KSJ Writers Forum September 2015

SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.02Pg.02

n the article “Ashrams and Social Justice”,

Michael Amaladoss discusses how ashrams Ican be the ground where the fight for social

justice can germinate and take root. At first notice,

such thinking may seem weird. An ashram is a place

of prayer and contemplation and the idea of fight for

social justice may appear incompatible with it. But

the crucial point which he makes is that ashrams are

the places where the learned live and therefore they

can create an ideal model of a just community. In

other words, the fight

for social justice

begins with learning.

H u m a n

beings are relational

beings. Our lives are

inter-related. But this

web of inter-relation

between people and

groups of people is

severely imbalanced.

The obvious result of

ever widening gaps that privilege some and deprive

the others is discontent and violence. In such a

context, enlightened living would imply that we

remain continuously in the search for social justice

in ways which are best suited to our times.

In his encyclical Laudato Si, Pope Francis

shows the connection between the life of the poor

and the environment. He points out that “a true

ecological approach always becomes a social

approach”. In Laudato Si, we hear a clear voice,

“Are we far removed from the poor?” Pope Francis

calls for greater generosity on our part so that we

may be open “to the cry of the earth and the cry of the

poor” (LS 49).

The plight of the migrants from a war-torn

Syria escaping from starvation and death and

flooding into Europe has captured the attention of the

world recently. The image of the infant, Aylan Kurdi,

lying dead on the sands of the Turkish beach has

drawn global sympathy to the issue of the migrants. A

number of migrants have been swallowed by the sea

and the numbers keep increasing. While some

countries have offered asylum, some have used force

to ward off the migrants. Instead of passing

judgement on the countries of a distant Europe

r e g a r d i n g t h e i r

stand on the migrant

issue, we can ask

ourselves as to how

considerate are we

to the homeless and

the hungry on our

streets and by lanes.

Jesus Christ himself

had shared in the

plight of homeless

migrants when his

family moved to Egypt in search of life and peace.

Vinoba Bhave in his “Appeal to the

Christians” summarizes the entire teachings of Jesus

Christ into a brief formula “Love your enemy, love

your neighbour as yourself and love one another as I

have loved you.” We need deeper reflection to know

how this love can be expressed to our brothers and

sisters in the concrete circumstances of our lives

today, so that every one of us can contribute in

making this world a little fairer to the disadvantaged.

We wish that the perspectives offered in this

issue of Writer's Forum would help us reflect in the

direction of Social Justice.

EDITORIALEDITORIAL

Praveen Martis SJPraveen Martis SJ

ADIVASI STRUGGLE

IN ASSAM GOES ON…

ADIVASI STRUGGLE

IN ASSAM GOES ON…Claver Minj SJ Claver Minj SJ

Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.03Pg.03

thn 24 November 2007, Laxmi Oraon and

thousands of her Adivasi companions Owere beaten up, thrashed and treated like

animals in Guwahati, the capital of Assam, for

demanding the inclusion of their tribes in the list of

schedule tribes. The local police, the government

and the media just preferred to see the drama and

t h e m b e i n g

torched ra ther

than help these

innocent people.

T h e

T r i b a l s o r

Adivasis (a name

preferred in order

to distinguish the

migrant people

from Jharkhand,

Chhattisgarh and

Orissa into the tea

gardens of Assam

during the British

era in India, as

labourers because

the local people

refused to work in the tea gardens), namely Oraon,

Munda, Kharia, and Santhals from Chotanagpur.

Today different sources reveal that around 80 to 90

lakh (original number could differ) Adivasis are

working in different tea gardens and living in

different corners of Assam.

Unfortunately even after hundreds of years

they have not been able to come out of the tea

gardens or make their lives better in the same

gardens.

They have been kept away from basic education

facilities for hundreds of years. In fact many of them

have lost their identity as Tribals. In spite of the fact

that their contribution to the economy of the State of

Assam is very high, their contribution to and

participation in government jobs remain very

minimal, as against the total population of Assam,

almost little more than zero. Their contribution

towards other jobs

remains very low.

They have been

demanding their

rights to be included

among the scheduled

tribes so that they can

come up in life. The

G o v e r n m e n t o f

Assam as well as the

Central Government

has refused to grant

t h e i r d e m a n d s .

Today their identity

itself is at stake.

They have

tried to demand their

rights, but lack of sufficient education, inadequate

'WE' feeling and a lack of a strong forum, hamper

their very fight. Increasing number of clashes

among different tribes make their task all the more

difficult.

The upcoming Assembly Election seems to

be important in their struggle. The Bharatiya Janata

Party promises to include them in the Scheduled

Tribe category along with five other groups of the

State.

SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015

Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 04 Pg. 04

At the same time the State has also asked all the

people of Assam to produce NRC certificate so that

it can identify the Bangladeshi immigrants. Many of

the Adivasis do not have any knowledge of it, and

many of them, in spite of having this knowledge,

refused or failed to get the certificate. The question

arises as to what will happen to the Adivasis

( T r i b a l s )

m e n t i o n e d

above even if

t h e B J P

i n c l u d e s

them among

t h e

s c h e d u l e d

tribes. Will

their lifestyle

c h a n g e ?

Whether the

Government

g i v e s t h e

s c h e d u l e d

tribe status or not their lifestyle is not going to

change in a very short period. They require a support

system for still some more time as the very right of

development has been denied them for a long time

since the British era or even before that.

The present educational structure does not

seem to be conducive to their growth and seemingly

hampers a number of their opportunities. Many of

the students from different colleges in Tezpur say

that their classmates often call them Tea Tribes. The

media and the government give them a peculiar

identity as Tea Tribes. The question arises whether

any identity is possible for these people beyond

being termed the Tea Garden Tribes.

Looking from a broader perspective, I see a

number of questions remaining unanswered. Can

our lives as Adivasis or Tribals be more meaningful?

Can we be culturally sound? Can our tribal values

lead us to a better human life? Will we be treated as

more human only after getting the status of

scheduled tribe?

O u r

struggle for

A d i v a s i

status must

go on till our

r igh ts a re

granted, but

we need to

b e c o m e

m o r e

prudent and

humane in

our dealing

w i t h o u r

f e l l o w

brethren. Let the shadow of failure in our struggle

not affect our lives and discourage us. I personally

believe that our victory comes in keeping to our

cultural heritage alive and our identity intact, where

we have come to the verge of losing our language

and culture. I personally find many seniors feeling

sorry for not being able to pass their cultural heritage

and tribal values to their children. Let us first take

the steps towards preserving our heritage and

values, and the rest of the things will fall in line. In

the words of Swami Vivekananda, “Take risks; if

you win, you will lead; if you lose, you will guide.”

ADIVASI STRUGGLE

IN ASSAM GOES ON…

ADIVASI STRUGGLE

IN ASSAM GOES ON…Claver Minj SJ Claver Minj SJ Contd. from pg. 3Contd. from pg. 3


Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg.05Pg.05

ife in this Post-modern world has started

becoming an artificial affair. People are Lbecoming more and more self-cantered

than other-centered. God is a big question mark in

their lives. Due to this human value is diminishing

day by day and losing its significance. Millions of

people live for the sake of living and not for a social

purpose. Slowly our families are more and more

violent rather than loving and sociable. Modern

gadgets are succeeding in cutting family

relationships. And therefore, human dignity is

breaking up in their lives all over the world, and the

world is becoming

m o r e a n d m o r e

wounded.

I n t h i s

wounded condition of

our world, instead of

r e s t o r i n g i t s

b r o k e n n e s s w e

become more selfish

and try to satisfy our

own 'Hunger and

Thirst.' Human being by nature has a lot of cravings

which never satisfy him or her. This kind of grabbing

mentality leaves a human being unhappy for he/she

is never satisfied in anything. These have no concern

and love for fellow human beings who are really

hungry and thirsty for their basic needs. They have

closed their hearts and minds to the existing

wounded reality and opened them to a greedy reality

to fill their own barns.

In India, many social evils are dehumanizing human

beings, preventing them from living life in its

fullness. Especially the caste system is diminishing

the value of a human being day by day.

Instead of building up a person it degenerates

him/her and leaves him/her in a hopeless situation.

Here we need to ask a question whether we are

becoming more humane or worse than an animal. It

is heartbreaking to see the plight of some people (the

Sudras, Dalits, and the less privileged) in India, for

they have been persecuted and looked down upon by

the so- called 'educated people.' Is this not the

tragedy of our modern education?

Though India is getting educated today, it

has not shown any concrete interest in humanizing

the present situation.

Bonded labour as well

as child labour is

increasing every day

in Uttar Pradesh,

Bihar and in many

other Northern States.

P e o p l e h e r e a r e

considered just like

commodities and like

machines rather than

relational beings.

Poverty ratio in India is rising like fuel prices. Is it

not the duty of the Government to look into all these

matters which are considered social evils? Who has

given rise to these? How can we practically work out

a solution to these issues?

The main reason for all these could be lack of

sharing and caring. It's we who have to seriously

think about our fellow beings who are struggling to

live and love. It's we who have to share and care in

some little way to lift these people in our society. If

we bother only about our own welfare, we may be

rich exteriorly but will be poor and marginalized

interiorly.

VALUE OF HUMAN BEING

IN THE LIGHT OF SOCIAL EVILS

VALUE OF HUMAN BEING

IN THE LIGHT OF SOCIAL EVILSJoyson Sujay Vas SJJoyson Sujay Vas SJ


Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 06Pg. 06

HERE COMES A WOMANHERE COMES A WOMAN

Since sharing the human resources is our

fundamental duty, we need to be radical in seeing

God in the 'hungry and thirsty' faces of neighbour.

That will give us an everlasting joy and inner peace.

As a result of this we become more humane and

relational beings.

At this juncture, the Church calls us to

uphold the dignity of human beings, as we are all

made in the image and likeness of God.

When we treat our fellow beings unjustly we fail to

see God and the wonders of God in them, and thus

we become immoral human beings. Therefore it's

the responsibility of each and every one of us to treat

our fellow human beings with dignity and love and

share different human resources to heal this broken

world from all social evils. We have to become the

answers rather than waiting to find answers from

other people. It's a call for all of us to build a just and

sharing society, full of love and care.

Arun Lobo SJArun Lobo SJ

VALUE OF HUMAN BEING IN THE LIGHT OF SOCIAL EVILSVALUE OF HUMAN BEING IN THE LIGHT OF SOCIAL EVILS

Here comes a woman,

With dark hooded eyes

that have never rested for days,

Carrying old clothes in her arms

Walking unaware of the future.

Here comes a woman,

With muddy clothes, dirty hair

Walking regardless of the heat

of day;

She never speaks, but no one

cares

Her face is dark and dull.

Here comes a woman,

Having no permanent roof

No friends, money, food either

To love, live, and survive.

I often wonder where she goes!

Here comes a woman,

Spring arriving, she'll come along

To stay awhile, become our friend

Then disappear, as winter calls

But returns for next spring.

And through the seasons, I have grown

More curious, of where she goes

No one knows why she migrates!

No one asks how she survives!

For such a world I feel so sorry.

Contd. from pg. 05Contd. from pg. 05 Joyson Sujay Vas SJJoyson Sujay Vas SJ


Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 07Pg. 07

In spite of all their weaknesses, the religious

have a special role to play in promoting justice. They

are called upon to make choices which are relevant

to a just society where we stress development. One

aspect we should remember when we think of

development is that it is for the people, and not for

developing our institutions, projects or budgets.

In India teachers are equated to God (Guru

Devo bhava). Most of the religious are involved in

this ministry of imparting

knowledge to the younger

generation. And therefore it

is the responsibility of a

religious (teacher), to teach

the students how to respect

others, and their rights and

how to grow in love for

others. This can have a great

impact on the future society,

since teachers play a key

role in forming students.

S o c i a l w o r k i s

another major work done by

the religious. It is generally

the religious who go to

remote areas and work for

the poor. But today,

u n f o r t u n a t e l y m a n y

religious settle down to

providing them with financial help. This looks like

we are giving people fish directly, instead of

teaching them how to fish. In other words, we are

forgetting to teach the poor how to fight for their

rights. It is our duty to make the marginalized and

the oppressed self-reliant, and fight for their rights.

f we have no peace, it is because we have

forgotten that we belong to each other,” said Bl. ITeresa of Kolkata. Today these words seem to

be very relevant, because we live in a troubled

world. One after the other scandals in the Church are

coming to light. In the wider society, people are

enslaved by corruption, immorality and the like.

Many social activists are taking to the streets,

protesting for and seeking justice. No more do the

people want theory or statements on justice; they

want it in actuality.

Are Re l ig ious

really free from injustice?

Let us imagine the case of

a Jesuit, say, Fr. Joachim.

He is the Headmaster of a

school. The school is to be

painted for its Silver

Jubilee. He hands over the

deal to a contractor for

eight lakh rupees, even

w h e n t h e r e w a s a

possibility to get the work

done for six lakh rupees.

He takes an auto to travel

back to his community.

The meter shows the fare

as forty-five rupees. He

gives a note of fifty and

bargains for the balance of five rupees. Though he

has the right for the five rupees, he is doing injustice

by bargaining for a small amount from a poor man

while paying lavishly to the contractors, by

diverting the institutional money for personal

benefit, and not using the funds fully for the benefit

of the poor.

DO THE RELIGIOUS HAVE A ROLE

IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?


IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?Larren Menezes SJLarren Menezes SJ


Am I a machine to be

used?

Am I thing to be sold?

Think…before I am

exported!

Ain't I more precious

than gold?

Forced, pained and

drugged,

Does any human desire

an end?

Of course not! Thirst for

flesh food,

Ruthless! Live lupine market bloomed.

Surprise! human forgot

human blood!

Hunted for silly pleasures

sad!

Wounded, raped and

chopped,

As a gift wrapped to an

unconscious trade.

Know …I, a woman (or

child) to human fold

belong,

And not dead meat to be

reckoned by the pound.

Let's raise our voice against every human traffic deed,

To grow more human where respect and freedom

abound.

FORCED CHOICE… VICIOUS!!!FORCED CHOICE… VICIOUS!!!

Prashanth Saldanha SJPrashanth Saldanha SJ

Pg. 08Pg. 08 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum

Many people are exploited because of their

ignorance. They are really

not aware of their rights.

They are like frogs in the

well. Their world is

l i m i t e d . W h a t e v e r

happens to them, they take

as their fate. It is the duty

o f t he r e l i g ious t o

enlighten them through

awareness programmes, to

speak to these people and

provide professional help if necessary.

Finally, the vision of a religious should be

the vision of Christ. We

should never forget

Jesus' commandment

of love. Like Jesus, we

should give attention to

those without voice and

try to eradicate the

distinction between the

rich and poor, and

create a hope that

freedom and justice are

not for a privileged few but for all.


IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?


IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?Larren Menezes SJLarren Menezes SJContd. from pg. 7Contd. from pg. 7


LOVE – LOVE UNTIL IT HURTS LOVE – LOVE UNTIL IT HURTS Sunil Kumar SJSunil Kumar SJ

ove your neighbour as you love yourself.”LWe are all created by the same God and

formed in his own image and likeness to share his

love with one another.

Love is a strong weapon. It has the power to

change the

w h o l e

world. It is

each one's

responsibili

ty to share

his/her love

in a healthy

way. Why

t h e n i s

s o c i a l

i n j u s t i c e

s t i l l

e x i s t i n g ?

Why have

t h e

innocent purls not been treated well? Why are girls

and women exploited by men for their physical

pleasure? Why are the marginalized not benefitting

from the Government? Why do we have to hear

practically every day of farmers committing

suicide? Instead of love being born in the hearts of

human beings, hatred, greed, jealousy and

selfishness are being born. So the question arises:

when will we be putting a stop to all this cruelty?

Why are we not understanding that we are all

children of the same mother, our motherland? Each

individual has the right to raise his/her voice against

the injustice.

It is not fair to take out the sucking child from the

breast of its mother. Likewise, it is not fair to break

our human bonds through deeds of cruelty.

Each human being must feel sad about

his/her attitude and behaviour towards these weaker

souls. The Government should open her eyes and

help these people by providing them with proper

facilities

a n d

opportuni

ties. All

religious

men and

w o m e n

m u s t

work for

it – Not

simply by

preachin

g , b u t

rather by

practisin

g it.

Do good and do it until your last breath.

Surely, your names will be imprinted in the hearts of

these simple people. Wealth, wine, women are not

something permanent in human life. Rather, love,

compassion, peace, forgiveness, and fighting for

justice, are everlasting virtues.

At least, from now onwards as you count

your days, months, and years ask yourself whether

you have done something good for the welfare of

these people; if not, strive to practice it at least from

now on, and great will be your reward when you die.

SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 09Pg. 09 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum

hild labour is a crime and it is a well know

fact. The penalty provisions for employing Ca child have been increased to jail term of

three years and fine up to Rs. 50, 000. Such a

stringent law should make us keep away from

employing any child. However, paradoxically even

today there are thousands of children employed in a

number of factories and small-scale industries. For

the owner the children provide cheap labour and aid

him/her to grow in his/her riches. The children are

neglected, even

p o l i t i c a l l y ,

because they do

not form part of

the vote bank.

T h e y h a v e

b e c o m e s o

vulnerable that

they serve as an

open wound upon

w h i c h a n y

bacteria or virus

could make its

abode. Children

are – as we read in

the Bible – the

ones closest to the Kingdom of God. Jesus exhorts

us to be childlike in purity of hearts. In reality, they

are looked upon as potential resources to be

extracted.

What is a child? Is it a human being or far

from being one? Does it deserve any respect or

worthy of none? The answer to these basic questions

would reveal our attitude towards children and their

treatment. Christian anthropology teaches us that

every human being is created in the image and

likeness of God.

Image and likeness would mean that every human

being is part of God and he/she reflects God. By the

very fact that we are created by God, every one of us

deserves respect and reverence. This respect and

reverence is not earned by us but bestowed on us by

God. Hence, no one has the right to take it away from

us.

Some would argue that children are not

completely human beings but are in a process of

b e c o m i n g

such; hence

they can be

exploited by

using them as

l a b o u r e r s .

According to

M o r a l

T h e o l o g y ,

from the time

of conception,

the zygote is

fully a human

b e i n g a n d

d e s e r v e s

respect and

reverence as any grown up man/woman. Anyone

who does not believes in this truth will continue to

boss over child labourers without any prick of

conscience. If we have to be faithful to this truth, we

cannot afford to go against it either by practicing

child labour or by lending a hand to those who do it.

Child labour becomes inevitable for families that

are economically poor. When one's very existence is

at stake, all that one does is to survive. To fulfill the

basic needs, every member, including the children,

has to earn his/her bread.

CHILD LABOURCHILD LABOURPraveen Kumar SJPraveen Kumar SJ


Many children are forced into child labour due to

social and economic reasons. We cannot blame the

parents for sending their children for work, because

no parent would like to see his/her child starve to

death. Instead, they would prefer that their children

work with them so that all of them can see another

day in their life. It is a serious issue which needs

urgent attention by the concerned authorities and

responsible citizens.

Every child is like a seed full of potential and

capabilities of becoming a fruitful tree. If it is not

nourished properly, it will turn out to become a weed

in the field of wheat.

Children deprived of their childhood will become

weeds in society in the future. What kind of society

will we have if it is full of weeds? If we are serious

about building a humane society, we need to form

responsible human beings. The process of forming

such beings will start from their childhood. If a

child, which is supposed to be at school is found at

the construction site, begging racket or in the houses

of landlords, one day he/she will become a thorn in

society. It`s high time that we stop looking at

children as some lower beings unworthy of respect

and reverence. We should see in every child a future

responsible citizen and help him/her in becoming

one.

other Teresa heard a call within a call

and chose to serve the poorest of the Mpoor. As we have chosen this path of

serving the so-called low caste, refugees and in the

institutions for the poor, etc., we should not forget

the poor of the

poorest such as the

so-called beggars.

I personally have a lot

of experiences with

beggars . I have

encountered many

beggars, some weak

and abandoned, and

others strong enough

t o e a r n t h e i r

livelihood. However,

whenever I encountered a beggar I gave them

whatever I could give. Once I was waiting along

with my companions for a train at a railway station.

A man stood in front of me. He looked healthy.

I was quite confused. He stretched out his arm and

asked for some help. I neither felt compassion for

him nor gave him any alms. He continued standing

there only. A little later as I was searching for some

money in my bag, my companions told me not to

offer him anything,

because he was in a

healthy condition.

Since I got two coins I

gave them to him half-

heartedly. Then I

boarded the train and

set off on my journey.

Subsequently I was

disturbed very much. I

felt I should have given

h i m t h e m o n e y

wholeheartedly. At the same time I remembered an

incident that occurred nine years ago: I had fought

with my younger brother and scolded him.

CHILD LABOURCHILD LABOURPraveen Kumar SJPraveen Kumar SJ

HIS SURPRISE VISITHIS SURPRISE VISITRoshan Peter SJRoshan Peter SJ

Contd. from pg. 10Contd. from pg. 10


Once I was admitted to the boarding house I began to

feel deep love for my brother. He too loved me

much. Whenever I came home for holidays he and I

played together and talked intimately. When the

time cane for me to leave for the boarding house, my

brother would be upset and sad and would shed tears

more than me, as if he was the one who was leaving.

Unwillingly I would make a move. After a day of my

arrival at the boarding house, I would get a call from

my parents asking whether my brother had come to

the boarding house and the next day I would get a

surprise visit from my brother.

The first question I would ask him was: “How did

you manage to reach here without money?” His

answer was more surprising, when he replied, “I

beg. I beg throughout my journey.” With a soft voice

I asked him one more question: “Do people really

give you money?” His answer was, “Yes, of course!

There are some generous people who give me a little

money and enable me to see your face again.”

This experience has taught me a lesson. The poor

Christ who was strong and all powerful became one

of the poorest, and his visit surprises us.

r Arrupe in his book One Jesuit's Spiritual

Journey recalls his experience of Fcelebrating the Mass for the local people

during his visit to Latin America. The experience of

meeting the people and visiting them after the Mass,

Fr Arrupe says,

helped him learn

many things. He

contrasts this with

the great gatherings

of the powerful of

this world. Those

who have a deeper

encounter with God

or the Divine reality

learn from the life

affirming realities

of the poor and

dedicate their lives for the uplift of the poor. Mother

Teresa, Bishop Romero and many others have

shown us that a life lived in the service of the poor is

a life lived for God.

In India those who are poor mostly belong to

the categories of Scheduled Castes (SCs) and

Scheduled Tribes (STs), commonly known as Dalits

and Tribals. Though there is a progress in their life

situation because of education, government

s c h e m e s , l a w s a n d

reservations, many of them

still continue to live in utter

poverty and misery. They

are marginalized and are

d e p r i v e d o f e q u a l

opportunities. The Dalits

face discrimination because

of their caste and are

deprived of human dignity,

w h e r e a s t h e Tr i b a l s

encounter displacement and

loss of original identity

because of 'development mantra' of many politicians

and powerful elite. These disadvantaged socio-

economic groups need social justice. How can this

be addressed from the Biblical perspective?

SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR TRIBALS AND

DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE


DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVEWilson Bennis SJWilson Bennis SJ

HIS SURPRISE VISITHIS SURPRISE VISITContd. from pg. 11Contd. from pg. 11 Roshan Peter SJRoshan Peter SJ


In the book of Genesis we read that human

beings are created in the image and likeness of God

(Gen 1:26-27). This image and likeness of God is

manifested in our thoughts, words and actions. God

has set before us life and death (Deut 30:19). If we

choose life we will live and grow in the image and

likeness of God. Life, Love and Liberation are

central to the mission of God.

In the

Old Testament

we have many

prophets who

s p e a k i n

favour of the

poor and of

social justice.

T h e e i g h t h

c e n t u r y

p r o p h e t s :

Amos, Hosea,

Proto Isaiah

and Micah,

prophesy and

try to establish

social justice.

The evils of

t h e i r t i m e ,

n a m e l y

c o r r u p t i o n ,

discrimination

, accumulation

of wealth, imposed labour, heavy taxation etc, made

the conditions of the poor deplorable. The rich

enjoyed all the luxuries of life and did not care for

the poor masses. They sacrificed animals and

offered their produce to God but failed to reach out

to the poor and the marginalized.

At this time prophets who were spokespersons of

God and people reminded the rich, the affluent and

the rulers about the covenantal fidelity. This

covenantal fidelity which is based on the inter-

connectedness of God, human beings and cosmos

demanded a prompt reply to live up to its demands.

Today we need prophets like the Old

Testament

p r o p h e t s ,

who remind

people of

the fidelity

w e o w e

towards the

interconnec

t e d

relationship

of human

beings with

God and the

cosmos. We

need people

w h o c a n

encounter

the harsh

reality of

the poor, the

Dalits and

the Tribals

and learn

from these experiences. We need persons of good

will who can reach out to the less privileged masses

and help them live in dignity. If there has to be a just

society everyone has to see the inter-relatedness as

something intrinsic and live up to its demands. May

be then we live our life in the image and likeness of

God more and more.


DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE


DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVEWilson Bennis SJWilson Bennis SJ


Faith understood in this way compels every

Christian to be a Good Samaritan. It is easy to be a

Pharisee who was a faithful Jew in every sense but

his faith-response was limited. Our faith-response

is based on Biblical revelation which is not a direct

revelation of timeless truths but a testimony of God's

intervention in the lives of the people. Jesus says,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has

anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has

sent me to proclaim

release to the captives

and recovery of sight to

the blind, to let the

oppressed go free” (Lk

4 :18) . Jesus ' t rue

identity was revealed at

the river Jordan amidst

the poor, sinners, tax-

collectors etc. This is

fundamental to our

faith. “So faith by itself,

if it has no works, is

dead” (Jam 2:17).

The Social Teaching of the Church is based

on these presuppositions. Starting from 'Rerum

Novarum' to the recent 'Laudato Si' the one theme

that runs throughout is love of God and love of

neighbour. From here springs the principles of

solidarity, subsidiary, participation, common good

etc. Pope Francis in his recent encyclical says, “The

external deserts in the world are growing, because

the internal deserts have become so vast” (Laudato

Si, 217). It's a call to be Good Samaritans in our

neighbourhood, shedding our Pharisaic self-

interest, self-gain and self-will. Let us live our faith

in loving service, believing in a God who emptied

himself on the cross.

he heartbreaking picture of three-year old

Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi, lying lifeless Toff the coast of Turkey has been disturbing

the consciences of people around the globe. This is

yet another reminder that all is not well around us.

On the one hand, the wide-spread social injustice,

inequalities and imbalances affect the lives of

people every day. The most affected ones are the

least, lost, and last in the society, The Bible calls

them Anawim of

Yahweh. This is the

context that we find

ourselves in, tossed

by the winds of war,

terrorism, capitalism,

communalism etc.

This has, on the other

hand, inspired many

good willed people to

intervene in building

a just, peaceful and

harmonious society.

Towards its realization Christian contribution too

has been enormous. The Church has been

responding to these difficult situations, since its

inception, in various capacities. Missionaries,

theologians, priests, nuns and laypeople have been

rendering their service for a better tomorrow.

All these things being said, some questions

emerge. Why this intervention? What is the basis of

our intervention? What are the special

characteristics of Christian involvement in the lives

of the people? The answer is simple. It is our Faith.

Faith understood as personal knowledge of God

should not be reduced to its intellectual dimension

(Fides quae) but includes also a radical commitment

of the total person to God (Fides qua).

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE

GOOD SAMARITANS?

WHY SHOULD CHRISTIANS BE

GOOD SAMARITANS?Norwin Pereira SJNorwin Pereira SJ


e have been taught to take it seriously

that suffering is always part of Wgrowing. The ancient example of the

pruning of plants to

bear fruit is time and

again infused in us

convincing us that it

is neither our fault

nor our merit that we

suffer on a daily

basis. Be it mass

murders on matters

of faith or the land

c u r b i n g o f t h e

tribals, it's safer to

quote 'Gold is tested

in fire' and draw a

parallel that faith is

tested in suffering

than talk about the

collective ideology

of the few.

'Propagation of faith

and promotion of

justice.’

The word

justice is relative

and is based on

preferences. As a

matter of fact it is

l ike ly we have

forgotten what it actually means. Yet we are ardent

defenders of Christ -The prince of peace; hence we

fight for justice and liberation of the oppressed,

offering emotional support and superficial

equations for justice just as the Indian government

came out with the expensive idea of 'Swach Bharath'

when people gathered and cleaned the streets,

beaches, public places without asking in the first

place who dumped them there. May be next time

they will consider

this question and

c l e a n t h e i r

conscience.

The problem

and the solution is

d e m o c r a c y .

D e m o c r a c y

t o l e r a t e s a l l

opinions, even

t h o s e a i m e d

e x p r e s s l y a t

destroying it. For

reference, pick

a n y b a n t h a t

happened in the

r e c e n t p a s t .

Everything would

be tolerated, even

i n t o l e r a n c e

towards o the r

religions. Nobody

is ques t ioned;

n o b o d y i s

ques t ioning. I

think it's the death

of the author along

w i t h o t h e r

unaccounted for corpses.

The question we ask involves no answer, or rather it

is its own answer.

Is it therefore a false question?

Joseph Martin SJJoseph Martin SJ

THE QUESTION IS ?THE QUESTION IS ?


country. The majority of the people are poor. Hence

the beef ban has hampered the livelihood of the poor

people especially the farmers and the beef traders.

the farm households are in debt. These families find

it difficult to have a square meal a day. Then how

will they be able to feed their aged cows? Surely it is

an additional burden for them. The beef traders are

facing unemployment. The eating of beef is not a

recent phenomenon. There is a myth that the Muslim

rulers introduced beef eating in India. In the

Mahabharata there is a story of a king Rantideva

who achieved a great reputation by distributing food

grains and beef to the Brahmins. Beef is also

recommended as a dietary food. So why is this ban

being imposed now? Is this to protect religious

sentiments or a means to please political parties?

Since my family rears cows, I personally know the

pain and the struggle involved in rearing cows. We

were not recompensed satisfactorily for natural

manure and milk. The prices of fodder for cows have

reached the sky. Besides, poverty was sucking our

blood. I have seen some of the Hindus throwing

stones at cows if a cow enters their field. I would

propose that all the states in India permit the

slaughtering of cows under the obligation of “fit-for-

slaughter”. This is the condition for slaughtering a

cow, depending on factors like age, gender and so

on. Some of the states in India like Karnataka, Tamil

Nadu and Madhya Pradesh follow this kind of

obligation.

However, the beef ban has led to conflicts

between religious sentiments and poor people. We

have to keep in mind the sentence, 'united we stand

and divided we fall.' So let us all be united as

brothers and sisters in this our motherland,

respecting the diversity of one and all.

According to a newspaper report, more than 50% of India is our mother and we are all her

children. She is very beautiful indeed on account of

her diversity. With wide open arms she welcomes

everyone, irrespective of religion, culture and

tradition. Hence she wishes that her children too

imbibe this quality from her. But she weeps when

she looks at her children fighting for power, land, on

religious grounds, etc. Today she is facing another

problem: the ban on beef.

India is also called Hindustan, and has a

majority of Hindus. They have their own culture,

tradition and festivals. They encounter God in

nature, animals, birds, etc. According to Hindu

legends, the cow is the mother of Lord Vishnu.

Therefore, Hindus consider the cow as their mother

and God. Surely their hearts must be bleeding when

they see the slaughtering of cows. The Muslim

countries have banned pork products. Similarly the

Hindus are demanding a ban on cow slaughter and

beef processing.

The states ruled by the BJP government have

banned the sale and possession of beef. Anyone

found violating the law can be punished or fined.

The ban will impact on the 3,600 authorized and

30,000 unauthorized slaughterhouses in India

(2014). It will also facilitate the increase of milk

production and natural manure. But we must not

forget that India is a developing and agricultural

Amith D'Souza SJAmith D'Souza SJ

BEEF BANReligious Sentiments vs Poor People

BEEF BANReligious Sentiments vs Poor People


In India, the minorities get reservations in

educational institutions, in jobs and sometimes even

when it comes to promotions. However, with so

much having been given to the minorities, they are

still apparently not very satisfied with their place in

India, and we see them complaining. Why? Let us

scrutinize this problem. The truth is, for the last fifty

years, the government has talked a lot about

concessions to the minorities but in reality nothing

has been done for their uplift. Politicians for the last

half a century have tried to placate with many

promises; and all this for the sake of votes. Article 30

of the Constitution says that a minority group

'whether based on religion or language shall have

the right to establish and administer an educational

institution of its choice'. There are also a few other

problems which the minorities face. The three main

problems are as follows:

1. Problem of Identity

2. Problem of Security

3. Problem related to Equity

Problem of Identity: From the differences in socio-

cultural practices, history and backgrounds, the

minorities are facing problems with the majority

community. This is because they have no proper

identity which can help them stand up and enjoy the

rights of citizenship in our Country.

India is a multi-lingual and multi-religious country.

People belonging to various religious communities

have been living together in this country for a long

time. The name “Minority” is given to a particular

group of people in the country which is very small in

number. Though the majority of the people living in

this land are Hindus [82.41%], there are other people

belonging to other religious communities such as

Muslims [11.67%], Christians [2.32%], Sikhs [2%],

Buddhists [0.77%], Jains [0.41%] and others

[0.43%]. Constitutionally, all enjoy similar rights

and opportunities. By virtue of their numerical

strength, the Hindus constitute the majority while

the rest of the religious communities come under

what is known as “religious minorities”.

Every country has its minority population.

However, in every country minorities seem to suffer

for various reasons. For example, the USA, which is

known to be most advanced, also has a particular

attitude towards its minorities. The minorities in

America are the Blacks who did not even have

voting rights up to the middle of this century. Is this

not a discrimination against the minorities? Now, of

course, these rights have been given to the Blacks as

they are called, and they have been now permitted

entry into the mainstream. Their President is one

such example.

Avin SJAvin SJ

Indian Minorities in 2020Indian Minorities in 2020


Problem of Security: There is also the problem of

insecurity of their lives. Even though we say in the

pledge of our Country “All Indians are my brothers

and sisters,” we fail to live it out and thus the

problem of insecurity is created among the minority

groups.

Problem of Equity: In the eyes of the law all are

equal. If a person has committed a crime whether he

belongs to a minority group or the majority

community, he is punished. But in terms of equality

in enjoying the rights in the country we have not

made much progress, and the minority groups are

often targeted.

Our country has different sections of people.

Politicians must not seek just to get votes. If they

seek votes they must be ready to fulfil the needs of

those who voted them. To build on the promises

made, the government has to see that at least now the

minorities get their due share in the country. The

minorities should not be considered low, but must be

treated as respectful citizens like any others of our

country. If this is done, the minorities in India will be

a satisfied lot. Our country will create history, and by

2020, all in India will be able to say boldly that we

the people of India have demolished the differences

of caste, race, culture and minority.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICETHE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE

Marvin Apose SJMarvin Apose SJ

Indian Minorities in 2020Indian Minorities in 2020Avin SJAvin SJ

The cry for justice is nothing new. Injustice has

been existing before the time of Jesus. Now, because

of education the cry

for justice is heard

l o u d e r . W h i l e

s p e a k i n g a b o u t

injustice we need to

focus our attention on

the role of education

in promoting social

justice. Education has

been playing a vital

r o l e i n t h e

d e v e l o p m e n t o f

human being. It has made a significant contribution

to the overall success in the life of human being.

Today as we live in a world of consumerism and

development, we need to turn our attention to the

injustice that is

taking place around

us rather than speak

a b o u t i n j u s t i c e

which is not before

us.

When Malala, the

Nobel Prize award

winner for peace

addressed the UNO,

she spoke of the

importance of education. 'Education is the only

solution for several challenges in our society', she

said.

Contd. from pg. 17Contd. from pg. 17


Today our world is facing a lot of challenges like

poverty, child labour, corruption, prostitution,

violence against women and so on. If all the people

were educated, perhaps we would not have had such

problems to face, at least not to such an extent.

Education leads a person to

know the importance of

his/her rights and life and it

leads him/her to strive to get

what belongs to him/her by

right. Education is not

merely for getting a job and

settling in life, but it is for

life.

Education has shaped

many great personalities

l i k e , B . R . A m b e d k a r ,

Mahatma Gandhi, Martin

L u t h e r K i n g , N e l s o n

Mandela, Malcolm X,

Subramanya Bhara th i ,

Sa ro j i n i Na idu , I rom

Sharmila.

This field gives us an

opportunity to mould and

prepare a person to fight

against injustice; so through

our pupils we can change the

world in some little way; but

it is our responsibility to

make them aware of the

injustice which is around us.

Thus we can change the

world to some extent and

contribute to the creation of a

portion of heaven on earth.

It unites us and makes us real social beings. It has the

power to shake up those in power. It has the capacity

to give power and to take away power.We as Jesuits

are working in many educational institutions.

THE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICETHE ROLE OF EDUCATION IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE

Marvin Apose SJMarvin Apose SJContd. from pg. 18Contd. from pg. 18


PEARLSPEARLS

“Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice

everywhere”

“Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice

everywhere”Martin Luther King JrMartin Luther King Jr

SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Writers’ ForumWriters’ ForumPg. 20Pg. 20

Social Media

KSJ Writers Forum September 2015