Parliamentarians celebrate early Christmas

A parliamentarian's Christmas get-together was organised by the Indo-International Christian Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

Several MPs and ministers, bishops, pastors and leaders of Christian organisations joined the function at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.

The participating dignitaries included former Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for Railways KH Muniyappa, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pawan Kumar Bansal, senior Indian National Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, and MPs PC Chacko, Helen Davidson, and JD Seelam, among others.

The chief guest, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, could not attend the gathering for reasons unknown.

In his message, Bishop Ezra Sargunam of the Evangelical Church of India spoke of Jesus birth and the impact it had on the world. "Jesus came so we may have eternal life. His birth is good news for all mankind. He preached the message of Justice, Equality and Liberty," he said.

Greeting the parliamentarians and church leaders, Shashi Tharoor said it was his third successful participation in the event and will continue joining in celebrating the birth of Christ every year.

"I have had a strong Christian influence in my life like many others. I had my education in Christian schools. First two were Jesuits, the third was Anglican. Although we non-Christians had Moral Science as our subject, it was just Christian ethics without the Bible. What we are today have been shaped by the many Christian ethics that were taught and raised with," he said.

"The Christian values and ethical constructs have never left me even after my schools. Even Mahatma Gandhi was deeply influenced by the teachings of Christ. His ideologies on peace and non violence are consistent with the philosophies of Christianity," he added.

Extending the Yuletide greetings, MP Ram Subbu spoke of how the Gospel message enabled missionaries to serve people in several rural areas with a devotion to God and selfless service to society.

"I am from a Hindu family but I have more things to say about Christians and their works. Whether education or healthcare, they have left a strong mark by serving the weak and uplifting the poor," he said.

The function ended with the greeting of former Union minister Dhanushkodi Athithan, who is also the host of the parliamentarian's Christmas gathering.