Tom enjoying the sceninc beauty at his native village, Mantrady

Tom with him mom, Stella D'Silva at home

Kandamal: A Blot in the Indian Secularism

Khandamal Points the Funeral of Indian Democracy

 (Thomas D’Silva)

Vaishali (Ghaziabad), Feb 18: Through the long, dusty and highly populated villages of Khandamal, in Orissa, the slain body of Swami Lakshmananand was taken on a procession for two days with ‘slogans’ inciting sentiments neither religious nor secular but communal, claiming 38 lives and rendering over 25000 homeless in December 2008. With houses gutted, lives lost, people displaced and property destroyed, the sane minded citizens sighed, “It was indeed the funeral procession of Indian Secularism”!

Mr. Anto Akkara, the author of the book, ‘Khandamal: A blot on Indian Secularism’, addressing the staff and students of National Institute of Social Communication Research and Training (NISCORT) presented the picture of the communal frenzy which shamed India before the world. Which had made the Home Minister of India, P. Chidambaram to term it, “a blot on the face of Orissa”, and Mr. Paul Pradhan, director of an NGO had bluntly put “spineless administration”.

It may be recalled that on August 23, 2008 Swami Lakshmananand along with three other Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Leaders were killed in his ashram allegedly by the Maoists. But the ‘khanda’ tribals predominantly of a particular religion blamed the followers of another religion who were mostly from ‘panha’ caste. This led to reaction and communal tension. Added to this trouble was the allegation of lured and forced religious conversion and the attempt at reconversion. Casualties were heavy and the scars beyond repair: a nun, Meena Lalita was gang-raped, Fr. Bernard was critically injured and later died in the hospital, several institutions and places of worship were razed to the ground and the houses gutted. Once friends and peace loving neighbours turned sworn enemies!

The administration which seemed siding with one community was slow in acting. And when it did act, it lacked the will and vigour. “There was a heavy institutional bias”, explained Mr. Akkara with examples which could even stand legal scrutiny. There were 1300 FIRs filed but the police arrested only 632 of whom 27 are convicted. Manoj Pradhan, a BJP MLA has been sentenced to 6 years of imprisonment in this connection.

Politically, the Chief Minister, Naveen Patnaik of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) cut off the relationship with his erstwhile coalition partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Assembly elections of 2009. He won with absolute majority but has done little in the secular front. There is a relative peace in Khandamal now. Mr. Akkara hoped, “that it is not a graveyard peace”!

The most pertinent question is why khandamal incident happened at all. The causes enumerated by many are doubted and debated. But one thing should never be forgotten: that tolerance is the key. A true democracy can flourish where there is freedom of thought, expression and belief. Will India with a boast of ‘the largest democracy in the world’, learn from the past and find meaning in ‘freedom of religion’ to prove that it is truly a Secular country

Sr. Claudian, My Aunt is No More!

Sr. Claudian’s Voice falls to Silence

(Fr.Thomas D’Silva)

Mangalore, Feb 18: Quietly she would enter into silence in the Presence of the Lord and meditate for hours in the chapel, silently doing the daily chores in the kitchen, the vegetable and the fruit gardens... while alive there was not much air or noise about her and when she left us...well, no one but the ‘One Who Called’ her knew about it! Rev. Sr. Claudian A.C at the age of 81, after nearly three months of prolonged illness was relieved of her sufferings forever today at 3.30 PM at Stella Maris Convent, Kotekar near here.

Born to Santanna and Mathais D’Silva on June 4, 1930 in a remote village called Naravi at the foothills of Western Ghats, Sr. Claudian was christened as Therese. No one ever imagined that one day she would be treading the ‘Little Way’ to holiness exemplified by St. Theresa of Lisieux herself! At the age of 15 she left home to join the Society of Apostlic Carmel (A.C) and in 1959 she made her first vows.

The devout parents, her nine other siblings and in particular Lt. Rev.Fr. Aveline D’Silva, her brother who was a missionary in Allahabad in the north India, sowed the seeds of Christian faith in little Therese. Fr. Aveline remained her spiritual guide until his death in May 2008.  ‘Taking up her daily cross’ she had made final vows in 1965. In her 52 years of religious life she rendered her services at various convents of Apostolic Carmel like: Patna, Kolkata and in the Diocese of Mangalore at St. Anne's, Kotekar, Udupi, Kallianpur, Nanjangud, Marjill, Bendore and Kundapur. Her last six years were spent at Stella Maris Convent, Kotekar where she breathed her last leaving behind Ms. Christine and Celine her sisters. Sr. Linette A.C, the provincial thus paid her last tribute, "Simplicity, openness, childlike spirit and leading a quiet, hidden life were the hallmarks of our dear sister". That was the echo from nuns and others who were her sojourners in life!

Her last days were not eventful but memorable because the way she endured her physical pain ‘offering everything for the salvation of sinners’. Her ‘way to the Golgotha’ began in the wee hours of Dec 2, 2010 when she fell down from the bed and fractured her hip bone. She was rushed to Fr. Muller’s Medical College Hospital, Mangalore and was in the Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU) for over 15 days. Her weak heart was a cause of concern. But what confined her to the bed was her fractured hip bone. Next two and a half months were spent in the bed, her legs fastened to the derotation plaster, not even allowed to toss or turn. The prayers, the meals and the easing had to be done in the bed in one posture! There was neither a groan nor a grumble, neither a cry nor a complaint from the lips which were used to utter prayers and blessings. And angelic innocent smile was her greeting to all who paid last visits to her! Sr. Maria Alexina and Ms. Rathna, her nurses vouch for her forbearance.

‘God alone sufficeth’ was Sr. Claudian’s motto. She lived it to the full. There was no falsehood in her except the false teeth she used; there was no noise about her except of the sandals she would drag and walk! Through simple and humble ‘little ways’ she has left behind indelible marks for others to emulate. She was the inspiration to her nephews Frs Walter and Thomas D’Silva and nieces Srs Lilly and Vinutha Gonsalves, who ascribe their vocation to their aunt's exemplary religious life.

As Sr. Claudian has left behind her earthly clothing in the grave, our hope is in the Christian belief that she will rise with a transformed body and be received into heavenly reward. May the Lord, who was everything to her, grant her soul the eternal rest. May she Rest in Peace.

Media on the Palm of Your Hand

New Delhi, Feb 11: You carry today a newspaper, radio, television, Internet, enjoy a movie or listen to a favourite number, receive instant messages, pay your electricity or any other bills, book your train or flight tickets from anywhere anytime, all in one device the smart phone on the palm of your hand! “Media is faced with the frantic pace of digital technology”, said Soumitra Sen, the head of the content TV, ESPN Sports, New Delhi, while addressing the staff and students of National Institute of Communication and Research Training (NISCORT), here today.

NISCORT was discussing the topic, ‘New Media and Digital Technology’ which is hot and happening. “The biggest news in the media these days has everything to do with mobile phone”, explained Mr. Sen. Of course the controversy is centred on 2G spectrum allocation. The former telecom minister, A.Raja and his associates are in the dock and who knows how many heads yet to roll. Only time will tell.

What is this 2G, 3G and 4G? The speaker simplified the response with an example of the traffic jam from Shipra Mall to the U.P border as the vehicles move at a snail’s pace on the narrow road on one hand and the wide road near Akshardham making the traffic flow smooth on the other. In the same way 2G spectrum is a narrow bandwidth which is sold to various operators like Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Indicom, etc. Due to a large quantity of data flow, there happens to be choking and network problems. Whereas, the 3G spectrum which was under the control of the defence ministry for the security reasons, is now thrown open to private operators by the government. And so, there is a revolution in media communication.  

However, we cannot bypass the basics. Giving the analogy of sports, Mr. Sen explained that to be a sportsperson, one has to be fit. So too for a media person the basic ‘fitness’ comes from the print journalism. Claiming that before moving to broadcast he  began his career as a journalist for ‘The Telegraph’ in Kolkata, he concluded, “Top journalists in India, like Arnab Goswami, Vir Singhvi, Burkha Dutt, Rajeev Sardesai,  etc. were first in the newspaper journalism before going into broadcast”. The print journalism faced the threat of television and now the television is challenged by the new wave of digital technology which gives ‘everything in a platter’ to the audience!

The Digital technologies like PCs, laptops and feature-rich mobile handsets with internet connections have changed the very nature and definition of mass media. The digital media has made communication personal and interactive. Mr. Sen showed how the communication from print and broadcast has evolved into email, gmail chatting, Orkut , Facebook and Twitter communication and comments. “Armed with web cameras we can see and speak to someone thousands of miles away using Skype programme”, said Mr. Sen.

The new media gadgets have effected a massive transformation in communication. Formerly people used to write letters to the editors. Now there are blogs and instant interactive comments posted. The celebrities and fans are connected through ‘twitter’. People know the Bollywood celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, etc., through tweets. The Mangalore aircraft crash in May 2010 was authenticated by Shashi Taroor, the then minister of state for External Affairs, through twitter. The personal videos are easily uploaded on YouTube for the world to watch.

Through Power Point presentation and audio-visual clippings, Mr. Sen showed the way the digital media been manipulated. The Sholay film dialogue to promote the cricket match between India and England, the Bollywood stars Akshay promoting T-20 World Cup, Amitabh Bacchan promoting Airtel Champions League, SMSs on cricket alerts, etc. are all examples of manipulating the digital technologies. The ultimate example of a comprehensive use of the new media is Indian Premium League (IPL) cricket, where Bollywood, commercialization, sports, television rights, mobile companies all have come together under one banner. That is why many competitions named as: Karbon Cup, Micromax Cup, Reliance cup, etc.

To the question, whether the digital media has degraded the mass media, Mr. Sen reiterated, “Basics remain the same. It all depends on the users. There have been misuses like pornographic videos in circulation, etc.” But one thing is clear, the young generation is increasingly asserting its right to communicate in an effectively and instantly using the gen-next gadgets.

NISCORT Stands Against Corruption in the Country

NISCORT Stands Against Corruption

(Thomas D’Silva)

Niscort, Feb 4: While the media has unearthed many scams in India, various investigating agencies must book the corrupt and award exemplary punishments and there should be stringent Acts to prevent such frauds, opined  Niscort  while discussing the topic- ‘Scams and Investigations in India’ in the World Around programme here today.

Addressing the staff and students of Niscort,  Vijaymohan Nair, the news bureau chief of Malayalam Manorama and  K.V. Prasad, the Assistant Editor of the Hindu listed chronologically, the series of scams and the loss they have caused to the nation since independence.  The  list was headed by the Jeep Scandal  of 1948 which involved V.K.Krishna Menon, the then Indian High Commissioner in England causing a loss of rupees 8o lakhs and ended with the 2G Spectrum Scam that  looted a whopping 1.76 lakh crores.

The last scam is termed as ‘mother of all scams’ and “has caused intense political debate in the country”, said Mr. Nair. Of course the former Telecom Minister A.Raja and two of his associates have been arrested by the Central Investigating Agency (CBI) in this connection. And the Supreme Court has been closely monitoring the investigations.

Both the speakers pointed out a pattern of repetition of scams like: fictitious companies in case of Haridas Mundra scam of 1957 and Swan Telecom company in 2G scam in 2010, Jeep Scandal of 1948 and Bofors Scandal of 1986 or HDW Submarine case, Security Scam involving Harshad Mehta in 1992 and Security Scam by Ketan Pareek in 2001, etc. “While history repeats itself, we have not learnt lessons”, felt Mr. Nair.

Scams being the abuse of public power for private gain, the involvement of ministers, MPs, MLAs, Government Officers and Bureaucrats, and even Judges have cropped up in the course of investigations. Saddening to note that two of the former Prime Ministers: Rajiv Gandhi in Bofors Scandal and P.V. Narasimha Rao in JMM Bribery Case were also named in the FIR. Though several ministers have been charge sheeted, so far only Sukh Ram in Telecom Scam and Kalpnath Rai in Sugar Import Case have been convicted by the court.

Even prior to independence in 1935 Mahatma Gandhi had declared, “I would go to the length of giving the whole Congress a decent burial rather than put up with the corruption that is rampant.” India ranks 87 out of 187 nations in Corruption Perception Index (CPI). Though there is a strict law in Prevention of Corruption Act (1988), investigating bodies like: Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), CBI and other Commissions of Inquiry and Parliamentary Commissions, yet there has been rampant corruption.

Mr. Prasad appreciated the role played by media as whistle blowers. He made a special mention of Vineet Narayan of the daily- ‘kaal chakra’, who exposed Jain Hawala Scam, Satyendra Dubey who pointed out the gross irregularities in National Highway Scheme and Chitra Subramaniyam of ‘the Hindu’ who opened the lid off Bofors Scam. But there has been consistent effort to silence the media as Mr. Dubey was killed and the whereabouts of Mr. Narayan and Ms. Subramaniyam are not known!

Unfortunately, the recent involvement of some reputed journalists in the Radiagate has put a question mark on the credibility of the media as the ‘watchdog’ and the ‘fourth estate’. “Politicians are the important sources of information for the media. But there is a line of integrity and loyalty to your profession, which cannot be transgressed”, cautioned Mr. Prasad. While media keeps a watch over scam and exposes the corrupt it should be vigilant lest the lure of the riches may mire its enduring image!

Symposium marking 25 years of Pope John Paul's Visit to India

Catholic Church marks the 25^th Year of Pope’s Visit to India

(Thomas D’Silva)

New Delhi, Feb 4: The leaders of the Church discussed ‘The Teachings of Pope John Paul II’ in a Symposium held today at Teen Murti Bhavan as a conclusion to the three-day commemorative Celebrations of his visit to India 25 years ago. Cardinal Murphy O’Connor, the chief guest was the special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI from Vatican.

Welcoming the audience, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) quoted the words of the late pontiff, “I come to India as a pilgrim of peace and friendship”.   Pope John Paul II had Visited 10 cities with 41 addresses to the people and two messages to the Government during his 10 days visit from 1 Feb to 10 Feb 1986.  “The Pope passionately promoted human dignity and peace”, said Cardinal Gracias.

Cardinal O’Connor greeted the Church of India in the name of Vatican and recalled his personal association with Pope John Paul II. He recalled how 40 years ago, the late Pope, who was then the archbishop of Krakow, Poland had impressed him and the other Bishops gathered for a meeting with a melodious Polish song. “He went on singing the song of Jesus Christ, the redeemer of mankind... a song of truth, the way and the life”, he said.

Proposing the vote of thanks, Cardinal Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi reminded the audience the apostolic motto of the late pontiff, ‘totus tuus’, meaning ‘totally yours’. Narrating a personal experience with the pope in 2004, when he was on the wheel chair yet meeting a long queue of  people the cardinal paid homage saying,  “He gave himself completely”.  “It is fitting that I stand to propose a vote of thanks to God for giving us the gift of such a model Pope”, concluded cardinal Toppo.

Born at Wadowice in Poland, on 18 May 1920, Karol Josef Wojtyla became the first Polish to head the Holy Catholic Church at Vatican on 16 October 1978. His stint of 26 years 168 days, as the 264^th pope is the second longest after Pope Pius IX in the history of the church. His momentous term ended on 2 April 2005 and he was proclaimed ‘Venerable’ by Pope Benedict XVI on 19 December 2009.

Loved by all and specially the youth of the world, the late pontiff visited 129 countries and thus could feel the pulse of the people making him the most popular and beloved pope. Scholar as he was, his theological and philosophical teachings are found in abundance in the ‘Catechism of the Catholic church’, 14 encyclicals and 13 Apostolic Exhortations. On 24^th January 2002 in Day for Prayer for Peace in the World, together with the leaders of world religions, he brought out- ‘Assisi Decalogue for Peace’, considered the Magna Charta of religious dialogue in the world.  The church has taken note of his achievements and holiness. Hence he will be beatified on 1 May 2011.

The symposium was addressed by a three-member panel of Dr. Christopher Lakra, the Executive Director of Indian Social Institute, Dr. Cyriac Thomas, Member, National Commission on for Minority Educatinal Institutions and Prof. Joan Antony. Highlighting the significance of Encyclical- ‘Ecclesia in Asia’, Dr.Lakra concluded- “This is a landmark document with great depth”. 10 years have lapsed since its issue and during this period Indian Church has witnessed events such as: the beatification of Mother Theresa, St. Alphonsa, Killing of Graham Staines, the persecutions at Khandamal, Karnataka, Gujarat, etc. Hence, he invited the audience to think of initiatives to read the signs of the times in Asia and in India in particular.

Prof. Joan Anthony, drew the attention of the gathering to the pope’s Apostolic Exhortation- ‘Familiaris Consortio’ (On the Christian Family in the Modern World). She appreciated pope’s interest in the family and its relation to the church. “In the modern world of generation gap, conflicting ideologies and wireless technology, the families are experiences greatest stress”, she remarked. In this context the pope points to a ‘symbiotic union’ of the Church and the family, which is the domestic church.

Dr. Cyriac Joseph reminded the teaching of the pope on ‘Social Concerns’. He explained that the pope’s earnest desire was to establish peace and prosperity. So he travelled widely and met people of all walks of life. He concluded saying, “The church in India has built an image for itself as pro-poor. But it needs to go a step further by taking a stand on other burning issues like: ecology, human rights, fundamentalism, etc.” He even suggested to form a Catholic Human Rights Commission to look into and solve the rights violations within the church institutions.

A book- ‘The Social Teachings of John Paul II’  by The CBCI Commission for Justice, Peace and Human Rights was released by Cardinal O’Connors on the occasion. The book is authored by Fr. Charles Irudayam. Fr. Thomas d’Aquino Sequeira, the Secretary to the CBCI in his concluding remarks paid homage to the Venerable Pope in the words of Julius Caesar, ‘vini, vidi, vici’ (I came, I saw and I conquered), meaning:  The pope came to India, he saw and he won our hearts.