Time To Recognise Church's Contribution Towards Nation Building: Bishop

The church has done a lot in the nation-building process in India over the years and it is time to recognise this contribution, the Bishop of Calcutta (CNI) has said.

Many people are forgetting the church's contribution, and at times it is necessary to remind them about the same, said (Rt) Revd Dr Paritosh Canning said.

"We don't have a hidden agenda. Our aim is to get recognised in a broader way. At times, you need to remind people about your contribution - for example a baby does not get milk unless and until it cries. The new generation should also be made aware of the contribution of the church," he told a press conference on Wednesday at the Bishop's House here.

Bishop Canning said the Bengal Christian Council in association with the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba and other churches in Bengal will be organising a peace rally from St Paul's Cathedral to the Gandhi Statue in Kolkata on Friday.

This year, the rally's theme will be "contribution of the church towards nation-building", he said. Another objective of the procession is to build unity among Christians, Bishop Canning said.

Last year, about 20,000 people participated in the rally, he said.

Bishop Canning claimed that nation-building was started by the Christians way back in 1793, when Willam Carey had come to Kolkata to set up the first printing press and joined hands with Raja Ram Mohan Roy to protest against the practice of 'Sati'.

The church has also worked for HIV, leprosy and TB patients and fought against child labour and trafficking, he said.

"Minorities should be given equal importance as everybody is the same and deserve equal prestige and dignity," Bishop Canning added.

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