I want to Study: An Inspirational Success Story

The Recent news from Rewari of Haryana shook the conscience of the education department. The news was about the Right to Education. About 80 girl students fearing harassment in travelling a long distance to attend the higher education after Matric sat for the hunger strike. On the fifth day, the education department came up with a written assurance of opening a Plus Two school for them. Well done the daughter of India. I was in goose bumps reading the news which enabled me to pen down these few lines.

Some want to educate themselves and be somebody in the society, while the others want to be where they are! It is funny and surprising that for over ten years government did not feel the need to address the situation in spite of the repeated request for the up gradation of the school, nor it heard the cry of eve teasing on the way to high school. Some raised the voice and closed their senses willingly and unwillingly. 

Who is to be blamed? Government? Education Department? Officials? Parents? Eve teasers? Village Sarpunch? Villagers? Children themselves? Should we blame our system? Each one of us is to be blamed. But some are to be blamed more and some less. 

Government officials say that they would consider the demand of the people. But the children are not satisfied with their oral recitation of assurances. This is just because, the people have lost faith in the functioning of the government. How will the people have faith? When the government gives only bold headlines in the newspapers and TV for the publicity sake and not doing anything at the ground level, funds meant for the education are diverted to the vested interest of the authorities, schools are closed for various reasons or the existing schools are used for the political publicity, the people will lose their faith in the authorities. 

Another jolt is on the minority educational institutions. For many political parties, they are money making institutions, centers of conversion and places of anti-social activities. A watchful look at the institutions where they are established will show that they actually cater the education of the last, least and lost. But the colour blind eyes of the officials find them as nuisance to the up growing elite and fanatically oriented institutions. Therefore, in order to put a check on these, government is back footing the funds, permission and needed recognition. Other kinds of harassment are uncountable. 

Consider the present education policy. School is not supposed to fail any student till the Matric, nor the teachers can give any kind of punishment for not doing the homework. What kind of psychological markup is promulgated here? “I don’t need to study, anyhow I will pass.” If we see the children of elite, majority of them are not studying in government schools. Rather they are in the highly reputed schools of the country spending thousands of rupees per day. It is Okay. But why are the ordinary people deprived of high standard education? There is a psychological reason for it. If the minority is educated and become somebody in the society, they will be a threat for the existence of the elite. Therefore, ‘it is better that they are where they are. Push them to periphery and do not allow them to reach the centre,’ is the ideology at work. 

Another reason that we have not yet become a developed country is the stigmata that we are carrying on our shoulders. It is the stigmata of “I am not able to do it”. For the centuries, we have been telling to ourselves that we are “like this only”. Our elders said the same thing, “We are fit for washing the dishes only. We are not supposed to study. Girls any way go to their in-laws house and so why to teach them? Women are for the sake of men….” We need to come out from this and boldly assert ourselves, “Yes, We Can. We Will. We are Able.” The power of positive thinking has enabled those girls from Haryana to take a revolutionary step and demand for right to education. Today their cry is heard. India needs several such daunting girls today. 

Did those children ask for something extraordinary? Did they demand gold, silver or wealth? They just asked, “We want to study without fear.” They asked for their right. Child has the right to ask for the basic necessity from its parent and it is the duty of the parent to provide what is moral and just. Government is the parent of every child. It has the duty to provide quality education and make the child grow in wisdom and knowledge. Today several children in our villages and slums are earnestly requesting the same, “provide us teachers, provide us education, provide us knowledge, provide us schools, provide us schools of higher learning, provide us opportunities to excel, provide us jobs, provide us our basic rights….” May our parents listen to us. 

For the news see, (See the news published in various national dailies, http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2017/may/16/haryana-girls-fearing-harassment-sit-on-hunger-strike-for-school-upgradation-1605377.html). 

Also Published in 

http://velivada.com/ on 2017/05/18 entitled "I Want to Study: An Inspirational Success Story". 

http://velivada.com/2017/05/18/want-study-inspirational-success-story/

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Why did Kattappa Kill Baahubali?!

The much awaited SS Rajamauli’s magnum opus, epic fantasy, Indian blockbuster drama has finally hit the screen: Baahubali-2: the Conclusion. As it is breaking the records after records, the obvious question seeking answer, “Why did Kattappa kill Baahubali [Bahubali]?” is fading its attraction as it has already answered in the movie. I am not going to critique the movie here, rather trying to analyze ‘the Kattappas’ and ‘Baahubalis’ of our time. 

In the epic blockbuster, Kattappa is a loyal servant of the Mahishmati Kingdom. He is a servant, slave, loyal warrior, army chief, and a good sensible and loving human being who looked for the good of the people. Even when fighting against the enemies, he is trying to protect innocent people, women and children. On the other hand, Baahubali is an upright heir of the kingdom. But his cousin, Ballaladeva wins over the mother through crooked method and rules the kingdom. Jealousy and power craziness of Bijjaladeva and his son Ballaladeva could not resist the overwhelming popularity of Baahubali and not being able to resist it, orders Kattappa, the army chief to kill him. 

But, how can a morally upright person, Kattappa stab and kill a morally upright person, Baahubali, that too not from the front but from behind? If he does so, either there must be a real reason for it or he may be a morally right person from mere outer appearance. The second possibility is ruled out as he takes the side of justice towards the end of the movie. Therefore, Kattappa becomes a potential a victim of the political game played by the anarchists. This has to be underlined with bold letters from the movie. Thus, the movie has answer the question.

A cursory look into the plot would bring to the notice the war between Kaurava and Pandavas at the Kurukshetra battle field, a war between one’s own kith and kin for the sake of land and power, geared by selfishness and pride. At this point of view, Kattappa stands as a grand old seer, Bhishma. As an upright grand old man of Mahishmati he could not part away from the pledged loyalty when he sensed the plot to kill the upright man. How can he run away from the loyalty? He is tied down from two angles. Firstly, being a warrior and the duties arising from it. Secondly, his vowed loyalty inherited from the past. The second aspect is clarified from the name he is holding – Katta. Among Telugu people, Katta represents an OBC/SBC caste (see, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katta. I am sure, the director did not have this in his mind when he named the character Kattappa. Anyway, as the hermeneutical rule says when the author scripts a piece of idea, it becomes open for criticism). The general ethos of the epic time is, the people of the lower strata have their morality based on the people of higher strata. Due to this mental set up, the lower graded people remain where they are. Even if they are right, they have no voice. 

Can there be a hierarchical morality, a morality specific to specific order of people? If so, we need to redefine our morality. In other words, in such situation, can there be universal moral norms. As ordinary human beings we believe in some sort of universal moral law binding every one. When the justice is blind and legality is a utopia moral values ceases to exist. The colour blind person sees everything dark. This is nothing what is happening in our socio-political scenario. 

A group of anarchists, fundamentalists, Bijjaladevas and Ballaladevas are human shielding the innocent and righteous people in front of them to protect their machismo and chauvinism. They just order and celebrate the victory earned by their blood and head and finally play the dice of politics. Do they have any concern for the rage they face at the war? Absolutely no. Their chief concern is money, power and prestige. One may take the example of Kashmir issue, border issues, Naxalism and its combat, ethnic fights in many parts of the country etc. The farmer is squeezing his blood and sweat and tries to earn his daily bread for him and his family. What does he gain? A pittance! The market is ruled by the elite, price is decided by them, profit is for them, lion share of percentage is theirs, and what not else?! The poor farmer, looking at the sky, waiting for the rain, chasing the wild beasts, running behind the officers and offices for grants assured, is being squeezed like laundry clothes. 

Government needs land for development and it is the need of the time. But what kind of land? Whose land? Who needs? For what purpose? It is the land of the innocent. Government wants to give the land to Adani, Ambani, Birla, Tata and other hundreds of MNCs to put up their towers and companies. Will the real land owners benefit? They will never benefit. The companies will earn hundreds and thousands of crores per day, but the ordinary people will get only dust storm and polluted air, but not even an assurance of job in those companies. They will not get job offers, because they are not skilled workers! What a paradox, the company CEOs are looking for skilled artisanship from the poor peasant! They forget that the food they eat is the labour of their skills. In spite of this ill treatment, will the peasants stop cultivating? They will never stop, because they have pledged loyalty to their mother earth. They have pledged to feed the country. This pledge is made by their ancestors and the loyalty will continue till the end of humanity. Every suffering servant is crying out, “Why do you persecute me?” Will the authorities hear this silent cry of the peasants? Will their conscience get converted? If so when? 

If this is one side of the story, there is another side of the story which is still unheard of, the story of Baahubali. They are the people who fight for justice in somewhat visible way. They are the people like Gandhiji.

Baahubali literally means the person with strong shoulders. As the character depicts, Baahubali is not only strong in arms but also in head and heart. Baahubali depicts those people who have strong moral uprightness, sound philosophy, ethics and sound inter-personal relationship with humans and cosmos. They are the makers, care-takers and protectors of the society. They are the people like Gandhi. But, will their philosophy of non-violence, truth, justice, peace, harmony, brotherhood, goodness and social integrity be acceptable to all? It becomes a Platonic ideal for those who look for self-gain. A question can be asked here, “Why did Godse kill Gandhi?” Several answers may pop up and some may justify the act. But, the morally upright person will never justify the very act of Godse.

Today there are several Gandhians in the society. While some are being murdered, others are either silenced or threatened of their existence. Often times good people are brainwashed to perform heinous acts. One of the High Court judges recently said, “Terrorists are not born, they are made.” How true are these words! Several political leaders cannot live without having their own body-guards or their own ruffians to deal with the so called innocent rough people! Some are even more than this. Once a ruffian, and now becomes a political leader and eventually emerges as the representative in the democratically elected government to rule us all. Amidst these elements, will the real Baahubali survive?

The movie, Baahubali has offered us something to chew. As I congratulate the director, pause couple of questions to all my readers, “why did Kattappa kill Baahubali then? Why the Kattappas and Baahubalis are being killed in our societies today?”

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

Fear of Existence as the Suppression of Integration

The Article is first published in the following site. 
http://velivada.com/2017/05/17/fear-existence-suppression-integration/

Fear is a distressing emotion aroused by impending danger, evil, pain or threat. The fear could be real or imagined, often accompanied with increased autonomic activity. Seeing a rope lying on the floor at dusk one jumps over, gasping for breath, thinking that it is a snake which is about to bite. It takes few minutes before to know that it was in fact the rope. The imagined snake is verily, the stationary snake or it may be elsewhere! Some Psychologists claim that the fear is not real, only an imagination and while the others claim the contra view. Medically, it is an autonomic reaction to cope with an impending threat. Whatever may be the case, I am not reflecting in this line of thought. What I do draw from here is a reaction emerging from this threat. 

Fear of existence is the reaction drawn by the existence of the other who pose an imagined or real threat to the one who is frightened. The resulting reaction can move in two directions: either can challenge the other or can integrate the other. When it is challenged, the end result is devastating. When the other is accommodated, the fear changes into joy and peace. 

The inbreeding fundamentalistic tendencies, the growing anti-social hidden activities and agendas, ‘white-washed’ developmental projects of the state and the country are nothing but few traces of the alienation of the other. The existence of the one threatens the existence of the other. And this is the existential reality. 

Often it is understood as the dictum goes, ‘the might is right’. Powerful are the rulers and the powerless are the subjects to be enslaved. Be that, it might be. A question very well can pose here is, “to what does the present authority is threatened of?” Is it that it has no power to lord over, or is it that the purpose is to have a holistic development, or has it got any other agendas to accomplish? The very simple reason could be, the fear of the existence of the minority. Sounds very strange!

Muslim population in the country is just 14.2%, while the Christian population is just 2.3%, Sikh 1.9%, Buddhism 0.8% and Jainism 0.4% according to the 2011 census. However, the threat posed to majority religion that form 80% of the total population is mostly by the first two minority groups. This is very clear from the number of atrocities and persecution done against Muslims and Christians. 

This difference in opinion towards the minority religion is due to the threat the majority religion is now facing, the threat of its existence. This threat is inflicted from three sides: i.) Materialism and agnosticism of the postmodern time and thus the declining religiosity, ii.) Growing world-wide minority population and strength creating certain uncertainty, iii.) Literary revolution which is creating a social awareness. 

The religion once ruled the whole nation without much struggle is at the verge of division and separation. Several vested interested groups and people are claiming to be the real custodians of the religion. At the same time, agnosticism moved by the postmodernism and materialistic culture is growing. While the other minority religions having distinct commander-in-chief guide the integrity of it, the majority religion of the county lacks it. Too many deafening and inhuman practices are being questioned by the educated society. And therefore, many opt to be ‘skeptics’ or ‘agnostics’. The literary revolution brought by Christian missionaries is yielding its fruit in the country. The opening of several educational institutions in the urban and villages have opened the windows to the new waves of thinking. Higher education has become need of the hour. What has made here is the growing rationality amongst the people to judge right from wrong (or at least from dangerous thinking). The existential awareness of the situation coupled with the education is not ready to accept anything for granted. The perceived threat here is not by the thousands of educated people but by a mere 2% educated think-tanks of the society. It is this minor percentage of educated among the total educated who bring out any change in the society. It is these 2% who think ahead of 20 years and bring out new vision for the society. Till 200 hundred years ago ordinary people simply followed word to word what the influential people said may be with or without reason. Today, even an ordinary person looks for justification of the such claims made.

Along with this the ruling elite is trying to silence the voices of the common man. The existential fear can be seen here in three ways: by ignoring the weak, by silencing the voices and by diverting the attention. As long as the oppressed people’s movements, voices and struggles are weak and imperceptible, the fearing elite will tend to ignore the weak. At times they will give an impression as if nothing wrong has happened or everything is normal. They will give such statements as if there is no hell on earth, everything is in its heavenly bliss. 

If this does not work, then they will go for the second option – silencing the oppressed. The main target group of silence is the leaders of the oppressed. Often, the demand for justice is brought into fore by some emergent charismatic leaders. Now the elite class will stifle the movement by neutralizing the leadership by hook or crook. They will allure them with money, power and position and if this plan fails, then the path chosen is physical elimination. This is followed by silencing the potential leaders of the group, if needed. 

At the failure of both the above plans, the third trick is put in to practice – diversion of the attention. It is scientifically proved that human memory is often short-termed. After a few days of the incident however brutal it might, the event is forgotten or at least bears less significance. Similarly, the fearful class when it senses mass movement, opts for a radical movement. It is a well-thought out diversions and distractions into the scenario that the original thrust of the movement and struggle are diluted. They effectively bring out ‘development-ism’, ‘regional autonomy’, ‘constitutionality’, ‘amendments’, ‘law and order’ etc. weapons to divert the issues. 

A genuine well-being will have no opposition whatever situation it might be or at least it will survive all the odds posed against it. The sixth sense of the beneficiaries will perceive the goodness by which it is implemented without having any issues. But today, most of the welfare schemes of the government however excellent, are not reaching to the ordinary people because of the motive with which they are prepared. We can note this very well in our own families. If the mother is full of vengeance towards a person, the child who sucks her breasts will constantly fall sick. From a positive thought, a positive vibration or aura and from the negativity only a destructive aura is created. 

The genuine integration safeguards every culture, tradition, ethnicity, identity, class and structure. The democracy and the constitutional rights are well protected in a genuine integrated system. The government has no moral right to imposes something on certain section of the society just because it needs to come under mainstream culture. One section of the society cannot uphold that it is the mainstream culture and others as primitive. Drawing one into other is not the integration, but the murder of culture. It is this psychological threat of existence of one’s superiority that takes up the drastic step to eliminate the other.

Fr. Raju Felix Crasta

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Picture Source:    http://energeticsinstitute.com.au/fear-of-life-fear-of-anger/