Light a lamp today, tonight, tomorrow, everyday, continue to keep it burning

By Fr Cedric Prakash SJ*
Light a lamp for COURAGE – to illumine the darkness which has engulfed many everywhere! Diwali, the Festival of Lights is a reminder that each one of us is called to be a light in our world today; a light that is visible, enkindling other lights with hope and in doing so, dispelling the fears and hopelessness that have gripped the lives of many!
Light a lamp for JUSTICE – which we desperately need in our country today! A justice which is objective and impartial; which is not of fear nor seeks any favour; which does not kowtow to the rich, the powerful, the influential or to the ruling regime! A justice which hears the cry of the poor, the Adivasis, the Dalits and the sub-alterns of our society.
Light a lamp for LIBERTY – that India awakes to that “heaven of freedom”, which Rabindranath Tagore prayed for. When every single citizen has the freedom of speech and expression and is not slapped with archaic laws of sedition and contempt of court; where freedom of religion and belief is not some theory but a reality in practice.
Light a lamp for TRUTH – which should be an indispensable dimension of our daily lives. Sadly, the beautiful prayer from the Upanishads, “from untruth lead me to truth”, has been destroyed beyond recognition by ‘fekuisms’, lies and half-truths. We no longer seem to align our lives with Gandhi’s ‘satyagraha’ or with ‘Satyameva Jayate’.
Light a lamp for JOY – of childhood, of innocence, of spontaneity. Today as we celebrate ‘Children’s Day’ in India, we remember the millions of children who have been robbed of their childhood – forced into child labour and other abuses. We joyously also remember our visionary former Prime Minister Nehru and his genuine love for children.
Light a lamp for FRATERNITY – as Pope Francis reminds us in ‘Fratelli Tutti’ – “I have felt particularly encouraged by the Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, with whom I met in Abu Dhabi, where we declared that, “God has created all human beings equal in rights, duties and dignity, and has called them to live together as brothers and sisters”.
Light a lamp for SENSITIVITY – which a Mother so beautifully epitomizes through her love, her care, her sacrifices, the nurturing to help her children grow. I remember my own mother Cynthia (who meant the world to us) who left for her heavenly abode on this day ten years ago. We yearn for the sensitivity of a Mother – the feminine face of God.
Light a lamp for INCLUSION – in a society which is becoming more divisive and polarized. We see this happening all the time: to migrants, to refugees, those not ‘like’ us. The late and beloved Fr Pedro Arrupe founded the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) on this day (his birth anniversary), so that we truly accompany the ‘nowhere’ people of today.
Light a lamp for HUMAN RIGHTS – for all those who have risked their lives to defend the rights of others. Fr Stan Swamy and fifteen others in the Bhima-Koregaon case are illegally imprisoned under the draconian UAPA. They have stood up courageously for the rights of the Adivasis, the Dalits, the poor and other vulnerable in society.
Light a lamp for RESTORATION – for the ability and creativity we need to make all things new. Today, we celebrate the Feast of St Joseph Pignatelli – a great Jesuit who is regarded as the restorer of the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits were suppressed from 1773 to 1814 (41 years) in many countries, mainly for not toeing the line of the ‘establishment’!
Light a lamp for PEACE – for all people everywhere; a peace which is respectful, wherein all are treated equally. Where a young woman feels safe and secure; where the elderly are assured of a helping hand; where people can celebrate each other’s festivals; where two lovers can marry irrespective of their different faiths. Where peace is love!
Light a lamp for CHANGE – which this red-letter day, 14 November 2020, signifies and actually mandates in so many different ways! A call for courage, for justice, for liberty, for truth, for joy, for fraternity, for sensitivity, for inclusion, for restoration, for human rights, for peace, for love and above all, for renewal and for CHANGE
Light a Lamp – today, tonight, tomorrow and everyday, till we realise the above; and after that, continue to keep the fire burning!!!
—
*Human rights and peace activist/writer

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Celebrating 125 yr old legacy of healthcare work of missionaries

Vilas Shende, director, Mure Memorial Hospital By Moin Qazi* Central India has been one of the most fertile belts for several unique experiments undertaken by missionaries in the field of education and healthcare. The result is a network of several well-known schools, colleges and hospitals that have woven themselves into the social landscape of the region. They have also become a byword for quality and affordable services delivered to all sections of the society. These institutions are characterised by committed and compassionate staff driven by the selfless pursuit of improving the well-being of society. This is the reason why the region has nursed and nurtured so many eminent people who occupy high positions in varied fields across the country as well as beyond. One of the fruits of this legacy is a more than century old iconic hospital that nestles in the heart of Nagpur city. Named as Mure Memorial Hospital after a British warrior who lost his life in a war while defending his cou...

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Dowry over duty: How material greed shattered a seven-year bond

By Archana Kumar* This account does not seek to expose names or tarnish identities. Its purpose is not to cast blame, but to articulate—with dignity—the silent suffering of a woman who lived her life anchored in love, trust, and duty, only to be ultimately abandoned.

Search This Blog