Naidu denounces attempts to create social friction in the name of caste

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The Vice President (VP) of India M Venkaiah Naidu on November 24, 2018, denounced attempts to create social friction in the name of caste and called for putting an end to social and gender discrimination in the country. The VP said that he was pained to hear some adverse comments on caste made by people in public life and added that that there was no sanction to caste in religious texts. ‘Caste is a curse on society’, Naidu said while addressing a gathering at the presentation ceremony of Dr Nagendra Singh International Peace Award in New Delhi.

Naidu also cautioned against the dangers of politics and caste coming together. He said that people should elect public representatives who have character, calibre, capacity and good conduct, but unfortunately four other C’s : caste, cash, criminality, and community are getting preference at times. Expressing his thoughts on world peace, the Vice President said that we should work towards creating a more just and responsive world order, one that is based on multi-lateralism. He added that a climate of mutual respect should be fostered and conflicts should be resolved through dialogue.

Conveying his respect and appreciation for Justice Nagendra Singh who served in the International court of Justice at Hague for more than 11 years, Naidu said that Justice Singh was not only a distinguished civil servant but also a great jurist whose knowledge of international law was both profound and deep. He congratulated the international Goodwill Society of India (IGSI) for recognizing individuals and institutions who are promoting peace and goodwill in the world through their philosophy and their actions.

Naidu congratulated the Chinmaya Mission, the winner of the prestigious Dr Nagendra Singh international Peace Award. He lauded the Mission’s yeoman service in the fields of education, empowerment of youth, healthcare, rural development, environment and culture. ” The Chinmaya Mission is a great ambassador of Indian ethos and values. It is a true embodiment of the virtuousness and the spirit of peace and humanism that Hinduism stands for,” he said.

Dwelling on the various ways in which violence manifested itself, VP Naidu lamented that very often the mass media, the internet and our popular culture portrayed violence rather recklessly and sometimes even glorified it. He cautioned that there is a need to exercise restraint and responsibility in the portrayal of violence, according to a PIB release.