Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (MM/NR)
Pics: Ganesh S Perla

Mangalore, Oct 14: The Catholic community in India is doing the government’s job, by imparting education at grass root level. And it is high time, they thought in terms of setting up of professional colleges for the well-being of the community, declared Albert W D’Souza, a Mumbai-based entrepreneur.

Speaking at a get-together function organized by Fuddar Prathisthan at Milagres Hall here on Saturday October 13, D’Souza informed that the financial strength of the Catholic community is indeed very poor in India. Therefore he opined that professional education is the need of the hour, so that the community too can come up in the economical field, he added.

Appreciating the progress made by the Bunt community in the past 50 years, he admiringly said, “This community has gained prominence in all fields of the economy in India. We need to observe their positive traits,” he advised.

Though the Gulf migration trend has served the Catholic Mangalorean community for a specific period, this trend should now be discouraged as now there is scope to gain good salary and position in one’s own home country now, he informed.

The Catholic community leaders should ensure that majority of their youths are able to   obtain education till they reach 21 years. Moreover after that they should also see to it that they are gainfully employed as well, averred D’Souza.

D’Souza referring to the younger generation stated “We have many political leaders in many spheres. However, they are growing old now. And so the grooming of the second generation leadership is the need of the hour,” he said.

Further he alleged that the Christian community is pre-oriented with a single party. And the political leaders within the community think that the community is taken for granted. Therefore a strategy is needed to counter this trend, he declared.

Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore, presided over the function. Felix Lobo of Doha Qatar, Lancy D’Cunha, president, Catholic Sabha and George D’Souza, president, Catholic Association, Karvar, were the chief guests on the occasion.

Fuddar Prathisthan office bearers John D’Silva, Fr Walter D’Mello, L J Fernandes and Dr T J Quadros were also present on the occasion. Irene Rebello compered the programme.