Hindus Join Marian Feast

Mr Sukhen Das and Fr M.C. Francis leading 5 kms route procession at Kulpi, 8 September 2011.

KULPI, (South 24 Parganas) – Hindu villagers in Kulpi gave whole hearted cooperation in celebrating Blessed Virgin Mary’s birth day, 8^th September in a village some 18 kms south of Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district.

Running into its 8^th year, this Marian feast in a rural setting attracts not only 20 Catholic families who live there and their relations from the district, but also Protestants and Hindu devotees who flock to thank Virgin Mary for favours received.

“This year we had 15 devotees who volunteered to celebrate the feast. Last year, at the Marian feast, they pledged, and each one saved one rupee a day to contribute the fixed amount of Rs. 365,” says the parish priest of Diamond Harbour Salesian Fr . Francis Moonnamvayalil under whose jurisdiction falls Kulpi mission.

For next year ten people, including a Hindu, have pledged to contribute for the celebrations.

The feast day committee at the Kulpi mission in Baruipur diocese is comprised of Catholics, Protestants and Hindus.

Hindus prepare kichri for Kulpi Marian feast.

Mr Sukhen Das, a Hindu head master of the Church run tuition centre in the Church campus is one of the main coordinators getting necessary Police clearance for the Marian procession which covered a distance of about five kilometers through neighbouring villages and Kulpi town.

The organizers also raised funds locally in cash or kind.

“Some people offer us money while others give rice, daal or oil,” says Mr Das who was leading the procession along with the parish priest.

Incidentally, Mr Das too made a pledge the third time to celebrate the feast next year and wore a silver wreath during procession like other devotees who made the vow.

“Mother Mary will bless me with a teaching post in someGovernmentSchool,” he prays.

Some 1,000 people had kichiri, a local vegetarian preparation, made of rice and vegetables cooked in daal (lentils) with coconut and other ingredients.

A section of the Marian procession at Kulpi, 2011.

All villagers, whether they contributed or not are eligible for a feast day meal. Portions are sent to home-bound people of the village. In fact, no one cooks in the village that evening. Hence, they turn up to participate at the feast.

The feast day devotions lasted four hours starting with the recitation of the Rosary during which three priests were available for confessions, it was followed by the novena prayer to the Virgin Mary. Fr James Mathew from Don Bosco Nitika was the president at the solemn Eucharist celebration along with Fr C.M. Paul, also from Kolkata.

Other outstation participants included Missionaries of Charity Sisters Appolin the Superior and Kalpana from Gangarampur (Boys Town).

Don Bosco Relics Bless Muslim Teacher

Don Bosco Relics venerated in Dibrugarh, Assam.

DULIAJAN (Dibrugarh) – It is reported that Don Bosco Relics arriving Upper Assam (Tinsukia) has left signs of extraordinary happenings. Earlier, Kohima in Nagaland too witnessed some extraordinary events, reported last week.
Former vice-provincial of Dimapur province and Rector of Don Bosco School Dibrugarh Fr Jonas Kerketta reports.
From 7.30 a.m. 10 May 2011 to 4.30 a.m. 11 May 2011 the Relic of Don Bosco was in Don Bosco, Tinsukia,Upper Assam.
https://cmpaul.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/don-bosco-relics-pilgrimage-leaves-miracle-trail-in-kohima/

Ms. Victoria Horo (25), younger sister of Fr. Kamil Horo sdb, of Jhalkiapara village under diocesan Parish of Duliajan (Upper Assam) went to pray to Don Bosco in Don Bosco, Tinsukia.  A polio victim from childhood, she prayed earnestly for a miraculous cure for her one leg that is slightly shorter, so that she won’t have to limp. She did not experience any extraordinary healing.

(a) On 11 May 2011 Victoriawent for her duty at Rose Bud School, Tingrai Chariali. She is a nursery teacher in the same school. Her helper, Miss Nuri Khan (21), Muslim by religion, was suffering from severe pain in the joint of her left hand for one year. Victoria massaged Nuri’s hand while quietly praying to Don Bosco. Nuri said she experienced great relief during the massage session. On 13^th May Ms.Victoria asked Nuri how she felt. Nuri said all her pain has disappeared.

(b) Gaining confidence in Victoria’s power of intercession, Nuri told Victoria that her elder brother Vaitullah Khan (24), a petty business man, was suffering from a malignant wound, from which blood and water was oozing out. On 16^th May, Victoria took a small bottle which contained last bits of the liquid medicine Vaithullah was using and inserted few drops of “holy oil.” (On 10^th May Victoria had carried a small bottle of ordinary oil to Tinsukia and had touched Don Bosco’s casket with the oil bottle. She believes since then the oil has become ‘holy’).

Next day, on 17^th May, Vaitullah, after bath, applied a few drops of the oil-cum-medicine to his festering wound. Vaitullah Khan’s mother immediately informedVictoria that her son’s wound was drying very fast. Lots of money had been spent earlier for Vaitullah’s treatment but to no effect.

Fr. Kerketta says, “I spoke through mobile to Victoria and Nuri this morning (20 May, 2011) and they confirmed both these two cures.”

The relics which arrived in Imphal on 29 April 2011, on its first leg of pilgrimage throughIndiahas passed through Manipur and Nagaland is currently inUpper Assam.

The India pilgrimage which will last till 30 November 2011 is in preparation for the bicentenary of Don Bosco’s birth on 16 August 2015. The pilgrimage which started on 31 January 2009 in Valdocco,Turin(Italy) is expected to visit 130 countries.

The Salesian family in India includes the Salesian fathers and brothers of Don Bosco, Salesian Sisters, together with over 30,000 educators, several religious societies inspired by the spirit of Don Bosco and his educational methods. There are also thousands of Alumni who played active role in the reception of the relics.

Besides, running regular schools and colleges, there are also some 150 Technical Institutions spread out in in the country making Don Bosco Tech India second only to the Government in providing vocational education.

Read about “extraordinary” happenings during DB Relics visit in Kohima
https://cmpaul.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/don-bosco-relics-pilgrimage-leaves-miracle-trail-in-kohima/

RSS Impose Social & Economical Boycott on Kandhamal Christians

Auto-man harassed for taking Christian to hospital

Despite the state administration claims of normalcy, what has been found by the Fact-finding group report (8 November 2010) reveals a state of lawlessness and utter fear of insecurity of the persecuted Christians.
The fact finding team of consisted of four eminent activists and leaders Advocate Nicholas Barla, a tribal activist leader, Advocate Brother Marcus, a social worker, Jugal Kishore Ranjit, a dalit human right activist and Ajay Kumar Singh, human right activist visited Kandhamal on 5^th of November 2010 to verify the allegations of social and economical boycotts of Kandhamal Christians. The team visited four villages of four police stations of three blocks in violent hit district of Kandhamal in Orissa.
The team first visited Gadaguda village under G. Udayagiri police station under Tikabali that witnessed violence as late as 30^th of October 2008 almost two months since the anti-Christian violence unleashed and took away an elderly couple life in their late 70s. They were axed and burnt alive and scores of people injured and still one of the army man has bullets in his hands and thighs. Some are still in tents.
Barred from village well
The team interacted with the dakanaju and nearby villagers that included the postman, Sarapanch and a group of affected Christians. The team was told the Christians of dakanaju village were barred from taking water from the government dug well. The team then met Gadaguda Sarapanch, Sachindra Pradhan and asked whether he was aware of such instance. Mr.Pradhan told that he was not aware and would look into the matter and sort out at the earliest.

Pastor Forced to Become Hindu
The team then headed for Bodimunda village under Tikabali police station in Tikabali block.  We parked the vehicle on the roadside and headed towards the broken buildings and houses, a sure sign of wrath of anti-Christian violence. Upon reaching the village, the team members headed for a pastor’s house as there were hardly anybody seen on the street amidst ruins. The pastor, Binod Pradhan (name changed) welcomed the group to his house and a definite anxiety reflected on his face. The team found that his house has had remain intact. The pastor told the group that he has been forced to be Hindu to save his old mother, who could not have escaped the violence as she was not in a position to walk even. Within minutes, a RSS man comes to the house to enquire about the group. The pastor informs him that the guests are bank officials as his relative works in a bank. It was a sign that the team should leave the house soon.

RSS Fine Auto Driver for Taking Paralysed Christian to Hospital
Meanwhile, the team was informed of social and economical boycott imposed on the Christians by the right wing group RSS and there would be fines if any vehicle ferry any Christian be healthy or sick or their belongings from the village to outside or from outside into village. The team wanted to verify the allegations and went to a house of certain Bamadev Pradhan, a tribal Christian. Bamadev was lying on the muddy floor and could not get up as he was struck with paralysis. The family members told the group that being paralysis man and was suffering from fever, they tried to hire auto to take him to a nearby hospital, Tikabali, 8 kilometres away from the village. Nobody was ready to come to village and lastly a Christian who owned an auto almost forced to pick up the paralytic. When the hired auto was returning after the drop, it was stopped and taken away by the RSS elements. The owner took the help of the auto union, which negotiated for the release of the auto paying fine of one thousand fifty one rupees (Rs 1051) and with the assurance that the auto owner would not ferry any Christian from the village. Not even the team has started interacting with the paralysed family members for five minutes, a Christian villager; Jesaya Nayak entered the house and informed the team members that it should leave the place as the situation is volatile.

Harassment from BDO & Police
The team went to another house; a fearful group of Christians had assembled there and interacted with them. The fearful Christians told, “We are in a state of shock. Those who have something have moved out the village and we poor people are left behind. What haunts us and saddens us is the administration, the BDO and police, who are hand in glove with RSS. Instead of becoming sensitive to our plight, the administration wants to deprive us of our basic amenities. They have banned the local autos, the only means of transportation in the area not to ferry Christians. We are not allowed to bring housing materials nor food provisions or medicines nor allowed to buy anything from the local shops. We do not have any shop of our own. Here, we are struggling to live as human being”. The team enquired whether they have complained it before the police, the people replied positively and explained the statement of IIC, Tikabli, who said “being a Christian you have to suffer and there is no option.’
The team wanted to meet the auto owner and others who have been fined. A villager volunteered to join to meet the auto owner, who has to pay the fine for ferrying the paralytic to the hospital. The auto owner, a pastor told the team that he had to pay the fine one thousand fifty one rupees despite he had to complain to the police.

RSS fine Tractor Owner Rs. 5,000
The team then met Birendra Nayak (name changed and a hindu himself), who told the team members that he had to pay Rs 5000 to get his tractor released as it was transporting the housing materials for the construction of the house of an army man, a Boarder Security Force destroyed during anti-christian violence. Birendra Nayak went on to add, “It is because the local police takes percentage, (a parlance for bribe) and protects the anti-social elements that these elements rule the roost. I informed the local police, but nothing happened”. Pushpanjali Nayak, mother said who could be contacted over telephone told the group, “this incident shocked her army son, who became ill and left the village in disgust. We are presently living under polythine like a cowshed without roof and floor and proper wall with little money that we have had managed to collect, yet we cannot build our houses. We had brought sand for the house and were taken away by RSS. Our life is hell here”. She continued sobbing as she narrated. The former pastor, who says that he would openly practise the faith if situations become normal adds, “The sand that the tractor brought for the house was taken away to build the temple in the village.”
Incidentally, there are a group of 15 police persons stationed in the village and they are mute spectators to these incidents.

Christian Homes Forced to Display Hindu Deities
The team then headed for Keredi village under Phulbani block and went to a Christian household. The team found a huge photo of Lord Krishna. Naresh Digal, an ex-army man (name changed) explained that he had to” live like a Hindu as they are four households in the locality. The environment is quite hostile and there is no support from the administration. He went on to further state that his neighbour an ex-army man had to bear the brunt of RSS people and his house was destroyed. He filed the complaints and after eight days police came to see and left the place even without entering the broken house. The life time earnings of his fellow neighbour are gone and what he would invest on the family future? What is the use of this way of life if there is no support from anywhere?” The woman who shared that her cousin has become a nun told ” we are waiting for the days when we could be free to practise the religion of our choice”. Not sure when the days would dawn.

RSS Impose Shiva & Tulsi on Christian Homes
The team then went to Gandapadar village in Minia grampanchayat in Phiringia block. It was quite interior one. It was not difficult to know the Christian houses and parked the vehicle. The woman of the house welcomed into the repaired house. The woman proudly explained how her relatives known Christians. Suddenly, we saw a huge framed photo of Lord Shiva on the wall. When asked about the photo, she changed her face and struggled to explain,” The RSS has given us the photo and Tulsi plant for worship. We have kept as often they come to check whether we reconverted into Christians. We know we can never leave our faith. The villagers also stated that almost all the houses in the village have two photos; that of Jesus and Shiva. Tarabati Digal explained that there are 10 families still living outside the village.
Peoples’ Fact Finding Report Team: Advocate Nicholas Barla,  tribal activist leader, Advocate  Marcus,  social worker, Jugal Kishore Ranjit,  dalit human right activist, Ajay Kumar Singh, human right activist, For Further contact details: ajaysingho@gmail.com 8^th November 2010, Phulbani, Kandhamal

St. Joseph’s College Condemns Assault on Br. Philip Noronha, CSC

Br. P. Noronha (file photo)

Br Philip Noronha of the Holy Cross School, Whitefield was assaulted by a bunch of hooligans on Saturday, 23^rd October 2010 by forcing him out from a public transport bus and taking him back to his school with a pre-planned programme.  This act was also aimed at defaming the institution of the Holy Cross School where he now functions as the Vice-Principal and the Head of his religious community.  What shocked the public was the manner in which Brother was assaulted on a fictitious charge in order to legitimize the unruly action of 300 people in front of the cameras and the press.
Brother Philip was a staff member of this college for three years – from June 2007 to May 2010 and functioned both as Registrar of the institution and the Warden of the Hostel. There were no allegations of the kind against him. While we do not desire to defend or denounce actions of any individual or group, in the case of Brother Philip if there were any allegations against his behavior, there are forums within the school and outside the institution in the state to complain and seek redress. Individuals and groups are not permitted to take the law into their own hands. That a group from the Public, several of whom have nothing to do with the school, make an allegation and take the law into their own hands to settle scores is against the rule of law. What stunned us was that the Police and the media, expected to be the protectors of the law colluded with the assaulters and desecrated the sanctity of the law.
That the incident was pre-planned needs no proof. How were the people mobilized and the TV cameras present there at the time of the assault then?  Why did the media collude with the attackers? How did they agree to be there at the time of the incident? Is what happened to Brother Philip an isolated case or the normal practice of the media for gain and profit? The whole episode makes mockery of the role of the media meant to protect the democratic citizenship and the rule of law. They have connived with the breakers of law for serving vested interests.  In the whole commentary in the more than three channels that the listeners heard, Brother Philip was made a culprit. No channel was prepared to unearth the truth. In a democracy the primary role of the media is to denounce anti-social forces to make democracy possible for ordinary and average citizens. Those with power and influence were allowed to be the accusers, Judges and implementers of that judgment.
The Police were no better. It was a horrible sight to watch that in the presence of the Police a person is assaulted, slapped and insulted and the police remain mere spectators or even join the attackers. What was more shocking was a police person slapping the Brother  watched by citizens in the various TVs. Is there anything worse than this that can happen to an individual? When the protectors of the state law turn into violators of individual rights to please vested interests in society, what are the avenues left to individuals for justice? What we have witnessed is the worst form of cruelty that can happen to any individual in the state of Karnataka. That is why it is important that citizens do not remain as mere spectators to this kind of state violence. It can happen to any person in this state if we have to go by the recent attacks on individuals and groups.
We are witnessing a total disregard to the process of law. A person is intimidated, threatened, beaten up, defamed and made to feel a criminal in front of the whole society. What if he is totally innocent? Defamation of an individual and physical assault with a threat to kill is a criminal act. Why is the state not acting? As an educational institution that is premised on the rule of law and is committed to form students to follow that law, we denounce this action of anti-social forces on Brother Philip, a former colleague of ours and demand from the state immediate action. Those who have erred should be dealt with in accordance with law. If we replace democracy with mobocracy, society will be taken over by anti-social elements. As citizens and individuals committed to build a democratic state and society, we demand the hooligans who attacked Brother, the police officer and the others who slapped him in Public, those who forced him out from the bus and all others should be booked in order to save democratic society and guarantee safety to its citizens.
A week has gone by and that no arrests have been made on the case is frightening. On the other hand, the physically wounded, mentally tortured and psychologically humiliated and socially defamed victim has to go to the courts and police station for bail to defend himself on charges that are manufactured.
Should we constantly fear and face unthinking violence of the state on innocent people? Should we tolerate the gross travesty of law? Should be remain silent when violence is heaped on common folk like Br Philip? As citizens of the state and as former colleagues of Br. Philip, we demand that the state acts immediately to book the assaulters, charge them under the law with criminal offence and deliver justice as speedily as possible.
Dr. (Fr.) Ambrose Pinto SJ (Principal), Vice-Principal, Controller of Examination, Welfare Officers, Deans and Staff Coordinators of St. Joseph’s College.

 

“Jesus kept me alive”: Christian with 11 bullets in his body*

 

Junos Nayak with 11 bullet wounds & Akkara.

 

Junos Nayak, a former police constable, was one of the few Christians who survived a close brush with death during the Kandhamal carnage.
Lalji Nayak, his 65 year-old elder brother, was slashed with sword before him along with his sister-in-law Mandakini while 57 year-old Junos himself was pumped with bullets on 30 September 2008. While Lalji died in hospital next day, Mandakini went mad with broken skull.
“Look at these bullet marks. There are still 11 bullets in my body,” Junos narrated the spine-chilling attack that he survived in Gadaguda village, three kms from Udaigiri. “Four bullets (in outer parts of the body) had been removed. But the ones that are embedded deep and close to bones are still there,” Junos explained with the help of X-rays he had brought to New Delhi in August 2010 to attend the National People’s Tribunal to mark Kandhamal second anniversary.
However, this ordeal did not shake the faith of Junos, born to parents who had embraced the Christian faith decades earlier when their first born died.
“I have full faith in Jesus the Saviour. It is only because of Jesus that I survived,” said Junos, belonging to the CNI. “They fired so many bullets at me and look, not one hit my heart. Is this not a miracle?” asked Junos putting his right hand – still covered with bandage – to his heart.
“The power of God was very much there,” he replied when he was asked what he felt after the deadly attack that left his elder brother dead and sister-in-law mad.
Junos, who took voluntary retirement from police after he was injured in an attack by Maoist rebels in 1982, said that after the killing of Swami Lakshmanananda, local fundamentalists confronted the Christians: “Your people killed our Swami and tell us their names.”
“We will no longer tolerate Christianity here and all of you have to follow Hinduism now,” they also threatened.
With reports of anti-Christian violence pouring in from across Kandhamal, most of the 50 Christian families among 500 families in the three villages in the area including Gadaguda fled to the jungles. But three families including that of Junos and his brother Lalji decided to stay on.
“Being Christians, we did not want to be cowards and run away when we were threatened,” explained the former police constable.
However, his Hindu cousin confided to him that the fundamentalists were serious about the threat and were planning to attack the defiant Christians. Hence, he advised Junos to attend the reconversion ceremony and buy peace with them.
Meanwhile, another friendly Hindu suggested: “Why don’t you just go and eat the Prasad (sacred offering) at the temple? Later you can practice your faith secretly.”
But Junos was not prepared to make any compromise with his faith: “I told him I will not do the duplicate to please them. I will never compromise with my faith.”
A secret meeting was held in the jungle and fundamentalist leaders from outside briefed locals how to carry out the attack. Soon the village church was torched. Barrels of kerosene were brought and stored at the Panchayath office and nearby houses.
The drunkards among them spilled the news that deadline had been set to attack the adamant Christians.
His cousin approached Junos once again, clutched his hand and pleaded: “Please go away from here. Otherwise, I will have to leave the village as I don’t want to see you being killed in front of me.”
But Junos thought they would only loot and so, decided to stay on in the village. Later he came to know while he was in hospital that fundamentalists had landed in trucks on 29 September night and halted in the village.
“At four in the morning, a mob descended all of a sudden shouting ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’. They caught hold of my brother and ordered him to accompany them to the temple (for reconversion ceremony). When he refused, they hit him with a sword and he collapsed. Then, they hit sister-in law who had rushed forward,” recounted Junos.
Meanwhile, his wife Laila, son Sujan and daughter Asmita had moved away when the mob arrived.
“As they were attacking my brother and sister-in-law, I tried to run away. But they sprayed bullets at me from close range,” Junos recalled.
After that, Junos had only faint memory of being carried in an open truck among dead bodies and injured Christians including his brother and his wife to hospital by the police who rushed them later to Medical College Hospital at Berhampur, 150 kms away.
There, doctors told Junos’ son to rush him to the government Medical College Hospital at Cuttack (160 kms away) as he was very critical.
“Luckily, my son had a friend who brought a van and took me to Cuttack,” Junos said with a smile. During two week-long treatment at the Cuttack Hospital, his condition improved with the deep bullet wounds stitched together and four bullets removed.
Later, Junos and his family rented a house at Banja Nagar – on the fringe of Kandhamal – as they could not return to the village where his house had been reduced to a skeleton with its roof, doors and windows looted.
“My son goes there occasionally and they threaten that unless I withdraw the (police) complaint, they will finish me off,” said Junos.
However, Junos is not worried about these threats: “Whatever may happen, I will not forsake my faith.
“But I am worried about the bullets in my body. I have lot of pain and doctors have told me to remove them at the earliest. It is two years now. But I don’t have the money for the expensive surgery. Maybe, God will find me a way,” said Junos echoing true Christian hope.
PS: Akkara’s little parish St Mary’s Church Ambakad near Thrissur accepted his proposal to adopt ‘St Paul of Kandhamal‘ – buy a plot of land for him and build a house at Phulbani where he is living in a slum now.  “That’s not all,” says the intrepid social activist and journalist Akkara with law background on 27 October 2010, “I have also made the Thrissur archdiocese to agree to bear the entire cost of treatment to remove the 11- bullets in Junos Nayak. I sat with the surgeons on Saturday and Junos will be in Thrissur for admission at Jubilee Mission Medical College soon. So, I need to be there to receive Junos when he arrives by train. It will be a quite complicated surgery as the arm bones have been severely damaged and has infection. Removal of some of other pellets also pose major problem as they are embedded close to the body. Kindly keep him in your prayers. The operation will cost over one lakh but I will make sure that Junos and his son accompanying him will not have to spend a penny even for their travel. Apart from that, I am trying to get life-long commitment that Junos will not have to worry about his medicines.”
Anto Akkara is a journalist based in Bangalore. Malayalam edition of Shining Faith in Kandhamal entitled ‘Theeyil Thilangia Viswasam’ was released at the famous Maramon Convention on Pampa river by KCBC and KCC presidents in February 2010.
(*from Anto Akkara’s English language edition of book Shining Faith.)

Fr Thuruthiyil Made Rector of Professors’ Community at UPS Rome

Prof Scaria Thuruthiyil SDB

ROME – The Superior of the Universita’ Pontificia Salesiana (UPS) Vice-province communicated, 21 June, Prof Scaria Thuruthiyil as Rector of  UPS Dominic Savio professor’s community. He succeeds eminent professor Fr Morand Wirth during whose tenure Fr Thuruthiyil was the Catechist.
The official announcement reads: “The Rector Major with his Council has approved the nomination of  Fr. Thuruthiyil Scaria, as new Rector of the community of S. Dominic Savio” for a triennium 2010-1013. To him goes our congratulations and wishes for the service of guide and animator of the community and of the confreres”.
One of the features Fr Thuruthiyil, formerly of Kolkata province, introduced as catechist in his community was the weekly Saturday afternoon outings for the elderly confreres who were confined to the infirmary and could venture out, if provided the occasion.
Former dean of UPS Philosophy Faculty Fr Sacria is also an accomplished author of 13 books in English, Italian and Malayalam.
A new book on Indian educative principles and values in Italian language by an Indian professor at the Salesian University (UPS) Rome is ready for release shortly. This is the second book launched on Indian topic in Italian language by Prof Thuruthiyil.The 358 page book entitled “Principi e valori educativi, nella tradizione Indiana” is being published under the Edizioni Progetto Cultura Collana Quaderna di Ricerca.
Born in the diocese of Pala, Kerala in 1947, Fr Thuruthiyil studied in Bandel, Salesian College Sonada Darjeeling, UPS Rome and Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth Pune.  In 1972 as professor of Philosophy at Salesian College, Yercaud, Tamilnadu, Prof Thuruthiyil founded the SSGY (Social Service Guild Yercaud) – an organization of Religious men and women of Yercaud formed to coordinate various initiatives for the poor of the region. The SSGY continues to be a well-run organization to date.
He was ordained priest in Pala (1977) and was appointed Administrator and vice Rector at Don Bosco Tech Delhi and became professor of Philosophy at Salesian College Sonada (1981-1984). After completing doctorate in Philospohy from UPS Rome, Fr Thuruthiyil returned Kolkata where he worked as assistant parish priest at Kalyani and professor of Philosophy at the Morning Star College regional seminary Calcutta where seminarians from 28 dioceses studied.
From 1988 Prof Thuruthiyil has been at the UPS Rome as well invited professor at the Università di Roma, La Sapienza, Dept. of Ethnic Religions (2003 onwards). From 2004 he also lectures at BEDA Pontifical College (Philosophical Anthropology and History of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy) Rome.
Among over 40 Salesians from India in the UPS-Rome Vice-Province are the Superior (Fr Joaquim D`Souza, INB) and Rector of Don Rua community (Fr Jose Chunkapura, INC). There are also 12 Professors and over 30 Salesian students spread out among eight communities in the vice-province.

Italian Book on Indian Educative Principles and Values

Prof. Scaria Thuruthiyil, SDB

ROME – A new book on Indian educative principles and values in Italian language by an Indian professor at the Salesian University (UPS) Rome is ready for release shortly. This is the second book launched on Indian topic in Italian language written by an Indian professor!
The 358 page book entitled “Principi e valori educativi, nella tradizione Indiana” by former Dean of the UPS Philosophy Faculty Prof. Scaria Thuruthiyil SDB is being published under the Edizioni Progetto Cultura Collana Quaderna di Ricerca.
Prof Thuruthiyil has 13 books to his credit over a period of 22 years. Starting from his first book published in 1988, the author has five books published solo (2 in English and 3 in Italian). He has co-authored 2 books in Italian, 5 in Malayalam and one in English.
“The latest book is meant for all those interested in value education and moral formation: parents, teachers and also students (university)”, says Professor Thuruthiyil stating that the language it is published in will serve especially the Italian public (teachers, educators) who are interested to know about education in India and in the Indian tradition.
The author’s main contention in the book is that “Education is a continuous learning process that helps an individual to live his life in the best and most complete way possible, with dignity and freedom. This process involves many, especially parents and educators who help their pupils in their formation.”

Indian Educational Principles and Values

In the current volume the author presents the most important principles on which are founded the educational systems of Hinduism and Buddhism. He also touches upon educational systems of traditional and modern India. Special feature of the book is presenting the contributions of important Indian educators like Sri Aurobindo Ghose, Rabindranath Tagore, Mahatma Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and Jiddu Krishnamurti.
The freshness of the book is in calling the attention of educators and others interested in imparting values (human rights, peace, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, cultural values) that the author thinks are important for an integral formation of students.
The author further proposes the Catholic Church in India actively engaged in the mission of education as a model for those engaged in education.
The book divided into three sections has 14 chapters.

For queries pls contact Prof. Thuruthyil by email
tvscaria@hotmail.com / scaria.thuruthiyil@gmail.com / scaria@unisal.it