Skip to content Skip to navigation

Archbishop Menamparampil nominated for Journalism Award

By CM Paul |

Guwahati: The Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) will honour noted peace activist Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, conferring its prestigious annual ‘Louis Careno Award for Excellence in journalism’ for his bold writings against communalism and fundamentalism that is gaining ground globally.

The Award will be conferred on the Archbishop by former Supreme Court judge Justice Kurien Joseph, during the 25th National Convention of Christian Journalists, organized by the ICPA, scheduled to be held in Delhi, on 29 February 2020. 

“Archbishop Menamparampil’s name is synonymous with peace, inter-community dialogue and social harmony. His incisive, thought-provoking writings on these subjects have broken new grounds,” says ICPA President Mr Ignatius Gonsalves.

Kochi based senior journalist Mr Gonsalves adds, “His razer-sharp analysis of socio-cultural and political issues, especially relating to North-East, have led to soul-searching debates and concrete peace initiatives.”

Besides being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, former archbishop of Guwahati received “Ambassador for Peace” award from the International Human Rights Council, New Delhi on 9th December 2019.

Having spent a lion’s share of his life in the North-East, the Kerala-born 84 year old Archbishop’s writings reflect his deep understanding of the region’s cultural values and ethnic diversity. 

Editor of Indian Currents weekly and ICPA Secretary Capuchin Father Dr. Suresh Mathew says, “His articles are marked by scholarly insights and he minces no words in raising his voice against irrational, biased and unfair policies and decisions of the governments of all times.”

Archbishop Thomas was asked by Pope Benedict XVI to prepare the meditation prayers for Way of the Cross in 2009, which the Pope himself lead on Good Friday at the Roman Colosseum. He is the only Indian and second Asian to prepare the meditation prayers for the 'Way of the Cross' lead by the Holy Father. Salesian Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong had prepared the Way of the Cross for the pope in 2008.

Most of his early writings were talks he gave to his co-workers like A Path to Prayer, Let Your Light Shine, Thought on Evangelization, Never Grow Tired. His reflections on culture and its relationship with missionary work came to be published next, like The Challenge of Cultures, Cultures in the Context of Evangelization. His thoughts on social responsibility found expression in Towards a Sense of Responsibility, Becoming Peacemakers, Searching for Ways of Peace, Probity in Public life, The Whole of Creation Groans with Pain. In the face of varied expressions of Collective Anger in our times he wrote his Stored Anger which emphasizes the need for understanding ‘anger’ contextually and studying its causes respectfully and sympathetically,  and helping it to a positive conclusion. These books are among many more of his publications. 
 
He has written more than 150 scholarly articles in a variety of Indian and International journals including Vidya Jyoti, Third Millennium, Mission Today, In Christo, Tripod, Omnis Terra, World Mission, Worldwide Mission, Verbum.  Several of the papers he presented at international conferences in Universities in India, China and Africa have been published in the respective University magazines. Just recently he attended conferences in Universities in Slovenia, Egypt and Turkey on the themes like Inter-community Understanding, Healing of Historic Memories, Regeneration of Cultural Values. He insists that he has always sought more to be relevant than scholarly. But he says, he gets encouraging words from his readers, even from distant lands. 
 

Conferred annually on deserving individuals or institutions, Louis Careno Award for excellence in journalism is a joint venture of the Mumbai Province of the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Indian Catholic Association (ICPA), a Premier Organisation of Catholic journalists, Dailies and Periodicals in India founded in 1964 by Fr John Barrett, an American Jesuit, belonging to the Jesuit Patna Province. 

Fr José Luis Carreño (23 October 1905 - 29 May 1986) was a Spanish Salesian and pioneering missionary in India and the Philippines. Founder of the premier Indian institution Sacred Heart College, Tirupattur, Vellore, Tamilnadu Fr Carreno was a writer, poet, and musician. The 9th successor of Don Bosco, Rector Major of the Salesians, Fr Pascual Chavez Villanueva, called him as "the great missionary of India and of the Philippines in the footsteps of St. Francis Xavier."

ICPA also annually awards best journalism in Hindi and Journalism for SC/ST rights. These will be announced by next month.

Author info

CM Paul's picture

Former HoD, Dept of Mass Communications at Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, C.M. Paul was editor of The Herald weekly in Kolkata and director of Don Bosco International News Agency (ANS) based in Rome. He did MA in Journalism & Mass Communication from FORDHAM University, New York.

Add new comment

Random Stories

Rockybul courts controversy

2 Jul 2015 - 2:16pm | AT News
A senior cabinet minister courted yet another controversy on Thursday when he strongly advocated the inclusion of outsiders in the NRC who came across from the border for the sake of their lives.He...

Workshop on Human Rights Violation in Assam at Nagoan

28 Jun 2008 - 4:11pm | editor
Union Grants Commission (UGC) sponsored workshop on HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION IN ASSAM is all scheduled to be held on 28th June 2008 with a day long program at ADP College premises Nagaon organized by...

Me Dam Me Phi at Mohmora

23 Jan 2012 - 11:26pm | Anup Arandhara
Like the other places of Assam, the regional committee of ATASU and All Tai Ahom Yuba Chatra Parishad are organising Me-Dam-Me-Phi at Kakotibari public play ground on January 31. In this occasion...

Areca nut tree at Geleky

21 Sep 2011 - 10:43pm | editor
9 Years old, betel nut tree at Nazira, Galeky.

Other Contents by Author

Assamese Entrepreneur heads trillion dollar company

In a rare case of rags to riches story, an Assamese entrepreneur today heads a trillion dollar company in the U.S. employing over 4,000 people. The man in the case is Siddhartha Chowdhary, the founder of Credence, a consulting organization based in Washington DC. An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur (1988-92 Batch) he was two terms president of PAN IIT activities for over 5,000 members in the U.S. Siddhartha affectionately called as Sid was introduced as an unmatched achiever from northeast India at a felicitation held at Press Club Dispur in his home city Guwahati, on 22nd December 2023. Introducing him was his former principal at Don Bosco School Guwahati Fr V. M. Thomas who said, “Sid...

School Marks 50 Years with Laudato Si’ Musical

Siliguri: A premier Catholic school in North Bengal staged an ambitious musical performance marking its golden jubilee with two-day open air mega event by 1,200 children teaching and learning from animal kingdom. Some 12,000 people including school children and their guardians, as well as students and faculty members from Siliguri participated in both shows staged by Don Bosco School Siliguri. The musical ‘The Lion King’ stage production with music by Elton John, lyrics by Tim Rice, and a book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi, with additional music and lyrics by Lebo M and others is based on the 1994 Walt Disney Animation Studios' film of the same name. In the golden jubilee...

Manipur Elders take moral responsibility, declare indefinite fast and prayer for deeds of immature youth

Imphal, July 29: In a gesture of peace and reconciliation, elders of Vaishnavite Community in Imphal have taken on moral responsibility for the misdeeds of the immature youth of their community, by declaring an indefinite fast and prayer.  In the wake of Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparampil’s third visit to Manipur (25th to 27th July 2023) coincides with the initiative of the Convener of Interfaith Forum for Peace and Harmony of Manipur, Mr. Deben Sharma, announcing Indefinite Fast and Prayer in the name of his Vaishnavite Sanamahi community.  Mr. Sharma, one of the initiators of the Interfaith Forum for Peace along with a number of highly placed leaders...

Radio Salesian journalists make first post-Covid outreach progra

In a post-covid outreach effort to connect with the local community, Radio Salesian journalists made their first attempt and reached one of the far-flung tea garden in Mirik Sub-Division, some two hours' drive from Sonada. On Saturday 5 March, the Radio Salesian RJ team including 4 new radio journalists RJs Wang, Garima, Bandana and Pratap went for their first community outreach programme guided by senior RJs Moses, Rejina and Programme Co-ordinator RJ Samir.  Upon reaching Murmah Tea Estate, the Radio Salesian team members were received with traditional khadas (scarf) and welcome greetings from the residents of Murmah. Radio Salesian regular listener and caller Laxmi Pradhan...

Students honour 1971 war veterans

Siliguri: Marking the 50th anniversary of the birth of Bangladesh and the 13-day Indo-Pak war of 1971, a group of college students organised a felicitation program for war veterans on 18th December 2021. Leading a group of six veterans, as well as a war widow was 86-year old Hon Cap S.B. Chhetri, who belonged to 5/11 Gorkha Rifles who were part of the decisive battle of Bogra to capture Dhaka, then the capital of East Pakistan. Other eminent veterans present were Hawaldar Duryodhan Tamang (Army Corps of Engineers); Hon Capt Hemant Subba; Subedar Bijai Kumar Subba Sena Medal; Hav M Gautam Tamang; Subedar Tilak Ram Chhetri, and war widow Mrs Ishadevi Thapa, representing late Sub SB...

College youth celebrate diversity in fashion show

A college in North Bengal concluded two day college events with celebration of diversity of India with a much awaited popular item - fashion show, 17th December 2021. Salesian College Siliguri organised the event christened Exsurge 2021 (Arise and Take Flight), which has had its tradition since 2009 when Salesian College Sonada established in 1938 started its Siliguri campus. Unlike other years, this year, despite the pandemic, students were able to participate in 20 events including: bands, dancing, painting, collage, sketching, doodling, poetry, stand up comedy, photography and short film making among others. “It is our way of affirming the diverse culture of India represented by...

Archbishop, Academicians, Activists join forces to promote peace

Guwahati, 22 October 2021: A group of academicians and social activists came together under the leadership of the archbishop emeritus of Guwahati to promote peace at a time when the whole of Brahmaputra Valley is “in search of peace”.  The occasion was the release of an Assamese language book entitled Hanti Bisari (In Search of Peace) written by Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil. The original work in the English language was translated into Assamese by a civil society leader, Mr. Paresh Malakar. The book-release turned out to be a social-discussion session in which the need for mutual understanding between communities was emphasised. A reputed intellectual of Assam, Mr. Hiren...

10 days training for paramilitary force

The combined 10-day Annual National Cadet Corps (NCC) Training Camp was held under the aegis of the 16th Bengal Battalion at Salesian College Siliguri from 16th to 25th September 2021.  As many as 400 NCC cadets from 10 colleges from in and around Siliguri participated. Camp activities included drills, weapons training, map reading and various team-building exercises along with social activities.  28 Cadets from Salesian College participated in the camp along with Salesian College NCC Coordinator Lt Risha Chettri. The Cadets followed their daily schedule which included doing morning meditation, morning and evening drills, studying subjects from the armed forces as...

College Radio launches ‘Aazadi - Freedom Song Competition’ to celebrate diversity

Darjeeling: The first college Community Radio in North Bengal launched a creative initiative to mark 75th year of India’s Independence with what it calls ‘Azaadi Freedom Songs’ - a celebration of diversity and harmony. India snatched its freedom from British colonial rule on 15th August 1947. Radio Salesian 90.8 FM - The Voice of the Hills based at Salesian College Sonada is the first and only FM radio channel of Darjeeling since 2016. This Independence Day initiative by Radio Salesian is in collaboration with two youth groups : Darjeeling NGO Mukh Bandh Kaam Suru (Shut Up Start Work) and Salesian Youth Movement Kolkata. “It is our humble effort to promote fraternity, liberty,...

Hill NGOs fight Covid with joint well being campaign

A group of Non Government Organizations (NGO) in the hills have come together to fight Covid 19 with joint well being campaign with slogans: ‘Bring Back the Smiles’, and ‘We Build Each Other.   “Using the hashtags #Bringbackthesmiles #Webuildeachother, the Well Being Campaign is all set to change the information game in these trying times,” says Adarsh Rai Founder of Encompass and team member of Hayden Hall Darjeeling.    “We plan to do it from top-down directives to modelling everyday safety standards, from negativity to positive action language, from fear and doom to healing, well being, hope and growth,” says Psychologist Susan Subba of Heart works....