News & Events

Miao Diocese opens deaddiction centre for girls

Namphai, 25 May 2023: In its effort to fight drug and other substance addiction among the youth in Arunachal Pradesh, Miao diocese has opened ‘Auxilium Wellness Centre’, a deaddiction facility for girls and women at Namphai II in Changlang district on 24 May 2023. Drug menace is a big problem across Arunachal Pradesh and it feeds on the future prospects of the nation, said Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao diocese. Leading the inaugural function, he said, “It is a dream-come-true project for all the people of Arunachal Pradesh, especially in the eastern part. We hope this facility for girls will not only bring people out of addiction but also contribute to the overall health of the people all over Arunachal Pradesh.” According to a latest national survey, the districts of Namsai, Lohit, Dibang Valley, Upper Siang, Anjaw, Tirap and West Kameng are said to be among the 272 worst drug-abuse districts in the country. Speaking at the function as Chief Guest, Ibom Tao, the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Miao, said, “Drug and opium abuse is destroying our society and this centre is a need of the hour because there are so many addicted people here. Merely arresting them and putting them behind bars is not a solution. This wellness centre will be a great blessing and an asset for the people around.” The Wellness Centre with all the modern facilities has capacity to treat 45 in-patients for deaddiction. The centre has also day-care facility for alternative therapy, sujok therapy, magnet therapy, acupressure therapy and full-body wellness massage therapy available for both men and women. Appreciating the Church for this noble effort, Tao said, “Catholic Church wherever it has reached has contributed to the people with education, social-service and health care. This centre is also an example of how the Church constantly contributes to society building. Public and district administration should help, support and cooperate to ensure smooth functioning of this facility.” The centre has a small dispensary to cater to the medical needs of the people in the neighbouring villages, especially to pregnant women and children, including health awareness outreach programme. Sister Alphonsa Kurisingl FMA, the provincial superior of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, who will run the facility, said, “With this centre we commit ourselves to the healing ministry to provide the best care to everyone. Our wholistic approach involves working with mind, body and spirit for a complete change in behaviour and attitude that puts patients on the path to a healthy and worthwhile life.” Expressing happiness over the inauguration of the facility, Nongri Taidong, a public leader from Namphai town said the centre is indeed a blessing for our people. It will bring down the crimes related to drug-abuse in our district and beyond. “We hope in the coming days the district administration grants necessary permission to make the centre open also to men,” he said. Established to mark the centenary year of the FMA presence in North East India, the Auxilium Wellness Centre will be headed by Sister Sudem Basumatary FMA, a trained professional in dealing with addiction, counselling and alternative...

Introduction Are we speaking with the heart? As journalists, do we speak the truth in love? These are two relevant questions we need to ask ourselves, reflecting on the message of Pope Francis on 57th World Communication Day. With misinformation almost becoming synonymous to journalism, its credibility has hit an all-time low. Deliberate publication of misinformation by journalists is an aberration in journalism practice and a threat to the harmony of the society. This article does not intend to make an exhaustive study on this dangerous environment of falsehood. It rather tries to study the core principles of journalism to aid the journalists in general and church journalists in particular to fight misinformation and disinformation or fake news. Disinformation is an old story fuelled by new technology Mobilising and manipulating information was a feature of history long before modern journalism established standards which define news as a genre based on particular rules of integrity. An early record of fake news dates back to ancient Rome, when Antony met Cleopatra and his political enemy Octavian launched a smear campaign against him with short, sharp slogans written upon coins in the style of archaic Tweets. But the 21st century has seen the weaponisation of information on an unprecedented scale. Powerful new technology makes the manipulation and fabrication of content simple, and social networks dramatically amplify falsehoods peddled by States, populist politicians, and dishonest corporate entities, as they are shared by uncritical publics. What journalism needs to do In this context, it is a time for news media to tack more closely to professional standards and ethics, to eschew the publishing of unchecked information, and to take a distance from information which may interest some of the public but which is not in the public interest. All news institutions, and journalists whatever their political leanings, should avoid inadvertently and uncritically spreading disinformation and misinformation. In much news media today, the elimination of positions providing internal fact checking has to an extent led to the function now being assumed by the “fifth estate” of bloggers and other external actors who call out mistakes made by journalists – though after they are already disseminated. This emergent phenomenon can be welcomed by news media as reinforcing society’s interest in verifiable information. Journalists should bring the work of independent fact-checking groups to larger audiences. The media should be careful that external post-publication corrections do not become a substitute for internal processes of quality control. Journalists have to do better and “get it right” in the first place, or forfeit the possibility of a society to have believable media. In sum, a game of catch-up corrections by external watchdogs is not one in which journalism is a winner. Journalists cannot leave it to fact-checking organisations to do the journalistic work of verifying questionable claims that are presented by sources. Journalism needs to proactively detect and uncover new cases and forms of disinformation. This is mission critical for the news media, and it represents an alternative to regulatory approaches to ‘fake news’. Core principles Aided by process transparency and explicit application of ethical standards, journalism’s distinctive role today lies in its capacity to contribute clarity and build trust around verified content. The following seven principles, which are to varying extents about ethics, should aid the church journalists and...

Margherita, 15 May 2023: A group of nearly 500 youth from across Arunachal Pradesh prayed for peace and forgiveness in Manipur at the Divine Renewal Retreat Centre, Margherita, Assam on Sunday. Leading the candle-lit prayer for peace, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao diocese appealed to the youth to be messengers of peace and forgiveness. “What we have witnessed in Manipur is nothing less than what has happened in Ukraine. In this tragic moment of pain and uncertainty, we need to stand united and spread the message of peace across Manipur and in the region,” said the Chairman Bishop of Youth Commission of North East India Regional Bishops’ Council. Ethnic violence that began across the State of Manipur on 3 May has claimed more than 70 lives and over 200 have been critically injured and according to an official record some 30,000 people displaced. “The victims of any form of violence are always the innocent. We express our solidarity with the families affected and we pray that peace and normalcy returns to Manipur soon. We also appeal to each of you to extend your helping hand to support the people affected,” said the Salesian prelate. Having spent weeks in temporary shelters in military camp, many have fled the State to safety across the country. Speaking at the prayer meet, Taw Tebin, the President of Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association (APCA), said to the youth, “I appeal each of you to keep your eyes and ears open to guard yourselves from the divisive forces that are scheming to create division and polarization on ethnic and religious lines in our state.” In the multi-cultural tribal context of Arunachal Pradesh, the APCA president reminded the youth, “In a state like ours where more than 100 tribes have peacefully coexisted, we can ill afford to have an ethnic conflict like in Manipur. It is not enough that we pray for peace but we need to promote peace.” The unrest in Manipur began when ethnic tribal people organized a protest march against the likelihood of the non-tribal community being recognised as a Scheduled Tribe. “Having to spend cramped camps for weeks, having lost all that we called home once and with our churches being reduced to ashes, our families are left with so much uncertainty towards our future. We do not know when things are going to be normal again,” said Sister Anna Gangmai, a missionary Nun from Manipur working in Arunachal Pradesh. Her family too has been displaced in the violence. 60 percentage of the 30-lakh population of Manipur belong to the Hindu-majority Meitei group, while largely Christian tribal groups like Kukis and Nagas make up the remaining 40 percentage. What began as an ethnic violence has taken an anti-Christian shape with many churches and Christian institutions belonging to both the Maitei and Kukis and Nagas. Considering the selective destruction of property belonging to the Christian groups, the violence bears all the semblance of an orchestrated crime against the minority Christians in the State. As per the official report of the Archdiocese of Imphal on the cost of destruction of St. Paul’s Parish and Pastoral Training Centre, Imphal alone is nearly nine crore Indian rupees. This prayer meet is not just to pray for peace in Manipur but also to guard ourselves against all the...

Guwahati, 4 May 2023: In the wake of large-scale violence and unrest in Manipur, the Catholic Bishops of North East India have appealed for restrain and peace in the state on 4 May 2023. Speaking on behalf of all the Bishops of North East India Regional Bishops’ Council (NEIRBC), Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati, said the images and videos from Imphal, the capital town, and across the state, being shared on different social media platforms was sad and disturbing. “Violence is never the answer for any lasting solution. Violence begets violence and it leaves an indelible scar in the mind of the people. The North East Region is unique and the rest of the country looks up to us for our gentleness, warmth, hospitality and rich cultural heritage. What is happening in Manipur since Wednesday is sad and frightening and it does not represent who we really are,” read the note from the President of NEIRBC. The appeal comes a day after worrying report of large-scale arson, vandalism, clashes and unrest emerged from Imphal, Bishnupur and Morey areas of Manipur due to some misunderstanding between two sections of the people over Scheduled Tribe status. “Manipur is a beautiful state where different communities have peacefully co-existed for centuries. We should not allow this harmonious coexistence to be disturbed due to misunderstanding fanned by rumours”, the note read. The state government has issued curfew and internet lockdown orders since last night to contain the violence. In extreme cases, the district magistrates are asked to issue shoot at sight order. Appealing for an amicable solution to the issue through dialogue, the note implored the people of Manipur to stop all the violence and vandalism and to work towards restoration of normalcy. “It is sad and unfortunate that a problem over a ST status is being given a religious colour by burning of many churches. Loss of lives and huge damage to property of residents have brought lives to an uncertain and painful halt. We appeal to every single person in Manipur to work for calm and restoration of normal life”, the note read. As per the latest report, the situation seems to have been brought under control after huge deployment of Army and paramilitary forces across the state. Expressing solidarity with all those affected by this unrest, the Bishops of North East India have requested everyone to pray for peace and normalcy in Manipur and across the...

Tezu, 8 May 2023: Two books were released on the two French Missionaries killed on their way to Tibet through Arunachal Pradesh at the closing session of the diocesan inquiry of their cause of Sainthood, on 30 April 2023 at St. Peter’s Church, Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh. Two French Missionaries of the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, Fathers Nicholas Michael Krick and Augustine Etienne Bourry were killed by an Arunachali tribe’s man in the year 1854 on their way to Tibet. Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao diocese has been pursuing their cause of Beatification and Canonization from 2013 onwards. Having completed all the formal procedures, the diocese formally closed its local inquiry on 30 April in a large gathering of faithful and priests from all over east Arunachal Pradesh. On this historical occasion, Padmasree Mamang Dai released a book titled ‘The First Martyrs of North East India’ which contains extracts from the original letters of the two missionaries on their journey to Tibet between the years 1851 – 1854, and another book titled ‘Blood and Blessing’ a musical on the life of the two missionaries who walked through the Mishmi Hills along the Lohit River in Arunachal Pradesh. Releasing the books, Padmasree Dai, who has also authored a book on Frs. Krick and Bourry titled ‘The Black Hill’, said, “I feel blessed to be part of this important event. It was my quest for spiritual fulfilment that led me to the life of these two valiant missionaries and to their hometown in France. The closing session was attended by Bishop George Pallipparambil SDB of Miao Diocese, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Aind SDB and Bishop Dennis Panipitchai SDB. After reaching India in 1848, Krick searched for a way to cross the Himalayas to enter the forbidden land called Tibet. After spending time studying Tibetan language at Guwahati in Assam, he journeyed on through Arunachal Pradesh towards the Tibetan border, crossing through areas inhabited by the Adi, Mishmi and Lhoba tribes. Finally, on January 16, 1852, he made his way to the village of Somme, near the present-day juncture of Tibet, India, and Myanmar (Burma). Tibet at that time was a closed kingdom. Nobody was allowed in, and Fr. Krick faced great opposition from the unfriendly locals who were determined to keep him out. The Frenchman could find nowhere to sleep, and the people refused to sell him any food. To survive in order to give the good news of Christ’s story of Salvation, the missionary “was forced to collect grains of rice that had fallen on the ground and to scavenge for the disgusting leftovers from other people’s meals, which even dogs refused to touch.” After a few days of serving the people there, the locals drove Nicolas Krick out of their town and back across the border into Arunachal Pradesh in India. After recovering, Krick made plans to re-enter Tibet. This time, he was accompanied by a young recruit, Augustin Etienne Bourry, who hailed from La Chapelle-Largeau, France. After graduating from the Missions Etrangères de Paris in 1852, Bourry applied to join the mission to Tibet and met up with Krick in India on December 10, 1853. On the following February 19th, the duo started their journey toward Tibet, with their sights set firmly on reaching Lhasa, the...

News & Events

Miao Diocese opens deaddiction centre for girls

57th World Communication Day: Journalism in time of misinformation

Arunachal youth pray for peace in Manipur

Bishops of NE India appeal for peace amid unrest in Manipur

Books released on two French Missionaries killed in Arunachal Pradesh