Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
PM Modi takes care of the interest of every minority including Christian community, says Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias
Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias hopes Pope visits India on PM Modi’s invitation to motivate further peace and progress
Babushahi Bureau
Mumbai, September 23, 2024: As part of Sewa Pakhwada (service fortnight) to celebrate Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 74th birthday, a “Prayer for Peace and Harmony” with the Christian community was organized by Indian Minorities Foundation (IMF) at Holy Name High School in Colaba, Mumbai on Monday.
Led by the Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Christian community prayer emphasized compassion, social justice, and the well-being being of the community.
During the Prayer, the Christian community along with a delegation led by Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu also prayed for the long life of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the continuation of his leadership to make India a developed nation by 2047.
After the prayers, members of the Christian community came together to plant trees and distribute saplings at Holy Name High School under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” tree plantation drive for paying respect to Mothers and Mother Earth by planting saplings.
On this occasion, members of Christian community said India is known for unity in diversity and peaceful co-existence of all religions. They said under PM Modi’s leadership, no discrimination on the basis of caste, community, gender, or religion exists in India as all communities co-existing peacefully in the country.
Members of the Christian community said India has always believed in the concept of ‘Vasudaiva Kutumbakam’ (the world is a family). They said India is moving ahead with its shared values and heritage. They said members of all communities are getting equal opportunities in all sectors including education and employment.
Christian community members said in the past decade under PM Modi, India has demonstrated that harmony can exist amid diversity.
On the occasion, Archbishop of Bombay, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said Prime Minister Narendra Modi cares about all the minority communities in India.
“Mr Modi is concerned about everybody. I have met him several times also, he certainly has interest of every minority including Christian community in all his plans and programmes. We are one country. Our greatness is we have got variety of people, culture, language, religions. I think there is no other country which has the richness as we have. Therefore, it’s a challenge for every leadership,” he said.
Welcoming PM Modi’s invitation to Pope for visiting India, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said Mr Modi, the Prime Minister has invited the Pope to India, I hope it (invitation) is realised. This again will be a further motivation for peace and progress,”.
He said the whole world is becoming smaller and smaller. “It’s becoming one village, one township. It (world) should become one family. And greater peace, understanding and concern for others and helping others is extremely important. I hope with Prime Minister’s visit abroad and the Pope himself has been travelling to different places with the same message peace, concern for others and helping others, not thinking about ourselves but thinking about others and future generations,” Cardinal Oswald Gracias said.
On the celebration of Sewa Pakhwada to mark PM Modi’s 74th birthday in Mumbai, Cardinal Oswald Gracias said, “Today was a very significant event as a part of the Sewa Pakhwada 2024 we had a programme to encourage our youth and everybody else also to make use resources of earth are very wisely used. The sapling plantation today is a symbol of our continuous commitment to care for the earth, nature for future generations. We hope a movement begins from here in the whole country and the world. I am happy that government of India has taken an initiative for this and I am thankful to the Prime Minister for having encouraged this movement (tree plantations),”.
PM Modi has given hope, infused confidence that India can become Viksit Bharat: Rajya Sabha MP and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu said, “PM Modi has not only given us hope but also infused confidence that India can become a Developed Nation (Viksit Bharat). He has given us hope that India can become world’s 3rd largest economy. I believe the birthday of such a leader must be celebrated by the entire nation.
Under the visionary leadership of PM Modi, a progressing thinking has been nurtured that has resulted in creating a positive environment all around.PM Modi is the force behind the country’s renewed confidence and unprecedented growth in the last 10 years.
Minority communities have received maximum benefits from all the welfare schemes that has been introduced by the Modi government. The way PM Modi has strengthened the relation and confidence among all minority communities in the country that has never taken place in the past.”
Ends