NSS, Church differ on UDF’s liquor policy

Kottayam/Kozhikode: The NSS and the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church have come out against the state government’s ‘flawed’  education  policy.

While the NSS welcomed the new liquor policy, the Church  said liquor availability should be reduced. Meanwhile, Culture Minister K.C. Joseph flayed the Church stand on the liquor issue  and asked it to refrain from street agitations.

NSS general secretary G. Sukumaran Nair, who held talks with  Cardinal Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholica Bava of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church at the NSS headquarters at Perunna on Friday, said the changes in the liquor policy vindicated the NSS stand.

“Following  talks with Mar Cleemis,  we have decided to jointly move against the government’s educational policies,”  Mr Nair said.

Mar Cleemis said,  “the Church stands  for abstinence. For that, the availability of liquor should be reduced.”  

In Kozhikode,  Minister K.C. Joseph criticised  the Church’s agitation against the  government on the  liquor policy.

Participating in a tele-in programme of a news channel,  Mr Joseph said that instead of taking to the streets,  the priests should create  awareness among its  followers  in churches and church venues.