Of mangoes and ...?

This year the mango trees have flowered well. However, proportionately the fall of flowers and mangoes in their various size of growth too is much. I was wondering if all the flowers were to yield fully grown mangoes...! I guess the tree would soon be dead or withered or several branches broken. The tree too knows how and what is best for itself in the long run. And so it takes the necessary precautions accordingly. Then there are other factors too that cause the fall of flowers and fruits. But I guess they are beyond the natural capacity of the tree itself. The pic on the right is of the tree just outside my room - perhaps the one most laden with fruit this year.

Lessons to learn: know your limits before you yourself get limited!

Religiosity?

This article (NGOs spent over Rs 1,300 crore on religious functions during 2005-10) couldn't have come at a better time ... any better than me appearing for an Income Tax hearing!

Would not contend this...

spent on religious functions, publication of religious literature and education of priests and preachers

Rs 737.28 crore has been spent for setting up religious schools and education of priests and preachers

God's Secretary

Well, at the rate at which things are moving with me, I'd not in any way be surprised to get a call from God to be His secretary! For I almost know the what, how, when, how many and the why of almost everything (OK, except for that 'why' part, the rest for sure!). Well, today was a crash course in accounting and matters related to Income Tax and all that stuff. Even if I were to attend a three credit course, I'd not learn what I learnt today. Thanks to the income tax (IT) hearing that I need to appear tomorrow morning - or rather in a few hours!

And to make matters easy - or worse? - the accountant who is supposed to know it all, asks for leave because someone in his family passes away right this morning! Luckily one apprentice Chartered Accountant lands up at the gates saying he received instructions to help me with the preparation of the required documents and procedures. So began the day!

What I learnt (both directly of the stuff and otherwise), will require more than one blogpost to do fill. Perhaps after I initiate the IT hearing tomorrow...

To see and acknowledge

As I sat for meditation this morning, I was trying to see what it is that I gained most this academic year. Like every year so far, it has been a roller coaster ride. Every year end finds me in amazement of myself. I can hardly believe that I managed to do all that I did! Anyway, let the donkey praise its own tail...

One thing that struck me during Mass and thereafter too is that most often we, including myself, fail on several counts. However what makes us real failures is the stubborness to NOT see where we go wrong. We either refuse to evaluate or worse, even acknowledge that it requires a relook. Perhaps if I were to see, acknowledge and transform those not-so-positive aspects, I'd be a better person.

Power play!

We've had 10 hours of power cut today. Luckily I have the back up battery and that sustained my work on the laptop and the modem power supply. Even otherwise, we are now so used to this power cut that we hardly feel anything odd about it.

Yesterday in the papers I read that the President's foreign trips cost the exchequer a whooping 205 crores! Whew! I hope someone tells her about this and she keeps that in mind the next time she thinks of taking off, entourage et al!

Now that's what one can aptly call, power play (both the instances)!

History of Chandur

The land at Chandur was given to the Salesians by Bp Mathew Cheriankunnel who continued to support the Salesian mission with great zeal even later. The idea of a college in that remote part of Nalgonda was inspired by the model of Tirupattur college. Fr T.J. and the pioneers (Frs M.A. Jacob and K.T.Jose) envisioned the place to be transformed just as the Salesian college in Tirupattur did to that place.

Don Bosco Junior College, Chandur began to be operational by 1985, of course in two shed constructed temporarily for the first batch of students. The Salesians had arrived a year before. The attempt to obtain a government grant for the college never succeeded due to a clause which left us behind by two years. The recognition and grant was issued for colleges which commenced by 1883.

Beginnings in Nalgonda

The Salesian mission in Nalgonda District of Andhra Pradesh commenced in a minor way in a village called Kottayagudem. It was spearheaded by the so-called 'grass-rooters' from KJC, Bangalore. I'm told Fr Sebastian John was one among them. However this enterprise was not looked upon kindly from the higher ups and was slowly 'dissolved'. Soon Fr Koshy Thomas and Fr Sebastian M. began to assist in the Parish of Bheemanapalli. It was with the diocese (most probably with Fr Casiagi as the Parish Priest - the same one who took nearly 42 years to build the Parish!). Having worked there the Salesians slowly began to stabilise (read that as 'institutionalise') in Chandur (the present location).

While the establishment of Chandur was overseen by the pioneers Fr M. A. Jacob and Fr K.T. Jose (then a newly ordained Priest), the Bheemanapalli Parish was managed by Fr Devasi (twin brother of Fr Phyllo). However after a span of two years it was handed over back to the Salesians and Chandur continued to flourish.

Fr Chinnappa Thomas in AP

Fr Chinnappa Thomas to-date (March 26, 2012) has spent 43 years in Andhra Pradesh and that too in just five houses: Brahmanakoduru (5 years), Mangalagiri, Punganur, Sodum and presently in his first year at Kondadaba. He was the pioneer of Don Bosco Premnivas, Mangalagiri, the only house in the whole of the Salesian congregation catering to physically challenged children. At Brahmanakoduru, from where the Salesians later shifted to Ponnur, Fr Thomas was sent as a helper to Fr V.T. John, in the place of Fr Chacko Thattil.

Balancing justice and charity

During the recent visit of Fr Maria Arokiam, he stressed the need to ensure just wages for our non-teaching staff. He was clear in stating that charity needs to be avoided and justice to be meted out. Now that's a rather thin line dividing them both. Most often, people prefer charity (not to be confused with love) than justice. Of course, an employee would love to have a hike in his or her salary. But refuse him or her a 'helping hand' in their trouble, because you've been just, by way of giving a good wage, and you'll earn their wrath!

However, I find myself agreeing much with what Fr Maria stated: less of charity and justice for sure.

Human adaptability

While at supper tonight we were discussing the power cut that we have had since last night... that's 24 hours straight - with the exception of 10 minutes of 'grace' that we received this afternoon. This cut is due to some high tension wires getting burnt up and when I called the line man in the evening to find out the situation, he assured me that they would be able to get it done within a 'short time'. Anyway, back to our discussion. At one point Fr KT commented that this year the power supply has been really good. And I quickly added, "Besides the 6 - 8 hrs of power cut everyday."

Looking back, Fr KT's statement was true. We barely had any inconvenience, in the time we had power (perhaps, today being the only exception). But for one who is used to power supply round the clock, to hear that we have 6 hours of power cut everyday is something unbelievable. The first question they ask us is how do you survive? how do you manage? Frankly speaking we have now so grown to this everyday feature that if and by chance there is power during the scheduled cut, we feel uneasy and quite uncomfortable! So much for our ability to adapt - for good or bad, is another question!