Despite laudable contributions in the field of education and health, Christian Missionaries are yet to get due respect and honour in the country, writer Na D’souza has said.

Inaugurating the bicentenary celebrations of Basel Mission at the Baselion auditorium here on Sunday, Mr. Na D’souza claimed that Christian missionaries were instrumental in sensitising the Indian people to the significance of education in their lives.
Elaborating on the arrival of missionaries in the country and their work in providing education to people by opening schools and colleges, Mr. Na D’souza said that missionaries established schools for girls only with the objective of providing them education when they found that people were reluctant to send girls to co-education schools.

He said that missionaries also provided a voice to the widows, opened hospitals, orphanages and old age homes for the poor and the oppressed.

He recalled the contribution of various missionaries who to Kannada literature, art and culture.

Paper
A.V. Navada presented a paper, “Contribution of Basel Missionaries to Kannada language and Literature”, while Rev. Ratnakar Sadananda spoke on the “Contribution of Basel Missionaries to medical and educational field”. 

Presiding over the function, Bishop of Karnataka Northern Diocese Reverend Ravikumar J. Niranjan spoke on the significance of the celebrations. Heads of various dioceses were present. The bicentenary celebrations began earlier with a ‘Thanksgiving workshop Service’ at Hebich Memorial Church where Reverend G .Dyvasiravadam, Rt. Rev. Thomas K. Oommen, Rev. Rathnakar Sadanand, advocate Robert Bruce, Rt. Rev. John S. Sadanand, Rt. Rev. Baker Ninan Fenn and Rt. Rev. Timothy Ravinder took part.

Basel Mission bicentenary
celebrations begin

crtsy.The Hindu