Statistics for the year of 2015

St. Paul’s Church, Pirgacha

Census 2015

(1) Catholic:- (Male:  4,632, Female: 4,422) : 9054

(2) Catechumen:- (Male: 36, Female: 34) : 70

(3) Baptist:- (Male: 663, Female: 623 ): 1286

(4) Oxford: (Male: 552, Female: 538): 1090

(5) SDA: (Male: 157, Female: 108) : 265

(6) Pagan: (Male: 47, Female: 53): 100

(7) Hindu: (Male: 2, Female: 3): 5

(8) Muslim: (Male: 16, Female: 91): 107

(9) Mandai: (Male: 514, Female: 504): 1018

Grand Total: ( Male: 6619, Female: 6376): 12995

Report on Education 2015

(1) SSC: (Male: 352, Female: 319): 671

(2) HSC: ( Male: 252, Female: 293): 545

(3) BA/BSS/BBS: (Male: 96, Female: 69): 165

(4) M.A/MSS/MBS: (Male: 51, Female: 38): 89

(5) PTI: (Male: 23, Female: 42): 65

(6) B.ED: (Male: 4. Female: 4): 8

(7) M.ED : (Male: 1, Female: 1): 2

(8) LLB: ( Male: 1, Female: 0): 1

(9) MBBS: ( Male: 2, Female: 2): 4

Report on Profession (Job) – 2015

(1) Garments worker: (Male: 110, Female: 44): 154

(2) Beauty parlor(Beautician): (Male: 8, Female: 643): 651

(3) Cook (work in house): (Male:53, Female: 101): 154

(4) Nurse: (Male: 10, Female: 63): 73

(5) NGO  worker: (Male: 124, Female: 89): 213

(6) Police, Army, BGB (Defense): (Male: 9, Female: 2): 11

(7) Security(Male: 117, Female: 0): 117

(8) Work in rice mills and others ): (Male: 11, Female: 0): 11

(9) Car Driver (Male: 120, Female: 0): 120

(10) Teacher ( Male: 38, Female: 63):101

(11) Work in hotel: (Male: 17, Female: 5): 22

(12) Work in Pharmacy: (Male: 12, Female:4): 16

(13) Work in Poultry Farm and others: (Male: 22, Female: 2): 24

(14) Work in Shop( Male: 85, Female: 35): 120

(15) Govt. Service: (Male: 6, Female: 9) : 15

Harassment of indigenous community

Address the grievances

For over a decade, the indigenous population of Madhupur has been vociferously protesting the Forest Department’s move to encroach upon their lands to set up a national and Eco Park to promote ecotourism. It is unfortunate that not only has the Forest Department repeatedly ignored the pleas of the local community which depend on these lands for their lives and live hoods, but it has also allegedly filed false cases against those protesting the move. According to the indigenous people, as many as 1,098 false cases have been filed by the forest department against 184 local indigenous families. This is a serious allegation, which if true, is a gross violation of basic human rights and constitutional guarantees.

The Forest Department initiated the Forest Conservation and Eco Tourism Project in 2000 to build an Eco Park on 3,000 acres of the forest in Madhupur. The indigenous people have waged a movement against the park since 2004, but their protests were met with harassment and even violence, with one indigenous youth shot dead and another 25, including women and children, injured with bullet wounds as the police and forest guards opened fire on a protest march in the same year. Since then, the community has faced different forms of harassment and violence, including filing of false cases.

It is counter- productive and counter intuitive to us that an Eco Park is being built displacing the local indigenous community, in whose lives and culture, the land and nature plays an important part. What, we wonder, is the point of development if it wrecks and displaces lives?

We urge the government to withdraw these false cases immediately, ensure traditional land rights of the community and include them in decision-making processes that affect their lives.

Source: The Daily Star, December 15, 2015

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

          This has been a busy year and I want to thank you for many years of help that I have received. I have been here sixty year now and my ministry has been very fruitful and interesting. I have been sixty years with the Garo, Tibetian Tribe here in the Madhupur Jungle.

            I started the Jalchatra Mission in 1960 with 2000 Catholics. Today there are over 20,000. The Garos were uneducated and with many diseases.

They practiced their ancient religion from Tibet. I opened many Primary Schools and two High Schools. Today many are College graduates and are professional police, doctors, nurses and have jobs in many beauty parlors.

            They are known for their honesty and hard working peacefully. It is a matriarchal tribe and the women are hard working and honest. At marriage the boy goes to the girl’s home. The children take the mother’s family name.

The Garos are 90% educated now and getting good jobs in the cities.

            Pirgacha Mission now has 10,000 Catholics with thirty-three Primary Schools and village Churches. They have Mass once a month. Here at the Mission we have a High School with 650 students. Many go to College in the cities and get good jobs. We have a girl’s boarding with 135 girls and a boy’s boarding with 60 boys. The boy goes to the girl’s home at marriage.

            We have a small hospital with 20 beds run by three nurses that take many deliveries and tropical diseases. There are 30 poisonous snakes here and many come for treatment. We use the 300,000 volt stun gun to detoxify the snake bites. Many come from afar for treatment. Last year we treated over 300 snake bites and no patients died.

            Your help has made this Mission possible and many prayers are said for you and your families. Many thanks for your help and prayers.

Sincerely,

Rev. Eugene E. Homrich, CSC