Mother Teresa of Kolkata is an 'icon of our time' to build a better world
For Dalit activist, the saint’s message of mercy "is even more relevant in today's world, in a country like India marked by episodes of discrimination against Dalits, minorities and intellectuals.” She fought “discrimination with compassion”.
New Delhi (AsiaNews) - Mother Teresa "is always our icon. Our work is based on her example. With her as a point of reference, we try to build a better world, a better India," said Lenin Raghuvanshi on the day in which the liturgical memory of the “Mother of the last” is celebrated. The saint herself was canonised by Pope Francis on 4 September 2016.
Speaking to AsiaNews, the Dalit rights activist and executive director of the Peoples' Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) in Varanasi noted that “her legacy is still valid. We work to improve the conditions of the poor, the marginalised and children."
According to the activist, who is involved in protecting the most marginalised sectors of society, "Mother Teresa’s example is great: she drives us to support the poorest of the poor. She looked upon the needy with compassion."
"Her most important message to the country, which is still true today, is to look with love to the poorest and seek them out wherever they live. This is what we do too. She said: 'If you work for the poor and the marginalised, then you do it for my children'."
Mother Teresa founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity, which today has homes for the sick, the poor, the needy, abandoned children, single mothers and seniors all over the world. "The service she offered to India is highly appreciated in the country and in every part of the world," Raghuvanshi said.
For him, the saint’s message of mercy "is even more relevant in today's world, in a country like India marked by episodes of discrimination against Dalits, minorities and intellectuals. She fought discrimination with compassion, fought for the abolition of the caste system and for the creation of a system at the private and public level to support the last of society."
Her example "is an appeal to all, to work to eliminate inequalities and the system of social exclusion". This is what "I pray for every day too, especially when I go to the Sisters of Mother Teresa centre in Varanasi. There I gather in silence before the statue of the saint and pray for a better India."
"My hope is that the Mother can always be proud of India, just as India is proud of the Mother. For this reason, we need to create a society based on her example. In particular, we have to work in two directions: to support work with the poor by investing in education and abolish society’s castes and fascism."
Following Mother Teresa’s example, "we must all work in a humanitarian and charitable way. We must instill compassion and passion for the weakest people in society."
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