By M L Satyan
Coimbatore, Oct 12, 2024: Every day news headlines, both in print and digital media, give us terrible shocks.
News about murders, robberies, human trafficking, cheatings, corruption, atrocities on women, sectarian violence, caste-based discrimination, abuse of nature and natural resources, and delayed justice raise many questions in a responsible citizen’s mind.
Are we really living in a civilized world? Where is our society/country heading to?
The socioeconomic, cultural, political and religious scenario at panchayat, district, state and national levels makes us restless these days. On the one side we boast of the modern civilization and use slogan like ‘incredible India,’ but on the other we see just the opposite.
We literally live amid contradictions. We should honestly examine our attitude, behaviour and lifestyle to find answers to the questions.
These days we have higher income and we spend it lavishly to live a comfortable life. At the same time, a vast majority lives below the poverty line.
We often call ourselves educated and boast of our knowledge on various subjects. But we have lost our capacity to judge things rightly. We keep increasing the number of educational institutions. We take pride in achieving 100 percent academic results. Yet the school dropout rate is between 60 and 70 percent. Moreover, these centres of excellence do not give due priority to ‘character building.’
Under the banner of globalized economy multinational companies continue to set up their manufacturing units in various parts of the country. We get intoxicated by consumerism that makes us greedier. On the other side are people whose basic needs are yet to be met.
We preach too much but practice little. All the religious leaders preach about the basic human values in public but most of them fail to practice such values in their life.
We boast of having reached the Moon and climbed the Himalayas. We have conquered the outer space. We have control over science and technology and their inventions. But we have lost our inner space. We have little self-knowledge. We have failed miserably to control ourselves.
We live in a high-tech world where artificial intelligence has become a buzzword. We use highly sophisticated electronic communication gadgets and social media platforms. But we have lost our connectivity with our own selves and family members. Family bonds are breaking and divorces are on the increase.
We have increased our food production many folds. Our warehouses overflow with foodgrains, but major portion of them get rotten or are eaten by rats. While the rich and middle class suffer obesity because of over-eating. The poor, on the other hand, do not get even square meal a day.
Today we have modern and high-tech medical facilities. But we have poor health. A vast majority of the population is deprived of these medical facilities. Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) are on the rise.
We boast of one nation with diverse cultures named as “Unity in Diversity.” But we fight in the name of language, geography, culture, caste and creed. People belonging to the same region, religion and political party are divided and continue to fight in the name of caste, religion and language.
We are also proud of our Jal, Jungle, Jameen (Water, Forest and Land). Only a few selected corporate companies enjoy these resources with money and muscle power, while keeping the majority of the population away from these resources.
The political parties are elected to ensure good governance as the custodians of the Constitution. But their only motto seems to capture power and squander wealth while in power. Destabilizing governments through horse-trading and intimidating the opposition parties takes place in various parts of the country.
In the name of urban development, the slum dwellers and the poor on the footpath are evacuated and harassed. Villages that are considered as the backbone of the country remain underdeveloped and abandoned.
We have the Army, Air Force, Navy to protect our country. Yet international criminals smuggle drugs, fake currencies, silver and gold into the country. Robbers break open bank lockers and ATM machines despite hi-tech, computerized security systems. The hard-earned money of the people has no security.
Various religions co-exist in India. The purpose of every religion is to strengthen love and fellowship among people. But today we are divided in the name of God and religion. Religion is reduced to meaningless rituals and ceremonies. God is converted into a commercial commodity. Our religious leaders have become business men or women selling God by exploiting people’s ignorance.
We have a tradition of revering women and we worship various goddesses. Many of our rivers have female names. We revere our country as Mother India. In the same country, female infanticides, women trafficking, forced prostitution, wife beatings, dowry deaths, and rapes take place continuously.
With all humility and sincerity, we must admit that we are not civilized in the right sense. We are directly or indirectly responsible for this shameful civilization. We need to make a sincere and continuous effort to make the present civilization meaningful. Being humane and becoming better human beings is the need of the hour.
Catholic Association of Bengal is being grossly abused by its office bearers, particularly its much-touted “first woman president” to promote their personal and political ambitions. Never ever has this happened in this 113-year-old Lay Association (established in 1911) which has been known for rendering welfare services (education and health) to the downtrodden in and around Kolkata. Dissenting members are simply being silenced through issue of veiled threats. Ironically, St Teresa of Calcutta is its patron saint!
In this article M.L. Satyan has made several soul-searching observations. The pertinent ones are:
• We have increased our food production many fold. Our warehouses overflow with food grains. While the rich and middle class over-eat, the poor do not get even a square meal.
– This is the pattern even in developed countries and not India-specific. Jesuit priest Irudhaya Jothi (Right-to-food Activist) considers leakage in the Public Distribution System (PDS) as one prime reason for deprivation of the poor, particularly in remote regions. Also pushing the marginalised to subsistence level (scavenge for food everyday) suits the rich to exploit them to their advantage. Ratan Tata and his Tata Group’s philanthropic ventures are exceptions.
• Today we have modern and high-tech medical facilities. But a vast majority of the population is deprived of these medical facilities.
– This is dependent on state government’s intent and begins with well-equipped Primary Heathcare in rural areas. The Aam Aadmi Mohalla Clinic has been providing quality primary health care services accessible within the communities in Delhi at their doorstep. It’s heartening to know Church-run primary health centres are doing excellent job in this regard (in Darjeeling hills and other regions). The RG Kar murder-and-rape case (and situation in other rural hospitals) has laid bare the apathetic condition of health care and safety & security of healthcare professionals in our hospitals.
– An IMA survey has found that one-third of the respondent doctors, mainly women, reported feeling “unsafe” or “very unsafe” during their night shifts, with some even considering carrying weapons for protection. The study, which surveyed 3,885 doctors, revealed that 45 per cent of them lacked access to a duty room during night shifts. This survey, the largest of its kind in India, was conducted in response to the recent rape and murder of a female trainee doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Link: https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/35-of-doctors-mostly-women-feel-unsafe-at-night-shifts-says-ima-survey-124083000644_1.html
– We need many more Christian doctors (and lawyers too!).
• Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) are on the rise.
– This is due to lack of antenatal care of pregnant women, assessment of their nutritional status and counselling. Are our Dioceses/parishes doing enough for Mother-and-child healthcare despite having a Health Commission in each diocese?
• People belonging to the same region, religion and political party are divided and continue to fight in the name of caste, religion and language.
– This is the way divide and rule policy has been working. Even in our church we are divided community-wise/linguistically/culturally. Examples, Syro-Malabar rubrics dispute in Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese; endogamous (pure blood marriage) practice of the Knanaya Catholic community, Kerala.
• Our religious leaders preach too much but practice little. They have become business men/women selling God by exploiting people’s ignorance.
– Evidence of this mentality is the non-payment of Dear Allowance (DA) to teachers made permanent in July 2022 and thereafter by the management of a top church-run school in Kalimpong. The school however pays DA to those who were confirmed before 2022. The clueless teachers haven’t been given any explanation for this disparity. Many schools employ contractual staff/ volunteer teachers for years. Are we being humane to our teachers?
• The only motto of political parties seems to capture power and squander wealth while in power.
– Almost all politicians peddle false promises of ACCHEY DIN AYEGA or PORIBORTON. Catholic Association of Bengal (CAB) is no different from our politicians. Its office bearers are unabashedly holding on to power even though their elected term expired on 1st September 2021. They were elected on 2nd September 2018 on their much-hyped promises of Poriborton (change-for-the-better) by amending the Constitution for greater transparency including Voting Rights for all Life Members, and introduction of a Financial Manual! The CAB constitution (Article IX A-D) mandates office bearers’ election after every three years. They have brazenly violated this mandate and are holding the 950+ Life Members to ransom, as it were. Link: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/oldest-catholic-association-gets-first-woman-president/articleshow/65665791.cms#:~:text=KOLKATA%3A%20It%20was%20a%20defining,became%20its%20first%20woman%20president.
• We need to make a sincere and continuous effort to make the present civilization meaningful. Becoming humane is the need of the hour.
– Humane? The super power bloc believes in destruction first (through wars) and then reconstruction by forming cartel among themselves – making money both ways. Examples, Iraq, Ukraine, Gaza.