By Neena Joseph
Kochi, Feb 22, 2023:Religiously Political and Politically Religious: Reflections for Peace Education. New Delhi. Christian World Imprints.
Author: George, M.K. 2023:
The heading is captivating. A quick glance at the author’s background, the blurb and the contents unfolds the contemporariness of the subject matter, the obvious brevity and the readability of this book which is arranged in short chapters.
We feel prompted to grab and read it. The book is imbued with the moral indignation of the author about the administrative terrorism and the callousness displayed by the powers that be in the context of COVID-19 as manifested through the utter neglect and disregard for the vulnerable sections of our population.
The agony and travails of the migrant workers consequent to the declaration of lockdown at a mere four hour of notice is portrayed. The attempt to pass anti farmer laws, flouting all the procedural requirements is described.
Incidents of relentless suppression of all forms of dissent are explained. The lopsided, exclusionary and ruthless development paradigm is put on trial and the plight of tribals is highlighted and the cause is traced back to corporatisation, unholy nexus between corporates and the ruling dispensation with the help of government officials.
The book is a catharsis of the angst experienced by the author and for a conscientious reader the book offers a reliving of these experiences and much food for reflection on action- plans aimed at prevention of such state sponsored excesses, atrocities, inflammation of communal passions, lynching, manufacture of conspiracy theories, large scale lying, propaganda, unscientific absurd activities and blatant contradictions.
While labeling the religious gathering of a particular community for being a super spreader, such events involving mammoth crowd of the majority community were being conducted without compunction.
The fanfare with which the US President was welcome into India was also a glaring application of double standards. The author analyses extreme rightward swing in the global context and reveals the intrigues in the international relations.
The author reiterates the urgent need to eschew political naiveté and exhorts us to understand, critically analyse and challenge the political developments whenever necessary. Neutrality by default favours those who wield power. Being apolitical will end up in the demise of democracy. Resistance is imperative. The author ardently advocate for democracy and secularism.
In a self-critical note, the author throws very disturbing questions at the Jesuits, regarding their omissions with respect to the Christian imperative of preferential option for the poor and for those who are subsisting at the periphery.
Exceptions such as Fr Stan Swamy are fondly and reverentially reminisced. But questions remain regarding whether enough was done to resist the injustices including those against this Octogenarian who languished and expired in the prison. The author strikes a note with what Klaus Scholder remarked in the context of Nazi Germany, “There was no Catholic resistance in Germany, there were only Catholics who resisted”.
The author dares to question the expediency and self-survival strategies of the church in forging alliance with the powerful political party whose fundamental philosophy and principles are in contradiction with those of the church and whose one of the declared enemies is Christians.
He daringly draws a parallel between the contemporary strategy of the church and that of the Christians who once adopted the stand to compromise and to exercise caution during Nazi regime in Germany.
Even while denouncing the lapses at all levels, the author uncompromisingly upholds hope which he derived from the selfless and valiant interventions made by ordinary citizens, all categories of health workers, sanitary workers, police. Hospitals, camps, crematoriums were blessed with their service.
It is heartening to see that the author had given ample examples of great women who had resisted injustices. We can see the mention of Sr Annie Rose, Malala. Greta Thunberg etc. as against the usual practice of ignoring the contributions made by great women.
The author has clear vision regarding the path ahead. He observes that the quality of compassion is of paramount importance. Compassionate leadership is required in line with that of Jacinda, the former New Zealand, PM.
Suggestion to the religious is for going back to the fundamental philosophy of the founding fathers. He asserts that the institutions, including Christian ones have drastically digressed from the accomplishment of their original vision which is their very raison de’ etre.
The author has done justice to the latter part of the title of the book – reflection for Peace Education.
The author has succeeded in capturing the events and incidents in the context of extremely turbulent situation of the pandemic which revealed as never before the fault lines of casteism, racism, inequality, communalism, suppression of democratic aspirations and resistance, fascism, crony capitalism, inequitable,lop sided and anti-tribal development.The book has ample triggers and ingredients for a peace educationist to craft a comprehensive customised peace curriculum for diverse groups.
The book tells us to be religiously political which could be understood as a steadfast engagement to understand politics and to resist when the situation demands. By being politically religious, he asks us to be eternally vigilant to the forces which use religion for political gains.
Let the ideas in this book fructify through appropriate concrete actions at all levels.
(Neena Joseph is former professor at the Institute of Management in Government, Kerala, and currently a member of the faculty of Loyola Institute of Peace and International Studies (LIPI) , Kochi.)