THE DRAFT MINUTES
XII
MEETING ON 14TH OCT 2013 PASTORAL CENTRE, SANTHOME CHENNAI
The gathering started at 11.00 hours.
Participants are Rev M C Michael former YCS/YSM[1] National Chaplain, Deepam
(ex YCW/CWM[2]),
Sara Christi (ex YCS/YSM), Antony Fernandez (Tony, ex DYC[3]), Gnanaraj (ex YCS/YSM, ex
AICUF[4], ex AICUF Full Timer), Dr
Magimai Prakasam SIGNIS[5](ex AICUF), Parimalam (ex
YCS/YSM), Amuthan (s/o Jayaseelan ex YCS/YSM) and his friend. Josephraj and
Armstrong excused as they have pre arranged engagements. Sheela, Pauldoss, Auxilia,
A L Xavier, Adaikalasami, Rosario and others could not make it.
Gnanaraj explained the reason and context behind
the gathering. The former members of YCS/YSM, AICUF, MIJARK[6], YCW and CWM wanted to
share their experiences and seek support from other members. Hence, the need
was felt unanimously. The first such meeting was held as a family gathering on
2nd October, 2002 in the residence of Josephraj at Chengalpattu. The
meeting coincided with the consecration of Rev A Neethinathan as the bishop of Chengalpattu.
He was a well wisher of many of the members and was the youth worker during the
international year of youth 1985.
The II and III meetings were hosted in the
residence of Gnanaraj at Aynavaram, Chennai in 2003 and 2004 respectively.
The IV gathering was hosted by Sara
Christi at her residence in Pallavaram, Chennai in 2005. The gathering was a
full-fledged family gathering.
The V gathering was hosted by Armstrong in
Emmaus Neelangarai Chennai in 2006.
The VI gathering was held in Pastoral centre
Santhome, Chennai with the help of Antony Fernandez who worked as laity
secretary in 2007
The VII gathering was hosted by M I Deepam
in the Fatima Church Tambaram in 2008.
The VIII, IX, X and XI gatherings were
held in Pastoral Centre considering the inability of family members to attend the
meeting due to education of the children.
Gathering for 12 years continuously itself
is a great achievement for us who are involved in social issues at various
levels and within the church.
The discussion started with the prevailing
socio, political, economic, cultural and spiritual (SPECS) issues in the state.
The murder of the college principal was discussed at length to ascertain what
ails the youth in general and in professional colleges. It is alleged that the
management demanded high donations and those who failed to pay were penalised
by holding attendance and internal marks. To everyone’s horror, many students
covertly support the murderous students.
It is created by the GOTN[7], educational department
and business people masquerading as educationists, who have failed to train the
minds of the youth. Civics and humanities in the studies are neglected totally.
Moral science and scripture classes are stopped forthwith. The hand work and
handicrafts classes do not exist. Physical education is not emphasised.
No YCS/YSM, AICUF in schools and colleges.
NCC[8] and NSS[9] are ridiculed upon. The
human aspects are totally absent in today’s syllabus. The only role model the
youth gets is the negative role models from cinema. Even the family, teachers
and religious leaders have failed to be role models for the youth.
Hence, we resolved that we shall share our
concern with the civil society, educationists, social democrats and human
rights activists, organisations which work with students. Also we request them to pursue and lobby with
powers that are concerned.
In the individual sharing Tony shared that
the change in the leadership i.e. new arch bishop, has set in a halt of many
programs that were going on with the former Arch Bishop. Due to alleged funds
crisis, the various Commissions were denied funds for the current year. The
leadership is primarily preoccupied with the funds crisis. Hence, no serious
activity is going on. The same is echoed with the various lay movements like
CRMI[10], AICU[11] and the National Christian
Party. In some pockets of the state like Tiruchy and Chengalpattu the party is
active. Also some opposition has come from the religious leaders ie ecclesia.
This has dispirited many experienced lay
leader of both gender to feel had they invested the time and energy outside the
church, some space could have been created in the society at large. However,
they were counselled that in the welfare and orientation of the future
generations, the space we have in the church should never be left vacant.
Gnanaraj shared his overseas experiences
in the Arch Diocese of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
and the Metro Manila, the Philippines Vatican II conference which
heralded a new awakening among the catholic laity. The churches in Quezon, Sta Mesa,
Quapo and Metro Manila are full of activities and the youth are in the
forefront. It is heartening to see the youth of both genders have actively
engaged in the church activity besides with YCS/YSM. The experiences in the Kuala
Lumpur Arch Diocese Malaysia and Pulao Penang are also similar. The Tamil
majority of these dioceses are active and in the forefront. The Chinese and the
Malay are also not lagging behind. He suggested that the experiences of these
places may be taken as boosters for those are dejected with the Tamil Nadu Catholic
Church leaders. To everyone’s disgust, the church did not have time atleast to
issue condemnation statement of the killing of the Christians in the church in Pakistan
Deepam shared that the present editorial
team must retain its hold on the magazine “um Vaakku”. Ic case, the entire team
wishes to get out, there must be an alternate magazine. The abrupt closure of
the earlier lay magazines like RAJA GURU, MAANUDA VIDIYAL, etc was discussed.
However, it was felet that good cause never lacked financial sources. He asked for
a meeting of the editorial team to discuss further. Tony asked for a month to
convene the meet. Gnanaraj said that an appeal can be made to the laity organisations
world over for support. Also, the membership can be widened to the Tamil Catholics
all over the world.
The gathering went for lunch nearby hotel.
The post lunch session started with the sharing of Dr Magimaiprakasam, Director,
CAMERA TRUST, Chennai. He is an ex-AICUFER and was the editor of Then Mazhai,
once very popular Tamil small magazine among the college students and
activists. The trust is engaged in training, research and production for media
education in India and all over the world both for the lay and religious. He
has been one of the office bearers of the catholic print media in the
international, national and state level executive committees.
He stated that family, school and religion
are the three steams that make up the minds of the youth. The family being the
first school and the school being the second home the role of these two streams
are very important. The media has corrupted the youth, students and others. The
multi Crores ad films in an essentially black coloured people live are based on
one point program- to be fair is always acceptable. Further, the ads target the
children to buy certain branded products of the MNCs[12] for consumption. The ads
as interludes between the mega serials prepare the viewer for consumer culture.
Therefore enormous efforts are needed to create awareness to discern chaff from
the grain and appreciate the good and reject the bad. In the present scenario
the family and school have abdicated their responsibility and blame each other.
The religious forms for many decades have ceased to be the catalyst in the
present consumer society. Consumer culture paves the way for Liberalization, Privatization
and Globalization to creep in to local markets. Local products are considered inferior and are
not considered as status symbols.
The students are advised to study well,
get a good job, and fly to America the modern Mecca/Jerusalem. The parents have
no time to be with children and are always busy with making money. The schools
are more worried making money than imparting education. The modern
communication gadgets like mobile phones, internet and tabs have increased the vulnerability
of the youth and students.
Finally Parimalam shared her experience.
She has launched a health care centre at St Thomas Mount. Besides a counsellor,
she has been a health adviser. She stated that her social responsibility is
fulfilled thus.
Thanks giving.
Gnanaraj thanked Rev M C Michael for
having agreed to come for every meeting. Special thanks was given to Dr
Magimaiprakasam and Parimalam. After a brief prayer by Sara and Michael the
meeting ended at 4.30 pm.
The following three issues were resolved.
- Draft a petition to educationists on
the demoralising situation due to the evil effects of the media developing
in schools and colleges
- To explore the possibility of
launching an independent lay magazine with Tony at the editor’s disk.
- To launch a Knowledge Centre in
Chennai with Armstrong as the person in-charge.
M
C Michael 9865097601, Anthony Fernandez 9444006334/ Josephraj 9443326295/ Gnanaraj 9445393659, Sara 9283228113, Sheela 9840997999, Armstrong 9543142789, Jeyaseelan 9176747992, Dheepam 9444330393, James Victor 9443131231/04637279145, Rita Devanesan
9443710133,
Rosario 9840251065, Tensingh ‚ 9444248879, Xavier 9841801028,
V GERALD, 13/10, SOUTH BOAG ROAD
AUXILIA PETER, 94/7, SOUTH WEST BOAG ROAD
M I DHEEPAM, 22 F/1 B BLOCK,
LAKSHMI APARTMENTS, TANK ST NO 1, WEST TAMBARAM, CHENNAI 600045
JOHN BRITTO BARAKKA ILLAM, 25 SECOND ST, BISHOP DAVID
NAGAR, BEHIND TSTC VELLORE
A K JOSEPH KENNEDY, 495, 14TH
EAST CROSS ST
D ADAIKALASAMY, 1172, THENDRAL
COLONY, 4TH ST MAIN ROAD
[1]
YCS/YSM : Young Christian Students/Young Students Movement
[2]
YCW/CWM: Young Christian Workers/Catholic Workers’ Movement
[4]
AICUF: All India Catholic University Federation
[5]
SIGNIS: International Catholic Print Media Association
[6]
MIJARK: Young Farmers Association
[7]
GOTN: Govt of Tamil Nadu
[8]
NCC: National Cadet Corps
[9]
NSS: National Social Service
[10] CRMI:
Catholic Renewal Movement Of India
[12] MNCs- multinational
corporations like Colgate, Nestle,
Samsung, nokia, KFCs, etc
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