Assam universities commit to follow Mother Teresa’s footsteps

The move follows the canonisation of Mother Teresa in Rome.

Guwahati:  The spirit and message of St Teresa of Calcutta will now inspire students of the most venerable universities in Assam - Gauhati University, Dibrugarh University and Cotton College State University - to get involved in social service.

The development came soon after the canonisation of Mother Teresa in Rome.

The vice-chancellor of Gauhati University, Mridul Hazarika, told The Telegraph that the values and work for which Mother Teresa dedicated her entire life had a huge relevance in today's society.

"We will work out a few social projects as a mark of respect to St Teresa and involve students as well as faculty to serve those in need," Hazarika said.

Alak Kumar Buragohain, the vice-chancellor of Dibrugarh University, said his university was hugely inspired by the fact that a social worker from India had been elevated to the level of a saint. He said the university planned to involve itself in a big way in projects to reach out to the poor in future.

The vice-chancellor of Cotton College State University, Dhruba Jyoti Saikia, said his university had launched a project as part of the post-graduate curriculum to involve students in social responsibility projects to serve different communities. He said St Teresa's ideals and works would be one of the main components of the university's social responsibility project.

Saikia, an eminent astrophysicist, said there was an urgent need for universities to produce committed social workers like her.

"It is a laudable initiative. It shows that almost 20 years after Mother Teresa's death, her values still inspire not only the imagination of young people in college, but also the minds of academics who appreciate Mother Teresa's commitment to serving humanity," said Salesian Fr. C.M. Paul, who heads the Department of Communication in the Don Bosco University in Assam.

Source: Telegraph, Agenzia Fides