[North India Church Review] The Rt Revd Karam Masih, Bishop of Delhi, has been awarded the Indira Gandhi Priyadarshini Award 2000, which recognises his outstanding contribution to human rights, Dalit causes, gender justice and interfaith relations.
The award was instituted in memory of the former Indian Prime Minister, Mrs Indira Gandhi, and is presented annually on Women's Day by the All India National Unity Conference in New Delhi. Those who receive the award are outstanding personalities and contributors to improvements in society. This year's award was made by the former Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) Speaker, Shivraj Patil, at a ceremony attended by distinguished representatives of politics, business, Government and social action.
In the citation which accompanied the award, Bishop Karam Masih of the Church of North India was commended for his humanitarian work and leadership. The Bishop was seen as a messiah to the Dalits and oppressed communities, and had been instrumental in bringing the issues which affected them to the attention of those in authority.