The Vice-President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday, 4 February, said it was wrong for anyone to take the law in their own hands in the name of religion, caste, region or language.
Speaking at the inauguration of the first International 'Kala Mela' at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in New Delhi, Naidu said that people have to be careful about not hurting the sentiments of others because living together in unity, despite the differences, was the essence of the country.
At the same time, anybody taking law into their hands in the name of religion, in the name of caste, in the name of region, in the name of language is also bad. There is a system, we are a civilised society, there is a government...M Venkaiah Naidu, Vice President of India
The Vice President said that it was the duty of the government to take care of law so that everyone is able to hold their own rights, expressions and views.
Describing culture as the "heartbeat" of a civilisation, Naidu said that it was a symbol of its value system, representing the hopes and aspirations of its people.
As the world is becoming increasingly globalised, we should preserve and propagate the best facets of our individual cultures.
"He further said that irrespective of caste, creed, sex, religion and region, India is one nation, one, people, one country and that is the basic philosophy," he said.
The Kala Mela, organised by the ministry of culture, is a 14-day festival where different forms of art from across the globe will be showcased by around 1,000 artistes in the heart of Delhi.
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