|TOP|Following a successful conference on Dalit Christian rights earlier this week organised by UK charity Voice of Dalit International, Indian Church leaders met with representatives of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and the Pontifical Mission Societies yesterday in London.

Regarding the oppressed, persecuted Christian minorities in India, Archbishop of Hyderabad Marampudi Joji called for further co-operation, solidarity and support from the Bishops of England and Wales. Over 16 million Dalits are Christian, who make up 2.4% of India's population.

Mgr Andrew Summersgill, general secretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, said: "It was a very cordial and informative meeting, and the Department of International Affairs will take up some of the matters raised."

|AD|Fr John Dale, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for England and Wales, said the meeting was taking place at a providential time as primary school pupils would be learning about Dalit Catholics this week as part of their religious education syllabus.

"There is a long-standing relationship between England and Wales and India. Last year we gave subsidies of $2m for 20 dioceses and a further $350,000 after the Tsunami," said Fr John Dale.

"We are proud of our relationship and long may it continue."

In other news, a special appeal has been launched by the Presbyterian Church of Wales (PCW) recently to gather funds for a team of HIV and AIDS specialists it hopes to send to India to help the sister church in its fight against the spread of the disease.

PCW is hoping to send the team out in September to the Mizoram region of India to work alongside the Presbyterian Church of India (PCI) and its campaign against the virus.

The ‘Binding Wounds in the Bond of Love’ appeal is looking gather just £1 from each PCW member to raise £30,000 towards the new project.