IGNOU celebrates birth centenary of Fr. Camille Bulcke

Updated on: Friday, December 03, 2010

Remembering the contribution of Padma Bhushan Fr. Camille Bulcke, a Belgian Jesuit missionary in India, towards the Hindi language, the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), in association with the Institute for Socialist Education, Ministry of Culture of the government of India and the Institute for Media Communication, organised a national seminar to celebrate his birth centenary.

Member of Parliament Oscar Fernandes, while inaugurating the seminar, appreciated the spirit and contribution of Fr. Bulcke. He said, “By bridging the Christian thought and practice with Hinduism and by writing "Ram Katha Utpatti Aur Vikas" and "Angrezi Hindi Shabdkosh", Fr. Bulcke brought all languages together.”

Fr. Bulcke is remembered as a saintly scholar, who was amiable and unassuming in nature and provided selfless service to the followers of all faiths, said H E Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo, the Chief Guest at the function.

Fr. Bulcke died in New Delhi in 1982 at the age of 73. He was born at Ramskappelle in what is now West Flanders, Belgium, but spent most of life in Ranchi after arriving in India as a Jesuit seminarian in 1935. He became an Indian citizen in 1951.

His doctoral thesis "Ram katha utpati aur vikas" is considered one of the best commentaries on the Sanskrit-language Ramayana. Other popular works include a Hindi translation of the Bible that Churches in northern India still use and a 40,000-word English-Hindi dictionary published in 1968.

IGNOU celebrates birth centenary of Fr. Camille Bulcke

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