Villager revives dying Youth Centre

By Premento Narzary, Anup Ranjan, and Rahul Tirkey

Middle Kharay Busty —  A villager’s keen interest for the development of children of his village made him appeal to Salesian College authorities to re-open Youth Centre which was closed for six years.

Mr.Nobin Chettri, 37 years of age, is a contractor by profession.

Mr.Chettri says, “The children and youth are poor in social activities. They take interest only in occupying themselves with casual labour to earn money for themselves.”

He insists, “The other aim is also in the activities of sports and music to better qualify and engage them in social works.”

He appealed to the College authorities along with a delegation of five persons from the village.

They met Fr. Rosan Kullu, sdb, Youth Coordinator who says, “I am always ready to help you reopen the centre for it is a Centre close to him in his formation and experience.”
Fr. Kullu insisted that, “Spending of time in a proper manner must be observed by the Brothers, youths and children.”

Mr.Chettri tells about the background of the village which composed of youth and children as students, elders and parents. There are seven Catholic families, some Protestants and the rest are Hindus. Others are serving as officers, Government servants and businessmen.

Mr.Ratan Kumar Rai, a senior member of Youth Centre tells, “The centre was first opened in 1986 and it was closed in 2010.”

“The closing of the Centre was due to some misunderstandings between the youngsters and Brothers.”

Mr.Nobin Chettri adds further reasons for the closure of the Youth Centre saying, “Lack of leadership and mismanagement of Funds.”

Life of a tea garden worker

Alexius Minj

Upper Cedars — Mr. Durba Tamang gets up early in the morning and goes to work in the garden a km. away. During the tea plucking season which starts in May and June Mr. Durba gets 132 rupees as daily wages. During rainy season in July and August he gets wet and plucks the tea leaves.

In the dry season, December and January he goes to prune and weeds the garden. In spite of cold season during winter he gets up early in the morning at 7:30 and sometimes he sacrifices his breakfast. In winter, tea garden work starts at 2:00 o’clock afternoon. He carries food for lunch what his mother cooks in the morning.

He gets 2 kg of rice and 4 kg Atta per week as ration. There is no good medical facility and no Hospital in Upper Cedars.

Vehicles are only for those who work in the tea garden and for one who is seriously sick. There were teachers in the school at Upper Cedars but now they left teaching in the school as they were not getting sufficient salary.

Students revive youth centre through competitions

By Sudip Mondal

Gairigaon — A group of college students plans to revive the youth centre membership and participation through competitions.

Gairigoan youth centre’s captain Bro. Sujit Kerketta states, “The youth centre has to be renewed through popular competions like Carrom competition and Football tournament to attract the participation of youth.”

He insisted saying,”We should have more support from the local people for procuring more games articles and musical instruments.”

One of the past pupils of the youth centre Mr. Pritam Khawas says, “We have benefited a lot from the youth centre . We have developed our communication skills, improved on discipline, and learned games and singing.”

Mr. Khawas adds, “I was a regular member of Garigoan youth centre. We always used to wait eagerly for Sunday as we could participate in many competitions organised in the youth centre and win prizes.”

Gairigoan and Arubotia youth centres were established by Fr. James Chacko around 1988. However, in 2000, the youth centre of Gairigoian was separated from Arubotia and was initiated by Bro. Jotish and Bro. Joseph.

The Gairigaon youth centre, one of 20 youth centres run by Salesian College students is just 90 minutes walk from the college on the way to Balasun.

Surviving 104-day strike

By Benai Chettri
Rungmook — Selena Gurung is a middle aged woman and a tea garden worker from the Rungmook tea estate who earns her livelihood as daily wage earner. She survived 104 days strike caused by Gorkhaland agitation without starvation.

Recalling the hardships of the bandh days, Mrs. Gurung says, “The residents of Rungmook had sufficient provisions to manage their daily needs.”

She did not hesitate to add, “fortunately no children had to die on account of malnutrition as in some other places of the hills.”

However, Mrs. Gurung along with other citizens had some hard days to cope with when they did not get the relief material in time.

She says, “God- sent people and Salesian College Fathers and some members of NGOs made their life easier.”

Mrs. Gurung expressed her misfortune several times when she did not get the little bit of ration after having walked for two hours from Rungmook to Sonada. Then, looking into the situations, her family and others too decided to go towards Siliguri during night hours just to get the basic needs.

She also recalls happily, “gone are those days with full of challenges which me and my family survived along with other villagers of Rungmook tea estate.

FLIGHT TO BANGKOK – Romance in the Air -by Trophy D’Souza

Flight to Bangkok covers an eventful journey that has an unexpected outcome for some of those on board. It is not a travel odyssey and really deals with two individuals, who meet accidentally, ‘in the air’.

The two travellers on this flight from East Africa to Thailand sitting side by side get to know quite a lot about each other. Turbulent weather over the Indian Ocean compels the airline to take an unplanned stopover on a tiny island. In the hotel arrangements passengers are allotted only the limited double-rooms available, according to their pair-seating on the plane. The two from Africa –a man and a lady— have to share a room. The lady has an anxious request for a separate bed at least, in the room.

After less than an hour in the hotel, the lady, who appears to have emotional baggage, uses the room situation to seek help from the man.  The chat earlier on the flight leads her to believe that he is the ideal person to rescue her from the uncertainties in her life. She finds him knowledgeable, supportive and trustworthy and wastes no time in thinking out a plan to win the man’s sympathy and confidence. She employs ingenious moves to get closer to the man.

The narrative describes how the two quickly slide from a casual acquaintanceship to a closer relationship.   Flight to Bangkok, a fascinating tale of how two people get drawn to each other, also deals with snippets of African and Thai history and culture, and of some eastern traditional practices.

This story whose alternative title is ‘Romance in the Air’ is and isn’t about ‘romance’. It is a tale that could easily be played out in today’s world where ‘religious’ involvement in ‘secular’ situations can lead to surprising outcomes. The book seeks to portray situations that even those living committed lives could have to face.  Dedicated living by definition is moored to established principles and statutes. However, varied influences from social pressures and from work situations could in subtle ways misdirect the focus of individuals from commitment to laxity or perhaps even to frustration. The book seeks to analyse what happens when cracks appear in training or performance schedules. The narrative takes up a few instances of committed individuals who veer away from their goals and objectives under unexpected pressure.

Flight to Bangkok serves up some typical examples of how pitfalls occur or perhaps of how constructive programmes might bolster flagging dedication. Romance is a natural phenomenon, and people who live committed lives are not above its influences. Managers who are responsible for training may be able to take a leaf out of this book and include wholesome and perhaps innovative programmes to add to their training schemes.

The Author draws from his experience of travel and of working across a few countries delivering programmes, curricula and projects. His involvement with people and cultures comes across in the six books he published earlier. In some of them he tries to be the ‘voice of the voiceless’ or perhaps the ‘speaker’ taking up causes.  His books attempt to delve into what happens when theories, systems and traditions collapse, and human emotions take centre-stage.

Flight to Bangkok, his seventh book (published: September 2016), picks up this emotive theme and shows how relationships do not always develop or evolve. They can sometimes just happen, as incredible and refreshing surprises, with people walking into them or perhaps ‘flying’ into them, as happens in the story.

The Author’s books throw up sensitive flashpoints and shows how empathy helps in resolving tangled human issues or settling complex emotional situations. In Flight to Bangkok he seeks to demonstrate how what often really only matter are Understanding and Love, and perhaps Patience as well.

 [See www.trodza.wordpress.com for more on his books.](Flight to Bangkok: published September 2016)
[Order copies: Amazon price: $9.63 or £5.86 or €6.50- Kindle price: $3.49, or£2.68, or €3.13]

Mother Teresa and the Salesians

MT and Salesians

Please click the link to read a four page cover story on Mother Teresa and the Salesians

St Teresa of Calcutta statue unveiled – Bengali news clips

Some newspaper clippings of the unveiling of St Teresa of Calcutta statue at Archbishop’s House Calcutta, 26 August 2016 in Bengali language.

St Teresa of Calcutta statue unveild

Some newspaper clippings of the unveiling of Mother Teresa statue at Archbishop’s House Calcutta, 26 August 2016 in Arabic, Hindi and Oriya languages.

St Teresa of Calcutta, 26 August 2016

Some ENGLISH language newspaper clippings of the unveiling of Mother Teresa statue at Archbishop’s House Calcutta, 26 August 2016.

SIGNIS Asia Focus features Assam Don Bosco University Media Dept

Guwahati — The Signis Asia Focus, a quarterly e-publication of the world Catholic Communications Asia group has run a two page feature on Assam Don Bosco University’s Mass Communication department. The news feature in its May issue is found on pages 9 and 10 of the attached PDF file. Signis Asia Focus-May 2016

SIGNIS Asia Focus is its official quarterly publication. The 20 member countries of Signis Asia are divided into three regions: South Asia (5), East Asia (5) and South East Asia (10) members. South Asia members are:  Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. East Asia members are: Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Maccau and Taiwan. South East Asia members include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and Timor Leste.

Signis is the World Catholic Association for Communication. http://www.signis.netSignis was created in November 2001 from the merger between two organizations (Unda, for radio and television; and OCIC, for cinema and audiovisuals) that were both created in 1928. Signis has consultative status with UNESCO, Ecosoc (United Nations in Geneva and New York), and the Council of Europe.

It is officially recognized by the Vatican as a Catholic organization for communication. The secretariat of Signis World is in Brussels, Belgium.

SIGNIS Objectives: Signis’ primary objective is to oversee and coordinate communications activites in the field of cinema, radio, television, audiovisuals, research and training.

Signis also involves itself in film festivals (Cannes, Berlin, Monte Carlo, Venice, Ouagadougou, etc…) and makes the Church’s presence by being a member of the jury in most major film festivals of the world.

Members of Signis World come from all over the world representing 140 nations. Apart from nations, membership is also open to organizations and institutions who have similar objectives.