Bangalore: Allocate 4 MLC Seats, 6 Chairmanship of Boards to Christians: Colaco at FKCA Awards
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Jan 28: The glittering and largely attended FKCA Day of the Federation of Konkani Catholic Associations held in Bangalore on Sunday turned out to be an event to remember for the minority community, which had to bear the brunt of series of attacks on Churches and their places of worship and various other concerns of insecurity during the last four and half years, with no less a person than the State Congress Chief promising all steps for their protection and fair deal, including better political representation.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dr G Parameshwar, who might well become the chief minister in the event of the ensuing assembly polls in the State, went all out to reassure the minority community that their future was safe in the hands of Congress party as it has and will always remain committed to its ideology of secularism, equality, peace, justice and brotherhood and protection of oppressed and weaker sections of society.
Dr Parameshwar, who showed the rare and well-appreciated gesture of arriving at the FKCA Day function as the chief guest even before the scheduled time and stayed till the end, conferred the annual FKCA Awards to Retired Ambassador and U-Thant Peace Prize Winner Pascal Alan Nazareth (Life-Time Achievement), eminent Konkani Poet and Daijiworld Media Company’s Director-Operations Melvyn Rodrigues (Professional Excellence) and Chairman and Managing Director of Mumbai-based Reliable Group of Companies Raphael Sequeira (Entrepreneur of the Year).
Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras presided over the function and earlier concelebrated a Konkani mass at the St Joseph’s Indian High School Grounds. Leading Philanthropist and Chairman of International Federation of Karnataka Christians’ Associations (IFKCA) Ronald Colaco was the Special Guest of Honour, while senior Congress leader and former Union External Affairs Minister S M Krishna, was unable to attend as he was held up in Delhi.
Given 2 Assembly Seats, Allocate 4 Council Seats, 6 Chairmanship of Boards to Christians: Colaco
Ronald Colaco said that the Christian population accounts for 2.5 percent of India's population and 4 percent of Karnataka's population (as per India Online Population census). "Their contribution to overall development of the country, be it science and technology, or IT, BT or any other sector for that matter, is enormous and unparallelled compared to contributions of any other communities, taking into account the percentage of population," he said.
Colaco quoted the statement of National poet Kuvempu who stated that when the Gurukulashrama system of education was in practice in India, education had become the sole property of the uppermost caste, that is, Brahmins, Rajputs and Kshatriyas. All other communities were deprived from learning. Colaco further said, "According to Kuvempu if Christian missionaries had not started schools and colleges in villages and small twons he would not have been able to get educated and become national poet, rather he would have been carrying cow dung on his head and grazing cows. (Please read Ekalavya's case in Mahabharata)." Thus Colaco stated that the foundation of education of all communitiees was laid by the Chirstian missionaries which has led to the success and overall economic development, having greater share of contribution in whatever progress made in the country today.
Colaco said it was lamentable and ironic that the Christian community with its immense and unparalleled contribution to the society, the state and nation, in the field of education, healthcare and social serviice which far exceeded their numerical strength, was treated with suspicion and subjected to attacks and indiscrimation instead of recognition of their services and giving due representation in all field.
Colaco stated that if all political parties consider allocation of available seats to all commuities in proportion to their population, then no community would have grievances against any political party for not giving due and adequate representation whatsoever. Accordingly, he requested the Congress party, which was poised to stage a political comeback in the State according to all political observers, to consider allocation of four council seats (out of 75) and 6 chairmanship for boards and corporations out of around 150, apart from two assembly seats already allocated. This would mean that the Christian community would get only two percent assembly and council seats even though they are entitled for four percent.
"The present government allocated Rs 50 crore for the Christian development council. They have increased it to Rs 100 crore now. But Congress should increase this to a minimum Rs 150 crore. You must establish a Christian development board, and this you must publish in your election manifesto," he urged.
Ronald Colaco also urged the Congress party to ensure that the State Government honoured the present Government’s promise of granting 2 acres of land to FKCA, which is yet to materialize.
Separate Chapter on Minorities in Cong Manifesto
Responding to the concerns expressed by the Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese and Ronald Colaco, the KPCC Chief said he was very much aware of the situation in Karnataka and also the immense contribution of the Christian community to the overall development of the country and the State, especially in the fields of education, healthcare and social service and underscored the need to provide full protection and security to all minority communities like Muslims, Christians and Jains and other weaker sections.
''It is the bounden duty of those in power to safeguard the interests and protect all the vulnerable sections,” he said and pointed out that it was wrong to target minorities in the name of religion as Hindu religion never advocated violence and destruction and always stood for brotherhood, peace, and justice despite the aberrations of the caste system, which also was getting slowly dismantled.
Taking a cue from the comments made by the Archbishop and Ronald Colaco, both of whom referred to the ensuing State Assembly elections, Dr Parameshwar said the Congress party would go out of its way in addressing the just grievances and demands of Christians and other minority communities. He said the party would have a separate chapter on minority affairs in its Election Manifesto and promised to include a commitment to constitute a separate Legislature Committee on Minorities on the lines of similar committees for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes as well as for Backward Classes as the legislature panel was necessary to study the grievances and suggest measures to tackle them.
Dr Parameshwar also concurred with the suggestion made by Ronald Colaco that the Christian Development Council (CDC) constituted by the State Government should be given the status of a statutory board as the CDC was a toothless body and ensure that sufficient funds were allocated for the upliftment of the poorer sections among the minorities. Accepting Ronald Colaco’s point that ''a majority section among the minorities was presently enjoying the chairmanship of the State Minority Development Corporation and the Minority Commission,” the KPCC Chief promised to consider Colaco's request to convert CDC as CDB in line with Banjara board, SC/ST board, minority development board etc, recognising the enormous services in the field of education, healthcare and social service sector by the small percentage of minority people.
Fair Representation, Justice to Minorities
However, on the point made by Ronald Colaco to ensure that Christians, who accounted for 4 % of the State’s total population as per the 2011 census figures unlike the national figure of barely 2.5 %, deserved at least 12 seats out of total state legislature seats, including the 75 in the State Legislative Council and therefore must be given a minimum representation of 2 seats in the Assembly and 4 in the Council, Dr Parameshwar said that the community should not restrict itself and can ask for more seats in the Assembly if it has winnable candidates.
''Winnability, character, integrity and commitment to ideology are the basic criteria. If you suggest worthy and winnable candidates, I will forward them to our selection committee for consideration,” he said and pointed out that nominations to the Legislative Council can be considered only after the party is returned to power. ''I can only promise that we safeguard your interests, ensure full protection and do justice taking into account the contribution made by Christians to the State and country,” he said.
The Archbishop, in his presidential remarks, lamented the series of attacks on churches and the places of worship of Christians and other minorities in the recent past, especially since 2008, was a matter of serious concern. ''Christians are a peace-loving people committed to serve the less privileged sections of society irrespective of their caste or creed and the community’s service to the nation and the State in the fields of education, healthcare and social service was far more than their numerical strength, which was barely 2.5 % at the national level,” he said urging the Congress party to ensure that the ideals of secularism, respect for all religions and religious freedom was protected and the security of the minority sections was never compromised.
Safronisation of Education Far More Dangerous
The Archbishop also voiced serious concern over the safronisation of school text books and said such attempts of safronisation of education was a ''far more serious threat than bombs” as it would result in poisoning the minds of the younger generation from their schooling.
Archbishop Dr Bernard Moras made out a strong case for ensuring a fair deal to Christians in the nominations to various boards and corporations in proportion to their population. He exhorted the Christians to exercise their civic and democratic rights by ensuring that all their names were included in the electoral rolls and also to dutifully caste their votes instead of merely blaming the political system for the ills of democracy without first discharging their duties. The Christians also had an additional duty to live their faith and take care of the sick, vulnerable and less privileged sections of society and also foster religious harmony and brotherhood among all sections of people, he said.
The International Federation of Karnataka Christians’ Associations (IFKCA) warmly appreciated the activities and gesture of FKCA in honouring eminent personalities from the community for their service, achievements and contributions and said such initiatives served as an encouragement and impetus for greater achievements and service besides motivating others to emulate their example.
The Lifetime Achievement Awardee Pascal Alan Nazareth, in his acceptance speech, expressed his gratitude to FKCA for recognizing him and said he felt deeply moved and proud to be honoured and felicitated by his own community despite receiving a host of awards at the national and international level.
Light A Candle Than Curse Darkness
As Founder and Managing Trustee of Sarvodaya International Trust, he said he was deeply disturbed and anguished that a Christian priest like Graham Stein was burnt alive with his child in Orissa and nuns were raped and churches subjected to attacks. ''Gandhi’s teachings of religious tolerance and love of the poor and downtrodden was India’s gift to world,” he said and pointed out that he was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy that ''it is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.”
He said his most celebrated book, ''Gandhi’s Outstanding Leadership,” published in 2006, has already been translated into four Indian languages and Spanish and Portuguese with translations in Kashmiri, Urdu, Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Russian languages due shortly. He expressed his happiness at being promised financial support from Ronald Colaco for translating the book into Konkani and assurance of help from fellow awardee Melvyn Rodrigues.
Eminent Konkani poet and Central Sahitya Academy Award winner Melvyn Rodrigues, who is also the Director-Operations, Daijiworld Media Pvt Ltd, said he was extremely happy at the recognition and honour from FKCA as a Konkani poet and said poetry was the best therapy. He read out a poem specially composed by him in Konkani and said a flute is rendered useless if it breath was not blown into it and said Konkani poetry has surpassed all barriers of religion and regional boundaries.
The Reliable Group Chairman and Managing Director Raphael Sequeira recalled his tough childhood, when he had to walk 14-15 kms a day for going to school in coastal Dakshina Kannada, and rose to become a successful entrepreneur with a initial seed capital of Rs 25,000 that he had saved after five years of work to presently reach an annual turnover of over Rs 50 crore and giving employment to about 1000 persons. He said hard work, quality, timely delivery and honesty were important attributes for success in business along with retaining the trust of employees as it would help in promoting teamwork.
FKCA Chairperson Aida Margaret D’Cunha welcomed the gathering while General Secretary Robert Cutinha presented the annual report. Madeline Machado introduced the Chief Guest and Irene D’Souza proposed a vote of thanks.