Gerald D'Cunha

  “We will be judged by, ‘I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was naked, and you clothed me; I was homeless, and you took me in’.” Mother Teresa   F rom Richard Attenborough’s movie, ‘Gandhi’, two powerful scenes come to my mind… First scene: One of Gandhi’s most faithful followers - an English woman associated with his work for a long time – one day, in his Ashram, expresses her deep wish to be converted into Hinduism. Bapu’s response takes my breath away… “You do not deed to convert yourself into a Hindu,” he tells her, “You just need to become a better Christian.” The second scene: It involves, once again, a young Christian priest, an English man, who has been deeply inspired by the ideals of Gandhiji. He mentions these ideals in one of his Sunday sermons in the church… We see some hardened men and women walking out. Apparently, they have come to church to hear what Jesus said two thousand years ago, not what this ‘coloured man’ (by all yardsticks, m...

"When life itself has become a prayer,  we are connected to that source of love and life."  -  Brian Hardin P rayer doesn't need my mouth, eyes, ears, hands or legs. Yes, I am not dumb, blind, deaf or without limbs. What if I couldn't speak, see, hear or use my hands and legs? And, what if I did not belong to any religion?  To me, prayer is a quiet, private communication with our Creator... by whatever name you and I call Him or Her. Therefore, it really makes no difference... I believe, that there is this Supreme Creator behind all these things... and, He must be 'one'! L ast night, my wife and I were invited by a close friend of ours for a Navratri aarti and dinner. He is a Tamilian brahmin and his wife is a Gujarati brahmin. Both are Chartered Accountants. There were two more families as guests - one Rajasthani and one Maharashtrian. The traditional Golu was beautifully decorated by my friend's children... The dres...

M y last Post was about forgiving and forgetting. It revolved around the popular claim, that it is relatively easier to forgive than to forget. In most of our lives, I think, the unpleasant incidents that have happened in the past may not be of ‘extreme’ kind. Yes, someone may have hurt us by words or actions; someone may have cheated us financially or in relationship; or, it may be some family dispute or rivalry, may be a bad misunderstanding and so on. Sexual abuse and violence are more traumatic… not easy to forgive or forget. There are even more extreme and traumatic experiences in people’s lives… Some of these people have shown us how they have made peace with them… If forgiving someone is tough, seeking forgiveness is even tougher. Particularly, when the offence is very, very grave and trauma is extremely intense… I was raised as a Christian. So, Jesus Christ’s act of forgiveness, even as He was battling for life from his cross, is, indeed, an extreme cas...

S ome days ago, when I first saw the images of the Farmers’ March from Nasik to Mumbai, I was over-awed by its very idea… I knew it would be powerful… I knew it would make its impact, even though a large section of media, for its own reasons, chose to ignore it, down play it or even ridicule and condemn it… I knew, this: Nothing could stop an idea whose time had come!   To me, the poor farmers of drought-hit districts of Maharashtra are brave! Imagine walking a distance of 180 kilometers in the burning heat for six-seven days! Imagine the magnitude! What are their demands? Loan waiver and transfer of land to the tribals… Both these demands are genuine and they have been long-pending and not taken seriously by the authorities… Hence the March to Mumbai… As I write this, over thirty-five thousand of protesting farmers have camped themselves at the K.J. Somaiya grounds, barely 15 minutes away from where I live. The sky is their roof and the sta...

W ho is the richest man on this earth? Who is the strongest? Who is the most intelligent? And, who is the most beautiful woman in this world? Who is the fairest? Tallest?Wittiest?... All that rubbish, I say. This world has more than 7.6 billion people, today… and, I am supposed to vote for the richest, the strongest, the most intelligent, the most beautiful, the fairest, the tallest and the wittiest… Right? The wealthiest men do not flaunt their wealth, nor do the strongest men flaunt their bodies… The most intelligent men and women do not take part in the IQ and JK contests… nor do the most stunning women walk the ramp… Beauty, always, lies in the eyes of the beholder… Some of the tribal women are the most beautiful creations on this planet… While the wealth made of gold, stock and cash can corrode, the wealth made of intangible substance cannot… And yes, self-confidence can be the best attire we can ever wear… Ironically, our shyness can be th...

T here is a very moving scene in Richard Attenborough’s movie, ‘Gandhi’… Young Gandhi, after leading years of non-violent struggle in South Africa, has returned to India. The well-known leaders of Indian freedom-struggle want Gandhi to take a plunge in the freedom struggle… But, Gandhi is in no hurry… He senses the disconnect between the leaders who live in sophistication and the masses that live in acute poverty… So, he decides to travel across the length and breadth of the country… into the deepest interiors… to feel the plight of people… to feel connected with them… be one with them… Yes, before he could take the mantle of being their Moses! During this travel, one day, he comes near a village river just to splash some water on his tired face… On the other side, barely some yards away, he notices village women washing clothes, tucking little babies to their bosoms… Poverty is visible, the clothing is just not sufficient to cover their dignity… One woman, who gets ...