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>FreeToDisagree: Removed the religion-parameter from the infobox since it is no longer in use.

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{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|honorific-prefix =
|name = Norbert DeSouza
|native_name =
|native_name_lang =
|honorific-suffix =
|image =
|imagesize =
|smallimage = 
|alt =
|caption =
|order =
|office2 = President, [[All India Catholic Union]]
|term_start2 = 1996
|term_end2 = 2000
|predecessor2 = [[Peter G. Marbaniang]]
|successor2 = [[Maria Emilia Menezes]]
|constituency2 =
|majority =
|birth_date =
|birth_place =
|death_date =
|death_place =
|restingplace =
|restingplacecoordinates =
|birthname =
|citizenship =
|nationality = Indian
|party =
|otherparty = 
|spouse =
|partner = 
|relations =
|children =
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation =
|profession = Railway engineer
|cabinet =
|committees =
|portfolio =
}}
'''Norbert D'Souza''' is a railway engineer and trainer from [[Pune]] who was president of the [[All India Catholic Union]] (AICU) for four years.<ref name=Dayal/>
The AICU represents almost 16 million [[Catholic Church|Catholics]] in [[India]], including followers of the [[Latin Church|Latin Rite]], the [[Syro Malabar Catholic]]s and the [[Syro Malankara Catholic]]s.<ref name=MilliG200410>{{cite web
|url=http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2004/01-15Oct04-Print-Edition/011510200489.htm
|work= The Milli Gazette
|date= 1–15 Oct 2004
|title=John Dayal elected All India Catholic Union National president
|accessdate=2012-03-05}}</ref>
He held office from 1996 to 2000, succeeding [[Peter G. Marbaniang]] and succeeded by [[Maria Emilia Menezes]].<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://aicuindia.org/officebearers.html
|title = Office Bearers
|publisher = AICU
|accessdate = 2012-04-18
|url-status = dead
|archiveurl = https://archive.is/20121220120901/http://aicuindia.org/officebearers.html
|archivedate = 20 December 2012
|df = dmy-all
}}</ref>

In September 1992 as vice-president of the AICU western region D'Souza participated in a three-day conference that discussed changes to the Christian Personal Law relating to marriage, divorce and adoption. The current laws did not recognize a divorce granted by a priest, and did not allow Christians to legally adopt for succession purposes. Also, Dalit Christians were not treated as members of scheduled castes, although Sikhs and Buddhists of Dalit origin were. It was agreed to campaign for changes to these laws.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.indiarightsonline.com/Sabrang/gender.nsf/484a26bca5578172e5257713005d899b/5b1a92ef475904a9e5256dd60028a860/$FILE/ced08103.pdf
|work=Indian Express
|date=1992-09-24
|title=Changes in Christian Personal Law Mooted
|accessdate=2012-04-18}}</ref>

As secretary of the AICU, D'Souza observed that Christians had traditionally been strong supporters of the [[Indian National Congress|Congress]] party, but only because no other party had taken interest in them.
He noted that the Hindu nationalist [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh|RSS]] still claimed that Christians were anti-national because they had cooperated with the British.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://indiarightsonline.com/Sabrang/relipolcom81-90.nsf/5e7647d942f529c9e5256c3100376e2e/6cc2f3d7404f5b7ce5256d960040bcf7/$FILE/ced01851.pdf
|title=Christians discard 'apolitical' nature
|author=Maal D'Melle
|location=Bombay |date=11 November 2011
|accessdate=2012-04-18}}</ref>

In March 1998 D'Souza was a member of a fact-finding committee of the [[Indian People's Tribunal on Environmental and Human Rights]] that investigated attacks on a group of 200 Christian pilgrims in [[Maharashtra]] state.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.iptindia.org/wp-content/pdf/report/Report-Of-The-Fact-Finding-Committee-Into-The-Attack-On-Pilgrims-Of-Pali-Naigaon-Vasai-Taluka-Thane-Distt-Maharastra.pdf
|title=The Attack on Pilgrims of Pali-Naigaon Vasai Taluka Thane District, Mahashtra
|publisher=Indian People's Tribunal on Environmental and Human Rights
|year=1998
|accessdate=2012-04-18}}</ref>
In February and March 1998 there were a series of attacks on Christians across India.
[[Hindutva]] organizations were claiming Christians were practicing "forced conversions" and called for additional laws requiring that any conversions be reported to a district magistrate.
Such laws already existed in [[Orissa, India|Orissa]] and [[Madhya Pradesh]].
Norbert D'Souza stated that "The experience of Orissa shows that such a legislation is completely superfluous because no cases in violation of the Act have been brought to the notice of the courts". He went on to say of Madhya Pradesh that "The cases of harassment against Christians include hauling the parents (second generation Christians) baptising their child to court. Therefore, now I will definitely allege that this legislation is malafide in intent".<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.sabrang.com/cc/comold/april98/sreport.htm
|work=[[Communalism Combat]]
|publisher=[[Sabrang Communications]]
|author=[[Teesta Setalvad]]
|date=April 1998
|title=Saffron targets People of the Cross
|accessdate=2012-04-18}}</ref>

During D'Souza's term as President of the AICU the National Secretary for Public affairs was [[John Dayal]], who later became vice-president and then president of the AICU.<ref name=Dayal/>

==References==
{{reflist |refs=
<ref name=Dayal>{{cite web
|url=http://groups.google.com/group/JohnDayal/browse_thread/thread/fd083c4aacb17926?pli=1
|title=A Salute to the laity in India
|date=18 August 2008
|author=John Dayal
|accessdate=2012-04-18}}</ref>
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:D'Souza, Norbert}}
[[Category:Indian Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Politicians from Pune]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]

Norbert D'Souza - Revision history

->Rlink2 Bot: archive link repair, may include: archive.* -> archive.today, https for ghostarchive.org and archive.org

>FreeToDisagree: Removed the religion-parameter from the infobox since it is no longer in use.