AIR TRAVEL - AI TATA: FROM PUBLIC TO PRIVATE!

AI – the cheapest mode of reaching Lucknow from Doha is Ai flight.  Doha-Delhi, Delhi- Lucknow. It is known that the AI has been taken over by the TATAs.   While we feel some annoyance at the typical take overs of PSUs, when it is the TATAs, the Indians feel a little at ease.  There is a feel good factor with the TATAs.  They are almost public – and perhaps, more public-spirited than a typical government undertaking is!

All this being the case, the last one year of TATA ownership is yet make a difference. The typical Sarkari attitude of the staff towards the clients, as if they were doing a favour to the latter, is gradually changing, and those very many matronly grannies seem to be disappearing. 

However, the responses at the check-in desks are still very much Sarkari – both in terms of attitude and the skills.  I have found them fumbling with the computer and taking enormous time to deal with the ticketing. Either the system or the individuals – or both leave much to be desired.

The Hindutwa health agenda generated menu is still in force – at least in the domestic sector, you are strictly fed a vegetarian diet.  However, they do feed. A Lucknow – Delhi flight is just about an hour duration.  During this time, they manage to serve some snack – a well packed snack box with a Real (fruit power) juice tetra pack, a 300 ml bottle of water (Natural Spring), a rather heavy paneer sandwich and a sachet of tomato ketchup to go with it, two butter biscuits in another pack (claiming recyclability).  Wow!! Does that compensate for the lack of a feel-good factor (fgf)?  I paid attention to the tetra pack – no claims of recyclability! It is from Dabur. The flavour is orange. It states: Real is only a brand name, and does not have to do with the content.  But there is huge amount of information. About ‘orange’, about nutritional value of the product, appeals to try out other variants of ‘real’.  As usual, there is a foldable straw as well attached. It tastes better than the usual stuff.  And, to me, the Dabur family adds some value.

My neighbour in the row, Mr Kuneel (name changed) is intrigued by me, especially since I started punching this note away on this lap-top.  He is curious and I am happy about it. He happens to be an AI staff, and narrates his predicament as a staff, when he or someone else in his league entitled to travel is using the AI facility to travel. On account of the client care, they are sometimes, forced to wait, postpone their trips, which is a great problem for them.  I feel good about the traveller care – but the same thing is felt as an injustice to him – I too see his point. He has had very embarrassing situations.  He also feels unhappy about the way in which the employees are not treated equally – under coercion a group being given better perks, whereas the newcomers being treated with much lesser emoluments. He is a Lucknowi, and is happy to get my contact.  I too don’t mind sharing my phone number with him.  Perhaps, in my next two years, he is to give me better insights regarding Lucknow (luck now or later!!) and AI.  I am keenly looking forward to knowing the difference TATAs is making to AI.

In the flight, the crew is a team of young people – apparently, now more men than women with AI. They are well mannered and not the typical Sarkari personnel who display their raub.  Bringing the starters – a plastic sachet of fried corn (not something very appealing, but better than nothing) and a drink – fruit, soda or alcohol.  The crew volunteers that they can provide whiskey or beer.  And I ask for whiskey with ice and fruit juice (only orange juice or coke are the options).  They serve the same in a paper cup with AIR INDIA printed bold in red - that does not appeal.  However, a much friendlier treatment than ever before.  The dinner is really heavy – with rice, veg/non-veg curry, dahi, boiled corn and dessert (excellent chocolate pastry). I carry the bread and butter along as I don’t want to add to the waste; and I refuse the bottled water, as I have already one, and enough stock of drinking water.

Barring the food, there is hardly any other entertainment on the flight. I recall those days when Delhi to Kochi AI flights had screens and a choice of entertainment programs.

My neighour is a young Sardarji, Paramjeet from Gurdaspur, who works with Baladiya (on contract) as a driver.  He has to circuit the whole of Qatar every day.  With my interest in what is happening with solid waste, I ask him if I could come for a ride, and he promises to take me on a round one day.  I take his number.  I feel thrilled to learn that his village is bordering Pakistan, and when there is tension, their entire village is shifted back into the Indian territory.  With their adhaar card, they are permitted to go to Pakistani territory and come back on the same day, especially for religious and gari purposes. I hope to visit his village as well as go on a round with him on the Baladiya waste dumping trip. 

I am helped on arrival in Delhi to quickly go through the processes so that I board the connecting flight to Lucknow in time. I felt the guy went out of way to help us, and felt inclined to tip him. By the time, I made up my mind, he had vanished.  I have no clue as to what would be the right thing to do - and the right amount to give. 

However, at the boarding point I am stopped, and asked to wait.   I have no clue.  Some vague question regarding my check-in bag is asked, after informing it is held up, and will not be sent.  Some clarification on whether it had any charger or battery, and I flatly refused, also confident that the luggage had arrived all the way by AI from Doha.  Finally, I am let in.  And informed that the luggage will arrive at my home address in 2 or 3 days. I am not happy.  This is a shoddy piece of work. As if an appendix, I am asked to fill a form with my address and phone number, and just casually asked to report the same on arrival in Lucknow, which I do.  And I do the follow-up the next two days.  (But on the flight I recalled that the last item I had packed was a gift diary of Al-Mufta jewellery, and it had a pen-drive and built in power bank or something of that sort! So no excuses!).  After 3 days, around midnight, there is someone at the gate reporting that he has come to deliver my bag. Now I consider this very gracious, though it is my right.  I was willing to go even to Delhi to fetch it if required.  So I tip him Rs. 150.  And on examination, I find the cherished gift item, which is likely to have caused the trouble, missing.  But not a word, no explanation, no effort to provide that back to the customer.  This leaves much to be desired from AI. 

After each trip, AI sends a feedback form, and I think that is a good sign, provided they take into consideration the concerns of the customers. 

I would give another year to TATA to show their stuff in AI management. As of now, it leaves much more to offer to make the customer feel good, and opt for it again, but for the price factor, which at times, appears in favour of the customer.

PS. On 2024 January 15th I get the report from my friend who had travelled all the way from Lucknow to Delhi to board Air India Express flight to Coimbatore to attend a Doctoral Committee.  They were made to board the plane scheduled to leave at 9 am almost an hour before.  Then they were told the plane would take off only at 11 am, it was further announced it would leave only at 1 pm, later 2 pm, and finally at 6 pm they were deboarded.  I was flabbergasted to learn that they were not fed, nor given water to drink!  The people were prepared to deplane, but they wouldn't be permitted. 

And finally, on deboarding, they were faced with utter confusion  to get their luggage back. The initial hitch was on account of the fog; where as, when finally the fog cleared, it was the lack of personnel.  There were no crew to substitute as the working hours of the crew were completed.  

With TATA being there, I thought they should have found human resources for such contingencies, but that has not happened. 

More importantly, the passengers were not being given the right kind of information - correct and timely. It appears that there are strict rules regarding working hours for the flight crew, lest fatigue causes avoidable accidents. This was not made known to the passengers. 

And after having had to wait for 10 hours in the flight, that the beleaguered  passengers  were not given any refreshments, appears to be a very inhospitable treatment to the passengers. 

ESD at Rajagiri-Doha: SDGs as reflected in the annual Rajagiri Fest REPERTOIRE

I was glad to see elements of ESD in a pronounced manner in the way in which Rajagiri fest was celebrated on the 13th and 14th of December.  

The welcome speech had a special reference to SDG, and personally to me (that is a bit embarrassing though) as the force behind the SDG thinking on the campus.  Our young principal has solid principles to lean on, with his experience in initiating his erstwhile workplace in Keralam, India as a global school. 

His report on the school adequately stressed the efforts taken in this direction by the school as a whole-school programme. The chief guest, Sachin Dinkar IAS, the secretary for education of the Qatar Indian consulate,  noticed the stress given in the programmes on the theme, and added that alongside, incentivised stress could be given on reading selected books of all genres over a year. I would say yes to that - perhaps also having books related to planet life. 

However, from speech to practice is not easy - the annual magazine, prepared after great hard work, and to be released by me, was wrapped in a glossy glass paper, which could very well have been normal paper or brown paper! With Mr Ajith being the man behind it, it is likely that it was a reused stuff, with his alertness towards the principles of sustainability, even before he had the mantle of GS advocate. 

The KG programme Chrysalis, presented the varying seasons with the two chirping little birds expressing their worry for the sustainability of the beautifully diverse common home, with the tiny toddlers and the teachers echoing powerfully together Louis Armstrong's 'What a wonderful world'. <iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fprasant.palakkappillil%2Fposts%2Fpfbid02RwsGaFbeSwGyVQp34DS6AjyqaaeZgz1TeCAr9YzqjmiBi4Jsg2p7ukwW88tqwHK5l&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="543" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe>.  A powerful reminder regarding Climate Change (SDG 13)

Harvest of Hope by the VII graders had directly to do with SDG2 of 'zero hunger' and 'climate action' with the little steps school children can play in this regard. For IX graders it was the school value of global outlook that mattered through the Hogwarts School initiation of Harry Porter starting with a detour to Malgudi of India, and its rich diversity being a great lesson.  It had lessons in SDG 14 and 15 (diversity) and that of global cooperation for the goals (SDG 17). 

Fifth graders were happy presenting the diverse dances of India, which they did with gusto. 

On the second day of the fest too, the thrust on sustainability had its mark on the programmes, especially, the programme by the fourth graders 'Calenta Mienta (Calentamiento?) Global' was about global warming, as discussed by a joint family - grandparents, parents and the children, reminiscing about the less threatened past life and looking into what contributes to global warming and small steps that can be taken. 

I had the occasion to deliver the Presidential address on the second day, in which I tried to point out the value orientation of the school, with global citizenship as a core value, and which required training and action in the direction of SDGs, with parental support and involvement.  I am afraid if this was ever listened to by the parents or the teachers, with whom I want a continued dialogue on this matter to take place. I made another post with the matter I presented. 

A great experiment in talent and skill development of children, with almost 60% of the total students making at least an appearance on the stage; giving them an opportunity to get out of their shells, and be with others before a larger audience.  And some of them did vouch for the transformation that can happen through the process of school education, notwithstanding all its limitations! 

Celebrating the Annaddata - National Farmer's Day Dec. 23

 A Day for the Annadata  - The Teenager Today, Dec. 2023 pp. 36-37.

It is not many days since the world has begun to follow the practice of creating and celebrating ‘holidays’ to honour people and to highlight causes.  It has become an industry in itself, besides each of such occasions being promoted by various segments of the almighty market.  Now there are holidays dedicated to all sorts of professions and all roles people play – teacher, doctor, nurse, lawyer, engineer, father, mother, woman, child…but I observe with regret that there is no day dedicated to ‘farming’ or the farmer. There are any number of days dedicated to various segments of agriculture spanning the year –

Pulses (February 10), forest (March 21), water (March 22), carrot (April 4), rice (April 19), earth day (April 22),  seeds day (April 26), biodiversity day (May 22), milk day (June 1 – India November 6)), environment day (June 5), ocean day (June 8), microbiome day (June 27), fruits day (July 1), chocolate day (July 7), nutritional week (September 1-7 India), coconut day (September 2), coffee day/vegetarian day (October 1), egg/chicken day (October 2), rural women’s day (October 15), food day (October 16), Agricultural education day (December 3 – India), soil day (December 5), tea day (December 15), Farmer’s day (December 23). 

I feel good that the absolute backwardness of the farmers notwithstanding, India is one among the few nations that have dedicated a day to the farmers!

Farmer’s Day (Kisan Diwas) is observed on the birthday of the former Prime Minister of India (for 23 days!), Chowdhary Charan Singh (1902-87), referred to as Champion of India’s peasants, one of the few politicians who, drawing from his own peasant experience, stood unambiguously for the cause of

the farmers. My impression of him as a teenager was that of a maverick politician who by hook or crook wanted to get the prime minister post.  But my search after Kisan Day revealed his law-maker-people's leader-visage.  In the pre and post-independence times, he proposed several legislations in favour of the farmers, noted among them were the radical land reforms intended for the benefit of the farming community, during his tenure as the revenue minister and chief minister of UP. He has the distinction of having founded a political party with farmers as the focus ‘Dalit Mazdoor Kisan Party’ which was later renamed as Lok Dal.

However, the most striking slogan India ever put forward in favour of the farmers was ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ a call by the second prime minister of India, Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri, stressing the equal importance to be given to food security as we give to border security. 

Slogans apart, the truth today is that while the efforts in line of budget, benefits and perks for border security are well in place, that of the food provider (annadata) is languishing in papers and files. While India has become food secure as per the statistics, the status of the Kisan has become very vulnerable and insecure, to which thousands of farmer suicides in the past 3 decades of development bear witness.

Agriculture as the Basis of Annual Calendar

It is interesting to note that agricultural cycles are one of the crucial factors that lead to the formulation of a calendar (others being vegetational changes - leafing of trees, migration of birds and the changes in the sky - sun, moon or stars). The early Roman calendar is said to be indicative of the predominant role agriculture had in determining human activities. It had just ten months, and the rest of the time, a little more or less than 2 months were considered off - the winter months which did not permit any productive (agricultural) activities.

Farmer’s Day – A Celebration of Freedom from Hunger

In the state of Keralam, the regional new year (Kolla varsham) begins with the month of Chingam falling in August/September.  It was introduced in the year 825 AC, likely with the intent of energising the people of the region who usually got crushed under the heavy monsoon rains, especially of the last month Karkidakam (which is qualified with the term ‘kalla’ – thief, the usurper Karkidakam) which tended to take all mirth away from life. With the Sun appearing again, the vegetation blooming, and a set of seasonal produces including paddy, ready for harvest it was the ideal time to celebrate life's newness, and perhaps, it was decided to start observing the year with the month in which the legendary benevolent king of the region, Mahabali, was celebrated. 

Of late, the Kerala government has been celebrating Chingam 1, the new year day of the state as the farmer’s day.  It is relevant as it is the month of harvest, it is symbolic (perhaps, unintentional) that the first day of the year is being celebrated as the farmer’s day, indicating the importance given to the foundational production activity.

Jai Kisan - Celebrating the Farmer, Celebrating Agriculture

Kerala state is a case study of the plight of farmers and farming against the background of modern development. One of the most advanced states in India in the development indices, it is totally dependent on the neighbouring states for its sustenance whether for the staple food rice, or for vegetables or fruits. The present development paradigm is making us ‘free from planet-dependence'! And, in general, the earth has become human-dependent! Its sustainability appears totally at the mercy of human hands!

The day Kerala has chosen to celebrate farmer’s day appears better suited to celebrate the farmers, though the fact remains that the farmer is hardly ever celebrated, but rather neglected, denied, desiccated and decimated by the heartless, visionless policies and laws of the changing governments that come into power. Jai Kisan is a mere slogan, with hardly anyone to support the farmer.

The farmers and farming still remain in India the most deprived, insecure and neglected community and occupation. And any of the reforms introduced have generally benefitted the large and medium farmers who own large tracts of land, whereas, the millions of marginal farmers, and farm labourers still suffer the worst form of economic insecurity.

No government, no political party, no established religion and hardly any development organisation has been there to support the farming sector and the farming community. That farmer is doing 'God's own creative work'  of feeding the people, is rarely recognized. Rather they are put to such extreme pressures and ignominy that hardly any child of a farmer would aspire to be a farmer, rather they would all try to escape from the farm and farming. 

In my interactions with students all across the country, I have rarely found a student thinking of farming as one’s future career or profession. I wonder if any of the farmer would be happy to consider his/her child taking up agriculture as one’s future career, unless it is agricultural engineering for a job with the government departments or some industry.

Nobody stands up for a farmer - physically or figuratively! Whereas, for all other segments of engagement there is organisation, bargaining, security and safety, for the farmer there is none. You stand up in reverence for a teacher or a priest, you do the same for a professional - health or engineering or law -  with deference, you stand up for the police and politician, lest they create hindrance for your life; but for a farmer - you just don't care; s/he is non-entity, or at times, a nuisance!

Hence, farmer’s day – whether on December 23 or any other regionally chosen day, is an occasion to revive the most divine culture - agriculture, not merely by praising the farmer, but also by ensuring that those who produce food are justly paid, and that there is an assured means of livelihood for them. And that food production be such that it does not put the source of all food, the earth, into trouble! 

Agriculture and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD)

Celebrating ‘Farmer’s Day’ is also an occasion to stress that food production - in all its phases - preparing the soil - sowing - harvesting - processing - storing - and cooking - becomes a necessary part of the school curriculum. In honour of the first President of India, who was also the first minister of agriculture India observes ‘agriculture education day’ on December 3^rd. 

Almost all of the seventeen global sustainable development goals (SDG) - No poverty,  Zero Hunger, Good health and well-being for all, Quality education for all, Gender equality, Clean water and sanitation, Affordable and clean energy, Decent work and economic growth, Infrastructure, industry, innovation, Sustainable cities and communities, Responsible consumption and production, Climate action, Life under water, Life on land, Justice, peace and strong institutions and Collaboration for attaining the goals - are linked to this vital sector. 

Some of the activities, a school or college should take in this direction are:

(i) Celebrating one or more of the days dedicated to the various aspects of farming. 

(ii) Experiencing farming activity in the neighbourhood 

(iii) Interacting with the farmers and honouring their contributions and innovations at the school. 

(iv)     Familiarising with and appreciating food crops of the region and their diversity. 

(v) Having a campus farm involving the students – from preparation of the soil and manure to seeding, tending, weeding and harvesting, all from an experiential learning perspective. 

(vi) Making farming an item of the annual projects or science exhibitions; and also of skill contests with innovation to make the sector sustainable stressed.

It is heartening to see that many schools have begun to introduce some of these at least as a token. I am glad that some of my erudite colleagues in the ivory tower of knowledge, post-retirement have deliberately entered into the realm of producing food in this manner - from small to medium scale.  Today, one of them is leading a campaign for the well-being of the agriculturists!  I have also seen a few young professionals turning to the land, and producing food (rice), using scientific, but earth-friendly methods, enjoying what they do, and earning well.

 

For a World Where Agriculture is Respected and the Farmers Live with Dignity!

All said and done, even as we  are celebrating the farmer thus, the vibrant Malayalee poet Murukan Kattakada's lines resonate in the heart with foreboding : 

Itu paadamallente hrudaymaanu               - This is not a plot of field, but my heart

Nel katiralla kariyunna mohamaanu          -  Not a sheaf of paddy, but my desires in smoke

Iniyente Karalum parichchu kolka            -  Now you may pluck out even my heart

Puzhayalla kanneerinuravayaanu               -  It's not a river, but the well-spring of my tears!

Vatti varalunnatuyirinte Yamunayaanu         -  It’s the Jamuna of life that’s drying out!

 

I hope this situation changes and the day when the farmer is recognized for the great divine task s/he undertakes is not far off. 

Salutations to the great men and women who feed the world – Jai Kisan!

P.S. Even as I concluded making these notes I got the news from Keralam on November 11, that a farmer, K.G. Prasad, 55, Ambedkar Colony, Thakazhi of Alappuzha Dt., committed suicide because he was not even able to raise a loan he required linked to non-payment of paddy procurement receipts by the government.

Rajagiri Fest - Rehashing and Rearing 'Repertoire' for Sustainability

Peace and Joy to all of you at this Rajagiri Fest - REPERTOIRE! Indeed a show casing of the repertoire of skills and capacities with the young Rajagirians and their teacher mentors! 

Let me salute our guest of honour,  Hon Ajeesh Puthussery, who guides the vibrant Rajagiri endeavours in education - basic, higher, special and professional - catering to all sections of the society in and around Kochi, with 25 odd institutions. (Let us greet him as he also celebrates his birthday meant to be kept a secret). 

In my four years of association with Rajagiri Doha, especially as its Academic Director representing Rajagiri Kochi, in the last 2 years, I am glad to place my appreciation for our young Rajagiri School - Doha, for the strides it has made in becoming a full-fledged school, and now beginning to spread its wings. 

My gratitude to God Almighty for the grace and the strength, and to the management team led by the visionary leader Mr Jacob George, which brooks no compromise with students' welfare and growth, as evidenced by this fest and the measures taken in the past year. 

Dear parents, from the Principal's report, I trust we have adequate matter to be proud of - especially the added advantage for the students on account of the consciously maintained smaller size, with a very healthy teacher-student ratio of  1:13.5, the opportunities for individualised care, and opportunities to for almost every child to bloom, and the leadership opportunities by way of class leadership, Students' Council and the unique service platform SVAYAM for volunteership. 

I would also like to call your attention to the school goals - the motto of learn-serve-excel; and the vision to harmonising knowledge pursuit with value assimilation.  In this case, we have listed 11 values, while leadership training comes with all of them as unlisted. In the past one year, we have tried to shift the focus on the subject of value education, from merely another subject with an exam to be cleared to an all-domain integrated learning of skills, attitudes and character to be continuously assessed with the support of the whole school, and the parents. Making good global citizens requires that parents also support the school efforts to break the shell of our tiny selves, stretch out in service of and solidarity with the suffering humanity and the common home - the Vasudha which is our common Kutumbam.

Let us turn our minds today to such communities - like those of Gaza, Ukraine and other parts of the world, and pledge that our children become harbingers of peace and harmony and conflict resolution. 

In this connection, the school has made a conscious effort to give its training a global thrust 

1. By forging tie-ups with organisations and institutions across the globe for interaction, exchanges, visits, and Insha Allah, with internships from next year. 

2. By giving thrust to the global development goals, taken two + 1 each every year, so that the school is abreast with the 2030 goals of development, as expressed in the recently concluded COP28 in Dubai. 

You have taken a bold step to place your children with us at Rajagiri. My request is to trust our experience and expertise of over 75 years, and help us to groom our future generations. 

I request you to realise the onerous task the Principal and his team of teachers,  with the support of admin & support staff,  take up day after day - especially, in the last two months to prepare these little ones over a thousand of them to appear boldly before the school body! A stupendous achievement. Let us applaud them thunderously ensuring our understanding and cooperation with our Parents Council in the lead, to make Rajagiri Doha a cherished destination and a centre of great and deep and lifelong learning! 

May God bless us all! 

May you all have all the blessings that Christmas promises in the New Year, and a much more blessed enriching and greener year 2024, with a more sustainable lifestyle! 

Synod Qurbana and the CMI congregation

Synod Qurbana and CMI congregation

My young friend, established journalist Mr Jipson John (an SH alumnus) asks me regarding the CMI position on the liturgical controversy in the Syro-Malabar Church. This gives me an opportunity to share my reflection on the issue once again:

1.      That there has been a raucous dispute in Syro-Malabar Church on account of the Holy Eucharist (Qurbana), a symbol and means of Christian unity, is beyond doubt.

2.     As the first indigenous religious order of the Indian and Syro-Malabar Church, I feel that the CMI congregation has failed to tread the path shown by its co-founder St. Kuriakos Chavara, who in such junctures during his lifetime, took a very pro-active leadership to bring about reconciliation through mediation and dialogue. The leadership kept a politically correct silence of convenience, and never emerged as a leader of peace and harmony (in spite of promptings from the 'less equals' in the congregation).

3.     The issue of Syro-Malabar or any liturgy within the church is to be looked at from the angle of its nature and purpose.

3.1.So, a first question in this regard will be: is the holy eucharist a means for an end, the means for an end, or the end itself?

Not really basing on any dogma, but from a common sense Christian perception, I consider it as the most potent communitarian means for God experience for a believer.

As such, it is a means, it is not an end – the end should be God-experience in Christ.

3.2. The second question, which is already partly answered in the first case, is about the purpose of the Holy Eucharist.  To me, it is meant to provide God-experience in Christ to the believer.

3.3. A third question could be regarding the source of this tradition in the Church – the church derives its mandate from the symbolic act of Jesus at the last supper, his command to ‘do this in memory of me’ (Lk 22:19, I Cor 11:24), coupled with the inspirational statements regarding ‘consuming the body & blood of Christ’ (Jn 6:47-57) – which makes assimilation of the person of Jesus into the believers' existence on the planet (making Christ part of one’s life) as a condition for life (eternal) in Christ.  This to my mind, not very infrequently, had been reduced to a very carnal way of interpretation bordering cannibalism, while admitting that some instances of visions and experiences vouching for this aspect of the sacrament have been reported.  While it had its origin in Jesus’ teaching and practice, the present form has become more of a ritual and less of a celebration of faith. The present-day formulae have been a product of evolution, and were arrived at from various traditions, and in various stages. And the present controversy indeed points to another stage in the evolution of liturgy.

3.3.1.      I am not yet sure as to what my lessons in liturgy had taught me about these aspects of my reflection.  I do recall, that way back in 1983, an introduction by the well-known liturgiologist Rev. Dr Pathikulangarato Syro-Malabar liturgy which brought home to me its symbolic richness, helped me to participate and celebrate the eucharistic liturgy more meaningfully.  I did feel that some of those symbolisms tended to be infusing symbolism into every act, post factum, and appeared to have been manufactured to prove a point.  In my very limited pastoral opportunities, I have tried to make the liturgy meaningful to the people by introducing to them the meaning of the various symbols and rituals of the celebration.

3.3.2.     Having been introduced to the experimental liturgy called ‘bharateeya puja’ from my younger days as an altar server, I found the effort inspirational and making the liturgy communicative with the ‘dominant’ Hindu culture as well. And I learnt with regret that this experiment had been banned by the ‘official church’. 

4.      Now coming to my stand, as a catholic priest of Syro-Malabar church and belonging to the CMI religious congregation:

4.1. The church’s position/thinking about rites as something you are born with is outright anachronistic, unchristian and ritualistic – not befitting Christ, who had made an unambiguous statement regarding ritualism in faith: ‘…an hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.’ Jn 4:21

4.2. There is a contradiction in this convention because, someone who is newly joining the Christian faith has all the freedom to choose the tradition of Christianity to follow – Latin, Syrian, Chaldean, Ethiopian or whatever else, while the one who is already in the Church, who finds one’s liturgical celebrations too ritualistic, atavistic, anachronistic, not conversing with one’s ethos, is denied the freedom to continue to be in the Church, on account of the rigid rules regarding adherence to one’s ritualistic tradition.

4.3. This is easily the way in which the Church is made casteist – similar to someone born in a given caste not being able to change one’s caste, even by any Sanskritisation efforts. 

4.4. This high-handed caste mentality still persists with the majority of Syro-malabar faithful, claiming a hollow Brahminical caste tradition to their faith community, (and a similar Jewish tradition clubbed with it!) and exhibiting marked discrimination to all else, including to those who belonged to Latin rite, and especially, to those who were baptised into the Church since the late 19^th century from the so-called dalit communities, giving them the false hope of equality.

4.4.1.     Conversely, I have sensed a sort of caste-like discrimination by the Roman (Latin) church towards Syrian church, on a global as well as national platform, by sidelining and suppressing them and their aspirations in many ways.

4.5. Specifically to the question of the ‘synodal liturgy’, my thoughts are as follows:

4.5.1.     The Synod is considered the highest authority in the church, and a decision by the same, within the democratic framework of majority (absolute or relative, I am not sure) rule, is to be accepted by all concerned. And thus, the decision, said to be by the majority of the bishops/synod, is to be accepted by all.

4.5.2.     In this decision, there appears to be hardly any issue of faith and morals – though the decision and process thereof indeed imply several issues of Christian ethics. Hence as such, there needn’t be an opposition, despite the discomfort or dislike. 

4.5.3.     The protests appear to me as genuine from the angle of the theologically sound Christian anti-ritualism, with several models of culturally integrated mass forms easily accommodated in the tribal belt of North India, and in the African continent.

4.6. The Synod, especially the bishops, could have been more Christian by considering how best the purpose(s) of liturgy could be served by accommodating the aspirations of divergent groups.

4.7. The ways and means employed to express the discomfort or cultural alienation experienced by a large number of priests, religious and lay faithful, appear to be not befitting Christian followers.

4.8. Following the logic of #4.5.2, as there is hardly any question of faith and morals involved, but only a mode and means of experiencing God in Christ is in question, the Church leadership, after the model of the good shepherd (having the smell of the sheep) could have easily accommodated the very simple demand of a difference in the ritual posture by a vast number of the Christians of Syro-Malabar Church of Ernakulam, and still persuaded them to follow the officially approved mode by the Synod.

4.9. When comparing the acts of commission and omission by the protesting Christians of Ernakulam and by the suppressing or imposing Christians (the Bishops) who wield the majority in Synod, both appear sinful, though the sinfulness of the latter appears to be more mortal, being people with greater responsibility in the ‘way of Christ’ who tend to present a facade of self-righteousness and be the perpetrating an anti-Christian style of functioning.

4.10.                     Interestingly, the so-called Synodal Liturgy has proven that there is no section of this text/liturgy which is untouchable, as sufficient alterations (additions and deletions) have been introduced, changing what was felt to be redundant in several instances, including in the most central Gehanda (eucharistic) prayers.

4.11.                     The questions often raised are those of ‘communion’ and ‘unity’ – as most of the educated people understand, it is more of a question of ‘uniformity’.  If the logic is followed,  we should also think seriously about why we should have many rites instead of one Roman rite.

4.12.                     A whole section of the separated in the Kerala Catholic church was given the freedom to rejoin the Catholic church in the early 20^th century, even permitting the married clergy, if so warranted, to establish harmony and reconciliation (Syro-Malankara Church).  This is indicative of the possibility of accommodativeness in the Church for reconciliation and harmony, which could very well be applied in this case as well. 

4.13.                     The Latin church, while retaining its unity, accommodates four or more variants of the central eucharistic prayers, which are not seen as a threat to the unity of the Church.

4.14.                     I think it is more important to let the people participate in a liturgy they find more meaningful in their lives than imposing a uniform model purportedly to establish unity.  Why should a variance in celebration be treated as a threat to unity, rather than an increase in the diversity of the celebration of faith in the Church?

4.15.                     I feel surprised to see Pope Francis, the radical disciple who is welcoming those who have been otherwise seen as morally errant, or deprived, is using almost the language of the Roman emperors to dictate terms to a bunch of faithful who feel their tradition of over 50 years has been set aside to reimpose an unpalatable archaic and unfamiliar Chaldean code, which they are neither interested in nor found to be contributing to the fundamentals of their faith life.

4.16.                     This is either because he has not listened to the issues of both parties, or perhaps, he thinks ‘obedience’ (after the Lord Jesus Christ’s model) is the means for unity rather than dialogue and accommodation.

4.17.                     To my thinking, this is another way in which clericalism, legalism, authoritarianism, ritualism, pharisaism, and chaldeanism are being reinforced in the Church.

4.18.                     As a student of social science, I feel this phenomenon requires a thorough comparative and empirical study with set parameters regarding the attainment of the purposes of the eucharistic liturgy, say over a period of a year or two, and see how the empirical sciences can contribute better to make a more reasonable and holy decision making. 

4.19. The effort at re-establishing a museum theology as foundational for liturgy is like laying an axe to inculturation and incarnational theology, where liturgy made the word assume flesh in a given cultural context - local (as it could be in Kochi), linguistic (as it is happening even today, but without reference to the genius of the culture), indigenous as it ought to be with such communities etc. It is high time that the Church thought about creating a united Indian liturgy, with locally adaptable variants, where the celebration of the mystery of faith in Christ is communicated and experienced in the given cultural context.  We are going back to the future, and getting enslaved by the Roman Western categories while asserting ourselves to be Indians and Orientals. 

PS: Trouble Makers: My response

Very good! Indeed Christian - Holy Roman Empire! Legal, Authoritarian, Threatening... while I still, personally, would be obedient! I hope Jesus the 'troublemaker' would come again, once again for an exception, with his whip - and crack down on the shibboleths! If I am to be whipped by him, I will receive that too happily.