Catholic Bishops’ Conference Of India organized 10th Vishwa Adivasi Diwas for Indigenous people on 09th August, 2017 , commemorating it as the international day for the tribal people, by arranging a conference in the CBCI center, New Delhi on the theme: The Sustainable Development Goals and UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s in the Indian Context. The conference mainly focused on discussing the various problems faced by the tribal people, which included poverty, lack of education, health care and transportation facilities, difficulties faced in accessing various schemes provided by the government and much more.
Adv. Fr. Nicholas Barla, the Secretary of CBCI Commission for Tribal Affairs who belongs to Oraon tribal community of Odisha, remarked that “The provisions of different tribal development plans and schemes have not been adequately implemented in India and the tribal communities by and large remain excluded from the mainstream society.” His Excellency Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX, Secretary General of CBCI, stated that “The Catholic Church believes firmly in working for the development of the poor and marginalized without any self -interest because Jesus has taught us to serve them.”
Fr. Frederick D’souza, Executive director of Caritas India, summed up the deliberations of the Conference and Mr. Ajay Xaxa proposed the vote of thanks.
