Indian Currents received ICPA’s prestigious annual “Louis Careno Award for Excellence in journalism” 2018 at a colourful function at USM, Indore on the evening. of March 9. The award was given to Indian Currents for its bold stand against communalism and fundamentalism and was received by its Editor, Dr Suresh Mathew.
Accepting the award, Dr. Suresh Mathew said: “This award goes not to Fr. Suresh but to all those who write, subscribe and read Indian Currents”. What is urgently required for the leaders of the Indian Church is to read and promote the Indian constitution, support Indian Currents and read newspapers diligently, he added.
Fr Dr M D Thomas, Founder-Director of the Institute of Harmony and Peace Studies, New Delhi received the Swami Devanand Chakkungal Award for Best Hindi writer for his exceptional contribution to Hindi Christian literature. Chinmay Mishra from Indore, a writer, thinker and social activist was also honoured by ICPA for his contribution to the promotion of art and literature.
Fr Thomas thanked the ICPA for selecting him for the award and said that Kabir motivated him to enter into interfaith harmony. The passion for Hindi transformed him. He suggested to bring the scriptures of all religions out of the control of the priestly class and reach it the houses of the common people in the language of the people and poetry. “We have to take a rebirth in the Hindi language,” he said.
ICPA Vice-president Ignatius Gonsalves and senior members Fr Varghese Paul and Babychen Aerthayil were honoured for their achievements during the year. While Ignatius has been chosen to head a Christian news channel called SHEKINAH TV as well as he was the Jury chairman for this year’s UNICEF Media Awards, Fr Varghese Paul received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National and International Compendium, New Delhi. Babychen was chosen for the literary award 2017 of the Bishop Mankuzhikari Cultural Academy for his book “Udayanagarile Sukruthatharakam” on Blessed Sister Rani Maria. He also won the News India, Chennai, Golden Jubilee Award for the same book early this year.
Chinmay Mishra, a senior local journalist who was honoured on the occasion, said; “We live in period of contradiction. Even reality is not convincing. Journalism is truth. Many aspects of social life have left journalism, especially art and literature. We live in a period of tension.”
The award function was presided over by Bishop Salvadore Lobo. Renowned painter , writer and film Director Prabhu Joshi was the Chief Guest. In his address, Prabhu Joshi said that democracy is in crisis. If the change is imposed from outside, we face a cultural melancholy. The entire motto of our journalism is consumerism. Democracy has gone to the highest bidder. The government has sold education, health, and transport to all private parties. We have surrendered before the WTO. Now the government has only the Judiciary. Can we maintain democracy in this country, he asked..