Majority of Hindus in India are still secular, says Cardinal

March 2, 2016

Bengaluru, Mar 2: Emphasising that India was a pluralistic country, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) and Archbishop of Trivananthapuram, Baselios Cleemis Cardinal Thottunkal, on Tuesday asserted that the majority of Hindus in the country were secular.

Cardinal

“Politics is certainly good, but not vote-bank politics. If the entire Hindu community in India had decided to be communal, the Christians, Muslims and Sikhs would not have been safe. Thanks be to God… the majority of Hindus in India are secular. The virtue of secularism should be celebrated by all,” Cardinal Thottunkal told reporters here on the sidelines of a press conference.

The head of the CBCI said attacks on the minority communities in India had come down, but it was derogatory statements that were creating trouble.

“There is a dignified space for everyone in India to believe, profess and propagate their faith. But when the secular fabric of the country is under attack, we all should stay together as a nation and face it,” he stressed.

He pointed out that the Christians, despite being a minuscule community, had been providing the best healthcare services in the country after the Government of India.

32nd CBCI plenary

The Cardinal said a week-long plenary assembly of the Catholic Bishops in India, which will be held in the City from March 2, would discuss various issues related to the Church and India. “As many as 180 bishops from all the dioceses in India will deliberate on the theme, “The Response of the Church in India to the Present Day Challenges,” he told reporters. Several experts and resource persons in the religious, socio-political and economic fields, including scholars from the Hindu and Muslim communities, will address the bishops. “The plenary will discuss secularism as well as interreligious dialogue,” he said.

Comments

Fair talker
 - 
Wednesday, 2 Mar 2016

In every religion, the majority are indeed broad and secular.
The trouble comes from disproportionate and negligible part of the society.

If every religious group identify and punish their own men who are troublesome, then no fear for others.
But unfortunately the majority of innocent people keep quiet and do not raise concern, don't condemn and don't punish their men. This is the problem.
Let us start doing justice to the victims without waiting for their request or before they seek justice.
we have to show will, we can succeed with peace and justice in the community

Siraj
 - 
Wednesday, 2 Mar 2016

What Mr. Cardinal Thottunkal said is 100% right. Hindu, Muslim, Christians are brothers and are not enemies. Majority of Hindus are secular. Communal elements like RSS is a minority. Even they came to power with just 31% of vote. Now, fabric of our country is under threat! we all should stay together and defeat the communal forces.

Mohammed SS
 - 
Wednesday, 2 Mar 2016

Christians mostly targeted in India by Hindus, This statement of Bishops may give some relief and security to them this is nothing but getting confidence and muskafying to live safely otherwise there is no truth in bishops statement.

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News Network
June 30,2020

Tumakuru, Jun 30: As many as 43 sheep were quarantined after a shepherd tested positive for novel coronavirus at Godekere Gollarahatti in Tumakuru district. 

J C Madhuswamy, district in-charge minister, has instructed the district administration and the Animal Husbandry department to subject the sheep to Covid-19 tests.

The move followed after five sheep found dead in mysterious circumstances at the village. All 43 sheep of the infected person have been isolated from the herd and kept at a place in Jakkanahalli.

"There is no evidence that the sheep can contract Covid-19 and transmit the virus to the people. But since the virus has many strains and keep changing its genetic make-up, draw throat swab samples of the sheep and send the same to Covid-19 lab. Till the report comes, keep the livestock in isolation," Madhuswamy told the officials.

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News Network
February 26,2020

Mangaluru, Feb 26: Mangaluru Smart City Limited (MSCL) Managing Director Mohammed Nazir on Wednesday said that 13 Schools in eight wards, here, will be upgraded under the Area Based Development (ABD) of the Smart City Mission (SCM).

Mr. Nazir, in a statement, said that the Schools selected include Government Higher Primary School Car Street, Bastigarden, Neereshwalya, Hoigebazar Lower Primary School, Government Practicing HS, Balmatta Primary School, Balmatta Secondary School, Bunder Higher Primary School (Urdu), Bunder Government High School (Urdu) and Bolara East Government Primary School.

These Smart Schools will have IT-enabled interactive teaching and learning tools, computer labs and open reading plazas.

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News Network
June 22,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 22: Senior Congress leader BK Hariprasad and BJP’s MTB Nagaraj, one of the defectors who helped the saffron party come to power in Karnataka, were unanimously elected to the Legislative Council along with five others on Monday. 

All seven were declared as “duly elected” by Legislative Assembly Secretary MK Vishalakshi, the returning officer for the biennial election to the Legislative Council. 

Hariprasad and Naseer Ahmed of the Congress, Nagaraj, R Shankar, Prathap Simha Nayak and Sunil Vallyapur of the BJP and Govinda Raju of the JD(S) are now MLCs. 

While Ahmed was an incumbent who will get another term, the six others will replace Jayamma, MC Venugopal, NS Bore Raju, HM Revanna and TA Sharavana and DU Mallikarjuna whose term ends June 30. 

While an election was scheduled June 29, it was not necessary as only seven candidates were in the fray for the seven seats on Monday, which was the last date for withdrawal of nominations. The nominations of A Yadavanahalli PC Krishnegowda and Mandikkal Nagaraja were rejected. 

With their rejection as MLCs, Nagaraj and Shankar - who jumped ship to the BJP last year - will now look to become ministers in Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa’s Cabinet. Both Nagaraj and Shankar were ministers when they resigned and defected from the Congress-JD(S) coalition. While Nagaraj lost the December 2019 bypolls, Shankar did not contest. 

Nagaraj, Shankar and Vallyapure were Yediyurappa’s picks for the Council, whereas Nayak is said to have been backed by BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel. 

There were many aspirants in the Congress for the Council berths, but Hariprasad and Ahmed were picked, given their experience. Hariprasad is widely believed to counter Siddaramaiah, who leads the party in the Assembly. 

Raju of the JD(S) runs a poultry business in Kolar and the choice of a fresh face is seen as the party leadership steering clear of any trouble as there were many asking for the ticket. 

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