Roy Castelino Elected President of Mangalore Unit of IFKCA

Pics: Brijesh Garodi
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore

Mangalore, Oct 2: Businessman Roy Castelino was unanimously selected as the President of the ad-hoc committee of the Mangalore Unit of International Federation of Karnataka Christian Association (IFKCA) in a meeting held at Mangalore on October 1, 2012.

A 15-member ad-hoc committee of the unit was also selected during this meeting. IFKCA Chairman and NRI entrepreneur Ronald Colaco presided over the function. Office bearers and members of IFKCA and Christians from different denominations from Udupi and Dakshina Kannada participated in the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion Ronald Colaco stated that IFKCA is apolitical association formed with the main objective of uniting Christians spread all over the world and to make them a powerful entity in the country. He said “Christians no doubt are amiable people. But our peace-loving nature should not be mistaken for our weakness to harass and ill-treat the people of the community. Christians are facing problems because there is no unity among them”.

Colaco recalled the contributions of the Christian community to education in the country saying “if gurukula system of education was to continue for some more time, our country would have been worse than Ethiopia. It is the Christians who were responsible for providing education to the common masses in India”.

Colaco also pointed out that Christians who form about 2.5% of the population in India and 4% of the population in Karnataka have been facing troubles because Christians have failed to emerge as a cohesive force in the political spectrum. “We have to ensure that we play a deciding role in the electorate of the state. We have to get into the political mainstream, the judiciary and the bureaucracy so that we have enough strength to face any challenge. It is the bureaucracy which is the hot seat of power because unlike politicians who come and go bureaucrats remain in the hot seat longer”, Colaco declared.

Denis D Silva, Convener Karnataka State IFKCA, in his welcome address talked about the objectives of IFKCA and called upon the Christian members to forge unity and fight for their rights.

The meeting began with a prayer by Walter J Maben. Denis D Silva, IFKCA state Convener, Louis Lobo, President of IFKCA Udupi, Nigel Pereira, President of Catholic Sabha, Mangalore were present on the dais.

The following members were selected for the ad-hoc committee of the Mangalore Unit of IFKCA.

President - Roy Castelino
Walter J Maben
Rohan Monteiro
Elezabeth Nelyara
Jayakar Samartha
Alwyn Colaco
Austin Peris
Herick John
M P Noronha
Leslie Rego
Florine Roche
Lewis J Pinto
Mourice D'Souza
Alwyn R Soans
Nigel Pereira