Rights Activist Priest To Receive National Award

(Wed. 18 Oct.2006):-Jesuit Fr. Cedric Prakash, Director of Prashant, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, has been chosen as the recipient of the Minorities Rights Award 2006, by the National Commission for Minorities of the Government of India. He will be felicitated at a function to be held in Delhi on December 18^th. This day also happens to be the anniversary, on which the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National, Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. Fr.Cedric Prakash has done a lot of praiseworthy work in the field of the upliftment of minorities.Some of his major contributions being - advocating the cause of minorities in Gujarat; his testimony before the US Commission for International Religious Freedom in Washington, and his support for the victims of the Gujarat Carnage of 2002. When the controversial Gujarat Freedom of Religion Act was passed, Fr. Prakash strongly condemned the Act, labelling it as a violation of the fundamental human rights of a citizen. Acknowledging the contributions of Fr. Prakash, the Chairperson of the Commission, Mr. M. H. Ansari stated that the Commission confers the Award on an individual who has rendered outstanding contribution to the protection of minority rights. Awards are not something new to Fr Prakash. He has received several, including the highest civilian honour “Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur” for his lifetime commitment to human rights, by the Government of France on 14th July 2006. In 2003, the Indian Muslim Council, USA, honoured him with the “Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award” for Humanitarian Work. And in 1995, the President of India conferred on him the “Kabir Puraskar” for his work in the promotion of Communal Harmony and Peace. At present, Fr. Prakash is the Secretary of the Commission for Social Communications of the Western Region Catholic Bishops Council.He also shoulders various other responsibilities .