From correspondents in West Bengal, India, 05:31 PM IST
Feeling 'humble', Missionaries of Charity (MoC) superior general Sister Nirmala Monday said she was unable to understand why she was being given Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour.
'I don't know much about this award and can't understand what I have done to receive this honour!' Nirmala told reporters at Mother House, the global headquarters of MoC here.
She is among the 10 people chosen for the award on the occasion of the Republic Day.
Nirmala further said she is not the only one who deserves this award.
'I feel humble to receive this honour. However, this is not my achievement alone, but the efforts of all the nuns of MoC, who have devoted their lives to the service of God and people.'
'Nevertheless, we have always learnt to accept whatever good or bad God gives us. And I am grateful to Him and accept this honour as His blessing,' the 74-year-old nun said.
Nirmala, who took over as the Missionaries of Charity superior general in 1997 succeeding Mother Teresa, is known for her simplicity and humility.
Born Nirmala Joshi to a Brahmin family in Ranchi in 1934, she joined MoC at the age of 17 after converting to Christianity from Hinduism.
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The missionary zeal to serve the suffering (taken away from that for conversion as a trade) is greatly worth commending to Hindu missions for emulation. Exhortations of truth, hard work, belief in God, etc., however well intentioned for religious discourses, will not appeal to substantial sections of society in these days of rat race for a materially well off living. Of course, such missionary help is only to make suffering individuals self reliant after that essential succour is provided during suffering. It is also true that, in the process of removal of sufferings and providing of succour through education and other incentives, religious propaganda can become dry of spirituality which is the essential core of Indian culture which has stood Indians despite suffering. It is a tight rope walking which has been lost sight of by certain religions rushing to do missionary work.
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