Resist attempts to destroy Constitution: Sebastian Paul

Freedom of expression is often the reason for persecution, says the social critic

'For the wages of sin is death', says the Bible. However, it is not just sinners, but those who fight for justice too, are facing death sentences these days, social critic Sebastian Paul said.

Delivering a talk on the topic ‘Victimisation of vanguards’ at the cultural summit organised by the Kerala Jesuit Society celebrating ‘500 Ignatian Years’ in Kozhikode on Saturday, Mr. Paul said that everyone who has ever stood for humanism have been punished by society. “We come across a few names and situations once in a while. But those unknown are much beyond that,” he said, adding that ‘freedom of expression’, the most important right of every human being, is often the reason why many people are persecuted.

Citing the tenets of the Indian Constitution that makes it different from others when it comes to human rights, he alleged that the biggest challenges faced by the Constitution is that it is being guarded by people who do not believe in humanism. “Certain forces that have the power to destroy our Constitution are working against it. They wish to reconstitute our Constitution based on ‘Manusmriti’, dismissing the element of humanism. We should resist it,” Mr. Paul said.

Earlier, academic Valsan Thampu in his talk on ‘Education in India- the issues unaddressed’ said that the objectives we have set for our education and the system we follow are contradictory, and hence it could not earn the desired results. “We have set the objectives of education as building character, merit, and commitment. Ironically these are qualities that can not be manufactured,” he said.

IUML leader K.N.A. Khader spoke on 'Spiritual quest v/s religious fanaticism'. Provincial of the Kerala Jesuit Society E.P. Mathew presided over the event.

The year 2021-22 is celebrated as the Ignatian year commemorating the 500th anniversary of conversion of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesuits.