Weeklong Mother Teresa birth centenary begins in Tripura

Agartala, Aug 23 : To commemorate the humanitarian work of the benevolent Mother Teresa and propagate her message of compassion, a weeklong celebration of Mother Teresa's Birth Centenary kicked off here.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar inaugurated the celebration yesterday organised by the Diocese of Agartala in the Holy Cross complex with a Symposium highlighting the contribution of Mother Teresa to the society and her relevance in present world.

Addressing the gathering Mr Sarkar highlighted Mother's selfless work among the poorest of the poor and said, ''Her simple message resonated in every Indian - poverty is neither noble nor acceptable; social justice does not automatically follow economic development.'' Renowned intellectuals and academicians spoke on 'Mother Teresa and the New Educational Paradigm; Mother the Roving Ambassador of Missionaries of Charity; Mother Teresa and the Social Teachings of the Church; Teresa and Tagore: Configuring a nation without boundaries.' Dr Father Paul Pudussery, CSC, the Coordinator of the Symposium, described Mother Teresa as a saint, who spread the message of compassion and care globally, while the multinational corporations were only concerned about their profit driven operations and he termed Mother Teresa as 'Conscience of the globalized world.' The Mother Teresa Birth Centenary Celebrations Committee under the Diocese of Agartala is organising a week-long program here to honour the Nobel Laureate, who had herself started two 'Missionaries of Charity' institutions in Tripura, Dr Paul added.