By IANS,
New Delhi : Dominic Emmanuel SVD, who has been working on inter-religious dialogue, and Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, known for its annual “Phool Walon ki Sair”, have been selected for the National Communal Harmony Awards for 2008, according to an official announcement Monday.
The award jury, headed by the vice-president, selected Delhi-based Dominic Emmanuel SVD in the individual category and Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, also based here, in the organisation category, the home ministry said in the statement.
“Dominic Emmanuel SVD, 57, has been working for communal harmony for the past two decades. Having a Ph.D. on ‘Communication as Dialogue: Its Progressive Recognition in Modern Christian, Academic and Broadcast Discourses’, Emmanuel has been in the service of inter-religious dialogue,” it said.
“He has been actively involved in resolving conflicts/differences between different communities. His literary works include 14 books on subjects covering value education for school children and communal harmony,” the statement said.
Anjuman Sair-e-Gul Faroshan, established in 1964, has been working for communal harmony since its inception, the ministry said.
“The Anjuman has been organising a week-long unique historical festival every year, ‘Phool Walon ki Sair’, in Delhi for more than 40 years. The festival is a symbol of solidarity amongst Hindus and Muslims.
“Considered as an emblem of communal harmony, the pankhas of ‘Phool Walon Ki Sair’, are presented to the president and vice-president of India besides other dignitaries. The Anjuman involves troupes projecting diverse cultural representations from various states and with different religious background that participate in ‘Phool Walon ki Sair’, conveying the message of communal harmony.”
The National Communal Harmony Awards were instituted in 1996 by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony (NFCH), an autonomous organisation set up by the home ministry, for promoting communal harmony and national integration.
In addition to a citation, the award includes Rs.500,000 and Rs.200,000 for the organisation and individual categories, respectively.