Leadership

Another characteristic of a good and noble leader... 

A true leader always stands in front during failure and stands behind during success. 

Switching on for years!

 The other day I had to change the switches in my office.  They were put in there less than 6 years ago, by my predecessor.  I guess the old switchboard and the switches were replaced as part of some renovation carried out in the office.  

On the other hand, I see the switches of the rest of the house.  They were the original switches put in place, when the Provincial house was built and ready in 1995.  They have been operational and functional for 31 years! And still going strong! 

The ones put in 1995 were of Anchor company and these have lasted for three decades. Not just intact, but fully and perfectly operational! Hats off to such products and their manufacturers.  They were build to last... unlike new products which appear fancy, but built to last the least amount of time!

The phrase, 'Old is gold' hold a great amount of truth in it.  

Attract rather than chase

 One of the only quotes I've ever had as a desktop wallpaper was the following quote: 

Of late I've realised it a perfect summary of what I've been trying to tell for quite sometime about the way we operate and seek funds. Most of us seek funds with only a concept in mind - never tested, never really the need (that's the real sin!) and never out of genuine concern for the poor but mostly to fan our desire to 'work'.  Instead of that, the best and the proper way is to identify the need, and start with something small, with whatever is at hand!  Let others see that noble and qualitative work you do, with the meagre resources you have and then they'll naturally pitch in!  If not with tons of financial resources, with what they have or can.  Most importantly, people for and WITH whom you are doing this apostolate will own it. 

Attract rather than chase!!! 

Windows 7 to 10, with an old key

 I had thought that a windows activation key is valid for any version of Windows. In other words, if I had a Windows 7 version and I extracted the windows key from it and then swapped or attempted a fresh install of Windows 10, I could use the same windows key. But Windows has for sometime now, blocked using windows 7 or 8 key to directly activate new windows 10 installation. 

But there is a way to work around that too. 

Basically the windows key is tied to the motherboard and not the HDD or the SSD. 

The trick is to digitalize the key, from within windows 7 

1. Upgrade from within w7 to w10... here
2. After upgrade, and once on the w10 desktop, connect to the net and go to windows activation (Settings>Security>Activation). This should read as 'W is activated with a digital license'
3. This digitalizes the license and links the license to your motherboard, recognizing your laptop with a genuine w10 license
4. Physically swap your hdd with an ssd
5. Install w10 using your bootable drive and when prompted to feed in the activation key, skip it to say you don't have the key
6. After the w10 installation is done, connect to the net and w10 connects to the net to recognize your laptop has a digital key on your motherboard and activates the key

Basically, learnt that the key is linked mostly to the motherboard rather than the ssd. 

PS: The key is hardwired to the system!  One cannot use a key on another system, unless the key is bought separately and did not come pre-installed with the system. 

Doves

 A couple of months ago I noticed a dove carrying twigs to build its nest right in our Provincial house, lobby.  That too on the small stand close to the ceiling used to place the internet modem!  I tried to shoo it away a couple of times.  Mostly frightened that they'd mess up the modem and internet connectivity.  And I took it for granted that it would not continue building there given that the junction is almost always busy.  It has the reception.  The photocopier is in there.  The children coming for their daily classes sit there. And it is practically the path most used by any and everyone coming into the house!  

I was wrong!  The doves did build their nest and two weeks ago I saw two tiny heads popping out of that pedestal!  There was barely any nest as such!  And since the last couple of days, I noticed the two tiny ones have already grown feathers and are now already taking their first flights! 

In spite of my reluctance, I'm in a way happy to see birds build their nest in our homes. It is a sign of blessing and tranquility for me. Invariably there are different kinds of birds building their nests inside the quadrangle, around the lawn.  Most often in the bushes around the lawn (white-browed wagtail), twice (doves, again) on the LED focus lamp on the first floor, at times in the creepers at the Chapel corner (sparrows) or outside the Secretary's office. 

Chandur history (early years)

 A brief history about our Salesian apostolate at Chandur... 

Fr Koshy Thomas and Fr Muthalakuzhiyil Sebastian were the first Salesians to arrive in the diocese of Nalgonda, at the request of Bp Mathew Cheriankunnel PIME.  The offer of the Parish of Bhimanapally was made by the Bishop to the Salesian provincial, Fr Thomas Thayil through a letter dated 4 April 1981. In the same letter, it is clear that the had already approached the Salesian Sisters too to welcome them to the Diocese.  Although he was offering us the parish of Bhimanapally, by this time already, it is evident that the Bishop had earmarked Chandur for a college and that this was his vision to have it as a Salesian base (with Salesians and FMAs).  The same letter of the Bishop also states that his decision to offer the parish of Bhimanapally was not without opposition and criticism.  But him being a zealous pastor, he was clear that if the Diocese was to truly and deeply grow, the presence of the religious was a must.  

Prior to this written communication, as early as 1979, the initially proposed site at Chandur and the parish of Bhimanapally were shown to the Salesians.  Fr UV Mathew, then economer of the Bangalore province, Fr John Lens, a Provincial Council member and Fr Emprayil Mathew, then based in Vijayawada first visited the two proposed sites in Vijayawada (Ibrahimpatnam and Guntupalli). From there they drove to the Bishop's house in Nalgonda and the Bishop himself accompanied and showed the Salesian team the plot in Chandur and the already existing parish of Bhimanapally.  

And so it was that in May 1981, the two Salesians were sent by Fr Thayil to Bhimanapally.  The then Parish Priest Fr Casiraghi was a good friend of the Salesians and helped us settle in.  The two Salesians were in the Parish from May 1981 to May 1985. In 1985 both Koshy and Sebastian were transferred and Fr Devasy (of happy memory) was posted as the Parish Priest. Koshy went to Guntur and Sebastian was moved to... ?. Fr Devassy continued the good work at Bhimanapally for more than a year.  Then in 1986-87, the Salesians decided to pull out of Bhimanapally and Fr Devassy was transferred elsewhere.  I guess this decision to hand over the Parish back to the diocese was purely to focus our personnel and energies on Chandur; there was no reason other than that.  In fact, the people of the parish too wanted us to continue and there was nothing untoward that would have pushed us to hand back the Parish to the Diocese.  With that ended the Bhimanapally chapter!

During the first year of our presence in the diocese itself the exploration of initiating a college was also underway.  The land offered to us by the Bishop, in Chandur for the college was near the bus stand.  A plot measuring little less than 7 acres.  However, when the Salesians visited the place and with the intention of preparing the ground for the Salesian residence, hostel and college, found that the plot had no source of water.  Hence another plot of land, measuring 10 acres was assigned to the Salesians by the Bishop.  That is where we ultimately set up base in 1985.  

In 1984 the diocese of Nalgonda was 8 years old and during one of their meeting held on 14 November 1984 the dire need of a college in the diocese to specifically cater to the Catholic students of the region was vocally made and recorded. This was a long simmering need that was openly acknowledged and in response to that need, it was agreed by the Diocesan council to invite the Salesians to open a college in Chandur.  This request was made by Bp Mathew Cheriankunnel in a letter dated 18 November 1984 addressed to Fr Thomas Thayil, the then Salesian Provincial of Bangalore.  He requested the Salesians to start the college by June 1985 at Chandur. 

By April or May of 1885, Fr Malayati Jacob was assigned to Chandur to initiate the college and was on the ground.  He was assisted by Fr Koshy in the first couple of months of that intervening period of March to June 1885.  Fr Koonananickal Jose reached Chandur as the administrator in June 1885.   

Hard work and personal witness

 Call it coincidence or serendipity.  Before leaving for the MPE meet in Delhi, Dc Banka Sagar was sharing one of his experience while during practical training in Manoharabad.  Prior to joining the Salesians, he said he used to once in a way work at construction sites, especially while putting in the RCC slab.  When in the novitiate, they was some renovation work going on and the sand unloaded by the lorry needed to be taken up a floor or two. Sagar spoke to the Master and the Contractor and agreed to do the shifting for a price of Rs 5000.  He got the novices one evening and completed the work.  They used that money for a special meal for the community. 

While in Delhi, the Salesian Province of Dimapur shared a practice in vogue in one of its remote rural mission station school, where the school monthly fees is about Rs 700 or so. That's a day's wage for labour in that part of the country.  With most parents being poor labourers or farmers, rather than insisting with them to pay the fees on time, some Salesian at some time in the past proposed a day's labour in exchange for a month's school fee.  So those parents or sometime grown up students themselves who wish to pay their monthly fee through work, instead of cash, collectively work on the Salesian farm on a chosen day.  The farm work progresses, the parents are happy that they need not give their meagre income to the school, children continue their studies uninterrupted for want of school fee payment!  A win-win situation for all. 

Reflecting on these two narrations, I was wondering how many of us Salesians and boys will not mind some such undertaking.  In a month, take up some work in some ongoing work in the neighbourhood, just for a day or max two.  That too a holiday or free day.  Use that amount for something noble of the house: fees of someone unable to pay the fees, salary of one staff for a month, purchase of a small equipment or gadget for the smooth running of the institution, cover some sick students medical bill... any such NEED of the house.  Of course, the Salesian should be the heart and soul of this initiative and undertaking!  Not that he is the first one to resist hard work or shun manual labour!  

It is easy to misinterpret this initiative or thought as a fund-raising gimmick.  The earned amount is only an auxiliary outcome.  The bigger goal is respect for labour and collective effort at addressing communal needs. Most of us are used to getting our needs met by others labour.  My bigger issue is how we treat our boys who share our residence and food.  We get funds and donations in their name, but most of it is spent for our wants (not necessarily needs). If only boys and our students see us passionately striving for their well being, not as outsiders or as different from them, but as truly their 'brothers' and 'fathers', they will not mind cleaning the sewage of the town.  I've seen them fight to do that dirty job, just because I felt that it should be cleaned and I was ready to jump in to do it.  

MPE Rewind 2026

 I've been wanting to pen my learning from the recently concluded Mission Poverty Eradication (MPE) Rewind 2026 meeting held in Delhi.  I purposely kept delaying it to achieve some sort of objectivity and fairness (historical distance!), rather than let my reflection be moved primarily by emotion. 

While I truly still feel, a virtual meeting would have sufficed, but to be fair, I cannot but appreciate the meeting content.  Rather than come without a set agenda and let things unfold, the meeting was aimed at collating the efforts of the last one year, across the provinces of south Asia.  So the best was that preparation done.  We did not walk into the meeting, arms swinging.  Each province had to prepare two definite presentations and a video. So, in that sense, there was much effort and planning and thought put into the meeting itself. 

What I'd sincerely appreciate is a little more of openness and synodal approach towards the whole enterprise.  This is about the methodology at work of the whole initiative rather than the meeting per se.  I somehow sense a strong suspicion underlying the initiative, that most Salesians are against this endeavour.  That outlook really hampers the owning up of the undertaking because much of it depends on involvement and commitment.  When people tend to feel emotionally hurt, the tendency is to either resist or stay aloof - both of which are foolish and immature reactions.  Neither of which is helpful for the dissemination and imbibing of a noble initiative like MPE.  

That said, I see the potentiality and the ultimate goal that this undertaking strives to achieve: an attitudinal and strategic change in the way we exercise our ministry, focusing our attention consciously on the poorest. 

God's love for young people

 One particular statement of Fr Fabio Attard, the Rector Major, during his talk to us in Delhi in the context of the meeting on Mission Poverty Eradication struck me: 

Let not the stories of Don Bosco distract you or keep you from knowing THE story of Don Bosco.  

He was challenging us to get to know the real spirit and mind of the man whom we claim to the Father of youth, the founder of the SDBs.  Not to being satisfied with knowing tits and bits of his life and works and trying to imitate those.  To know Don Bosco is to know his mind and his whole life story as one.  To be driven by what moved him most and best: God's love for young people. 

They are celebrating!

 For those who think they are smart, they will sooner than later find someone who will outsmart them, that too in a most humble and hilarious manner. 

Most recently during our table conversations, I heard of the following incident involving Fr VG Mathew.  He originally hailed from Chennai Province but moved around the other Indian Provinces before settling for good in Bangalore Province.  He was certainly not an easy character!  

One day he approached the then vice-provincial, Fr Koonan Thomas stating that he would like a small celebration in his honour.  The occasion being him completing 25 years of his moving from Chennai Province to the Bangalore Province.  To which, Fr Thomas immediately replied, "Why should we celebrate. The Chennai Province is celebrating!"