Pati aur Patni - Wow!! Karwa Chauth through SDG Lens

Oct. 20, 2024 Sunday

'Pati, patni aur woh' - is a popular Hindi movie of 2019 by Mudassar Aziz (Kartik Aryan, Bhumi Pednekar & Ananya Panday) which was a commercial hit and entertainer with fidelity in a marital relationship being the central theme.  The title had been very popular after the 1978 movie of the same name by  B.R. Chopra with Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha and Rajneeta Kaur in the lead roles. 

Today, on the day of Karva Chauth, reading about it in 'amar ujala' I was inspired to reflect on the pati-patni relationships, and with several of pati-patni of my own generation and those prior to me on the canvas, I cannot but say 'wow'! What commitment, what forbearance, and hopefully, great contentment and mutual enrichment!  I hope, the modern day believers who practice such religious traditions enlarge its scope to make it a celebration of mutual commitment, devotion and support in marital life, encouraging gender equality (SDG 5)for the well-being of families, the well-being of all.

Deva-daanav battles are a prominent feature of one of the dominant Hindu traditions. And the narrative is in favour of the Devas, invariably they are the protagonists; and the Danavs, the antagonists, even when some such fights are triggered off by the villainy of some of the Devs!  So the story is about such a fight and the Devs were losing.  They were desperate, approached Brhama, who finding no way out, suggested that if the consorts of all the Devas would fast and pray with a clean heart for the victory of their husbands, And they all did exactly that - and lo, the losing battle was won around the moon rise on the fourth day of the waning phase of Moon in Kaartik month (Krishna paksh Chaturthi). It is kept by all suhagins (those 'blessed' married women with their husbands alive - one of the very few uniquely Indian concepts of the Indian grand narrative, howsoever obscurantist that may sound; modern India has not contributed a single new concept to the world) fasting the whole day without even water till the moon rise, for the long life, health and all good fortune of the husbands.  The fast is broken by receiving water from the husband at moon rise. There is a tradition that considers an unbroken 12 to 16 years of this observance; or life-long. 

The story is replicated with Draupadi having kept the karva chauth fast leading to the victory of the Pandavas in the Mahabharata battle. 

The Internet provides other stories as well: Queen Veeravati, newly married,  kept a strict fast for her husband, but fainted on account of exhaustion, and her seven brothers, not able to bear her suffer, convinced her that the moon had risen and made her break the fast. No sooner had she done that she receives the news of the untimely death of her husband, and on her way to her husband, she is met with Lord Shiva and Parvati, from whom she gathers that the false breaking of the fast as the cause. She devotion is rewarded by Parvati bringing the prince back to life, still ailing. She finds her husband in a delicate condition with needles all over his body. She is said to have kept the fast of Chauth in each of the 12 months that followed her husband's revival, and she patiently picks out one needle a day, leaving just one for the next Karva Chauth.  When she had gone out for the karva puja, her maid removed the remaining needle, and gaining consciousness, mistakes her as his queen and the real queen as the maid.  Veeravati's genuineness finally wins the husband back and queenship is restored to him.

The other story is about Godess Karva whose husband was killed by a crocodile while bathing in river Thungabhadra.  She tied the crocodile to a tree using raw yarn with the strength of her chastity and dedication, and prayed to Yama for reviving her husband. Yama didn't dare to provoke her anger and brought him back to life, while sending the crocodile to the next world. It is the inspiration for Karva Chauth, where married women fast and pray to Goddess Karva for the wellbeing of their husbands,  offering arghya to the moon.  

I was happy to read Yogesh Kumar Goyal (Amar Ujala Oct. 20, 2024 p. 11) commenting that there are today enlightened husbands who join their wives - this appears healthy, in a practice otherwise reinforcing exploitative patriarchal values. Ideally, this should happen - fasting in an otherwise overconsuming culture is itself a good health practice. Combining it with prayers with a clean heart for the well-being of the life partner is doubly healthy.  If the entire Hindu fold observes this (with this intent the whole world should do that), avoiding all food and all cooking for a day, it can immensely enhance the well-being of the common home (vasudha - which indeed is considered the family, according to an Indian axiom).  Hence, for me, it is a celebration of SDG 3 - good health and well-being. 

The images I found of the feast generally project a fasting woman waiting for the moon to rise, at times, accompanied by her (caring) husband. However, I found a few pictures of women gathering around puja materials and food.  Though the celebration in itself appears to be the celebration of patriarchal values, at least for one day it is a woman's world for themselves - though centred around the husband figure. It appears to be their fellowship and their space, which are very often absent even in this modern world.  While I don't feel, we, in the South of India, are missing anything by not having Karwa Chauth, yet bearing this spirit, zindabad karwa chauth! 

https://www.memeraki.com/blogs/posts/karva-chauth-sacred-stories-behind-the-fasting-ritual

images: https://in.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=karva+chauth+-+images&fr=mcafee&type=E211IN885G91648&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.thequint.com%2Fthequint%2F2019-10%2F9b4233d0-b074-4475-a78a-ffe541128d5e%2FiStock_1180633448.jpg%3Fauto%3Dformat%252Ccompress#id=91&iurl=https%3A%2F%2Fdata1.ibtimes.co.in%2Fen%2Ffull%2F540135%2Fkarva-chauth-2014.jpg%3Fw%3D1200&action=click

हिंदी दिवस पर कुछ विचार

भव्य नमस्कार!

१२.४५          - हिंदी दिवस समाचरण 

कार्मेल ब्लॉक - ३०१ 

सभी वर्ग प्रतिनिधियों को इसमें भाग लेने दीजिये| 

इसके अतिरिक्त यदि २ या ३ विद्यार्थी कवी सम्मलेन में भाग लेना चाहते हैं तो उन्हें भी अनुमति दीजिये| उनका नाम फैकल्टी ग्रुप में डाल दीजिये और कार्यक्रम के पश्चात आकर रिपोर्ट करने के लिए कहिये| 

जिन्हें रेगुलर क्लास नहीं हैं वे इस समारोह में भाग लेने केलिये अवश्य आईये| 

प्राचार्य 

हिंदी दिवस पर कुछ विचार 

सीतापुर सेक्रेड हार्ट में, अधिकतर किसी भी गोष्ठी में मैं अकेला अहिन्दी भाषी हूँ| उन सबके लिए तो हिन्दी मातृभाषा है, तो मेरे लिए यह राष्ट्र भाषा है, जिसे मैं ने सीखा है| अगर मेरा बस चलता तो मैं  स्नातकोत्तर डिग्री और खोज की डिग्री दोनों ही, हिन्दी से ही हासिल करता| एक समय ऐसा था जब मैं BHU में उच्च शिक्षा प्राप्त करना चाहता था - जो डा. हजारी प्रसाद जैसे मनीषियों के सान्निदध्य से अनुग्रहीत है| 

खैर, छोड़ो इन सब निजो बातों को - आज हिंदी दिवस पर - मेरा ध्यान अब की  नयी शिक्षा नीति (NEP 2020) पर रखना चाहता हूँ | 

इसके अनुसार, अब तक का अनुभव यह रहा कि भाषा अध्ययन की प्रधानता लगभग पूर्णतया उच्च शिक्षा प्रणाली से निकाल दी गयी है | वैसे तो, शायद अधिकांश स्नातक  विद्यार्थियों   केलिए यह कम भारी, और इसलिए अच्छा लगे, लेकिन मेरा मानना है की यह उनके सर्वांगीण विकास के हित में नहीं है| कम से कम ऐसा कोई प्रावधान होना चाहिए जिससे स्नातक उपाधि अर्जित करने के लिए न्यूनतम तर पर किसी न किसी - देशी  या  विदेशी - भाषा का अध्ययन सम्मिलित हो  

दूसरी बात यह है कि NEP 2020 निजी या प्रादेशिक भाषा में प्राथमिकशिक्षा दी जाने पर जोर लगाती है|  यह दावा किया जाता है कि शिक्षा निजी भाषा में दिए जाने से, बच्चों का ध्यान आसानी से रहता  है,  ड्राप आउट प्रतिशत काम हो जाता है, और सृजनात्मकता (creativity) को बढ़ावा मिलता है| यह सब बातें अच्छी लगती तो है, लेकिन संदेहास्पद लग रहें|  यदि नोबेल पुरस्कार जीतना सृजनात्मकता तथा नवाचार का सूचक मन गया तो, उसे और निजी भाषा शिक्षा से कोआर्डिनेट करके देखें|  विज्ञानं के क्षेत्र में नोबेल विजेता विभिन्न राष्ट्रों में लगभग, निम्न सूची प्रकार है: 

Belgium                    - 29

Brazil                        - 13

China                       - 11

France                     - 71

Germany                - 111

India                       - 05

Italy                        - 21

Japan                      - 26

Korea                     - 1

Phillipines              - 1    

UK                        - 132

USA                     - 404

इनमें से USA, UK, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, China, Brazil, Korea  आदि राष्ट्र में निजी भाषा में ही शिक्षा होती हैं, लेकिन, उच्च श्रेणी की खोज और नवाचार में ये सभी सामान रूप से अग्रसर नहीं है - जिन ५ भारतीयों को  (अमर्त्य सेन को मिलाकर ६) विज्ञान के क्षेत्र में नोबेल पुरस्कार मिला है, वे सब अंग्रेजी माध्यम से प्राथमिक शिक्षा प्राप्त करने वाले थे|  मौलिकता अवं नवाचार तभी होता है, जब शिक्षा प्रणाली इन बातों को लक्ष्य और आधार बनाकर चलती हो, और इनका प्रोत्साहन देने वाली हो|  जिस इनोवेशन इकोसिस्टम की बात कही जाती है, वह शिक्षा प्रणाली से जुडा  हुआ  होना चाहिए|  इसकेलिए समस्याधिष्ठित (समस्या निरूपण एवं समाधान) पर आधारित, प्रयोगअधिष्ठित (एप्लीकेशन based) शिक्षा प्रणाली की आवश्यकता है |  निर्भाग्य वशात, इतपर्यंत हमारी शिक्षा और शिक्षक उस तरफ मुड़े नहीं है| 

इन बातों के बारे में बहुत चर्चा हो रही है - पर अक्सर इन्हें प्रयोग में लाने में जो प्रयत्न, मार्गदर्शन, प्रोत्साहन और अनुवर्ती होने हैं - वह बिलकुल भी नहीं हैं, हों तो, केवल विश्वविद्यालय और गिने चुने उच्च शिक्षा संस्थानों तक ही सीमित हो जाती हैं| 

हमारी भाषाओं की सीमितता यह है कि इसमें मौलिक बातें न हो पाती - इनमें जो भी नए पद आएं हैं, लगभग वे सभी, अन्य, खास तौर से अंग्रेजी, फ़्राँसी, जर्मन, इतालियन आदि भाषाओं से अनुवाद किये गए हैं - इनसे भाषा तो बढ़ती ज़रूर है, लेकिन मौलिक सोच, खोज, अनुसंधान परिणाम और आविष्कार बहुत ही विरल हैं|  अतएव मौलिक अवधारणाओं और ततउत्पन्न पदों से ही भाषा निजी बल पर बढ़ेगी - इसकेलिए न केवल भाषा का प्रोत्साहन चाहिए, बल्कि इससे अधिक, समस्याधिष्टित शिक्षा प्रणाली और प्राथमिक ताल से अनुसंधान एवं नवाचार का प्रोत्साहन होना अत्यावश्यक है| 

निज भाषा उन्नति अहै, सब उन्नति को मूल।
बिन निज भाषा-ज्ञान के, मिटत न हिय को सूल।।
विविध कला शिक्षा अमित, ज्ञान अनेक प्रकार।
सब देसन से लै करहू, भाषा माहि प्रचार।।

अतएव, यद्यपि में भारतेन्दु हरिश्चंद्र जी से प्रभावित और प्रोत्साहित हूँ, आपके इस प्रसिद्ध कथन से मैं सहमत नहीं हूँ| फिर भी, मैं  उन्हीं के साथ निज भाषा पर (जो कि मलयालम है) और भारत सर्कार की औद्योगिक भाषा हिंदी पर गर्व करूंगा - केवल २०० साल  के अंतर्गत भाषा के सभी अंगों  या शैलियों (genre) में अत्यधिक अभिवृद्धि हासिल की है | इनका अधिक से अधिक प्रोत्साहन भी दूंगा| 

महा विद्यालय के कवी श्री विश्वदीप का हार्दिक अभिनन्दन करता हूँ - उन्होंने अपने वरिष्ठ अद्ध्याप साथी मुझ पर एक कविता रचकर मुझसे या किसी भी प्राचार्य से जो उम्मीद अध्यापक और विद्यार्थी रखते हैं उनका विवरण दिया है - में आभारी हूँ|  सांस्कृतिक समिति के संचालक डा. योगेश ने भी कविताएं और शेर सुनाकर अपने में छुपा हुआ कवी का निदर्शन दिया|  हमारे पूर्व विद्यार्थी और बीते वर्ष का छात्र समिति अध्यक्ष श्री प्रखर इधर आकर इस कवी सम्मलेन को निस्संदेह जान और जोश दिए| और हमारे युव कविगण - पूरे एक दर्जन - अपनी सृष्टियाँ प्रस्तुत करके महाविद्यालय को अलंकृत किया है |  सबको बधाईयां, ख़ास तौर  से इनमें से पुरस्कार पाने वाले उन तीन युव महिलाओं का भी मेरा ससंतोष अभिनन्दन| 

हम सब मिलकर बनाएं इस प्रांगण को पवित्र - क्योंकि यहाँ हम करते हैं कार्य हृदय से, और ढालते हैं हम पवित्र ह्रदय| 

जय हिन्द |  जय सेक्रेड हार्ट| 

विश्वदीप की रचित कविता 

जो परिवार में हैं सबसे बड़े,

सबके सुःख -दुःख में हमेशा रहते हैं खड़े ll

मृदुभाषी, प्रकृति प्रेमी,सतत विकास के प्रति समर्पित हैं,

जीवन का हर क्षण जिनका बच्चों के हित में अर्पित है ll

रिड्यूस, रियूज, रिसाइकल सिद्धांतों को अपनाते हैं,

प्लास्टिक को रिफ्यूज करो, हम सबको समझाते हैं ll 

शोध और नवाचार के प्रबल समर्थक हैं,

हम सब गौरवशाली हैं, आप हम सब के अभिभावक हैं ll

'सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः' जिनकी चाह है,

'वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम् ' जिनकी राह है ll

बेहद विनम्र, प्रभावशाली, चित्त जिनका शांत है,

इतने गुणों से परिपूर्ण हमारे फादर प्रशान्त हैं ll

रचयिता 

विश्वदीप शुक्ला

Indian Roads again and the Public Transport Experience

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/i3XnsEGRDMkqayn4/?mibextid=oFDknk

Not that I had not been using public transport during my busy career days as a SW educator, and later, as the HoI of a leading HEI of Keralam. But occasions were very limited, and it was Keralam. Now back to UP after 3 decades, I am observing with interest what the public transport experience of this enormously huge state. In less than 1 year I already had three long rides. 

Bus services in general have improved a great deal. The buses, the seats, the frequency, parallel services etc are much better. The roads definitely are - with the added national highways and expressways and the improved state highways.

In western & central UP, we have buses of UP roadways, Uttarakhand Parivahan Nigam, Delhi Transport Corporation, and not so infrequent Haryana, Punjab, Himachal & Rajasthan transport corporations. 

After the CMI gathering at  Coimbatore on our responses to our Common Home (where we discussed use of Public Transport as an indicator of our committment to our Common Home), I get a ride to Kochi airport as my good friend was travelling in the direction by the official Innova car. The odd 160 kms are covered in 3 hours & 15 mts. My attempt at online check-in with Air India is somehow converted into a Digi yatra in spite of not having the required app. That makes the various entry points at the airport easier. 

The flight takes off 15 mts late, but does a smooth landing at 11.50 pm 15 mts ahead of schedule. It takes half an hour to get out and almost 12.40 when I am finally ready to get to ISBT Kashmiri Gate. The prepaid taxi requires Ra 2500. An Uber biker induces me for a bike ride  and shows the Uber bid of Rs 460. It's a tough ride of around 45 minutes, and the last leg requires my assistance with waze support. He has managed to trick the arch Trickster like Uber while getting the benefits of the Uber label to get his due. I have no quarrel. 

It's past 1.50 am. And I find no direct services to Bijnor direction. My past experience of 1980s prompts me to take the Haridwar bus ready to move. It takes off at 2 am. The driver is very accommodating - he stops by a pan shop where one of the apparently inebriated young riders can get some bidi. The privileged seat across from the driver is given to another 2 so that they could have their fag while the bus is in motion. Apparently, a gracious gesture meant not to cause disturbance to fellow riders! 

The other bunch is making boisterous comments ranging from Har Har gange to Modi zindabad (more in a sense of disapproval than respect), feeling hungry etc. Finally forcing the conductor to warn him, and eventually show him the door forcefully. Fortunately, it ended there. No violence. I resigned to putting up with the smoking. Didn't just feel like challenging.  Halfway, I find an empty three-seater and managed to stretch on it till Haridwar. We are there by 5.50 am. I get a bus to Najibabad without delay, salute ganga mayya from the bus, and notice the drastic changes brought about on the tarmac patch running through the forest and farmlands. Just 15 kms before Najibabad, they stop for breakfast and I manage to get down at the Bijnor mode, just about 300 mts. From the ashram. It is some 300 kms and the cost is Rs 460.

Evening, I plan to board any bus going in the direction of Lucknow to reach Sitapur early morning. Fr Vijay takes initiative to arrange for a seat I  teh Lucknow bus from Haridwar with a driver Madan, a catholic, who drives the roadways on that route. I wait at the bus stop from 5.10. I get a call from the conductor Neeraj that they are not far away. It arrives at 5.25, I board and get the most comfortable seat with free space to stretch my leg - the double seat behind the first seat across from the driver. The google map indicates it is 395 kms. The ticket is for Rs 645. But the bus is not moving - a family comes out with an old man who needs to empty his bowels. He needs the support of his aging wife to accomplish it, and wash himself clean? Right in front of everyone - and all are putting up with it with no murmur.  The old man appears unconcerned about anything other than taking his next wavering step and be back on the bus. That duly accomplished, the bus moves and leaves Najibabad township only to turn in the opposite direction and stop for another 20 minutes for tea and snacks. These dhabas have greatly improved, with tolerably clean toilet facilities, snacks and typical North Indian food. I feel least attracted to any of the items including the kulhad tea. The noticeable addition is the welcoming announcement regarding the food with the warning that the bus will now go nonstop. 

The bus proceeds further and a very heavy rain lashes out at it, making the ride cool, but visibility minimal. The wipers are not functioning, both the driver & conductor make some effort to clean the glass. By now we are at Dhampur and they locate a small workshop, get a screwdriver, do some maneuvering to get them work. This is very unlike our KSRTC where the duo would have happily called off the trip,  calling up the office, and leaving the riders to fend for themselves, except for the support in putting them up on the next bus. Another 20 mts! And the rain is also gone. 

2 hours gone it has covered just about 30 kms. And from the target of 12.05 waze indicates now 1.24 am!  The bus moves on away from the expressway, and we are confronted with loud wailing from behind - I guess it is from a child who is looking for her dad gone out and not returned; but the wailing is persistent, the child appears inconsolable, while she babbles about the 'baba', and there is some effort by the fellow passengers to put her at ease. We realise that the senior person who had the problem with his bowels has now reached his destination - not the planned Lucknow hospital, but the ultimate one! That was why the young woman, presumably his daughter, was inconsolable. Now this has to be tackled. Another 10 kms or so, the bus stops by Kaanth Thaana in Muradabad, and another hour, police reporting is done, now the family is at peace, and the trip resumes.  All are at their ease and pace.  And the baba is made comfortable on his seat by his wife. At rare intervals, the muffled cries of the daughter emerge. At Rampur, the conductor tries to comfort the family by bringing some tea for them. I am at a loss as to what I could do to make things better.  I say a small silent prayer. 

There is another break for 15 mts. The bus has blocked off cars parked in the bus yard unauthorised.. They ask to adjust the bus so that they could go. There is no big argument - the driver comes back and adjusts the bus so that the unauthorised vehicles could get away without trouble. 

10.40 pm. It's now 5 hours of the trip. And we have covered just about 170 kms. The last stretch from Dhampur seemed to have been mainly through a forest patch. Now, we are on the expressway which means no humps, no red lights and greater speed. And the waze indicates the target time as 2.20 am. But I observe that even on the best stretches, the bus does not exceed 80 km. The conductor explains that the speed is limited by default. 

I doze off for a good 2 hours and find the suave driver unfamiliar to this route struggling to turn the vehicle back, having missed Shajahanpur. He has to trace back another 3 kilometres to find the stop. 

Now finally, the conductor Mr  Neeraj is at peace. He relaxes into the front seat parallel to the driver's seat and enjoys a fag. I am in no mood for arguments or adjustments. He gives the plan for the babaji for whom his people would arrive at a pre-determined spot.  

Contrasting Employee Responses: A family wants to get down at a convenient location before the Migelganj station - he facilitates that. It's late night. The family is made comfortable. That is in sharp contrast with Kerala conductors who work to rule in 'their best interests' - exceptions notwithstanding. I began this trip with a ride in a packed FP bus to Muvattupuzha from Karingachira. I had to get down at a convenient location to move to the private bus stand. When I told this to the young lady conductor she admonished me - oh you should have gotten down there and got into a private bus. (My all-grey [white] beard, apparently does not yet cut a venerable old figure with people it seems - at least no one shows the sympathy one ought to get at 60 of being a senior citizen.) The bus had just left the stop. She could very well have stopped the bus once again. I thought the bus would stop at the next junction, from where we could get a bus or an auto. But no! Then some youngsters pulled the bell string and the bus halted. I was about to get out, and then there was an argument between them and the conductor, and the bus moved on, and with my age and baggage, I didn't want to run the risk. A fierce argument erupted between the two parties and by then the bus reached the bus stand. I slipped out quietly while the argument continued. 

Here, I find the conductor directing the bus for a detour just to help the people of the Babaji (he was sporting a Gheruva dhoti & shirt, and was sporting long hair and a beard) to receive him into the awaiting tractor with ease. That is done. And that is the farewell trip. The driver had turned off the music after the news of his death by way of showing respect to the departed fellow traveller and his family. 

Contrast: At Muvattupuzha bus stand, the auto wallah asked Rs.60 for the trip which would have cost me. Rs. 40 if she were to let me off earlier. I didn't haggle. On reaching, I asked the driver politely if he would have change for Rs 40. He reacts rather fiercely arguing that it was Rs 60. I said peaceably that I did not ask for any less! Here in Sitapur, I cover a much longer distance by e-rickshaw and I pay Rs 50 happily for me and him, that too at midnight. What does that speak of? Standard of living or coat of living or organised labour power?  (However, the e-rickshaw ride along the bumpy 4 km track was really back-breaking! Unless you adjust yourself according to the bumps, you are bound to have the impact on your vertebral column without fail! I feared if the driver was being vindictive in some fashion.  Perhaps, the driver seat does not get the impact as would the passenger).

It's 3 am. In less than 48 hours, I have covered the Indian roads of Keralam, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, UP and UK in an Innova car, on a taxi bike, on Kerala SRTC, UP & UK buses, on foot, on a scooter and on an e-rickshaw. Altogether over 1000 kilometres - enjoying the rain and the changing landscape - generally green all over thanks to the monsoons, witnessing the haughty organisational power of labour in God's own country making it Dogs' own country (literally), the accommodative ownership of the state buses by its employees in North India, which help them to run on profit, and bidding farewell to a fellow traveller who just went thus 'tathagata:' 

I am still to come to terms with the bindas UP style where anywhere any road is a 'road to freedom' for them - oneway easily overcome by anybody charging in the opposite direction and the rest of the crowd accommodating that, barring the exceptional bad mouthing or cursing from those who think themselves to be 'trafficly sophisticated'.  The culture perhaps makes it God's own land for them! 

Raksha bandhan - Celebrating sisterhood - brotherhood - family

Rakshabandhan

As we celebrate this day, and I get a day free from office, I thought I would pen down my random thoughts for the day. 

The last day of the sacred month of Sravan (the fourth month) is celebrated as Raksha Bandhan in the Northern part of India. The most popular ritual is that of the sister tying a raksha - raakhi (an amulet or a talisman) around the right wrist of the brother. My coworkers tell me that usually this is done in the afternoon around 1.30 pm as that is considered auspicious for the same (I do a google search to find that the most auspicous time is between 1.43 pm and 4.20 pm for this year!).  The amulet is supposed to ward off evil and protect (raksha) the brother, while the tying of rakhi would imply the assurance of protection of the sister by the brother. Though there are well-known instances in history where Indian queens have sought such protection from more powerful male rulers of the region, essentially, this is a family festival and explicitly promotes the bond between siblings. 

There is an Indian tradition which speaks about the real scholar (naturally, a male!) based on his perception - perhaps education should lead to that stature. Of the three aspects, the first is 'maatruvat para daareshu' - the ability to see women who are not in immediate kinship as 'mother'.  This festival inspires me to tweak it to consider them as one's sister - though, not an easy task.  But achieving that status you are a learned person - pandita:! Another attribute for the enlightenend learner/scholar is the ability to perceive 'every being as oneself' (aatmavat sarva bhooteshu).  This appears to go along with the great statements (mahaavaakya) of Vedaanta - aham brahmasmi (Brihdaarnyaka Upanishad) and tattvam asi (Chandogya Upanishad)! If education leads to the ability (competency) of recognizing oneself as a God-presence and the other as the reflection of the same, treating everyone as if one would have treated oneself (as taught by Jesus, Luke 6:31), then the world would be Kingdom of God or Raamraajya. 

In today's world where in spite of all the big talk about the equality of genders, everyday atrocities against women are reported, such celebrations should go beyond the rituals to a collective resolve of ensuring protection for the more vulnerable sections of the family and the society, without making that a pretext for subjugation.  Even today, the Manu Code (9:3), often taken literally is the norm: 

पिता रक्षति कौमारे भर्ता रक्षति यौवने ।
रक्षन्ति स्थविरे पुत्रा न स्त्री स्वातन्त्र्यमर्हति ॥ ३ ॥

pitā rakṣati kaumāre bhartā rakṣati yauvane | rakṣanti sthavire putrā na strī svātantryamarhati || 3 ||

The other Manu statement on women, is often twisted to ritualistic sanctification which would further curtail the freedom of women. 'yatra naaryastu poojyante ramante tatra devataa: (यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः 3:56).  This calls for honouring and treating the women well. 

Unfortunately, this noble culture of protection gets confined to the homes, and at times takes a virulent form of over-protection, where the women are denied their rights to choose their lifestyle, profession or means of livelihood, life partner etc.  The changed contexts are not applied when it comes to the status of the more vulnerable of the society - it could be women, it could be those who belong to the lower rungs in the caste hierarchy. 

Selective Rage

The festival is happening against the backdrop of the raging anger against the cruel rape and murder of a senior medical intern at RG Kar Medical College, Kolkotta on August 9, 2024 night. The anger just doesn't subside and it is spreading, apparently in an organised manner. Understandable. However, I am really surprised that a similar incident where a young nurse working in a hospital in Uttarakhand was reported missing on July 31st and her body was found on August 8th in Bilaspur, UP and the perpetrator of the crime is said to have been identified and arrested on August 13th.  There isn't heard a whimper of a protest or there hardly is any rage about this woman's rape and murder. There is hardly any problem with any governments by anyone since the finding of the body on 8th and the arrest of the alleged rapist murderer on the 13th. Today, the newspaper reports the gang rape of a minor in Dehradun, the girl is alive and apparently with the Child Welfare Committee of the state. Yes, the gang is identified and those involved are arrested. 

I am unable to distinguish between this selective rage spreading over the entire nation over one elite victim, and hardly any mention or even reporting on similar incidents happening in other states - especially in UK and UP.  Or does it have something more than mere empathetic rage for the victim? Or is it because it has happened in the assumed safety of an institution - or a hospital (which have become soft targets for violence against health professionals)?

Right to Safety, Security and Protection - for Women and for Everyone, Everywhere

Today's newspaper also reports the attack of an AI stewardess in her hotel in London - indicating that the issue of women's vulnerability and need for protection is not a matter confined to India.  I recall instances of preying on women leading to rape and murder reported in the US last month. 

Protection of the life of everyone is the need and the right. A state can claim that it is a welfare state only when this is ensured. It implies that the state is a friendly place for all and it is tested true, when the most vulnerable enjoy such protection - the women, the ageing, the physically-mentally-socially challenged, the children! Where every individual citizen is 'honoured' and 'revered' as a dignified presence as guaranteed by the constitution of India. 

An Inspiring Model 

The Catholic church celebrates St. John Eudas of 17th century France this day (August 19).  

He founded a women's society dedicated to the upliftment of women who were found to be leading a disorderly life, rescuing them back to lead a life of dignity. 

 

He lived in an era where the Church had become extremely degenerate, with the higher clergy leading an ostentatious life exploiting the commoners and even waging wars, and the ordinary clergy ill-educated to guide and inspire the faithful.  He tried to reform by establishing an order of well-educated priests who would take up educating the priests as their primary mission. 

While it is fitting to demad protection from the state as a right, St John challenges us to do our bit to make our homes, our institutions, our communities safe spaces for all! 

My Sisters

Though we don't have any such festival in the South (or at least in Keralam), I have found our sibling bonds to be rather strong - they used to be.  Now being sort of away from such circles, I am not sure whether this is still so. 

Our student Soumya of II BCA is playing sister for all of us today. A first-time rakhi experience for me. 

Today, I remember my beloved sisters with love.  The three of them elder to me had been a great support to all of us as we grew up as siblings. I remember how well they managed their studies while taking upon themselves the daily chores of our small family of 9 siblings😀😃! I have also seen them delicately balancing their professional life actively involving in the same, while managing their homefront, not leaving room for any of their children to complain of neglect. Perhaps, in doing that they set aside the possible heights they could have scaled in their careers.  But I think they have no regrets, though, at times, I do. 

I also remember my sister-cousins - good many of them - with whom even now, we all maintain very healthy and warm relationships. 

Sisters and Mothers for the World

But I remember also those sisters, hundreds of them, who have left their homes to be the sisters of everyone in the world - many of whom were my teachers or promoters, who still treat us all with motherly care - especially those sisters of the destitute who have been our sisters thanks to the schooling we all received from them. My teachers Sr Elsius, Sr Gennet, Sr Lisa, Sr Barthol (+), Sr Christa (+), our headmistresses Sr. Lucy (+), Sr Florine (+) and several others including the beloved Srs. Philamine, Josephath (Roseline), Maris, Kusumam, Beena, Geena, Chrisalda, Ann (+), John Mary (+), Eusabia, Floria (+), Rozario (+), Rosalind (+), Evlalia (+), Donald, Bertilla, ....a host of them.  All of them dedicating their lives as per the gospel of today - Mtt. 19:21 - left everything and followed Jesus, to be sisters and mothers to all the world. 

PS.  Watched the movie 8 AM Metro directed by Raj Rachakonda, where a man and woman get to know each other quite unexpectedly, developing a friendship, and in the process healing each other. Felt good watching the movie told in a very simple manner, but indicating the possibilities of healthy human relationships that lead to wholeness - human potential for intimate relationships without the nomenclatures of brother, sister, friend etc. 

www.samskritabharatiuk.org

https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/manusmriti-with-the-commentary-of-medhatithi/d/doc201361.html

Resolving the Syro-Malabar Crisis - An Appeal to the Holy Father

To The Beloved Holy Father of the Church on Earth, from a few clerical members of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI)

cc: Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli - Apostolic Nuncio to India

Beloved Father, greetings and peace from the Church in India!

We would like to bring once again to your attention that we are deeply concerned for the Church to remain core to the message and person of Christ.  Though these matters have been brought to your attention from various sections, however, we are prompted to reiterate them and our concerns. 

As it has been communicated to us, you have pointed out that issues of liturgy have to be sorted out amicably at the level of the sui juris church itself.  The changes introduced in the Liturgy in the past few decades are indicative that this can be done and that there is no such absolute untouchability to the text or the rubrics, than what is beneficial to the celebrating faith community as decided by the synod (in a synodal spirit; not necessarily by mere majority). 

We are all for the unity of the Church, and those of us who had been in the practice of celebrating the Eucharistic Liturgy ad populum for the past many decades, have not felt any lack of unity, when we had to celebrate the Eucharist in the Chaldean way when the celebrating context was such.  We have never felt that such uniformity is required to maintain Christian unity.  If that were the case, we would not feel unity with the Holy Father or the very many neighbouring church communities who celebrate the mass in the Latin rite. 

We feel that the test of accepting a form of the ritual should also take into consideration how that communicates with the community of the faithful concerned. The Latin rite liturgical form adapted for children gives us the confidence that in the Church, such flexibilities are possible.  In this case, some matters appearing very trivial and highly ritualistic are raised as matters affecting unity, howsoever rich in symbolism they are purported to be - a) turning towards the altar and away from the people; b) having a separate table (Bema) for the liturgy of the word!

When the Holy Father sets a Christian example in trying to reach out to people considered to be in 'sin' - e.g.,  those in same-sex marriage or partnerships, those who are not married as per church regulations - to threaten almost 600000 people including their validly ordained priests with the medievalist and unchristlike excommunication threat, for the simple reason of not following the synodal decision of celebrating the Eucharist ad orientam, appears appallingly against the Spirit of Christ. 

There has been a clever manipulation bordering sentimentality of two principles of Catholic Christian life - (i) communion with the Church and (ii) obedience (including, obedience to the Holy Father). We feel the apparent intolerance to differences/diversity and blind adherence to ritual vestiges of an archaic tradition is a graver danger than the insistence on a tradition that has taken root in this region over the past six decades or more - with the majority of the present-day priests and the faithful having been born into it, and trained in it, and accustomed to it.  

Our humble requests to the Holy Father are: 

1. Permit the variant of the Eucharistic Liturgy as practised in the Ernakulam region as a valid Eucharistic celebration, till further consensus is reached on the issue. 

2. Instruct the synod and the episcopal leadership to avoid unchristian threatening language in eliciting compliance from the believing community. 

Looking forward to your paternal intervention, 

Your sons in Our Lord, 

1. 

2. 

Resolving the Syro-Malabar Ritualistic Rift

On one of my rare evening meditations, on the feast St Anthony of Padua, the great preacher and critique of clergy of his times, the gospel presented to me was the death of Jesus.  Mtt 26:47 ff. where I read, 'then Jesus, crying out again with a loud voice, gave up his life (50). And behold, the veil of the temple was torn into two parts, from top to bottom...'(51). 

Isn't this gospel narration of the tearing away of the curtain of the temple signifying the demarcation between the holy of holies from the rest of the temple a pointer to the new phase in God-human, God-world relationship where such separation was not warranted; where God was no longer the punishing unapproachable God who wouldn't let anyone come near him, whose special presence was to be separated by a veil, lest those who approached it - human or animal - would be burnt to death, but rather, a God who dwells amidst people, with God's reign being established here (Lk 17:21)? 

I feel one of the consistent agendas of Jesus was to liberate people from slavery to rituals, but we are here literally being enslaved by ritualism, and behaving in an unchristlike fashion to preserve them or to challenge them.  Psalms (74: 4-11) of today's vespers aptly fit my meditation on Syro-Malabar Church of Ernakulam: 

O God, why have you rejected us forever?
4 Your foes roared in the place where you met with us;

5 They behaved like men wielding axes
    to cut through a thicket of trees.  

6 They smashed all the carved paneling
    with their axes and hatchets.
7 They burned your sanctuary to the ground;
    they defiled the dwelling place of your Name.
 8 They said in their hearts, “We will crush them completely!”
    They burned every place where God was worshipped in the land.    

9 no prophets are left,
    and none of us knows how long this will be.

10 How long will the enemy mock you, God?
    Will the foe revile your name forever?    

11 Why do you hold back your hand, your right hand?    Take it from the folds of your garment and destroy them.  They set up their standards as signs. We are given no signs from God...

Christ must be laughing at the incorrigible human nature which always wants a  'golden calf' to satisfy its aspirations, which in the Catholic Church, especially in the Syro Malabar church, has taken the mould of the elaborate ritual symbolic of the thanksgiving and self-effacing meal Jesus celebrated.  We have succeeded in making it a magical formula with grand narratives being written on the real presence,  and the magnificent and bombastic theories like 'transubstantiation'. 

I hope he repeats his act of cleansing the temple at least once more - whipping these bigoted leaders who perpetuate ritualism and fight over it totally against the spirit of Christ. 'Woe to you for making them twice the sons (or daughters - on this account also there is an effort to maintain gender justice) of hell that you yourselves are for the sake of your traditions?' (Matt 23:15).  (This doesn't imply any hatred towards these leaders - but just a figurative way of presenting a hope of being led in the Christ way, genuinely fearing that the present mode is away from it). 

• Why is this unchristian adherence to the details of the rituals? 
• While rite itself is built on the thesis of diversity, why is another addition to diversity not tolerated? 
• Is the (so-called) apostolic heritage the only valid basis for a valid liturgy? 
• Is it the purpose of the liturgy to lead people to God, and if that is not served, can't new modes be envisaged? 
• Is uniformity in celebration of the Eucharist to be the most distinguishing feature of a Christian community? What about Christ's compassion, forgiveness, inclusiveness, and self-suffering?  If the liturgical outcomes are not on these lines, aren't we treading a faultline? 
• Does a threat of excommunication for not adhering to a norm passed by the majority befit the Church of Christ? 

While the present understanding of God's revelation guides the Church to seek to understand God's presence and revelation through other cultures in dialogue, here, for the sake of establishing uniformity in the ritualistic celebration of the Lord's supper where the authority figure shows himself as the servant and washes the feet, our Church leadership wields the threat of excommunication to those who refuse to adhere to the ritualistic details. 

While till late it was the conventional catholic sentiment of obedience to the Holy Father which was utilised as the tool for bringing in compliance, now that the Holy Father himself has declared that such matters are to be decided at the local church level; and it has been amply proven that there is no such 'untouchability' in the details of the rituals by the drastic editing which took place in the last phase, isn't it the right time to allow flexibilities while mandating that the official version remains what is passed by the Synod? 

It is the scripture which insisted that 'obedience is greater than sacrifice' (I Sam 15:22 ) and it was the Master's example to sacrifice one's self in obedience to God's will (Lk 22:42).  This is indeed laudable and all Christians can arrive at an easy solution by obeying what is decided by the majority of the Synod. 

However, the question still remains about its 'christianness' and the very idea that rituals are the core of our Christian existence and adherence to the rubrics a great Christian virtue, appears totally in contradiction with the spirit of Christ's liberating gospel. 

His insistence that God is to be worshipped in spirit and truth and not necessarily on this mountain or that (Gerizim or Jerusalem - Jn 4:20-24) is amply indicative of his liberal stand towards issues.  This may be juxtaposed with his statement on the faithfulness in small things and that not even an iota of the law will be changed (Mtt 5:17).  But almost in the same breath, he cautions that our 'righteousness should surpass that of the Pharisees' (Mtt 5:20).  The big picture Christ tries to present appears hanging in favour of liberating humans from slavish adherence to ritualistic religion, where all such means should serve to build up the reign of God, not a reign of high handed superiority, suppression of dissenting voices, but a reign of justice, peace and joy in the holy spirit.  It is worth the while to examine if either of the parties, in their fanatical adherence to their version of this means, is contributing towards the larger and primary purpose. 

Can't the leadership facilitate a consensus formula? 

1. The officially recognized form of celebration of the Syro-Malabar mass will be the one approved by the Synod. 

2. Where there are strong sentiments against the new format, especially regarding the aspect of where the celebrant should face - the people or the altar - freedom be given to the local community to discuss and decide on the basis of a majority (preferably, consensus) decision to have regular masses in the parish ad populum or ad orientam

3. In any case, the mass considered to be the Sunday Mass be celebrated in the approved form of the Synod. 

4. It would be good that the Eucharistic celebration as part of Sunday Catechesis of the Young be also celebrated in this fashion. 

I hope by now the more involved and intelligent members of the Church might have put forward similar or better solutions before all concerned. I wish I were given an audience by the new Major Arch Bishop.  I would definitely make an effort this time, hoping to share these views as a concerned member and ordained minister of the Church.