Congratulations to the people of Delhi for foreseeing future.
This was what came to my mind when news flashed on the T.V screen, “Broom storm sweeps Delhi” as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) registered a massive victory in Delhi state elections on Feb 10
Media vied with each other to give present the news in different ways, forms and versions such as landslide and tsunami.
Great! A huge, a very huge unimaginable result, indeed.
Finally people’s cry was made visible and it led to abundant fruit. Once again people have proven their belief and trust in our political system. They took a step forward in the right direction, giving a fledgling party high margin victory.
Modism has come to an end, not fully but partially. This is really called “U turn” or return or over turn.”
Anyway it brought smile on the faces of millions of people around the world and in Delhi in particular. This will be a beginning, beginning of new era.
As history was being written in the national capital, I remembered the words of my master, Jesus: “Take care; be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees (Mt 16:6).”
The verdict is a blessing from above for all specially Christians in Delhi. Five of their places of worship were vandalized in just two months and when they tried to protest peacefully, they were bundled into police vehicles and taken to police stations. It made them feel like second class citizens, who have no right to protest injustice.
They can now breathe peacefully. Their anxieties, fear and threats have subsided a bit. But be careful, “Be as clever as serpent and as simple as dove.” This is also a warning for priests/Religious throughout the world particularly in India.
Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi’s Chief Minister-elect, is a down-to-earth person, with not much experience, basics, or wide knowledge. But his simplicity, simple approach, simple living and giving bore much fruit, fruit in abundance.
Kejriwal’s victory teaches us that anyone, even priests and nuns, can make a big difference even if they are small in number, but have the heart to join hands.
Let us wait and see a new pattern and anew form emerging in the Indian political scenario as described in the book of Revelation, “The new heaven and the new earth” (Revelation 21:-4), like one shepherd and one flock.
The Shepherd will wipe away all tears from people’s eyes. So be happy and contented people who silently suffer for good causes and others who take advantages of them.
The Gospel says, “Whatever is covered up will be uncovered” (Lk: 12:2), and every secret will be made known.”
Everything will be brought to the broad light, so don’t get panic or worry about the decline of vocations or death of religious life. If God had started it, it will continue until the end of the world.
Pope Francis has given the clarion call: Wake up World.” Let us be witnesses of doing things in different ways, It is possible to live differently in this world. Although we are small in number, we can be like dough in the leaven (Mt 13:33).
In olden times the Religious believed in blind obedience but it has undergone changes. As such archaic rules took different patterns, roots and forms, Religious survived. We have to adopt new ways in this fast moving world.
Like the people of Delhi, Catholic Religious like me have to be ready to read the signs of times and adopt changes and challenges.
(Sister Jane Joseph belongs to Sisters Adorers Handmaids of the Blessed Sacrament of Charity. The nun in her late 50s, currently works among the poor in Kerala. Earlier, she was engaged in pastoral work, especially helping high school girls, in Odisha. She has also worked in Mumbai and Goa, looking after the education of orphan girls and women in red-light districts.)