Goa Jesuits in the time of Pope Francis

Jesuits all over the world will be celebrating the feast of their founder St. Ignatius on July 31. This year, it will be a little more joyful as they have many things to rejoice about. They are on the eve of their 200^th anniversary of the restoration of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits’ religious order) and the Church finally has its first Jesuit Pope. In Goa, Jesuits see huge possibilities in pursuing their work – be it schools, retreats, research or working with the poor and the young. 

Journalist Jonathan Rodrigues caught up with Father Rosario Rocha SJ, the Provincial of the Goa Jesuit Province. He spoke about the various expectations he has for the Province, on how the new Pope will bring about much-needed changes in the Church’s hierarchy and why the concept of celibacy is still alive. 

THE STORY TELLER - Isabel S.R. Vas

THE STORY TELLER 

photo credit: Arun PJ.

You will normally find the actors seated on little chairs and benches in some empty classroom normally occupied by Kindergarten students as their eyes lay intensely fixed upon a figure. She moves like the wind and every move spells an emotion. At the moment she is indulging in a monologue; or telling a tale, creating a cloud of imagination in the minds of her theatre friends. They are wrapped in curiosity as she slowly walks them through the suspense and then suddenly she reads a line that makes the room burst up in laughter. 

The joke is as infectious as her smile and the little spark of humour picks up force, accelerating into a laugh riot. The actors seem to have lost their focus. “Ladies, Gentlemen and all other species!” she exclaims; trying to capture their attention. Disciplined to that voice, the laughter ceases and they regroup to stay with her till she concludes the tale. So vivid is her skill of narrating, so intimate her gift of empathizing that by the time she has finished walking the listeners through the script, every prospective member of the cast and crew of the Mustard Seeds has already lived the play in their minds.

A WHISPER IN THE WOMB

A whisper in the womb!

A young girl’s brave fight against the world.

Mumbai_8-30a.m: A 21 year old lies cuddled up with her soul mate. She wakes up to the sound of the doorbell. The milkman has arrived with fresh buffalo milk. No, the love of her life is not a body-builder yet; neither does he go to the gym. He continues to sleep gloriously as she boils the milk and gets back to bed. As the radiant sun rays light up the city; he wakes up, gets on his fours and crawls onto her. The cuddling begins, followed by sweet kisses and cute words. She tells him how much she loves him, as he sheepishly utters something that sounds like ‘latto’. If you haven’t guessed by now, this is a teenage love story of city girl that doesn’t involve a man; but a little baby boy named Yohann.

The 21 month old sweetheart is the only reason that Kero wants to wake up every morning. He makes a lot of animal impersonations and loves mimicking the lion, snake, cat and dog. Soon, its breakfast time and as universally advised, he demands to have it like a king. Perched on his high chair, he burrows through his cereal with his favourite music video playlist in the background. TV sessions continue with a recess for lunch and an afternoon shower. All she needs to say is “common for bathie” and he is ready with his rubber duckies. Then he gets his hair spiked and heads downstairs to play with his buddies. He kicks around his size-one football as his biggest fan watches him from not so far away. 

THE KITCHEN DIARY

The Kitchen Diary

As you stroll by the promenade leading to Miramar - with the wind in your hair and the sand in your eyes - you will notice an ancient log of wood sitting lazily atop the compound wall. The initials inscribed there demand instant attention. Amidst shunted coconut and tall palm trees, a clay stuffed rooster proudly sits near a man-made pond, which houses little fish and toads. Curious as the cat, you decide to trespass the lawns across a narrow foot bridge that leads you to the threshold of nostalgia.

As you push open the door, the aroma of an international fusion of Latino and European spices assails up your nostrils; and even before you realize, your stomach has taken over your anatomy. A jar of pickle stands on a wooden counter silently seducing your taste buds. As you grapple with the growl, the enzymes shoot to your brain cells and your mind begins to associate and connect with everything Goan. “It was just a random idea, a spilled thought that has grown into this beautiful place,” says the artist of her brain child, adding that it was consummated purely to save the Goan cuisine.

Keeping alive the Goan Pau.

                  

The bread in Goa is more than just an element of food; it is an insignia of the most talked about Goan virtue of hospitality. People in Bombay love to take a jibe at Goans, by nicknaming them as ‘Pau’, simply because they cannot do without their staple diet. Wherever you travel in India, you will never find bread like the Pau of Goa.

The most unenviable part of the snack is it indifferent taste, that is likely to induce you to condemn it as un-edible. However this plainness allows you to dip it in any curry or gravy and enjoy that tangy experience. The Pau allows you to diffuse yourself,very much like the culture of Goa which is so open and available to the multi-national attitudes and likes. What makes the Pau so distinct?

EARTH MEETS ART - THE POTTERS OF GOA

EARTH MEETS ART: THE POTTERS 

Those summer evenings at granny’s still make fresh memories, when we would come back all tired and sweaty and dash straight to the earthen jar.  Jogging back from the beach we drooled of the thought of the liquid inside that clay cooler. The summers in the 90’s were not as hot as that of today; but they were warm enough to burn you out and leave you dehydrated. Fortunately, back then we had more natural means to refresh and rejuvenate. A tumbler of cold water and we would fall flat on the cow dung carpeted floors and stare at the clay tiled roof. No air condition, no fridge needed, the earth with all its generosity comforted us with its riches. 

MORAL POLICING

MORAL POLICING: THE ILLEGITIMATE CHILD OF OUR IDENTITY CRISIS?
 

Across generations, Goans have grown above narrow-minded communal ideologies and embraced the socio-cultural diffusion as a spice to life. Living lifestyles apart from the rest of the nation with our festivals, celebrations and recreational habits; which sometimes cross traditional norms and ignite generation gap conflicts, we have been loved and hated.

A hardened fanatic appeared on the scenes last summer with plans to “save” our culture. For all you simpletons, the Ram Sena’s “saving” agenda includes destroying our solidarity and inter-religious harmony; fuelling the minds of the weak with his retarded stone-age ideology; employing our school dropouts and nurturing them into fanatics; stoning and stabbing and sucking out the life of those in love.

The identity crisis

The tourism ministry recently entertained the idea of inviting groups from Karnataka, Maharastra and Gujarat to participate in the carnival floats. Such a stupendous idea of making it a pan-Indian affair only brings us to doubt the loyalty of this Government. Whether it is Shigmo or Carnival; it is and should be a Goan cultural festival depicting the rural and urban lifestyles of our state.

Over the last decade, we have wrestled inner demons, questioning - to be or not to be- who we really are. Tourism coupled with the lack of ambition and employment in our youngsters has inspired a ‘slothful era’. Partying in Goa is metaphorically an umbrella term for ‘cheap booze, easy drugs and sex’. Our image outside the state is embarrassing –every woman is a whore and every man is a pimp. A professor in Tamil Nadu once warned the whole class that branding Goa as drunken village is blasphemous. He said and I quote, “They know how to drink, they are not like us who drink half a pint and fall on the roads.” How many Goans smuggle liquor across the border to frivolous characters who picture Goa with only bars and restaurants? Deserving or not, we have earned this tag simply because we have failed to respect ourselves

We are undecided if this global cultural influx good for our survival or whether it is ruining our heritage? But, that is for us –the Government – to evaluate. Encouraging ideas like ‘Ram Sena’ is an insult and degradation of our Police community. It shows that we don’t trust in our legitimate law keepers. We have a structured and authorized organization whose task is to enforce the law and protect the sentiments of the society. The honesty and loyalty of the Police community is a debatable issue, yet we do not need an extremist approach to settle our problems.

The wrong police

Sheltering these moral police would be like licensing a terror outfit to set up their academy. Today, they don’t prescribe to Valentine’s Day or dating, tomorrow they will create ruckus at our feasts and festivals. Soon, they will question Carnival and Shigmo celebrations. Later, they will storm bars and restaurants and beat up all the women who are drinking. They will terrorize beaches and parks and thrash all who hold hands. Terrorism is a word that is politically and emotionally charged. The UN defines it as a criminal act, to provoke a state of terror in the general public or to intimidate a population or compel a government to do or abstain from doing an act (concise). The Sena with its fundamentalist philosophy and notorious resume undoubtedly subscribes to this branding.

American professor of Psychiatry, Frederick Hacker termed such characters as crazy, criminal and crusading, whereas Viktor Vitiuk labels them as idealist, filibusters and lost souls. Whether it is his intolerable urge for action – surrogate sexual activity- or effort to affirm his self esteem or nurse a deeply hurt ego, his idea of self-worship profiles him to be criminally narcissistic and sick.

Terror is an organised system of intimidation. Under RAND Co-operation, an International Organisation that lists identifiable characteristics of terrorism, the perpetrators of violence often claim credit for their act. Sighting the above, it is foolish on our part to ignore; still worse - to help breed a school of maniacs, who have openly posed a threat to society. This might seem as an over-reaction to an issue that has fallen silent; but as long as the ant-hill exists, the serpent shall thrive.

Terrorism, under U.S. domestic law enforcement, has come to be identified with the ‘criminal mode of operation rather than the specific intent or motivation of the action’, thus clearly divorcing it from Ideology. U.S. Internal Security Act 1950, authorizes the state to penalize and detain anyone found engaging in acts - or even threatening and conspiring- violence. ‘Proscribed Organization’ is the British attempt at fighting militancy. The Indian Government needs to deliberate about updating and executing suspensions of anti-national outfits, like the Ram Sena. The idea of expanding the power of arrest for the Police is to enhance the pre-emptive element in combating terrorism. A competitive law will power the Police to act against suspects under surveillance.

Moral policing in itself is a manifestation of domestic or national terrorism and it has no place in an educated and highly diffused society like ours. Unstructured policing have no fixed principles or rational goals and they are driven entirely by emotion. One incident can lead to another and soon we will have gang wars, religious crusades and class uprisings, in the name of moral policing.

Uniting the good people

Trusting the Government with that task, we need to create a healthy citizen- police trust that will suppress anything that crosses the line and disturbs our identity. Then again, the line is too thin and undefined. Are the casinos helping us or ruining us? Are the mines employing us or suffocating us? It is time we leave our ‘sussegad balcaos’ and stand up for what we believe is acceptable and discard the rest. If we can resolve our identity crisis, then we can point fingers at the ‘fundamentalists’.

Finally, to all the ‘moral policemen’ out there - (after the Avengers, Spiderman and Batman) if you think we needed superhero; that is very noble of you, but, no thank you! We can take of our own. If you can’t see us holding hands, then don’t step foot on our sands!

GREEN-SPIRATION

GREEN-SPIRATION

- Creating a selfless, Eco-modern attitude for a cleaner environment.

As kids, we might have heard of an interesting fable about the man who dreamt of sweeping off evil and changing the world, but failed, simply because he forgot to clean up his own backyard. Change like charity begins at home. The environment furnishes all the essentials for life and so there has been a close link between the environment and human beings Numerous International charters on environmental laws are documented and drafted every year, besides the many Ecological summits that are held to discuss preservation and conservation. But the initiative to change and inspire has to be consummated at a micro level –the individual.

Formerly, the Constitution did not show any concern towards the need for providing environmental strategies in the fundamental law of the country. The word ‘environment’ couldn’t be found in even one of the 395 articles and schedules. The Parliament was probably sensitized by the Stockholm declaration, adopted by the International Conference on Human Environment in 1972. It emphasizes that man bears a solemn responsibility to protect and improve the environment for the present and future generations. 

Preservation of environment and keeping the ecological balance unaffected is a task which not only Government but also every citizen must undertake. The Indian Constitution has imposed a joint responsibility upon the state; and every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment. It is a social obligation to remind every citizen- as enshrined in Article 51-A (g) of the Constitution- that, “it shall be the duty of every citizen of India-to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures.”

THE CITIZEN:

As mentioned earlier, the attitude of ‘cleanliness’ has to spring from within an individual. Spitting on the roads, throwing waste out of moving vehicles, defecating and urinating in public recreational areas, scattering plastic and paper on the streets are all characteristic of the disgraceful ‘chalta-hai’ Indian attitude. We have been nurtured in an environment where you can do anything you want and get away with it. This confidence of ‘getting away’ is being conditioned into our system.  

All is not lost; we can either sit back and lament on our cursed generation or stand up and live the change I propose. The philosophy of ‘Green-spiration’: Initiate-Inspire-Instigate; metaphorically relates to our root source - the individual. It simply means initiating a change, inspiring others to do so and if they act stubborn then instigate them to change. 

A practical situation of throwing away a plastic bag: Firstly, I will make sure I act responsibly; initiating the change by holding on to the bag, until I find a dustbin. Secondly, if I see someone callously throw away the scrap, I would suggest him not to do so and find a dustbin. 

The third and final level is the toughest as it requires the highest degree of humility. Citing the above illustration, if the ‘other’ person acts stubborn and flings the bag on the street, I must go to him pick up the bag and dispose it in a dustbin. Nothing pricks a human heart more than a silent, non-violent humiliation. There is a healthy chance that the person would be learning from the embarrassment caused and thus be instigated to change his attitude in the future. 

THE LAW

The above illustration - which psychology would term as Classical Conditioning, where in, an individual can be gradually trained to respond to a particular situation (using the dust-bin), without the presence of the stimuli (‘the instigator’) - can be tried on those who have a conscience, but for the cold hearted, I suggest we have Environment Cops or ‘Green Squad’. 

Article 48-A, of the Constitution, rightly emphasizes the fact that the state should try not only to protect but to improve the environment. The Green Squad would have their task cut out. Suited in a distinct uniform and authorized to impose fines, similar to the RTO, shall patrol the state and book anyone found littering or defecating in public. The Squad that could be led by an environmentalist or an NGO would serve as a form of community policing and help keep the environment clean and peaceful. Previously we used the technique of classical conditioning, now through the Green Squad, we would be using the technique of operant conditioning to make people change their attitude and behaviour towards the environment. 

Due to the lack of self restraint and rationale, we have scattered our ‘care-less’ attitude and stained the environment. Nevertheless, we can voluntarily change and bring about a ‘Green-spired’ revolution. Consider it an obligation to make a difference; since we do not have the time to help clean up the mess, let’s not add to it.

Qorruption begins with a Queue

Qorruption begins with a Queue

The agony of standing in a queue begins with the realization that it is not official. There will be many who jump in before you, keeping you stranded for forever. Two strangers can become best friends and a close friendship might be ruined for an argument in a queue. Tempers run high as people from all walks of life are suddenly forced to share physical space and breathing air. People pushing and pinching, people playing loud lousy music and chewing tobacco, people sweating and swearing; then when you can’t take it anymore you decide to dig your pockets and take that giant leap to the front of the line. This is the genesis of every big scam – Qorruption begins with a queue.

Corruption is a global phenomenon found in every society in one form or the other since time immemorial. In ancient times, the judges received bribes in Egyptian, Babylonian and Hebrew societies. In Rome, bribe was a common feature in elections and to public offices. In France, judicial offices were sold during the 15th century. England was described as a ‘sink-hole’ of corruption in the 17th and 18th century. The expansion of the economic activities during the first and second world wars opened new vistas of corruption in the country. War time controls, restrictions and scarcities provided ample opportunity for corruption. The licensing system of the government, the control regulations and the expansion of the public sectors spread corruption in all walks of life.

Political parties are founded and destroyed like a pack of cards. The latest being the brain child of a self-professed law abiding citizen named Kejriwal. Its initial stages were glorious; they came across as social workers cum freedom fighters cum detectives. The Aam Admi team woke up the nation with investigations that got the politicians burrowing into their golden caves and crime bureaus working overtime. Has that initial thunder vanished like every other revolutionary storm?

Every educated Indian knows that Kejriwal launched the party on a overzealous youthful drive, loaded with emotion and fragility. Hypothetically speaking, if the Aam Admi wins the elections; besides offering corrections, does the party have qualified experienced professionals to run the country? I think if Kejriwal really wanted to give something back to this country, he should have stuck by Anna and may be set up an academy to train and educate aspiring politicians to be better leaders. Jumping into the mess and trying to smoke out the rats doesn’t seem to be the solution at the moment.

The emergence of the political elite who believe in interest-oriented, rather than nation-oriented programs and policies are the main culprits. A majority of bureaucrats in our country are ‘ritualists’ and remain concerned more with perks and privileges than with ‘development-oriented’ policies for the society. It is not the rules but the interpretation of the rules which enables officers to receive kickbacks and pocket the bribe. Corruption is also caused and increased because of the change in value system and ethical qualities of men who administer.

The old ideals of morality, service, honesty and sacrifice are regarded as unfashionable and accepting ‘favours’ is viewed as a ‘need’ than a folly or an aberrant behavior. Is cheating in an examination corruption? Many clerks go to the offices and sign the attendance registers but are never found on their seats. They become available only when they are offered money to move the file.

The nature of corruption is different in foreign countries compared to the type we find in our country. In India, we have to pay extra for a railway reservation, admission to private institutions, for purchasing gas cylinders, for movie tickets. Thus, in other countries, money is paid for getting illegal things, in India it is paid for getting legal and authorized things.

Why are cases of corruption not reported by the people to the police? It is because we are afraid (that the corrupt will harm us), indifferent (that it is not their duty to reform the society) and pessimists (that the corrupt are influential and powerful people and no action will be taken against them). Corruption can be solved by the collective efforts of the people. If we make sure that dishonest people do not get elected to legislatures, half the battle is won.

Much of our corruption exists because of people’s tolerance or complete lack of public outcry against it, as well as the strong public forum to oppose it. While many intellectual, educated, well-informed and articulate citizens remain worried about this monstrous problem in the country, they fail to channelize their resentment into strong public opinion against it.

Once again the cure to a global disease lies with the individual. It is the choices we make that define the society’s value system. If you jump the queue then it makes no sense to condemn others. A 5rupee bribe is as good as a 500crore scam. Projecting yourself has an impeccable jingoist doesn’t hide the fact that you have your hands greased. The common man normally uses the following reasoning to justify his action. ‘As long as your action doesn’t directly harm somebody else, it’s not immoral.’ It’s a give and take policy.

Thus the real problem lies in our ‘flawless’ perception. We don’t see ourselves hurting anyone. When we just rush into a queue we don’t see the last person whose been standing there waiting for his turn; when we bribe to get our work done we don’t see the poor patient man waiting for his turn. The attitude implies, ‘I didn’t stamp you or curse you, so as long as I just blindly walk ahead, I am not hurting u.’ The serpentine queues will continue all our life; we need to justify the means we take to reach the end.

A GO-VAAN IN TAMIL NADU

A GO-VAAN IN TAMIL NADU

The early morning rays burst out of the eastern horizon as my bus driver kept breaking his speed records. His lucky my mom wasn’t sitting beside him; else he would have had nonstop commentary about gear changes; oncoming traffic; who almost brushed the side mirror and the risk of driving with one hand and ‘showing-off’. Fortunately for him, most of us -passengers were deep into our sleep spells; those awake were just hoping he would drive faster and slide into a pit stop for home hot coffee.

We eventually did stop for breakfast on the outskirts of Chennai. As I bit into some fresh wadas and sipped my coffee, I couldn’t help but admire the tidiness maintained at the junction. Dozens of dustbins, no garbage, clean floors and plenty of fresh air. I mean after all that heard about the city - the monstrous weather, indigestible food, unreadable maps, hostile people speaking an alien language -the build up seemed fine. However, soon enough my first impression surrendered to the rave Goan reviews.

The hot greasy air flushed across my dry and tired face, as I tried to overcome my nervy metropolitan claustrophobia and search for a store that sold Vodafone vouchers. My brother had travelled from another town to guide me through the hustle and bustle of Chennai. With our rug sacks and choice of attire, we certainly did not resemble the local tribe, yet a couple of salesman stopped us asking for directions. It is funny that however hard you try to express your ignorance of the vernacular they keep jibing at you. I couldn’t but watch in admiration, this socio-cultural exchange. The sales guys talked to us in fluent Tamil as my brother’s claims of “we are tourists” went in vain. The meaningless conversation went on till they finally realized we were natives of “Go-vaa”.

An unbearable stench assailed my nostrils as I began to dodge garbage and human traffic. I sensed cold stares from the streets probably because of my attire. Ironically, wearing casual shorts seemed offensive in a region where a folded ‘lungi’ is trended sexy. Overlooking their stubbornness to speak in Hindi and sense of hygiene, the people of Tamil Nadu are honest and available. Their inability to converse has tagged them as proud people, but they are not helpless and strive to overcome the handicap. They adorably find a way to make you feel at home and help you if you are lost.  I enjoyed meals on banana leaves as much as I enjoyed travelling on the local train – fast and ticket-less. 

I entered a packed hall (for my entrance exam) ten minutes late, thanks to my bro’s hunger vibes and KFC’s shamefully slow service. A supervisor came up to me and fired me in front of the whole class and ‘yev-ri-von’ knew the ‘Go-vaan’ was here. Sometimes, not knowing a language could be both a good and bad feeling. You don’t feel insulted when abused but then you have no idea how much he has humiliated you. Then something filmy happened – a young sexy south Indian beauty walked up to me and translated the prior scolding, as she led me to ma seat. I don’t think I was paying attention to what she said, but she was certainly too charming to be a teacher. I later apologized to her for being late. Hey!! Don’t judge me!

Desperate and homesick, I had to leave the same evening. A young gentleman helped us chase our Bus as our rickshaw flew over potholes and speed-breakers, dodged traffic lights and footpath vendors, skidded through alleys and sharp corners. I tipped him a little extra for literally laying down his life and giving us a taste of Rajinikanth. Wait, I never saw his face, could it have been him? The legend, the one and only? They say he is omnipotent. I turned back to see, he had vanished. Boarding the bus was scary - annoyed passengers gave us evil glares for the delay. Once again, as usual, the ‘Gov-vans’ had arrived late. Amidst strokes of lightning and flashes of thunder, I dreamt of pork and beef and my entrance exam that could be a blunder.  

There’s a fable of a beggar who sat at the entrance gate of an unknown town. A visiting tourist gave him a penny and asked “What is this place like? “, he thought for a moment and replied, “ It’s beautiful. People are warm and friendly. No disease. No violence. Good food. Good fun.” The visitor entered, adjusted, blended in and became a citizen. 

Another visitor came up to him on the same day. Ignoring the beggar’s plea for alms he inquired, “What is this place like? “. The beggar shrugged, “Its hell. People are cold and hostile. Infested with disease and battered by war. Unhygienic food and Sad life” The visitor entered, complained, insulted, abused and soon left robbed and bruised. 

Life is all about the philosophy you live. The perspective you bring in and attitude you reflect back on the people you meet. A human being has the capacity to own and disown at will. Being in a completely new environment can be tough and scary and frustrating. Things will not be as comfy as at home but then it’s all about respecting, accepting and adjusting to change. If you want to discover new horizons you got to be ready to leave behind familiar shores.

                                                                                                                               

-           For HERALD – SEPTEMBER 2012