Gerald D'Cunha

  “Always pick your battles carefully; and let Karma take care of the rest.” Anthon St, Maarten L ast night, a dear family friend of ours was talking to my wife and me. For years, he and his family were fighting a legal battle to reclaim their hard-earned property from a dishonest tenant. The matter had travelled all the way from the local Magistrate’s court to the Supreme court… leaving our friend and his family financially, mentally, physically drained. There were countless moments of doubt, frustration and hopelessness… There were, also, endless moments of blame, anger, and even fear… Yet, our friend’s family – who were absolutely placed on the right side of the truth – held the fort and kept faith, both, in the worldly and divine justice… And, finally, two days ago, the Highest Court of this land, handed justice to our friend and his family… They not only reclaimed their property and arrears of rent of years, they also reclaimed their honour and hope… It was a battle wort...

T he phrase ‘Zero Tolerance’ must’ve been there ever since Man began to speak in English. But, I was woken up to this phrase during Nirbhaya protests in New Delhi and across the nation. Today, when protests are on all over the nation, against the brutal gang rape and murder incident in Hyderabad, I am, once again, woken up to this phrase - ‘Zero Tolerance’… My heart really goes out to the immediate family of the victim. While, what happened to the young woman is really sad and beyond our words and it’s an irreversible act, what is happening to the immediate family now, at least, should be done by us with loads of sensitivity… They are still in terrible shock and they are deeply grieving… And, they are made to narrate, and re-narrate the gory incident, over and over again, to each and sundry. What they need presently is silence, strength, and grace to deal with the loss, pain, anger and sorrow. They will not be able to get back the young soul they have lost to t...

T he judges, who dispense justice to us, are humans just like us. They think, feel and act just like us. They may be the judges of the Supreme Court of India… But, they rise and fall just as we do. They have families – parents, siblings, wives, children, grandchildren, in-laws and other relations… They attend social functions, worship in temples, mosques and churches just as we do… They watch movies and matches, listen to songs and read books just as we all do… Above all, they argue and fight in private and seek justice and forgiveness just as we all do… So, the other day, when four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court revolted in public against the Chief Justice of India, we all were shocked and called it ‘unprecedented’. It was… But, to me, a justice dispensed by a human being – whether he is local sarpanch or the CJI - yes, to me, it is a justice dispensed by a fallible, vulnerable mortal just like any of us. Thus, when I hear some saying, “The Su...

Pic.: Mini Milind “People say that walking on water is a miracle; but to me, walking on earth  peacefully is a real miracle.” - Thich Nhat Hanh   M y wife is associated with a company which promotes one of the finest sets of educational books. As a regular feature, the company holds an annual international-conference for its folk in some of the exciting places on globe… Well, this time (next week) it will be in Ho Chi Minn City of Vietnam. “Vietnam?” I asked my wife, this morning, “It was totally destroyed during the Vietnam War.” It was evident from my question, how much informed I was about the post-war Vietnam… The War had lasted twenty years (1955-1975). Since then, it is forty years now… There is peace… The lush-countryside peace is back there… Ho Chi Minn City, commonly known as Saigon, is a city in southern Vietnam. It is famous for playing a pivotal role in the Vietnam War. My wife told me that one of the top tourist a...

Even the mightiest of the Super Powers of the world does not want to get into a war. War is no solution to the conflicts in hand - be it between nations or be it between groups of people or just individuals. War is a sad chapter… Sensible ones try their level-best to avoid it, avert it. Our idea of a war is, generally, confined to wars between the nations. But, any conflict between two groups or two individuals has the same potential of causing destruction and ruining peace. Abraham Lincoln had said in his famous Second Inaugural speech: “Both parties deprecated war; but, one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish… and, the war came.” Abraham Lincoln accepted the war forced upon the Union. His goal was simple: to end slavery and save the Union from breaking. So, with his clear conscience, he accepted the challenge of Civil Wa...

In another context, I was writing today a report. And, I ended it with these lines: “What is true, will always triumph; What is not, will not!” Well, I will tell you on another day as to the context in which I had written those lines. But, I did write them feeling for them in every pore of my being!  Yes, I meant it: “What is true, will always triumph; What is not, will not!” How does the Universe operate and how does Life thrive on this planet… How do the stars live for eons… from do they come and to where do they go… How do all things in the skies and the oceans and all things on land and human hearts keep their rhythm so beautifully, well, I have no idea.  What Science tells me, I have simply ‘accepted’… to be true. But, my acceptance of the truth does hardly matter for all things to go about the way they do.  So, how am I so sure of what I had written, today: “What is true, will always triu...

Alexander-the-Great, after his fathers’ untimely assassination, was destined to become the Emperor of Macedonia. He was only twenty! And, before he died at the young age of thirty-three, he had almost conquered the whole world! Alexander-the-Great did not die fighting in the fierce battle-field… He did not fall by the sword of another mighty emperor. The conqueror-of-the-whole-world died in his tent… He died of Malaria… Yes, a mosquito brought this invincible conqueror’s end, his relentless conquest! The legend goes, before he breathed his last, Alexander-the-Great had called his General by his death-bed and expressed his final wish. “May my both hands dangle out my coffin as I am carried,” the Emperor had wished. And, the legend also goes, that the wish was carried out…! “Let the whole world know, that the Great conqueror-of- the-entire-world, also, had to leave behind everything that he had conquered… and go back with his empty han...