PATHANAMTHITTA: Governor of Nagaland K. Sankaranarayanan has called upon the Mar Thoma Church and its Metropolitan Dr. Philipose Mar Chrysostum to continue their initiatives in promoting communal harmony and social development.

Mr. Sankaranarayanan was inaugurating the year-long Navathy celebrations of Mar Chrysostum, organised by the Niranom-Maramon diocese of the Church at the Jerusalem Mar Thoma Church at Niranom, near Thiruvalla, on Wednesday afternoon.

He said that social peace and communal harmony were needed for the development of every society.

The Nagaland Governor also recalled the contributions of Mar Chrysostum to the anti-liquor movement in the State.

He said it was difficult to enforce prohibition through legislation. "What is needed is a self-imposed total abstinence from alcohol, instead of imposing prohibition," he added.

Systematic campaign

He said awareness campaign, exposing the ill effects of alcoholism, in a systematic way could do a lot in spreading the message of abstinence from alcohol.

Dr. Joseph Mar Ireneus Saffragan Metropolitan presided over the meeting. Catholicos Baselius Thomas-I of the Jacobite Church delivered the keynote address.

Mar Chrysostum delivered the benedictory address and Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilus Saffragan Metropolitan delivered the introductory speech.

Dr. Youhanon Mar Chrisostomos Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Church, Prof. P.J. Kurien, MP, Fr. Abraham Samuel, Vicar General, Fr. K.M.Mammen, Church secretary, Fr Samson Jacob, secretary of the diocese and George Varghese, treasurer, also addressed the meeting.

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