Bangalore: Governor Unveils Commemorative Stamp in Honour of St Joseph's College

By Melwyn Pinto SJ
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Aug 2: It was moment of great honour and pride on the campus of St Joseph's College on Saturday, August 01, 2009 when the Governor of Karnataka, Hansraj Bhardwaj presented to the College the commemorative postal stamp.

The stamp with the majestic picture of the erstwhile stone façade was formally unveiled by the Governor in the presence of Sachin Pilot, minister of state for communication and technologies, N A Haris, MLA of Shantinagar assembly constituency, Fr Francis Serrao, the provincial of Karnataka Jesuit Province, Fr Terence, the Rector, Fr Ambrose Pinto, the principal and Laxminarayana, president of alumni.

Governor, Bhardwaj highlighted the contribution of minorities in the field of education. “There is no parallel to the contribution made by the minorities in the field of education. The missionaries are serving because of the faith given to them by Jesus Christ which inspires them to work in the remotest corners of the world. It is a mandate given to them by the Almighty, to spread knowledge,” he said, adding, “the minorities have contributed significantly to the country, however, their services have not been documented.”

The Governor deemed knowledge as the most basic to achieve anything. “Knowledge has no parallel. It is the greatest purifier of soul. And unless one’s soul is purified, one cannot be a scholar, as one can be misled by other considerations,” he added.
 
He further said that knowledge was free and it should be borrowed from all parts of the world.

Quoting profusely from various scriptures, Bhardwaj said that India was a great civilisation which should not be minimised by discriminating against one’s own brothers and sisters. “India is a secular State and all religions have freedom to practice their own faith according to their conscience,” he opined.

Making a special reference to the motto of the college, Faith and Toil, Bhardwaj said that faith was basic which would motivate everyone to toil.

Making a special mention of Sachin Pilot and N A Haris on the dais, the Governor said that the country needed such young people to come forward and lead this great country. “We do not need retrograde minds. Retrograde minds will create retrograde society,” he cautioned.

Sachin Pilot commended the service of St Joseph’s College in the field of education.

Earlier, Fr Francis Serrao welcomed the dignitaries and Fr Ambrose Pinto introduced the guests. A brief history of the college was presented by Dr Cherian Alexander of the Department of English.

Lamp not burning, difficult times ahead

The Governor had a unique sense of humour in parts throughout his speech. He used the symbol of the lamp quite extensively to enumerate his reflections on knowledge, saying that light symbolised knowledge which should always burn and give light to others. Taking note of the lamp on the dais which by then had extinguished, Bhardwaj said, “The lamp is no longer burning, there are difficult times in the country.” The crowd was indeed amused to a bout of laughter.