Cleemis Bava, the chief guest at the 139th Mannam Jayanthi celebrations said Hinduism has a rich heritage of protecting the minority communities

Indicating that intolerance is not part of Hinduism, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, head of the Syro-Malankara Church, has said Hinduism has a rich heritage of protecting the minority communities even before its protection was documented in the Constitution.

Cardinal Cleemis was speaking after inaugurating the public meeting held as part of the 139th Mannam Jayanthi celebrations at NSS headquarters at Perunna on Saturday.

According to Mar Cleemis, Christians and minorities were protected by the Hindu Society even before the Constitution, police and military system were in place, which is the heritage of Hinduism. “When Constitution came into being, it was formally documented. It was the richness of this culture that helped our predecessors lead their lives in this soil since the first century. In today’s peculiar situation, society expects the continuation of the culture. The historically important visions of the NSS will give it a fresh life” said Cleemis Bava.
Mar Cleemis expressed concern over the growing factionalism and said it would jeopardise the country. “Pluralism is the culture and heritage of our country” said Bava.

Mar Cleemis hailed the NSS for the stance taken to protect secularism and democracy. “The strength of the NSS is that it moves ahead without deviating from the visions of its founder leader. It still keeps in mind the vision of Mannath Padmanabhan that the activities of its community should not harm other communities” he said. Though Mannam was not a full-time politician, he didn’t hesitate to intervene in politics whenever the situation warranted. “At the same time, he had never used his community for political whims and fancies” Mar Cleemis said.

In his speech, Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said the call against saffronisation by NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair was received warmheartedly by the entire secular forces in the State. The nation was passing through a difficult period where the decision as to what to eat and wear was decided by others. The vision of Mannathu Padmanabhan was timeless and more relevant today, he said.