Christmas Celebratory Again In Holy Land Amid Ongoing War; Patriarch Urges Pilgrims To Return
Vatican: Former Choir Director, Manager Convicted Of Embezzlement, Abuse Of Office
Christians in Aleppo feel an uneasy calm amid rebel takeover of Syrian city
Kathmandu synodality forum: Indigenous people, ‘not the periphery but at the heart of the Church’
Indian Cardinal opposes anti-conversion law in poll-bound state
12,000 gather as Goa starts exposition of St. Francis Xavier relics
I was delighted to read the Matters India report about Pope Francis calling Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, Texas, on June 3.The US bishop had joined a demonstration against racial discrimination to pray for George Floyd, an African-American killed by a police man in Minneapolis. Pope Francis wanted to congratulate Bishop on his prophetic action to express solidarity with those who were protesting.Along with a group of priests of his diocese Bishop Seitz knelt for nine minutes of silent prayer in memory of Floyd. Indeed it was a prophetic act of solidarity by a Catholic bishop.Church leaders of different denominations showed prophetic courage to criticize President Donald Trump for making statements against protesters. They also criticized him for misusing the Church for a photo session holding a Bible. President Trump doesn’t practice peace, forgiveness and sensitivity taught by the Bible. This was symbolically seen when he held the Bible upside down.Pope Francis also called Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, the president of the US bishops’ conference to encourage the prophetic stand the Church leadership has taken in that country. Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis also communicated the good wishes and prayers of Pope to the people who suffer injustice and discrimination.All this made me think of the Church in India. In natural calamities like cyclone, earthquake and tsunami the Church is prompt in reaching out with relief to the suffering. Howev
Newspapers, TV and social media are full of stories of the plight of migrant workers stranded in various parts of India.Deaths of workers on the highways and railway tracks because of accidents and hunger have become daily news. Media also carry stories of exploitation of these workers by private truck drivers who ferry them to their home towns. Some social workers distribute food packets to them more for publicity than expressing compassion.Pressure from various quarters has forced the government to arrange trains for these workers to go home. But they have to pay for the tickets. The Congress party had offered to pay the workers’ travel expenses but the government declined it. Why didn’t the government pay for their tickets from the PM CARES fund created for managing Covid-19 crisis?All government ‘servants,’ including the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Members of Parliament and state legislatures, Judges, and others enjoy high salary and other benefits.However, India’s 487 million workers in the unorganized sector, who build the country’s economy with their sweat and blood, take no special benefits from the government or their employers. They just get the wages. Neither the government nor the rich who employed them are least bothered paying them insurance, medical assistance or provident fund.Now when they are without work for their daily living, the employers and the government have left them to die. This is against the Indian Consti
Newspapers, TV and social media are full of stories of the plight of migrant workers stranded in various parts of India.Deaths of workers on the highways and railway tracks because of accidents and hunger have become daily news. Media also carry stories of exploitation of these workers by private truck drivers who ferry them to their home towns. Some social workers distribute food packets to them more for publicity than expressing compassion.Pressure from various quarters has forced the government to arrange trains for these workers to go home. But they have to pay for the tickets. The Congress party had offered to pay the workers’ travel expenses but the government declined it. Why didn’t the government pay for their tickets from the PM CARES fund created for managing Covid-19 crisis?All government ‘servants,’ including the President, Prime Minister, Ministers, Members of Parliament and state legislatures, Judges, and others enjoy high salary and other benefits.However, India’s 487 million workers in the unorganized sector, who build the country’s economy with their sweat and blood, take no special benefits from the government or their employers. They just get the wages. Neither the government nor the rich who employed them are least bothered paying them insurance, medical assistance or provident fund.Now when they are without work for their daily living, the employers and the government have left them to die. This is against the Indian Consti
The social media these days, especially in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic, is flooded with reports, photos and videos of relief works such as distribution of cooked food and grocery items.These reports also are often accompanied with an “Appeal for donation.” Various categories of people like migrant laborers, slum dwellers, footpath dwellers, transgender people, gypsy communities and orphan children are shown in the photos receiving the items. Such photos mostly show the givers and receivers posing for photographs and videos. Such photos/videos are an ‘eyesore.’The ‘act of giving’ something to the needy people is commendable. But the ‘process of giving’ and the subsequent ‘publicity’ are questionable.In the initial stages, NGOs had a “Charity Approach.” In this model the focus was on input and ‘increased charity works’. People were seen as victims and deserved assistance. They were objects, passive and always at the receiving end. This approach recognized the moral responsibility of the rich towards poor. People were called ‘beneficiaries.’Later it changed into “Needs Approach”. It recognized only the needs of the people and emphasized meeting the needs. Individuals were seen as objects of developmental interventions. Hence the needs of the victims were met since they deserved assistance. People were called ‘target/focus groups.’This approach then further changed into “Rights based Approach.” It emphasized the re
It was very motherly of Asha Devi to express happiness when the four convicts, who had gang raped and brutally killed her beloved daughter, were finally hanged to death in Tihar jail in the early hours on March 20, 2020. It was understandable of the emotions of satisfaction of the girl’s father Badrinath Singh. Scores of others, especially the women groups and seekers of justice, rejoiced that after waiting for more than seven years, justice was finally granted to Nirbhaya.No one will justify the gang rape and atrocious murder of that young medical student in a moving bus in Delhi. That’s why there were spontaneous protests and demonstrations immediately after the incident.The hard-cored convicts must be absolutely penalized for their heinous crime. That will serve also as a deterrent to other criminals, who dare to commit such atrocious crimes in our society.But the question is: Is killing the convicts the only justice in this 21st century? Can we ascertain that their hanging will put an end to rape and murder? Though these convicts have committed a deplorable crime, can we not give these youngsters in their 20’s to repent and amend their lives after a rigorous punishment with life guidance? Since the convicts had been trying every legal loopholes till the last moment reveal that they had been undergoing all these years a psychological torture. They had been dying all these seven years. That’s why before the execution these youngsters had refused to eat,
