The Hindu : National : Top French honour for Fr. Cedric Prakash

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Jun 02, 2006

National

National

Top French honour for Fr. Cedric Prakash

Fr. Cedric Prakash, Director of Prashant, the Ahmedabad-based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, has been awarded France's highest civilian decoration.

In a message to Fr. Prakash, the Ambassador of France to India, Dominique Girard, said:

``I have the utmost pleasure of informing you that the President of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac, has conferred on you the award of Chevalier de la Legion d' Honneur (Knight of the Legion of Honour), by decree of 18th April, 2006.

``I warmly congratulate you for this distinction. By this award, France acknowledges your lifetime commitment to the defence and the promotion of Human Rights in India.''

Championing cause of human rights

Fr. Prakash has been championing the cause of human rights in Gujarat and in other parts of India.

In the wake of the Gujarat Carnage of 2002, he has testified before the U.S. Commission for International Religious Freedom in Washington.

Kabir Puraskar

Among the prestigious awards received by Fr. Prakash are the Kabir Puraskar, which the President of India conferred on him in 1995 for his work in the promotion of communal harmony and peace and, in 2003, the Indian Muslim Council, U.S., presented him with the Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Award for humanitarian work.

The award will be presented to Fr. Prakash by the French Ambassador on July 14.

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