Bengaluru: 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.
“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.
thank you bishop
all bishop wants to convert poor hindus
Well said Cardinal, and I concur.
“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” I concur with the Cardinal as people around the world have used religion in small and big ways. When religion and politics are combined it is recipe for disaster. It becomes a complete disaster when the leader becomes a 4 in 1, or rather an all in one. He is the head of Religion, he is the head… Read more »
Dear readers,
Religions of India has lived in peaceful coexistence even after 1000 years of conquerors.All the peace is shattered when Pakistani born L.K.Advani took the wheels of hate.Ever since India is disintegrating in the name of religion and secular credentials are at greater risk.With the fanatic government in the center run by Nagpur parliament secularism at no return form.
I appreciate cardinal assessment prising majority Hindus with exception of those affiliated to sangh parivar.
Jai Hind
Shaikh Mohd. Rizwan,
I understand your utter hatred for L.K. Advani, but cool it man. There is no need for you to call him Pakistani-born, L.K. Advani. To put it into corrective perspective, how about saying “post L.K. Advani born Pakistan.” This would sound appropriate.
“All the peace is shattered when Pakistani born L.K.Advani took the wheels of hate” – Pro-Jihaadi Shaikh.
That’s right – It was Advaani who was behind India’s partition!! smiles…
“Majority of Hindus in India are secular…” – Report quoting a religious leader.
Good. What about majority of minority communities in India? They don’t appear to be secular at all as they seem to be entirely driven by religious agenda forming ‘vote banks’ for communal parties like Congress.
What does our Rampu say about this? http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-35638170 A week is a long time in politics, and what happened in India last week has not exactly covered Narendra Modi’s government in glory. Many believe the government whipped up needless nationalist hysteria by sending the police into the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and arresting students under India’s discredited colonial-era sedition laws. It levelled allegations against the students on the basis of an allegedly doctored video and a fake tweet. An unapologetic commissioner of police actually asked the students to prove their innocence. As if this was not enough, Mr Modi… Read more »
That’s right – It was Advaani who was behind India’s partition!! smiles…-Atheist Mr.Original pai
Sir,What is he doing in Pakistan from 1947-1952,when India is already an independent nation?
Read the sad history of partition all heads will roll out from the closet now ruling in central and their supreme organisation sided with Pakistani and colonial British.
Republishing same questions doesn’t make sense. Show some courage to answer in defence of RSS.
Jai Hind
Agreed, that a majority of Hindus are a tolerant people, but please refrain from painting ALL minorities with a broad brush.
In Indian politics religion, race, cast and region have been exploited by ALL political parties and their allies. So let’s stop blaming others and do, NO ONE comes clean here.
In short let’s us agree to disagree. If India has to survive and thrive as a country we need to build bridges of love, not walls of distrust.
Mr. Jay I agree with your comments. Religion should be confined to ones homes and temples of worship. For the vote bank politics, it is the politicians and political parties who indulge in vote bank politics and garner votes by talking in religious terms and creating quotas for backward castes, other backward castes, scheduled and backward classes, etc. There are millions of Indians who lack education, are illiterate, semi-literate or oafs, who fall a prey to these sleazy politicals’ ploys. All religious institutions like RSS, VHP, christian, muslim and other institutions should only indulge in charity work and not indulge… Read more »
“Republishing same questions doesn’t make sense” writes Jihaadi Shaikh
Dear Pandita,
Why don’t you answer my questions then? I’ve been waiting for more than a year for answers from you on many questions. Here is a simple question – Do you support ‘paakistaan zindaabad’ slogan raised at JNU?