Movement News:

Student Christian Movement India (SCMI)

2009 January

Upcoming Programmes of SCMI

1. The National Level Trainer’s Training on Human Rights will be organised at Pastoral Centre, Raipur from 9th to 12th December, 2008.
2. The National Leadership Training camp for the Fellowship holders will be held from 13th to 18th January 2009 at SCMI Programme Center, Bangalore.

2008 December

Is standing with poor a crime in India?
Dr. Binayak Sen and his arrest: A Question

The Student Christian Movement of India – Tamilnadu Theological Seminary Unit had its inauguration by involving in Signature Campaign against the inhuman custody of Dr. Binayak Sen and others by the black laws of the state by asking a question ‘Is standing with poor a crime in India?. This year’s session was inaugurated by Rev. Dr. P. Mohan Larbeer, Principal TTS. In his inaugural address Dr. Larbeer said that, the student community is supposed to be vigil in updating and responding to the social issues immediately. Though SCMI has taken up this issue after a year, still it is relevant because it is not just questioning the inhuman custody of Dr. Sen and others, but to let the State to review and recall the black of such laws. Mr. A. Muthukrishnan, a well known columnist was the chief guest of the day. He narrated the background of Dr. Sen’s arrest and the section of Law which led to his arrest. It is informed that Dr. Sen was a member of the State Advisory Committee that piloted a community-based health worker programme in Chhattisgarh. He is a recipient of Jonathan Mann Award for Health and Human Rights of WHO. He was arrested just because he was favoring the victims of the Government sponsored ‘ Peace Keeping’ programme namely, ‘Salwa Judum’ campaign. The fake encounters, rapes, burning of villages and displacement of Adivasis in tens of thousands and consequent loss of livelihood by the Salwa Judum have been extensively chronicled by several independent investigations which were helped by Dr. Sen. His arrest is clearly an attempt to intimidate the PUCL and other democratic voices that have been speaking out against human rights violations in the State. Dr Sen has been detained under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2006 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004 on charges that are completely baseless.

Dr. Sen’s arrest makes a common person to get clarified to the following:

I. We Question:

• Is Standing with poor a crime in India?
  It is very clear that, Dr. Sen just stood with the poor Adivasi victims. Is it a Crime? If so where does State stand?
  
• Is Law for People of People for Law?
  Both the above stated laws are extraordinary laws which have been criticized by all civil rights groups for being extremely indistinct and slanted in what is deemed unlawful, and for giving arbitrary powers to the State to silence all manner of dissent. Can anybody abuse the arbitrary powers?
  
• Is Dr. Sen a Terrorist?
  Dr. Sen was in several Committees of the state. Were there any activities of such? Without any investigation the State does include a personality in its decision making and executive bodies. If he was a terrorist, the Chattisgarh government would not have been kept him in such big positions.
  
• Can a terrorist win the world’s support?
  All the organizations, intellectuals and individuals who are questioning and criticizing this and similar arrests are surely not pro-terrorist, because they did not raise any voices against the arrest of the terrorist.

II. We Call:

• The Student Christian Movement of India and the Tamilnadu Theological Seminary urge the Student Communities, Civil Right Organizations, Journalists and Interested Public to involve in this signature campaign or similar initiatives to express their solidarity in questioning the inhuman and arbitral abuse of the States.

III. We Demand:

• The immediate release of Dr. Binayak Sen and others.
• The immediate abandonment of the inhuman and black laws which harasses the civil society like the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, 2006 and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 2004.
• The immediate disbanding of the practice of outsourcing the police-force by the agencies like ‘Salwa Judum’.

IV. We Urge:

• The President, The Prime Minister of India, to make the Chief Minister, The Governor and the Chief Secretary of the Chattisgarh government to let their bureaucratic-ego down and to realize the need of the services like Dr. Sen’s for the society at large.
• The Parliamentarians to evaluate the out-sourcing policies and execution like ‘Salwa Judum’, because it lets the police service down and get escaped from the service force to the striking and carnage force and paves the blood-path in India.

There were about 300 students; faculty administrative and programme staff participated in this Champaign. Ms. Thabitha, the Student Secretary of SCM welcomed the gathering and compeered the programme. Ms. Ashi, Mr. Rajan Joshua and Mr. Jaiya Thilaka Prathaban also spoke on this issue and the role of SCMI. Rev. Dr. Kanagu Nelson, Chaplain TTS graced the function with prayer.

Mr. R. Christopher Rajkumar
Staff Advisor
&
Ms. Thabitha Joseph
Student Secretary
SCM TTS Unit, STN Region

2008 October-November

Faculty Enrichment Program

The Student Christian Movement of India (SCMI) and the International Association for the Promotion of Christian Higher Education (IAPCHE) jointly organised the Faculty Enrichment Programme, which was an international event from 3rd to 8th November, 2008 at SCM Programme Center, Bangalore. The theme for this programme was, ‘Christian Higher Education in the Context of Globalization’. 32 participants from India and overseas attended this programme. Rt. Rev. Dr. Taranath Sagar, Bishop of Methodist Church and the President of the NCCI inaugurated the programme and Dr. Nick Lantinga, Executive Director of the IAPCHE, delivered the keynote address. The programme included the Bible studies and the sessions on the theme and the related issues from the eminent resource persons both from India and overseas.

The aims of this programme is to give intensive training to Christian teachers in higher education to make them more effective in classroom work and strengthen the campus ministry in Christian Colleges. These six days intense programme explores the importance of a Biblical approach to higher education and to help the faculty become more effective teachers. The Programme came to an end with the valedictory function where certificates were handed over to all the participants. This was an enriching experience for the faculty who attended the programme.

Massive Rally and Public Meeting at Bangalore

The Bangalore Citizens Initiative organised a Massive Rally and Public meeting on 6th October, 2008 to protest against the communal actions in Orissa and Karnataka state. The focus of the rally and meeting was based on “Save Democracy; Save Secularism”. People from all faiths participated in this meeting to show their solidarity for the victims of the recent attacks on Christians in different parts of Indian states. Prominent social activists like Ms. Medha Patkar, Ms. Shabnam Hashmi, and Ms. Brinda Karat from CPM spoke in the public meeting.

2008 September

WCC youth team visits SCMI

The members of ECHOS, the World Council of Churches (WCC) commission on Youth visited the SCM of India from 27-30 September, 2008 as they came in advance for their recent meeting in Bangalore. The 25 members of ECHOS represent a variety of WCC consultative commissions, Central and Executive Committee, the Catholic and Pentecostal Youth and Students Networks as well as regional and global youth organizations, like the World Students Christian Federation (WSCF). Their goal is to facilitate more coherent youth participation within the WCC.

We had an exposure with them to the Yelagiri Hills, 140kms from Bangalore where Dr. Bennett Benjamin, a senior friend introduced the group to the situation of the now so called “Scheduled Tribes” and “Scheduled Castes” (otherwise known as “Untouchables”). Coming from all over the world, the ECHOS members are used to the conditions of poverty and social injustice, but confronted with the Indian caste system, they experienced injustice in a different way.

We also had a one day workshop on “Overcoming Violence”. Taking the recent violent attacks on Christians in some parts of India, four young leaders shared their perspectives on the nature of the violence. Mr. Vineeth Koshy, Youth Secretary of the National Council of Churches in India, addressed “Religious Violence” by saying that “the origin of many religious conflicts is that one compares one's own ideal religion against others' real religion, leading to differences, complexities, distortions and enmity.” Ms. Anita Hepsibah, a student at Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary spoke on violence and the caste system. “Changing faith doesn't change social conditions. The caste system has an especially devastating impact on women in India. “Ninety-five percent of all abortions in the country are female fetuses”, says Ms. Latha Paul, General Secretary of Bangalore YWCA. She further says that “Traditional attitudes towards gender roles need to be addressed by educating young women and men. Ecumenical formation can play an important role in this education.” Speaking on the topic of economic justice, Mr. Lukasz Nazarko, member of ECHOS and the Commission of the Churches on International affairs (CCIA) stated that “economic violence occurs in all other kinds of violence—religious, caste and gender, which can be witnessed in many of the social problems in India.”

For the ECHOS team there was a connection between what they saw in India and the study process of the WCC decade-long initiative, the Decade to Overcome Violence. “Youth can play an important role in overcoming structural violence like racial separation and class divisions, because they did not take part in creating or maintaining them”, says Mr. Itayi Ndudzo, from the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe and member of the WCC Central Committee.

SCM India students holds candle light vigil
at Beach Road for peace and to end secular violence

We the Student Christian Movement of India, Vishakapatnam city unit had gathered on 7th September 2008 at Beach road to protest the violence against Christians in Orissa. A large number of students and dignitaries have turned up for the vigil to protest peacefully and to express solidarity with the broken community. Scores of shops, schools, colleges and house shave been set on fire, many have been threatened, beaten up, assaulted, vandalized, brutalized, robbed, raped, tortured, exposed to all kinds of violence or even brutally murdered only on basis of their religion in Orissa.

As students and senior friends we felt that this is shameful to democracy and secularism, it is a serious human rights violation where right to life, subsistence and survival was endangered. And it is the time we need to respond to cries of people to secure peace and justice in the society. We have gathered to protest these attacks, and to express solidarity and to demand the government to initiate immediate steps to ensure secularism to be restored in country and the perpetrators to be arrested. We appeal to the government to take steps to restore law and order situation and make the state a safe place for all minorities to coexist.

2005 January-April

Public Lecture

A Public Lecture on “Did God send the Tsunami? – Christian Reflections on Science & Religion” was held on 4 February 2005 in the SCM Programme Centre in Bangalore and was conducted by Prof. P. Dayanandan, an emeritus scientist at the Madras Christian College where he had been a teacher for 38 years.

The public lecture touched on the calamities brought on by the recent tsunami that makes us wonder about the role of God in human life and all of creation. This public lecture explored on the encounter between scientific discoveries and Christian faith. The backdrop for this was the current scientific understanding and a timeframe of origins of the universe and evolution of life and human beings and human culture. For Christians the scientific world-view often evokes responses that range from serious conflicts to a healthy engagement with science. This lecture explored issues rather than claim to provide any ready-made solutions.

Zonal Workshop

The Women’s Desk of the SCMI organised a zonal workshop on Gender Sensitivity and Human Sexuality from 4-6 March 2005 at SCMI Programme centre, Bangalore. The theme of the workshop was Gender Justice and Human Sexuality: A Holistic Approach. Twenty-five students from South India participated in the workshop. The main objectives of the workshop were:

• To enable the students to acquire a holistic perspective on gender and sexuality
• Critical analysis of patriarchy, class caste and gender divide and its role in gender justice
• Describe human sexuality from a personal, cultural and theological perspective.
• To help them in transforming the attitudes, values and behavior at the personal level.
• Prepare action plans to integrate gender justice and human sexuality dialogue in their respective places and groups.

There were eminent resource persons to deliver the keynote address and to conduct Bible Study. Apart from the keynote and Bible Study, there were many sessions and group activities facilitated by INSA-India (International Service Association).

2003 September-December

Human Sexuality Programme

Together with the National Council of Churches, the Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, United Evangelical Lutheran Church in India and CASA, SCM India co-organised a three-day national level study programme on Human Sexuality on 24-26 September at the SCM House, Bangalore. 50 participants from churches, colleges and representatives of Christian organisations participated in the programme. There were thematic tracks namely Medical Approach, Social Approach and the Biblical Approach as well as group exercises and discussions to understand the concepts on Human Sexuality. Documentary films on the issue of HIV/AIDS were screened and the participants visited the Home for HIV to understand the problems experienced by the persons with HIV+.

Leadership Programmes for the regions in SCMI

Utta Pradesh region: A three-day programme on Christian Youth Leadership was organised at Ewing Christian College, Allahabad from 22-24 August. 43 participants participated in this programme and it covered topics such as Christian leadership, qualities of Christian leader, time management, communication, positive thinking and stewardship.

SCM East unit, Bangalore: A two-day programme was organized for the Church youths on the theme “Mobilisation of Youth for Action”. The programme took place at the National office programme centre. The sessions covered were social analysis, SCM aims and basis and documentary films on Globalisation and its impact.

The West Bengal, Jharkhand-Bihar, Mid India regions organised Perspective Building and Leadership Training programmes for their unit students in the months of August to October.

2003 January-March

Forthcoming and ongoing programmes

The General Committee of SCMI will take place in May 2003 in South Tamil Nadu.

International Women’s Day Celebration

To mark the international women’s day and to raise the voice against the ongoing war campaign, SCMI jointly organised a half-day programme on the theme “Beating Swords into Ploughshares” on March 7 at the United Theological College in Bangalore. 125 participants from various organisation, colleges and churches participated in the programme.

Universal Day of Prayer for Students

The Universal Day of Prayer for Students was organised all over India. The national office in Bangalore observed the day at St. Peter’s Telugu Church on 16th February 2003. The guest speaker for the programme was Dr. Dhayan Chand Carr, Principal of Tamil Nadu Theological Seminary and the offering collected in the service will be sent to the fund mobilised for the Children of Iraq.

New General Secretary for Indian SCM

Mr. A. Samuel Jayakumar has taken over the responsibility as General Secretary of SCMI with effect from 20 January 2003. He is the first youngest General Secretary in the 90 years history of SCMI. Samuel is a graduate in Economics and has obtained his postgraduate degree in Social Work.

Samuel has been associated with SCMI since 1993 as a student member. He began his service to SCMI as a programme secretary for North Tamil Nadu Area in the year 1998 and has contributed much to the SCM and other ecumenical youth organisations at local, national and international level and is currently the national coordinator for EASYNet.