Catholic woman from Odisha appointed Congress spokesperson

By Purushottam Nayak

Sundargarh, Dec 18, 2021: One of the Congress party’s new spokespersons is a Catholic woman from Odisha who says her priority is to raise grassroots issues at the national level.

“I feel honored that the party has trusted a person from a remote village with this important post. I could never imagine that I would get such an opportunity where I can take up issues of those on the periphery,” says Shilpa Ekka, who was on December 16 appointed the national spokesperson of the Congress party.

Ekka hails from Sarumaha, a village in Sundargarh district, under Kesramal parish of the diocese of Rourkela. She is the first Catholic from the eastern Indian state of Odisha to get this post.

Ekka told Matters India that her appointment was communicated to her by Srinivas Bhadravathi Venkata, the national president of the Indian Youth Congress.

The 26-year-old woman, who November 23 won a national speech competition, says she is confident to bring issues of tribal and Dalit communities to the national level. “These communities have always been a priority for the congress party. I feel blessed to get an opportunity to stand and speak up for my rights and my duties,” she said.

“As spokesperson I have to raise issues of these communities which are not given importance by the government. It is my duty to highlight the government schemes available that have not reached the people,” Ekka said.

Odisha has been ruled by the Biju Janata Dal, a region party, for the past 20 years.

She plans to use social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and videos to highlight various issues.

About her religion, she says she is “very much proud to be a Christian. God knew me from the very beginning of my life,” Ekka said referring to Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you and before you were born I consecrated you , I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

She claims that the Congress, the oldest party in the country, brings all every community under one umbrella.

She says she is grateful of the Indian Catholic Youth Movement for giving her the platform to play an important role in bringing village issues to the national level. She recalls what Pope Francis told her during the Youth Synod in 2018 at Rome, “I am praying for India and I love India.”

Biprocharan Nayak, a Catholic party worker in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, says many Christians have already held important posts in his party. Late P A Sangma was the Lok Sabha Speaker and his son Conrad Sangma is the present chief minister of Meghalaya.

Yeduguri Sandinti Rajasekhara Reddy, popularly known as YSR, was the chief minister of united Andhra Pradesh, and his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is the current chief minister of the state, after Telangana was carved out of it.

Nayak says a Catholic woman becoming the congress spokesperson is “a good news for the Church” in Odisha. “We are proud of her. Congratulations to her and wish her all the best in her challenging job.”

Nayak finds Ekka young and energetic who can contribute a lot for society in the political field.