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The Vice President called for strengthening the Indian value system, an official statement said.(Express Photo) Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Monday said secularism is in the blood of every Indian and the country is respected world over for its culture and heritage.
Addressing an event marking the 150th death anniversary of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara in Kottayam, the Vice President said: “Hate speech and writings are against culture, heritage, tradition and constitutional rights and ethos. Every person has the right to practice and preach his or her faith in the country. Practice your religion but don’t abuse and indulge in hate speech and writings.’’
He said, “Saint Chavara taught us that peaceful human relationships are sacred and more important than anything else. Today, we need a Chavara in every community — a towering individual with a vision to unite all sections of society socially and culturally, and take the country forward.’’
Urging youngsters to imbibe, protect and promote Indian cultural values, Naidu highlighted the importance of India’s philosophy of sharing and caring for others. “Living for others will not only give a person a lot of satisfaction but will also make the people remember that person for a long time for his or her good deeds,’’ Naidu said.
Observing that there is a dire need to inculcate the spirit of service from a young age, Naidu suggested that once the pandemic is over, both government and private schools must make community service of at least 2-3 weeks compulsory for students.
He said that the philosophy of share-and-care is at the core of India’s age-old culture and must be widely propagated. “For us, the whole world is one family as encapsulated in our timeless ideal, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’. It is with this spirit that we should move forward together,” he said.
Paying tributes to Saint Chavara, the VP said: “This iconic spiritual and social leader of Kerala, whom people considered as a saint during his lifetime, was a true visionary in every sense of the term.” He said that Saint Chavara engaged himself as a spiritual, educational, social, and cultural reformer of Kerala society in the 19th century and contributed richly to the social reawakening of the people.
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