ksj writers forum september 2015
TRANSCRIPT
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015
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?
DO THE RELIGIOUS HAVE A ROLE
IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?Larren Menezes SJLarren Menezes SJ
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015
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.
DO THE RELIGIOUS HAVE A ROLE
IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?
DO THE RELIGIOUS HAVE A ROLE
IN PROMOTING SOCIAL JUSTICE?Larren Menezes SJLarren Menezes SJContd. from pg. 7Contd. from pg. 7
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 10Pg. 10 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 11Pg. 11 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR TRIBALS AND
DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVEWilson Bennis SJWilson Bennis SJ
HIS SURPRISE VISITHIS SURPRISE VISITContd. from pg. 11Contd. from pg. 11 Roshan Peter SJRoshan Peter SJ
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 12Pg. 12 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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.
SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR TRIBALS AND
DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVE
SOCIAL JUSTICE FOR TRIBALS AND
DALITS: A BIBLICAL PERSPECTIVEWilson Bennis SJWilson Bennis SJ
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 13Pg. 13 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 14Pg. 14 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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 ?
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 15Pg. 15 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 16Pg. 16 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 17Pg. 17 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 18Pg. 18 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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
SEPTEMBER 2015SEPTEMBER 2015 Pg. 19Pg. 19 Writers’ ForumWriters’ Forum
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