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Catholic Bishops meet Indian Union Ministers |
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New Delhi: November 23, 2009. (Jochanj for PCP) Leading a delegation of the catholic bishops in India Archbishop Stanislaus Fernandez, the Secretary general of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India met the Union Minister PP Chidambaram , the Home Minister and the Minister of Minority affairs, Mr. Salman KhurshidSalman Khurshid, and appraised them of the present condition of the Christian community in India.
The Bishops met the ministers on November 19 and the delegation included the Bishop of Hazaribaug, Bishop Charles Soreng, and Archbishop Raphael Cheenath of the Cuttack Bhubaneshwar archdiocese, the spokes person of the CBCI, Fr. Babu Joseph and an Advocate of the Supreme Court of India.
The home minister listened to the delegation, especially of the present condition of the Kandhamal region in Orissa, which he visited after a communal clash between the Hindu fanatics and the Catholics last year. The bishops urged him to bring justice to the victims of the communal violence. Pointing out certain issues like, laxity on the part of the District Administration in providing adequate building materials, danger of youth falling into the hands of lawless elements due to loss of personal belongings and financial security, malicious propaganda against Christians in Orissa, particularly in the local media, forceful conversion of Christians returning to the villages of Kandhamal, general social boycott of Christians in Kandhamal, vitiated atmosphere in the Fast Track Court premises due to strong presence of Sangh Parivar members threatening the witnesses and inadequate preparation of the cases by police, the delegation submitted a report to the Home Minister on the present condition of Kandhamal.
They also shared with the ministers the stand of the Christian community on the proposed The Communal Violence (Prevention, Control and Rehabilitation of Victims) Bill 2005 and requested the minister to present it in the parliament as early as possible and get it passed.
The meeting of the delegation with the Minority affairs minister Mr. Salman Khurshid mainly focused on the Right to Education Act, which suggested involvement of elected local representatives in the school management. They expressed their concern over the Act as such a rule will certainly bring in the question of ownership and would be an infringement on the rights of the Minorities to administer education institutions. The communist leaders in the state of Kerala had commented earlier on the bill and had applauded the decision to include elected local representatives in the school managing committees, saying that the greed for money by the Church and other such organizations running the institutions could be thus controlled.
The delegation also apprised the Minority affairs minister of the Direct Tax Code of 2009 and its implications to the Christian community as it is suggested. They asked for modifications in certain clauses in the Code, keeping in mind the welfare of the community. They also submitted a memorandum in this connection to the Minority affairs Minister. The DelegationDelegation pleaded with the minister to get involved with the Kandhamal issues making appropriate interventions for the speedy delivery of justice to the victims of communal riots. |
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