Cardinal Seeks MPs’ Cooperation in Church’s Development Activities

New Delhi – “The Church is a friend of the State and of the people. It has the God–given responsibility to carry on Jesus’ mission of love and service in this country. And in this effort, the Church looks forward to the Parliamentarians for guidance and cooperation,” said president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo, while addressing a meeting of the Christian MPs at the CBCI Centre on July 14th.

The Cardinal also felicitated the MPs for their electoral success in the recently held general elections and wished them “all God’s graces and blessings for the coming years of their service as members of the apex legislative body of India”. Seventeen Christian MPs, including Mr. Oscar Fernandes, Minister of State for Statistics and Programme Implementation, took part in the meeting. He was specially honoured by Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi.

The meeting deliberated on some of the important issues affecting the minority Christian community in the country. On the issue of getting economic and social justice for the Dalit Christians by obtaining reservation facility, the MPs and other Christian representatives decided to take “concerted and focused steps” to achieve this goal. They said that the Christian community in India was asking not for anything special but sought equal rights and opportunities, just as other religious communities in the country have.

Discrimination based on religious affinity certainly went against the letter and spirit of the Constitution of India, they said adding that any law, institution, convention or practice that was violative of this constitutional provision should be amended. “The Dalit Christians have been asking for getting the same affirmative action benefits available to Dalits who follow other religions,” they said.

The meeting also dwelt on the question of increasing pressure on the Christian minority institutions from various quarters, chiefly from some of the State Governments “that are not sensitive enough to minority issues”. However, it took note of the positive steps taken by the present Central Government in addressing some of the urgent matters concerning the minority communities in India. Such efforts should be intensified so that the Christian community could continue to contribute its mite to the task of nation building.

Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi, Archbishop George Valiamattom of Tellichery, Bishop Gerald John Mathias of Shimla–Chandigarh, CBCI office–bearers and secretaries of its various commissions and Mr. V.V. Augustine, Member, National Commission for Minorities, were also present.