At Muniguda, Orissa

Walking through the ransacked convent and Church at Muniguda, Orissa I was trying to picture to myself the actual day. As Aquinas showed me the video and led Fr Wilson and myself through the destroyed Church and convent, I found myself rather calm and resigned. It was easy to get agitated and angry but somehow I could not. The hatred that led to that riots in December 2007 is still difficult to comprehend. To review them years later in a peaceful atmosphere was another experience: one of retrospective evaluation, of trying to find out the real 'why'?

The Church debris has been cleared (the photo is of last year) and plans are underway to renovate the Parish Church which has now been handed over to the Salesians. However the convent has been untouched since that day in December 2007. The burnt records, jeep, cots, chapel, kitchen, rooms and the corridors still bear a silent witness to what happened that day in broad daylight. However one may walk through those corridors or watch videos, the agony of those who lived that day there and had to flee for their dear lives can never really be fathomed or understood.

About Muniguda, Orissa

Something fresh about our new mission station in Muniguda, Orissa: Last night Aquinas called me and informed me about the persuasive try of the CRPF to secure our campus as their headquarters. Over the last few days he says there have been several visitors, most of whom have been army personnel or related officers trying to see if we were willing to relocate. Aquinas says that for a radius of 30 kms, there is no other secure place for the otherwise naxal populated area of that region. The existing structures - though vandalised and broken - are the main reason for the CRPF's interest in our place. (The Church and residence that was vandalised during the communal riots in Dec. 2008... still left untouched.)

The integral picture

That same ugly double-faced style of life and living gets reflected in every meeting, everytime!! At the end of the touching presentation of Fr Palli on the Orissa carnage, we all want to jump the wagon! But when he began his presentation with the HR education in our institutions, there were no takers! What a double face!

We time and again fail - or even refuse - to see the integral picture. Today the Christians are burned and tortured in Orissa and my blood boils. Where was my blood when day before yesterday something similar happened to some hindus or muslims? Are only Christians human beings?

Most importantly what am I committing myself to, in order to ensure that 'Orissa' does not repeat anywhere, to anyone, anytime? Protests, conscientisation, rallies ... all are fine. But when I am capable and opportunities are provided at doing something more, why see the negative side and list out reasons why we cannot do it rather than see possibilities and opportunities?

Lord, help me see through ...

Religious Conversions - who and by whom?

The article titled 'Who will speak the truth on religious conversions?' by Emmanuel Dominic in today's DC was a nice piece of write-up. He presents the following logical arguments as a rejoinder to the question the article is titled as.

So far not a single Sangh Parivar member is able to satisfactorily explain the drop in the Christian population - from 2.8 per cent at the time of independence to 2.33 per cent, according to the official census of 2001 - so much for mass conversion and alluring the poor (60 per cent of India is poor and 42 per cent lives BPL)!

... what frightens the Parivar about a small number of missionaries' work, from the meagre 2.33 per cent Christians, against the 82 per cent-strong, deeply religious Hindu community?

... it is amazing to hear the loud silence of millions of beneficiaries of Christian institutions who never experienced the proselytising side of missionaries during their long years of contact with them. From the BJP's Mr Advani to Mr Praful Goradia and Mr Arun Shourie, who have all passed through the portals of Christian institutions...

The media is shy in reporting the scale on which the Parivar is carrying out forceful conversion of Christians to Hinduism at gun or sword point in Orissa...

So ultimately, who's converting whom?

Sanctity and sanity

Yesterday afternoon I received a phone call asking me why I have not updated the web page. I asked, "with what?" With information and news about Alphonsa, was the cool reply. I said, why should I do that, what's so Salesian about it? Well, the conversation got to a point where the person was demanding from me some information. I retained my composure and guided him to where he can get the needed information.

Somehow, over the few days there's this euphoria about Alphonsa. True indeed it is something joyful that she is the first woman to be canonised from India. But is all this hungama justified. "we" have a saint. I thought all of us were called to be saints. This whole hungama is in some way for me an excuse to say, "You become saint, I'll rejoice at that. Don't ask me to be one!" Strange but true!

What about those poor tribals and poor people being hunted like animals and burned and tortured in Orissa - no one still knows about it! Not many want to hear about it. 'We are not that kind of people. Others do it...not we!' Aren't they martyrs? Shouldn't they too be exalted to the altars. Poor guys they have no one to focus the camera on them, or write about them. Why? Because so many are busy flying to Rome and watching television to see Alphonsa canonised!

Maybe my own prejudice against Alphonsa but this triple-face attitude where on the one hand we want others to walk down the hard way of sanctity and not us, on the other hand, casually pass by the present 'saints in the making' leaving them to their 'fate' and on the last front rejoice that 'one among us' is a saint today!

The fear factor

Listening to Fr Palli this evening made me realise that mostly those who terrorise others are the most frightened themselves! The string of events in Orissa are a clear example of this. We often think that the Christians are living in fear and trembling - yes, they are. But more than them are the religious fanatics who are frightened so much of their own loss of identity, hence this recourse to violence and vandalism. If these fundamentalists were really fulfilled and mature people the thought of hurting others, leave alone outsiders, would have never crossed their minds. Moreover, all reports of violence and looting are reported as though done by a mob. Surely only those who are frightened take the cover of the mob. Someone who is clear and sure will not only speak about it boldly but also stand by his words and his people in times of need.

Kandhamal and Calvary

Reflecting today while reciting the rosary on the fourth sorrowful mystery, I thought there was not much of a difference between Jesus on the way to Calvary and the poor helpless Christians in Kandhamal and other parts of Orissa. Perhaps Jesus was a bit lucky in the sense, he knew for sure that he'd be killed by the time he reaches the end of the road. Those poor people in Orissa may be running helter-skelter without knowing at all if they'd make through it alive!! God be with them!