> Date: Sun, 19 Aug 2012 12:08:17 +0530 > Subject: corrected copy with photo : All India Catholic Union denounces > vilence, rumours; calls for peace; Eugene Gonsalves elected AICU National > President > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] > CC: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; > [email protected]; [email protected] > > ALL INDIA CATHOLIC UNION > Head Office: Panaji, Goa > Camp office: Catholic Association of Bengal, 9/3 Middleton Row, Kolkata 700071 > National President: Eugene Gonsalves > > PRESS STATEMENT > Kolkata, 19 August 2012 > > Catholic Union denounces efforts by religious extremists to foment > violence in India; expresses solidarity with people of North Eastern > States > > Eugene Gonsalves elected National President, Lancy D Cunha Vice > President of 91 year old Union > > > All India Catholic Union National President Mr. Eugene Gonsalves has > forcefully denounced efforts by religious extremists of who have > sought to create divisions among the people in India and have, by > spreading hate through rumours and using the social media, almost > brought the country to the brink of a national catastrophe. > > The All India Catholic Union was founded in 1919, and reflects the > aspirations of India’s 1.6 crore Catholic Laity active in more than > 160 dioceses spread across the country. Catholics constitute about 60 > per cent of the total Christian population, which is about 2.3 per > cent of the national population. > > In a press statement released at the end of the two day Annual General > Meeting at Seva Kendra, Kolkata, Mr. Gonsalves said the AICU > congratulated the national and state governments, including those of > West Bengal, Andhra and Karnataka, political parties and civil society > for moving quickly to stop the mischief. The AICU appealed to students > and working people of the North East living in various metropolitan > cities not to be misled by rumous. The nation assures them of their > safety and security and calls upon them to return to their homes and > institutions in Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. > > The AICU also called upon the national government and the government > of Assam to urgently create conditions so that the 4 lakh internally > displaced Bodos and Bengali speaking people could return to their > homes in their villages. The government must address the root causes > that led to the conflagration. The state must also ensure compensation > to the kin of the dead and people who have lost their homes and their > livelihood. Lessons must be learnt from this great human tragedy so > that it is not repeated in Assam or elsewhere. This calls for great > wisdom and good governance, as also deep understanding and toleration > among the people. > > The Catholic Union demanded justice to the tribal and Dalit Christians > of Kandhamal in Orissa. Four years after the violence against > Christians in August 2008, there were many without homes and jobs. > Justice had been denied to many victims of violence. In the case of > Christians murdered in the 2008 violence, the state had failed to > punish most of the guilty. > > The AICU also urged the Government of India to expedite the setting > upon a committee on the pattern of the "Justice Sachar Prime > Minister’s committee for Muslims” so as to correctly assess the needs > of the community across the nation, and specifically among the Dalits, > Tribals, Fisherfolk and landless peasantry. The government must also > ensure justice to the Dalit Christians who have been struggling to > regain their scheduled caste rights which were robbed from them in > 1950 by an unconstitutional Presidential Order. > > The AICU annual general meeting earlier unanimously elected Mr. Eugene > Gonsalves, a management expert and well known Kolkata entrepreneur, as > its National President for a two-year term. Mr. Lancy D Cunha a young > businessman of Mangalore, Karnataka, was elected the National Vice > President. Mr. Gonsalves succeeds well known mathematician Prof Remy > Denis of Gorakhpur University who served a four year term. The AGM was > attended by delegates from all states and union territories, including > the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Past National Presidents Dr. Maria > Emilia Menezes and Dr John Dayal also attended the AGM and felicitated > Mr. Gonsalves and Mr. D Cunha on their unanimous elections. > > Spelling out his vision for the 91 year old organization, one of the > world’s largest Laity unions, Mr. Gonsalves said he would work for a > “participatory church” in which the people, Priests, Nuns and the > Bishops, worked together harmoniously to strengthen the spiritual and > secular well being of the community, and through it of the nation. The > Catholic Union would also use modern methods of communication; social > media and management to reinvigorate the church and the community in > the pursuit of nation building. > > A major task was the nurture and training of new leaders from among > the youth in the parishes and dioceses, the constituent blocks of the > church in India. The AICU runs training programmes to empower the > Laity. Special programmes are now being formulated for young men and > women. A special focus will be on economic and political empowerment > of the community, Mr. Gonsalves said. > > Released for publication. For further information, please contact Mr. > Gonsalves [Mobile: 9830074300]
