Dependence

 My recent reflection based on the FCRA cancellations and the upcoming concerns with foreign funding, brings back to the fore our reliance on projects, to the extent of crippling out initial passion to work by ourselves. The availability of funding actually makes us lazy!! 

Earlier our predecessors worked with a vision, firmly rooted in the context of the place. Their humble initiatives were not project-bound. They just did all they could. Their time, talents, will and available resources were the investment. Recognising this total and joyful commitment, donors offered their mite by way of financial resources. The focus of our early Salesians was not projects or funding; it was the apostolate. At no costs did they halt the apostolate, even when funding dwindled. God provided. 

Today we ride on the merit of their hard work. Our commitment levels are far lower than theirs. Riddled with personal agenda and selfishness, our apostolate is often a showcasing of ourselves rather than a genuine concern for the growth of the young people. In such a context, external funding only feeds our lethargy and selfishness. 

So I wonder, if my insistence on accountability is misplaced. The greater emphasis should be on discerning the real needs of the young, with a far sighted vision for their long term growth; earning by the sweat of one's brow; maximum utilisation of available resources rather than new resources - with a clear firm focus on the young and God, taking ones own wants out of the calculation. 

Mandate to ...?

Feast of the foot-washing!  I'm sure Fr Maliekal would be first in line to rename the day for this title!  And he has his very valid and contextual reasons for doing so.  

The Maundy Thursday mandate can be interpreted in multiple ways.  Service, being one of the them. But it is not service merely because the other is in need that I reach out, rather I reach out because I love the other.  In the case of the former, the situation of the other prompts me to action, not my own conviction. The context of the other changes for good and in all probability the person falls off my radar.  Whereas in the latter, I love the other no matter what his or her condition is.  

Moreover, when service is an outcome of love, I do not have to have great wealth or assets to do service ("Give us a project or funds and only then we can do something!").  Love propels me to be creative in reaching out.  

Cash vs screen payment

 Paying in cash and amount of Rs 1000 hurts. We're physically parting with money and add to that our old psychology that we are giving away something that is ours. But paying the same amount of Rs 1000 on scree does not hurt!!

I've realised this fact myself ever since I started using Phone pe since a couple of months. But old habits die hard. So I still feel I'm in control - digital mode nonetheless.

That said, the ease of transaction is something amazing. With practically every Tom, Dick and Harry (and Castilino) having this feature of digital Phone pe or similar mode of payment, monetary transactions are effortlessly smooth, breaking down the barriers of distance, in person meetings, and duration.

Getting out of poverty

 As part of the Poverty eradication plan of the Region, we had a discussion this morning.  I couldn't be part of it full time but for the first hour that I could be present, it was interesting to note what Palli brought our attention to.  Namely, that eradicating poverty is never a direct approach.  Tackling poverty headlong is going to take us nowhere except into desperation and discouragement. There is no magical formula to drive out poverty.  All we can do, and do so wisely, is to link processes that will eventually drive out poverty. 

Listening to him I was imagining the death pit where riders spiral and the only way they can get out of it is to spiral out, rather than attempt a steep climb.  That's exactly how needs to work out of the death trap of poverty. 

Very many confreres feel, the only sensible way to rid the society of poverty is to distribute money!  And they are convinced of it!  The former method is the only viable, but a long shot. For example, the governments scheme of scholarships to students.  Now that's one way of tackling poverty, indirectly.  By offering incentives to young people to study, they are offering a possibility to the young of gaining education, basing on which they can get a decent job and earn for themselves.  A dignified self-made person, living off his own livelihood, based on his hard work, with a bit of support from the government.  

Missing out

 I've begun to realise that we often miss including or remembering to include the accessories and other tiny aspects of the bigger plans and projects. Every time we prepare and budget a project, we tend to miss out the small aspects that also cost and need finance!  We either take those needs for granted or at that time, feel that we can manage, without funding for them. 

Worst part of this issue is that the complementary part or item that is not listed costs as much as the whole project itself!! 

For example, we appeal for a solar power unit. But miss out calculating the cost of upgrading or replacing the transformer itself. 

We get an RO water plant; but end up paying the same amount for the accessories (pipes to the water outlets, water tanks, taps, motors, tin shed to cover it, exit pipes...) 

In our project proposal for a new building, we include only the construction costs; but fail to see the hidden costs, before, during and after the construction.  Even the ones directly related to construction, leave alone complementary or not related to construction.  Building permissions, land conversion, architects plans, demolishing and clearing existing sheds or rubble, water connection, non-salty water for curing and construction, 3-phase electricity connection, meter charges, transformer to the central console in the building accessories, lift (civil and equipment)... 

Priorities and finance

 We are at the fag end of the academic year and at this time we usually end up our evaluations and look forward to the next academic year... drawing up plans, strategies... (hopefully) based on the evaluation of the present year! 

One of my long standing criticism of our own functioning as a council is that we do not have a list of priorities to guide us.  Most of our decisions, policies and actions are ad hoc, on a day-to-day basis.  The most serious issue with this is that while we do a lot of good, we end up making no significant progress.  It is like running on a treadmill and expecting to reach the next town!!  Only when we have a clear set of priorities that guide us in our decision-making, and everyone, every sector, every community, also works towards the SAME priorities, albeit in their own ways, can we actually gauge the progress. 

The other challenge that I face is the unhappy marriage of priorities and finances.  I understand that procuring finances can be one of our priorities; but if a priority is linked up so badly to finances, that without the budgeted amount, the priority will not be achievable at all, then my question is 'Is that a priority at all?'  Because a priority is something that is a cause of grave concern, and if overcoming that is entirely based on finances, then finance is a priority, not the concern itself!! 

Even if finances are required (certainly so), they are to be planned for.  It is not that I have a priority to be addressed and someone else should give me the funds for it!! The procurement of the needed funds too is part of the lines of action, addressing the priority concern. 

Last, but perhaps the most important point: in religious life, most of our priorities are (supposed to be) spiritual needs or concerns.  Even if speaking of priorities in our active apostolate, we are gifted with extensive expertise, years of formation and an army of fellow confreres and having all of these yet to wait for money to start (and do) some priority tasks is a sin! We do not turn these gifts into tools and means.  When that does not happen, I question if we do have priorities at all? 

Change of value

When I was small, I used to think, what if currency was not invented at all.  The world would surely have been more peaceful and there would have been more humanity rather than a craze and craving for 'earning more'.  Of course, over the years my reasoning has got the better of me, but somewhere deep within there is still this nagging feeling that if only we begin to value our humanity as more precious than material wealth and money, we'd be better off as a species. 

One of the displays at the British museum.

What if tomorrow the whole of human race begins to see humanity as a greater value than material possessions or positions?  Utter chaos!  Because most of our societal mechanism and functioning would collapse!  However, there certainly will be an overwhelming of concern, affection and love sustaining each and every individual.  

Economic immigrants?

The other day one of the local newspapers ran an article stating that 7 out of 10 immigrants who entered Europe in the last one year were economic immigrants.  That is to say that they dared the seas and death itself purely for economic reasons.  That situation back home were not really life-threatening or serious but it was dreams of prosperity that drove people to the European shores.

Well, I would not deny the fact that it could be money that prompted the Africans, Libyans and Syrians to flee their own homeland.  Another reason to support this argument is the gender ratio of those found crossing the Mediterranean sea... it is mostly men folk.  Proportionately there are very few women and children among those rescued or seeking residence in a foreign land.

So I was thinking to myself: Would I leave my homeland for economic gains?  Would I have the heart to leave behind my family, relatives and friends to go to a foreign land where I know that I'd be looked down upon?  Would I be so daring as to even face death by drowning, or shot by the middle-men, be sold in slavery in some other part of the world that I'm trying to escape, or be put in prison even if I make it across safely... such high risk for money?

I believe there is more to economics than purely earning money.  Life is too complicated to be restricted to one factor or aspect of living.   While economic well being may be one of the reasons, may be a strong reason, but that alone cannot drive a person from all that he or she holds dear in life - even life itself.  Situations at home may not be life-threatening, but they certainly are not life-enhancing either!  

To the dogs!

In The Times of today there is an article of a man building a kennel for his dogs that cost him £1,70,000!  Not only that but there is a booming market and there are builders exclusively catering to this demand.

Huh!  I'm sure it makes no difference for the dogs!  And the best I can think of (but not put down here) is some terms in pure Hyderabadi language!  

Costly laugh

One of the news headlines of today reads:
Diamond earrings sell for world record $57.4m

Whew!  What a price!  I wonder if anyone wearing them would be easily identified as wearing that 'world record' earrings?  So the one wearing it should either go around telling everyone that the earrings cost so much or must carry around their neck a placard stating the price of the worn earrings.  And once others would know the price, I doubt if anyone would anymore be interested in looking at the face of the bearer of those earrings - all they'd be trying to do is figure out what's so special about those earrings.

Harvested from the mines in South Africa, the ones who really found these (uncut) diamonds would not even be aware of this price at which they were sold.  Most probably that person(s) would not even have a pair of decent clothes or footwear.

Imagine all the basic life-goods that hefty amount could buy for those living in utter despair and poverty in a famine stricken land or a war-torn refugee camp. Yet people are willing to splurge such prices on a piece of jewelry, which would hardly be worn, leave alone in public places!  Even if one did wear them, they'd be laughed at in the first instance for the two earrings are not of the same colour!

No guarantee either that those earrings would add to the inner beauty of the person wearing or owning those.  If it did, he or she would see their futility and not need them.  If it didn't, what a waste of money! 

Field of blood

One simple thought that struck me when listening to the Passion narrative of this morning.  With the thirty pieces of silver thrown away by Judas, the chief priests and elders bought a plot of land and called it the 'Field of blood', because it was bought with blood-money.  And what was the plot for? Burial ground for strangers!

Well, interesting, even in His betrayal Jesus seems to be reaching out to those on the periphery.

I remember distinctly the vehemence and deep conviction with which Prof. Manti spoke about Jesus' choices during one of the PAR seminars.  He had initially asked us participants if God is partial? All of us very solemnly stated that God is not god if he is partial.  When all of us gave our own reasons for this, he thundered and explained how IS partial! How He always stood on the side of the poor, the marginalised and the disadvantaged!  

Money and fluidity

This morning as I sat for meditation, my thoughts were all about money! I myself found it weird but after a while I let myself go along the flow.  It was not about sustenance or profit but analogies of money and finance that kept coming to my mind.

I felt money was fluidity, like liquid.  Only in this form it could lubricate the state machinery.  Everytime it stagnated, there was a sort of lurch in the machine.  Because everytime, instead of flowing if it was static, it began to solidify and hinder the smooth movement of the machine.  That I felt was corruption or hoarding of black money.  Then if there was a leak in the machine (not in the fluid container but in the machine itself) then that was someone siphoning off someone else's money. At times this leak was due to a sabotage which was then used as an excuse by politicians to get in the technician and prescribe repair which was not really necessary.  That's corrupt bureaucracy.

The last thought:  when there is a overhauling and the whole oil is changed and replaced - that's demonetization (of Modi).

For once I felt like a student of economics rather than philosophy!

Richest 1% own 58% of total wealth

Calculate this:
Which of the following will give higher financial outcome: One rupee tax on a population of 1 billion or 1% tax on those who earn 1 billion?  Well, the clever Indian political mind knows it is easier, much safer and easy wealth to do the former than the latter.  Doing the former is not only safe and easy, it actually doubles the benefit.  It pays both ways: government gets more money and earns the goodwill (read that as financial backing) of the corporate big heads who roll in billions.

Furthermore, which citizen will complain when you are charging him or her one rupee as tax?  But when this tax is applicable to every and any transaction, all time round the year, at every purchase or sale one makes, then imagine the amount that generates?  And mind you, even the one who earns billions also pays the same one rupee tax!

The latest Oxfam report on the world's richest and their assets says it all:

Richest 1% own 58% of total wealth.  57 billionaires of India own as much wealth as the poorest 70% of the whole of India! 

And that's only the wealth and assets declared by them, not the actual amount they really possess. Read on...

Punishment for hoarding scrap

With just one more day for December 30, the last day for handing in all old currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000, there is rather ridiculous 'threat' doing the rounds.  Namely that those holding back these old notes will be punished!

Well the Times of India, is conducting an online poll for the same with the question

Is it fair to punish people for holding old Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes after Dec 30? 

The options given: Yes or No.
As of Dec. 29, 1800 hrs (GMT), the percentage reads: Yes: 59% and No: 41%
Really???

It is akin to asking 'Is it fair to punish people for hoarding old newspaper?' And people responding, yes they are liable to punishment! For what? Hoarding scrap? 

Sehwag on Demonetisation

Virender Sehwag's humourous take on demonetisation in India, brought about by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi:

I believe that a bachelor brings about a change, while a married man brings vegetables home, or takes the dog for a walk. 

Not stealing...!

Yesterday we had an interesting conversation during lunch. It bordered very much on seriousness but was shared in a lighter vein.  But all present were very much aware of the seriousness of the issue.

There was a time when confreres were given pocket money. Today confreres pocket money!  

Another confrere quoted this incident. A Salesian sometime ago had come from a particular community to the Provincial house for a meeting.  This confrere was a bit caught in the middle of a peculiar situation where in the community resources were bleak but not the confreres!  Being the administrator and not having really experienced such a tricky situation earlier, he innocently exclaimed:

Confreres are certainly not stealing... 

and everyone hearing him was appreciative of his optimism and trust in the honesty of his fellow confreres, but were quite taken aback by how he concluded:

...they're looting!  

Cutting corners

The Mass readings of yesterday were an interesting set.  They were all about money, wealth, service, loyalty and those cutting corners (Sunday Sept. 18, 2016).  One of the stray thoughts that flashed across my mind as I sat for reflection was what kind of a sermon would the Priests offer in the Churches today?

I was sure it would have been a rosy or fiery sermon on how not to get attached to money and prioritize God and all that stuff. But it would all have been for the people - those listening!  (As is always the case!) I wondered how many priests would have had the courage and the humility to sit down and ask some of their parishioners to share their reflections on matters of finance and economic transactions.  And he listened.  Going a step further, I wonder how many would have dared asked his flock if they found him worthy enough to be trusted with the finances of the Parish.  Or did they think that he is like the shrewd servant of the first reading or the gospel?

Anyway, not only this reading but I guess all sermons are for the others!  If only we'd preach to ourselves, our sermons would be truly short and efficacious!

Without money!

After a long gap, I'm putting down my ideas. Not that I did not have any ideas all these days.  In fact, too many and too varied.  Just too many other commitments on the priority list as well.

I attended a Province level meeting in the first week of June. Much better than most of the past.  Was happy to have a hand in its organisation and preparation.

One thing was apparent:  Quite a few of the confreres are convinced that without money no good can be done!

Thank God Jesus did not have any such ideas or convictions or mind-frame.  There'd be no Christianity, no Salesian Congregation and least of all no Salesian Province of Hyderabad!

Preventing theft vs Preventing becoming robbers

After two grueling days of doing all sorts of things and thoughts and loosing my peace of mind, and sleep and even temper over the growing tendency of theft and thieving by the boys, among themselves, tonight's goodnight was the climax.  Not that it is now over! It is just a beginning but a collective effort now.  Not individuals working for different purposes and ends but collectively arriving at a decision to curb theft.

While I had a discussion with all the boys (all 110 of them) and most of the caretakers, I kept saying to myself that the goal is not merely to prevent theft or robbery, but to help boys stay clear from becoming robbers!  As the instances of theft having been rising, I also realised that the 'new' thieves caught were once victims.  They now felt forced to 'join the gangs' or wanted to take revenge!  Therefore I was keen on forming character than merely preventing some random acts.

The easiest solution would be to lock it all up and intensify the scrutiny and "policing" but that's only a prevention of an act not the formation of character.  My focus therefore was on appealing to the conscience while ensuring that certain procedures and policies are in place.

Of Wants and Needs

While some of our senior boys have a sense of saving money they earn while they learn, most of them have absolutely no desire or will to save or plan for the future.  All that they know and do, as soon as they get some money in hand, is spend it.  And what do they spend it on?  Clothes and phones!!

The former I understand if they do so once in a way, but every month?  The latter, is purchased or attempted to be bought every month!!  There is one boy who is an orphan and has known no one else other than those inside in the house, practically he is living with them all here in the same campus, in the same house and practically in the same section.  But his craze is a new phone, every time he gets some money!

And what's the phone for? Certainly not for talking (if that were the case, any phone would have done and that too bought once).  It is for music, and camera!

I guess this is what it means when wants become needs!