Matters India reporter
Gorakhpur — A diocesan social service centre in Uttar Pradesh won an award for their outstanding contribution to the disabled and marginalised people on the ocassion of International Day of Disabled Persons, 3 December.
United Nations General Assembly declared International day of the Disabled Persons in 1992 to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life.
The Government of UttarPradesh awarded the Social and Epowerment Wing of the Catholic Eparchy of Gorakhpur the Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS), as the Disability Friendly organization in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
PGSS Director Fr. Varghese Alumchuvattil received the award from Hon. Chief Minister of UP, Shri Yogi Adityanath.
The mentally retarded and rehabilitated street children under the care of PGSS also won awards in the Children’s Day Competition held last month in Lucknow.
PGSS was established in the year 1986 as one of the flagship socil sevice units of the Catholic Diocese of Gorakhpur with the vision of having a society based on justice, gender equity and fullness of life for all.
Since its inception, PGSS has been working towards Empowerment of the Marginalized especially the Dalits, Women and Children through a process of awareness, organization, advocacy and collective actions for raising their socio-political, educational, economic, health status and promotion of safe environment.
The Catholic Diocese of Gorakhpur of Syro-Malabar rite was erected on 19 June 1984 by Pope John Paul II with Fr Dominic Kokkat, CST, as its first bishop.
The diocese is comprised of seven north eastern districts of the state of Uttar Pradesh viz. Gorakhpur, Deoria, Sant Kabirnagar, Basti, Kushinagar, Maharajganj and Siddharthnagar covering an area of 19,070 sq. kms.
It has a population of about 17 million, of which the Catholics and other Christians are a very small minority.
The region has Hindi, Bhojpuri and Urdu as its principal spoken languages. The holy city of the Hindus, Gorakpur is only a night’s journey distance from New Delhi by train.
The region shares international border with Nepal.