The All India Catholic Union (AICU) and the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) criticised the new National Education Policy and stood in solidarity with the poor and the marginalised people of India during its first virtual annual general body meeting on Sunday, August 16.
During the online meeting the members talked about the new National Education Policy (NEP) and the erosion of civil rights in the cover of the Covid lockdown. The AICU was part of last year’s delegation that met the Union Minister for Human Resource Development to discuss the policy. The AICU and the CBCI had critiqued the new education policy when it was published online.
According to the meeting’s press release, “While the NEP extends education to three-year-olds, and assures primary teaching in the mother tongue, it has still not addressed the concerns of the people of Tamil Nadu, for instance, on the issue of main languages. Among other major problematic issues in the NEP are increasing the distance which village children, especially in tribal areas, may now have to travel to school.” The AICU demanded continuing consultations on the policy and assurances that the policy will not violate the rights of States, religious minorities and ensure adequate budgetary provisions for universal education.
They said that the community faces serious challenges from militant religious nationalism, the impact of various policies including changes in environmental laws which call for a united response from the CBCI and the AICU. There is also a need for collaboration not only with all other Christian denominations, but also with Civil society and the vast majority of like-minded people in all faiths, and among groups not professing any faith. During the meeting, the century-old organisation also committed itself to the defence of the Constitution of India and the rights of the poor and the marginalized.
Inaugurating the annual meeting, CBCI’s Secretary General Archbishop Felix Machado of Vasai Diocese said, “We must rid ourselves of the understanding, even in the Church, that the poor is ‘insignificant’, a non-person, without any rights, an obstacle to society.” He expressed concern about the progress of globalization that resulted in lakhs of people being considered ‘useless objects’ that are used and thrown away by the economic system. He reminded the gathering of Pope St John Paul II and Pope Francis who had stressed that foreign debt, with manipulated taxes and interests of the creditors, should be cancelled.
“We are Indians and at the same time Christians. The two can neither be separated nor can they be identified. We owe allegiance to both because our identity is to be ‘Indian Catholic.’ As Indian citizens, all Indians are equal to us in dignity before God; and as Catholics, all people in the world are equal to us in dignity,” he said, dismissing the suspicion of vested interests in his statements.
He also said the Church wished to talk with people of all religions as well as those individuals who don’t belong to any religion. We are to own values of peace, justice, freedom, not just as means to our social commitment, but they must inspire methods to form a human society respectful of the rights of all.
The AICU renewed the term of the Union and Working Committee’s principal office bearers for another year in view of the pandemic. The office bearers are National President Mr. Lancy D Cunha, National Vice President Engineer Elias Vaz, Secretary general Mr. Anthony Chinnappan, and Honorary Treasurer, Mr. Alexander Anthony.
Related:
Modi and Sangh shape education in their own mould
They abused us, asked us to worship their idols: Christians attacked in UP