Dalit Liberation Sunday 2014_Worship Order
“Dalit Culture, Dalit history, Dalit pathos:
Regaining the lost identity in Christ”.
We are in a crucial point of time in the Indian history, while we celebrate the Dalit Liberation Sunday in 2014. The grip of fascism and communalism becomes firm on Indian society. These regressive and dangerous elements are only the tip of the iceberg and the undercurrent of all these elements in India is casteism.
Forceful reconversions of the Dalit Christians, adamant denial of any possibility to extend Scheduled Caste status to Christians and Muslims from Dalit origin by a Central Minister of India, brutal killings of Dalits- in which Ahmednagar killing was the most brutal- and the lethargic attitude of police and the state in rendering investigation with justice, and the result of the survey conducted by the Merry Land University of US and National Council of Applied Economic Research that every fourth Indian still believes in untouchability are pointers to the dangerous shift in the Indian social matrix.
Disability Day, or the International Day of People with Disability, is a day that is sanctioned by the United Nations. The aim of Disability Day is to encourage a better understanding of people affected by a disability, together with helping to make people more aware of the rights, dignity and welfare of disabled people. Disability Day was founded in 1992 and is a day that is marked around the world by a variety of events held in many countries. The original name for this day was the International Day of Disabled Persons. The day’s origins date back to 1981 and the International Year of Disabled Persons, which was created to improve the lives of disabled people all around the globe, as well as to prevent disabilities from occurring in the first place. The Day is used for holding discussions, forums and campaigns relating to disability, and communities are encouraged to organise performances in their local area. These can range from hosting a musical to a play, and disabled people should be involved in these productions. The overall aim is to show that a person with a disability can be a vibrant member of society. Each year the day is celebrated there is an emphasis on a new aspect related to improving the lives of people living with a disability. In 2012 there was a call to help disabled people live in an inclusive society in every country, and to make sure that society was as accessible as possible for disabled people.
The NCCI Centenary Rally started from the All Saints Cathedral, Sadar, halted at Samvidhan Square (near K. P. Ground, Opp. RBI) for Bishop Dr. Taranath Sagar’s (President of NCCI) public address, and continued back to All Saints Cathedral in a circular route. More than 3000 people from all denominations joined the Rally.
Times of India on 10th October 2014 reported that the Government is opposed to Dalit status for converts.
The Commission on Communications and Relations (COCR) of the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) along with India Peace Centre (IPC), Christian Institute for the Study of Religion and Society (CISRS), Amritsar Diocese of the Church of North India (CNI) and, Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (ISPCK) organized a Training Workshop on the theme“Communications for Peace and Harmony” from August 25 – 29, 2014 in Baring Union Christian College Association (BUCCA) in Batala, Punjab. The program was hosted by Christian Institute for Religious Studies (CIRS) which is a theological component unit of BUCCA.
