Salesians re-dedicate themselves to northeastern youth

(April 26, 2010) The Salesians of Don Bosco working in northeastern India have renewed their commitment to work for youth in the troubled region, where ethnic conflicts, drug abuse and poverty plague the young generation. The missionaries must “recommit themselves in humility to the uplift and empowerment of youth,” retired Bishop Robert Kerketta of Tezpur told the 17th chapter of Salesians of Guwahati province. In his homily on Friday, the 77-year old bishop highlighted the “cost and sacrifice” that the Salesians need to be prepared for in order to meet the challenge of working for the poorest youth. Bishop Kerketta noted that in northeast India the Salesian mission was rooted in suffering and pain. Salesians who pioneered Catholic missions in the region, following up Salvatorian missionaries, have been caught between ethnic violence, secessionism and militants’ extortion attempts in the past four decades. Some of their members were also murdered. Since Indian independence in 1947 the ethnically divergent region comprising seven states have witnessed several upheavals. Insurgency, secessionism, warfare among tribals and army attempts to crush them have killed more than 100,000 people in the region in past six decades. The region bordering Myanmar, China and Bhutan is also a haven for drug smugglers and drug abusers and has a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS and malaria.