News of our work in India & Bangladesh May 2010

NEWS & EVENTS

Visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, is intending to visit India from 09 to 24 October, and during this time he will be visiting the Oxford Mission at Behala.

Music Workshop in Behala.
On 12 April, a music camp, followed by a concert, was held at Oxford Mission, Behala, led by Manab Naskar (an ex-Oxford Mission pupil, now working in the University of Trinidad and Tobago) and Sanjib MondaI (who trains the Senior Orchestra in the Mission) and supported by Col Ghosh. As the older boys had just left the Mission, the younger boys worked hard to learn the Swan orchestra part, which they had to play with the cello solo. They did very well and enjoyed it very much - as well as the chicken curry lunch organised by Manab and Sanjib!

Visits to India and Bangladesh by members of the UK Committee.
Simon Ling, Chairman, UK committee, and Mary Marsh, General Secretary, will be visiting both India and Bangladesh in November (the proposed trip by Mary Marsh at the beginning of the year had to be postponed for personal reasons). We wish them a safe journey and rewarding trip.

Visit of the President of the Oxford Mission to Kolkata and Bangladesh – 27 October to 13 November 2009
I was delighted to receive an invitation from the Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh (CoB), Bishop Paul Sarker, to attend and take part in the consecration of the new Bishop of Kushtia, the Rt Revd Sunil Mankhin. Bishop Sunil is from the Garo tribe, and is the first Garo priest to be elected as Bishop. Bishop Paul is about to succeed Bishop Michael Baroi, who has retired, as Bishop of Dhaka. Immediately following the Consecration a Consultation to evaluate the work of the CoB Social Development Programme was to be held, and I welcomed the opportunity to participate in that also. I took the opportunity of a visit to Bangladesh to include a visit to Kolkata, in order to see how the new Administrator of the Oxford Mission (OM) there was faring in the aftermath of the sudden tragic death of his much loved and highly respected predecessor, Arijeet Roy. From Kolkata I went on to Bangladesh.

I flew from London's Heathrow airport to Dubai on 27 October, and on by a connecting flight to Kolkata, arriving at 8.00 a.m. the following day. 1was met at the airport by Colonel Subir Ghosh, the newly appointed Administrator of the OM in Kolkata. His predecessor, Arijeet Roy, had done a remarkable job over a period of 7 years, and his were big shoes to fill.

Kolkata 28 - 31 October 2009
I spent 3 full days in Kolkata. I visited every part of the compounds, including Santi Nivash (the Old People's Residential Home) and the various hostel buildings. I attended chapel at 6.00 a.m. each morning, when it was lovely to see all the boys troop in and sing lustily in the half hour service. The service was held in the Mathieson Memorial Music Centre (MMMC), as the chapel was undergoing extensive repair work. The repair and re-roofing of the chapel had become urgent. Work had started on it a week before my arrival, and progress had been rapid. All the discoloured and decaying plaster on the walls had been stripped away, revealing superb brickwork of a rich red colour. The roof was about to be dismantled and replaced, and the whole job was expected to be completed at the end of the first week of December. It is encouraging to report that Colonel Ghosh has long experience in engineering. He is watching the work with a keen professional eye, to ensure that it is properly carried out. Shoddy workmanship will not be tolerated.

The boys' orchestra played a short concert for me in the MMMC, and once again I was greatly impressed by the extraordinarily high standard of their performance. I watched the boys each morning busily clearing up the compound, and I looked on, fascinated, at the preparation and cooking of hundreds of chapatis for their breakfast. I made a careful study of the use of the compound by members of the public, and watched the way in which the cricket pitch was emerging from the long grass which had grown phenomenally during the monsoon. I saw large numbers of people arriving for treatment at the Ear Nose and Throat and Eye Clinics, where a nominal charge is made for treatment. I talked at length with the chaplain, the Revd Ranjit Bannerjee, and with his Assistant, Edward Wood, who hopes to be ordained soon. And I had several conversations with Reena, the Administrator's Secretary, who is a tower of strength in the OM.

I visited the new Bishop of Kolkata, the Rt. Revd. Ashok Biswas, at his office. He is Chairman of the OM Trust Association, and is a dynamic man. He had been invited to preach at Bishop Mankhin's consecration a week or so later, and I looked forward to that and to getting to know him better. I spent a lovely evening with Mrs. Kanchan Roy, Arijeet's widow, and her family. We talked about him at length, recalling his exuberant nature, his efficiency, and his personal charisma. There is still a shadow of sadness hanging over the OM in Kolkata following his death.

Very wisely, Colonel Ghosh is proceeding carefully and cautiously as he gets used to his new surroundings.

Bangladesh 31 October – 13 November 2009.
Very early in the morning of 31 0ctober, Colonel Ghosh accompanied me to the airport to catch my flight to Dhaka. I really appreciated his coming with me, as actually getting into the terminal building through hosts of would-be porters and other hangers-on can be quite an ordeal. The 45 minute flight took off on time, and passed without incident. I was met at Dhaka airport by one of the drivers from the CoB Cathedral compound, and he drove me to the Church Office, where I met Bishop Michael Baroi, who had retired a few days previously and with whom I had lunch. I also met David Mazumder, the Co-ordinator of the CoB Social Development Programme (CBSDP). David has a huge task, coordinating and overseeing the work of the 400 Social Workers employed by CBSDP.

After a pleasant afternoon spent with David Mazumder and his family, I was taken by rickshaw to the Launch Harbour to embark on a large vessel to take me downriver to Barisal, 80 miles away. The "launches" are the size of the bigger ferries which cross the English Channel to France, and I was accommodated in a small but comfortable cabin for the overnight voyage. 1was accompanied by a member of the CoB staff. We sailed at 9:30 p.m., and as I was unable to get to sleep (I was still jet-Iagged from the journey from London), I sat out on the open deck for part of the night. There was a full moon, and the voyage down one of the channels of the Ganges was continuously fascinating. At about 1.00 a.m., a young man approached me and asked if he could talk to me (I was wearing my clerical shirt and collar) about the Christian faith. We talked for 2 hours until finally the need for sleep became overpowering and I returned to my cabin.

Barisal 01 - 04 November 2009.
We arrived at Barisal at 5.00 a.m. and disembarked at 7.00 a.m. I was taken straight to the OM compound, where I had a much-needed shower and change of clothes before heading off to church. It was Ali Saints Day, and the magnificent huge red brick church was filled with the students from the schools and hostels within the precincts.

For the 3 days of my visit I stayed in the Guest Room of the Sisters of the Christa Sevika Sangha (The Handmaids of Christ), and it was lovely to be with them again. I was very well looked after, and my room was very comfortable. I made a tour of the huge compound, with a special visit to the quiet cemetery where some of the legendary members of the Brotherhood and Sisterhood of the Epiphany have been laid to rest in a shady area. Throughout the cemetery, people were busy tending and decorating family graves with flowers and candles in readiness for the All Souls Day Procession and Service of Remembrance on the next day. It was very moving to see the love and care they were giving to their task.

During my stay in Barisal I visited the Primary School, speaking to each class, the High School, speaking to 7 classes, some of the hostels, and the Medical Centre, in the company of Mr. Byapari, the Administrator of the OM. I was the guest of honour at tea parties arranged by the Heads of Departments of the OM, the Self Help Project and the Sisters. I had a long talk with Father Francis and Brother John, and also with Mother Susila. I was sad not to visit Jobarpar on this occasion. A domestic problem had arisen, and Mother Susila thought it best that I did not go there.

Meherpur 04 - 06 November 2009.
I was driven to Meherpur, and it was a fascinating journey on, for most of the way, good roads. There were no river ferries to negotiate, and few big towns. The country was lush and green, and I looked with interest at the rice fields, the fish farms and the brick-making works. The standard of driving was quite horrific! At Meherpur I was made most welcome by the CBSDP manager, M. John Torun MondaI. I knew John from his time as Manager of the CBSDP at Jobarpar, and it was lovely to see him again. I stayed in a very pleasant Guest Room at the centre.

During my 48 hour stay I watched a splendid multi-media presentation of CBSDP's work in Meherpur; attended a lively Cultural Programme, which featured singing, dancing and a dramatic presentation on 'Trafficking and HIV/AIDS'; took part in staff morning prayers; visited the tailoring and basket-making workshops; visited 2 parishes and their Church schools; toured the Bollovepur Mission Hospital in the company of Sister Gillian Rose, who is a legend in her lifetime as a result of her many years dedicated service to the sick in Bangladesh; and visited The Independence Memorial, which commemorates the end of 23 years rule of Bangladesh by Pakistan in 1971. It was a long and busy day in the heat, and l was glad to put my feet up at the end of the day!

Kushtia 06 - 07 November 2009.
John Torun MondaI and l were driven by minibus to Kushtia, where we stayed overnight at the CoB centre before travelling on next morning to Haluaghat for Bishop Sunil's consecration. Kushtia is the city from which the diocese takes its name. There is a large CoB centre with a school, a hostel for the students, and the Bishop's residence. I stayed in a very pleasant Guest Room over the student's hostel, and was a guest at a splendid meal in a nearby Chinese restaurant. A feature of this all-too brief visit was a simple dignified evening service in the beautiful church in the compound.

Haluaghat 08 - 10 November 2009.
It was a 6 hour journey by minibus from Kushtia to Haluaghat, and once again I found the trip very interesting - the time passed quickly. We arrived in Haluaghat in mid-afternoon, and were taken straight to the CoB compound for a late lunch and to meet our hosts. A huge crowd thronged the large complex, and it was lovely to meet many friends made on previous visits to Bangladesh. There was an air of real excitement and expectation about Bishop Sunil's consecration, and l wandered around happily assimilating the atmosphere. I was driven to a modern hotel where l was to stay for 2 nights, and after a brief rest I went back to the church compound for an evening meal.

There was an extra element of excitement in my visit to Haluaghat, because l was awaiting news of the birth of a grandchild to our daughter Julia in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Communication was difficult because of time differences and because the baby was overdue, and it was not until4 days later that little Daniel came into the world to great rejoicing, and l could relax!

The day of the Consecration was sunny, hot, happy and memorable. The service began at 8.00 a.m. It was held in a huge open-sided marquee, with a large stage where the main action took place. More than a thousand people were seated in the marquee, and at least as many more stood outside looking on. The Presiding/Consecrating Bishop was the Moderator of the Church of Bangladesh, the Rt Revd Paul Sishir Sarker, who is about to be installed as Bishop of Dhaka in succession to Bishop Michael Baroi, who has just retired. Both the previous Moderators, Bishop Baroi and Bishop Mondal, were present. They stood alongside Bishop Paul, with Bishop Ashok Biswas of Kolkata, Bishop Mano Rumalshah of Peshawar, another Indian Bishop, and myself assisting. There were clerical and lay representatives from the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. It was a colourful, joyful, exuberant, dignified service, brilliantly stage managed by the Revd Martin MondaI, a former Oxford Mission student and member of the Brotherhood of St. Paul in Barisal. Bishop Ashok Biswas preached, the service moved on happily and reverently, and the new Bishop of Kushtia, Sunil Mankhin, was solemnly consecrated by 7 Bishops from 4 countries laying hands on him simultaneously. It was a surprise to note the time when the service ended - it had lasted more than 3 hours!

After a short break there was a lively Reception for Bishop Sunil. Greetings and gifts were presented. Speeches of welcome were made. Tribal "mitres" were given to each of the participating Bishops. Dancing and singing enlivened the proceedings. Two Roman Catholic Bishops were present, and greeted the new Bishop. Sisters of the Christa Sevika Sangha and of the Haluaghat Community were prominent. Mother Susila made a short speech - and another 2 hours soon passed. It was then time for lunch! By now it was 2.30 p.m., and the staff and volunteers of Haluaghat performed miracles. All were fed, with a minimum of fuss, and all were satisfied. It was a stupendous achievement.

In the early evening there was a meeting between the representatives of the mission partners agencies representatives and the Bishops of the CoB. It was followed by dinner, and a truly memorable day came to an end.

Dhaka 09 - 13 November 2009.
We returned to Dhaka the day after the Consecration. The overseas partners were accommodated at the Kalyan Bhaban Guesthouse, a lovely centre operated by the Scandinavian Churches. The following day the overseas partners had a meeting with Bishops Paul and Sunil, and the day after that we attended the CBSDP's Evaluation Consultation. The CBSDP has pioneered many exciting initiatives in its 27 year history, and now it was embarking fearlessly on a pro cess of re-assessment and change. I left the meeting feeing both exhilarated and humbled.

I spent a truly wonderful free day in Dhaka on 12 November before flying home on the 13 November. I managed to avoid any stomach upsets. I sported 42 mosquito bites in a small area of one ankle. I nearly lost my laundry in Haluaghat – but it was rescued and returned to me by Bishop Sunil. I ate curry every day - and I loved it all!

Rt Rev Bill Down
President, UK Committee

News of our work in India & Bangladesh May 2010

Visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, is intending to visit India from 09 to 24 October, and during this time he will be visiting the Oxford Mission at Behala.

Visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, is intending to visit India from 09 to 24 October, and during this time he will be visiting the Oxford Mission at Behala.