t need a society that questions caste; we need a society that values knowledge. Buddha symbolizes knowledge while Ambedkar stands for social justice. India can only truly progress when the ideals of Buddha, Basavanna and Ambedkar shine together,” he said.
Addressing an international Buddhist conference in Chamarajanagar, Mr. Shivakumar said the Congress government was committed to social justice, equality and humanism with a focus on improving the lives of the poor and disadvantaged.
The government would discuss the proposal to set up a Buddhist university in a cabinet meeting in Bengaluru, he said.
The next International Buddhist Conference will be held in Bengaluru South district. The government was also open to holding a conference in Belagavi as suggested by Minister Satish Jarkiholi.
10 thousand places for the poor
Outlining the government’s welfare programme, Mr Shivakumar said it aims to provide more than 10 lakh places to the poor in the next two years, including five places this year.
The government’s Bhoo Guarantee initiative was to help people secure houses, plots and land with valid property documents, he said.
The government also launched the ‘Negilayogi’ scheme to help poor farmers who lacked plows and cattle by providing free land plowing services.
Mr. Shivakumar said the teachings of Buddha, Basavanna and Ambedkar continue to inspire social transformation. The constitution and human values are essential to society, just as roots are essential to a tree, he said.
The Buddha’s message of peace and nonviolence has influenced several Asian countries and transcended national boundaries, he said. While wars can help conquer territory, only humanity, love and compassion can win human hearts.
Mr. Shivakumar said that connecting hearts and bringing communities together is more important than creating division. “Building a fire is easy, but building a house is difficult. More important than building houses is connecting hearts. People can build walls to divide society, but our government’s approach is to build bridges that bring people together,” he said.
According to him, the value of those in public office should not be measured only by their position, but also by the difference they have made to people’s lives.
Recalling his election victory by a margin of about 1.23 lakh votes, Mr. Shivakumar said that public support enabled him to serve in the legislature for an eighth term. He assured the gathering that the government would consider the demands of the community.
Ministers KH Muniyappa, PM Narendraswamy, Puttarangashetty, MLA AR Krishnamurthy and others were present.
Published – 25 Oct 2026 20:27 IST