CNI Reaffirms Its Commitment for Safeguarding Minority Rights
It
was reaffirmed once more by the youth of Church of North India when a
group of 37 youth from different Dioceses came together at DISHA Centre,
Kalimpong from 17th to 20th October 2006, that human rights are not given
to a person by any person, religion, governments, howsoever powerful might
be; every human being is born with it. As a church, it is imperative on
our part to safeguard the human rights from being violated.
Delivering
the Keynote Address Rev. Dr. Enos Das Pradhan, General Secretary of Church
of North India Synod and the Chairman of Commission for National Polity
and Governance, National Council of Churches in India exclaimed the
importance of safeguarding minority rights, particularly of Christian
communities, considering the facts that Religious Freedom Acts are being
amended and secular fabric of India is being fragmented by
fundamentalists. He cited the example of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhatishgarh, Orissa and Tamilnadu where targeted violence and
attack against Christians are rampant and challenged the delegates to
stand against all odds to protect the life and dignity of individuals
upholding their rights to religions.
Welcoming
the delegates, Mr. Navaratna Pradhan, Principal of SUMI and Secretary of
DISHA Centre, Kalimpong, Diocese of Eastern Himalaya greeted the delegates
while the local pastors and youth offered khaddas (traditional scarf) to
each delegate. Bishop Naresh Ambala delivered the Inaugural Address and
challenged the delegates to lead a life pleasing and acceptable to God so
that all of us can be empowered by the Holy Spirit to protect the rights
of our fellow brothers and sisters.
In
line with the thoughts shared by Rev. Pradhan, Mr. Sudipta Singh, Director
of Programmes, Church of North India Synod facilitated a process of
identifying issues of human rights violations in the local context from
which the delegates belonged. Mr. Singh highlighted some of the instances
found in the Bible in relation to protection of human rights as a Biblical
mandate and integrated his thoughts with the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights. Referring to Indian Constitution, he challenged the
delegates to understand ways and means, both legal and practical aspects
to protect the minority rights as human rights.
Mr.
Bibhudutta Das, an advocate in Orissa High Court, conducted workshops in
which he helped the delegates to understand provisions enumerated in the
constitution of India for safeguarding human rights and also minority
rights. In nutshell he taught the participants about how to file an FIR
and PIL and also explained how the church can engage itself in the work of
advocacy.
Mr.
Philip Peacock, a theologian and human rights activist, lecturer in
Bishop’s College, Kolkata dealt with the theological perspective of
minority rights through contextual Bible Studies on Justice, Peace and
Integration of whole Creation. He stressed on inter-faith dialogue as a
means of minority and human rights protection in a multi-religious country
like India. The plenary was facilitated by Mr. Philip Peacock, Mr. Kasta
Dip and Mr. Suman Biswas. Creative presentations on minority rights were
made by representing Dioceses delineating with recent case studies which
was later on conventionalized as the Statement of the Programme.
