Salesian Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, Vol. VI, No. 2 (December 2015)
ISSN: 0976-1861 | DOI: 10.51818/SJHSS.06.2015.v-viii | Page No: v-vii | Section: Editorial

Editorial: Christian Education and Making of Democratic India| v

Editorial:

Christian Education and Making of Democratic India

George Thadathil is the Principal of Salesian College Sonada and Siliguri. He is the author of Vision from the Margin (2007) and has edited and co-edited number of books besides contributing to a number of journals and edited volumes on Philosophy, Literature and Social Science. He is the founder Director of Salesian Publications, Salesian Research Institute and Salesian Translation Centre.

Aju Kurian is the Vice Principal of the Salesian College Siliguri. He has done his Masters Microbiology from St. Joseph’s College Bangalore (Autonomous) and MBA with specialization in International Trade Management from NIBM. He holds a bachelor degree in Education (B.Ed.) from Kurushethra University. He has number of years of experience in school administration. His areas of interests are Recombinant DNA Technology, Oncogenes, Philosophy and Religion

Ganga Parajuli Tirkey is the Deputy Head in the Department of Education at Salesian College Siliguri Campus. She has completed her Masters in Education from University of Calcutta. Her areas of Interest are Mental Hygiene and Special Education.

Rochelle Ann Lepcha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism. She has completed her Masters from University of Pune. She qualified her UGC NET in Mass Communication and Journalism in December 2012. Her area of Interest include Reporting & Television Production.

Felix Wilfred in the Introduction to Oxford Handbook of Christianity in Asia, makes threefold submissions about the Christian presence in India/Asia: firstly, that ‘modernization’ though not an ‘explicit agenda of Christian mission’, yet turned out to be, ‘an important sequel to the project of Preaching of the Gospel’. It happened so because it was an enterprise entered upon from the religion point of view and those who spearheaded such missionary activities and enrolled to participate as disseminators of the Gospel Message were imbued with the desire to ‘ennoble’, ‘save’ and ‘civilize.’ Secondly, he continues to add that “Christianity has been an important force for the identity-construction of peoples and groups, especially the marginalized.’ The arrival of Christianity, in its second phase, along with colonialism especially gave a voice and a recognition to a people who were getting strained out as expendables of caste culture. As a result, he makes the third point while talking about the way peoples came to accept Christian world view in saying that ‘the issue was not so much a conversion in terms of change in religious beliefs as a change to a new identity.