Pope Paul II misinterpreted

Sir,

Your esteemed newspaper bore many statements reported to be from certain religious and political leaders criticising the Holy Father Pope John Paul II for what he had told the visiting Indian Catholic Bishop during the recent Ad Lamina visit (it is customary for the Catholic Bishops across the globe to call on the Pope once in 5 years). The Pope had said: ''You should persist in your efforts to evangelise the people with the message of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ viz peace, forgiveness, love and peace and not be cowed down by the anti-conversion laws existing in some Indian states.. '' (L'osservatore Romano-Vatican dated June-4, 2003).

The exhortation of the Pope has been interpreted as an encouragement for Christian Missionaries to carry out conversion through fraudulent and coercive means. Further it has been alleged that the Pope's exhortation amounts to his interference with the internal affairs of the country and also to promote sinister plans to destabilize the country. The interpretation of the exhortation of the Holy Father Pope John Paul II by the people that be is not well founded and, as such, can be dismissed as absurd, baseless, unfounded and unwarranted.

In his exhortation the Holy Father has said nothing new. The Catholic Church has been saying so over the centuries especially after the Vatican Council II. The Document of the Vatican Council II says : ''The Vatican Council declares that the human person has a right to religious freedom. Freedom of this kind means that all men should be immune from coercion on the part of individuals, socal groups, and every human power so that, within due limits, nobody is forced to act against his convictions nor is anyone to be restrained from acting in accordance with his convictions in religious matters in private or public, alone or in association with others.'' This inter alia means that religious freedom is the inalienable and inviolable right of an individual and none has the authority to tamper with this right. This pricniple is also very much enshrined in the Declaration of Human Rights to which India too is a signatory.

The fact of the matter is that the Catholic Church has consistently held the view that coercion and fraud coupled with allurement in matters, of religious faith is unacceptable. Professing a particular religious faith is one's choice; it cannot be enforced on anyone. Conversion or change of one's religious faith is a free act of one's conscience and, therefore, no one can be converted by coercion, fraud and allurement. It is an open policy of the Catholic Church that conversion from one religion to another by coercion; fraud or allurement is an insult to human intelligence, autonomy and dignity.

We all know that there are universally accepted principes of Human Rights and Freedom of Conscience and if the Holy Father has taken serious note of Anti-Conversion laws as exist in some states of India, I feel he is concerned about the purported move to undermine human dignity and freedom of conscience through legislation. Besides this the Holy Father has said nothing that goes against the very tenets of the sacred Constitution of our sacred land that guarantees to every citizen of India freedom of conscience in matters of religious faith.

So the need of the hour is to understand the exhortation of Pope Paul in the correct perceptive and not to misinterpret it in order to draw political capital out of it.

Yours etc.....
Predhuman K Joseph Dhar
Member Catholic Internationale de la Presse,
Geneva (Switzerland)
On e-mail

In-situ promotion in Agri Deptt

Sir,

Under the Departmental Sanction Order No. 54 of 2003 dt 26.5.2003, fifty two officers were given the benefit of 2nd in situ by virtue of which they were allowed the pay scale of Rs 7450-11500 w.e.f 1-2-2003.

A cursory look at the service records of the Junior Agriculture Asstt's gives an interesting picture, that most of the Junior Agriculture Asstts, who are working against the posts of Agriculture Extension Officers/Agriculture Asstts were benefitted under the extent orders, got appointed on 9-1-1985. Being Now Gazetted employees the benefit of in-situ was allowed to them in the pay scale of Rs 6700-10700 w.e.f 1-1-1995 and was due for 2nd in-situ w.e.f 1-2-2003. Incidentally the officials were promoted as Agriculture Extension Officers/Agriculture Asstts vide Govt Order No. 565-Agri of 1995 dt. 1-12-1995 (Rs 6700-10900) in stop gap arrangement by dint of which the officials were allowed to draw charge allowance as attached to the post under rule vis-a-vis the scale of 6700-10700. The officials as such enjoyed the Gazetted Status as and when they assumed the charge of Agriculture Extension Officers.

Ironically the Agriculture Graduates appointed as Agriculture Extension Officers prior to 29-1-1985 continue to draw salary in the pay scale of Rs 6700-10900, at less monthly rates than the officers covered under above mentioned orders.

As such the Chief Minister, Mr Mufti Mohd Sayeed is requested to kindly look into the matter personally and necessary instructions should be given to the concerned quarters to redress the grievances of the aggrieved Agriculture Extension Officers/Agriculture Asstts.

Yours etc....
Aggrieved AEOs/AAs