by Nirmala Carvalho

by Nirmala Carvalho Ram Puniyani, president of the Center for Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai, said he was "touched by the human feelings expressed by the Pope" in "Laudato sì". In India "economic policies are carelessly looting nature and the system tries to belittle the dignity of religious minorities and other weaker sections of society."

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - Pope Francis’ encyclical "Laudato sì" “is what the world needs, to protect our mother earth from the ravages of industrialized and unregulated consumerism. This is the direction in which human society, all of us, needs to fight, regardless of the religion to which we belong. It is the voice of common sense in a way where the greed of a few is destroying the long-term interests of humanity. I really hope that many other countries pay attention to this call for a more healthy and humane society".  This is the reflection that Ram Puniyani, intellectual, social activist and president of the Center for Study of Society and Secularism in Mumbai gave to AsiaNews.

Published yesterday, the encyclical letter "invites us to protect the environment, overcoming the hardships of large sections of society and the need to improve our dignity for all.  This is what the human race needs today".

Dr. Puniyani, a secularist and staunch defender of social harmony in India, says he feels "deeply touched by the humane sentiments expressed by the Pope. His call for protection of environment, overcoming the deprivation of large sections of society and the need to uphold our dignity for all, is what the human race today. Today many in clergy are talking more on issues related to identity and rituals. This encyclical is a refreshing contrast, where issues related to global human society are touched upon with empathy and compassion".

"In India - he said - we see the economic policies which are recklessly plundering the nature. This encyclical should make us thing, introspect as to where are we going as far as our environment is concerned. We are slipping down on social indices and hunger levels is going up and calorie consumption is coming down. This is the product of policies which are dictated by the corporate world, the major supporter of Modi Government. The system is trying to undermine the dignity of the religious minorities and other weaker sections of society. Time for us to wake up and rectify the ills which are affecting our ethos. "

• india
• activist
• pope
• francis
• encyclical
• ecology