Social Justice Crusader Father Cedric Prakash, SJ, appealed to all journalists to stick out their necks and fight for a just, free and equitable world.
"We need to wake up now, to be visible and vocal, to use our God-given talents for a more harmonious and peaceful world," said Father Prakash while accepting the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) award on December 1.
Father Prakash, the veteran human rights activist, said, "Millions of our country's women and men continue to live on the peripheries of a highly exploitative and exclusive society which caters to the whims and fancies and greed of a privileged elitist section of society."
The priest called upon the media to fight a relentless war on behalf of the poor and the marginalized. He asked media persons not to get carried away by electronic gadgets and concentrate on their core fighting for human rights.
Father Cedric Prakash SJ, based in Ahmedabad, received the ICPA- Father Louis Careno Award. The ICPA instituted the award with the support of the Mumbai province of the Salesians of Don Bosco in memory of Father Louis Careno, a Salesian missionary.
Father Prakash has played an important role in the country and the church through his bold writings against communalism and fundamentalism, which are gaining ground globally.
This year, the ICPA awards were drawn from different parts of the country, Gujarat, Orissa and Jharkhand in India, which has a population of over 1 billion persons and over a hundred thousand registered publications. There are over 300 languages and a thousand dialects in the country.
The awards were part of the 26th National Convention of Christian Journalists with the theme "Hit the Streets- Listen, Encounter and Engage" based on Pope Francis's message this year for the World Communication Day that focuses on "Come and See(John 46): Communicating by Encountering People Where and as They are" and was held at St. Paul's Media Education Center, Bandra, Mumbai, India.
Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Mumbai and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India, congratulated the ICPA members. Cardinal Oswald stressed the importance of the word of the Gospel on issues of social justice and human rights.
Earlier in the day, former High Court judge, Aloysius Aguiar addressing the audience, said, "Journalists must act as watchdogs when human rights and other basic rights are being trampled upon by the state and the powers that be. As newshounds, they can sniff out stories that are not just sensational but which expose the rot in society, in the government and even in the Church and religious institutions.
The second award winner was Sister Sujatha Jena, a Catholic Nun-Journalist-Activist belonging to the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Sister Jena has regularly contributed to major national and international news portals on human rights and Dalit issues. She made a passionate plea to continue the fight against discrimination for the weaker sections of society. The SC/BC Special Award was instituted by the ICPA and sponsored by the CBCI Office for Scheduled Castes and Backward Classes to promote the welfare of marginalized peoples.
The third award for the best Hindi Writer/Institution known as the Swami Devanand Chakkungal Award went to a magazine 'NISHKALANKA' edited by Father Justin Tirkey SJ.
It is a Catholic Hindi publication from Ranchi, Jharkhand, celebrating its centenary year. From its inception, the Jesuit-owned magazine has been published by the Catholic Press Ranchi (established in 1920). The magazine has been a vehicle of information on religious, socio-economic, and politico-cultural, tribal and other marginalized groups.
All the awards were given to the recipients by Justice Aloysius Aguiar (former Judge of the Bombay High Court) and Bishop Salvadore Lobo, Ecclesiastical Advisor to the ICPA and Apostolic Administrator of Asansol Diocese.
Ignatius Gonsalves, ICPA President, drew parallels from the civil rights movements in the USA led by Martin Luther King and its Indian counterpart led by Ambedkar.
Mohan Shivand, a former editor of the Readers' Digest, voiced his alarm at the country's rising tide of anti-democratic forces.
Dr. Shaison P. Ouseph, an internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker, shared his experience of the rising tide of anti-democratic forces by narrating his experience. He was given telephonic threats after posting a critical film on YouTube and was forced to delete it from the digital platform.
Nearly forty Christian journalists attended the convention held after a gap of two years, affected by the pandemic.
With credits to Father Joaquim Fernandes, SDB and Ashley D'Mello.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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