India’s Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu denounced the use of hate speech against religions, saying it creates divisions in society.
“Practice your religion but don’t abuse and indulge in hate speech and writings,” said the official in a report released on Vatican News this week.
Naidu spoke at an event organized in India’s Kerala state to mark the 150th death anniversary of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara who came from the Catholic community in the southern state.
The 19th century priest of India’s Syro-Malabar Church was beatified by Pope John Paul II on February 8, 1986, and declared a saint by Pope Francis on November 23, 2014. His liturgical feast falls on January 3, the day he died in 1871.
In his message, Naidu said hate speech and writing are against the culture, heritage, traditions, constitutional rights, and ethos of India.
Calling for strengthening the Indian value system, Naidu called for community service for students, saying it would help them to develop an attitude of sharing and caring in their interaction with others.
He suggested that schools “make community service of at least two to three weeks compulsory for students”.
The vice president then cited Kerala’s visionary leaders — social reformer Sree Narayana Guru and St. Chavara — as models in various fields.
“Their pathbreaking work proves that every state can be transformed into an engine of growth and progress, and that this can be achieved through the social and educational empowerment of women and youth belonging to poorer sections of society,” he said.
The government official said that although the identity and vision of St. Chavara were shaped and formed by his Catholic faith, his social and educational services were not restricted to the progress and development of that community alone.
“St. Chavara combined the spirit of the renaissance with the mission of charity and noble Christian concept of universal brotherhood,” said the vice president.
A firm believer in inclusivity, St. Chavara started a Sanskrit school in 1846 with access to candidates of all castes, genders, and religions.
He also set up of schools alongside every parish church to educate children from all communities. These schools provided free mid-day meals and encouraged parents to enrol their children.
“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,” Naidu said.
“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,” said the vice president. – from a Vatican News report
