Goa Government Concerned About NRI Families By SAR NEWS BANGALORE, Karnataka (SAR NEWS) -- Concerned over deteriorating family values among the non-resident Indians (NRIs), the Government of Goa organised a daylong conference on ‘NRIs and Family Values’ July 22 at the International Centre Goa, Dona Paula.
A representative of the Conference of Catholic Bishops in India (CCBI) was among the panelists. Describing the day as a milestone in healing the Goan society, Father Egidio Fernandes, the executive secretary of the CCBI Family Commission, told SAR News July 25 that helping the NRI families, who are mostly Catholics, sort out their parenting problems was a top priority today in Goa. Absence of a father, who may have gone to a foreign country for earning a livelihood, lack of parental love, or too much money at the disposal of children could be detrimental to children themselves, he explained. Goa Chief Minister Pratap Singh Rane, inaugurating the conference, said various serious problems were threatening the very fabric of the NRI families and the conference was meant to identify and articulate such problems. Stressing that the scope of family counselling needs to be expanded further, the chief minister asserted that more psychologists, sociologists and spiritualists were needed to co-ordinate the efforts for providing a healing touch to such families. Mr. Rane pointed out that the prevailing situation was not so encouraging as far as preserving family values was concerned. Noted psychiatrist Dr. S.D. Sharma, delivering the keynote address on ‘Historical and sociological perspective on family and related values in the age of globalisation’, said the country in the present times had been shaken by attacks on these very values through different media like communication system, techno culture, TV and Internet with theirs consumerist driven values. L.N. Vaidya of the Art of Living Society of Bangalore said parents had turned a Nelson’s eye towards family values, including respecting elders, patriotism, sacrifice and justice. He advocated building up morally strong families that can contribute to the health of the society. Catholic Commissioner for NRI affairs, Eduardo Falerio, said he would write to ambassadors and high commissioners of India and around the world, requesting them to provide details of overseas Goans. He said that once such database was ready with the state NRI cell, Goans in each country would be requested to send their representatives to the next annual overseas conference. A declaration was issued at the end of the conference supporting creation of strong family system in society under the supervision and guidance of social leaders, especially opinion-makers, besides religious leaders and non-governmental organisations. The declaration advocates establishment of short stay homes for battered women, besides counselling and attending to related issues, enactment of an appropriate adoption Act enabling and facilitating adoption of homeless children and earmarking a suitable budget under the Central government scheme of adolescence programme in order to impart coaching in family values to students from class VIII to XII. Mr. Falerio said parenthood was about selfless love and that worked towards a healthy, harmonious and a benevolent nation. END _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
