Tomichan Matheikal's blog

Purity I used to be Snow White until I was bored And drifted in quest of colours And met holders of magic mirrors. Colours come in at the cost of whiteness. Generosity My generosity with words overflowed Until the words became flames And she said she was ready to burn herself Wasn’t she doing it from day one, she asked. Truthfulness So many holy books full of truths for which people kill one another. And I’m still seeking that truth which doesn’t demand so much blood. Forgiveness Every time I joined my palms in rueful prayer God said he had already forgiven me. But I couldn’t forgive him for making me a beggar again and again. Modesty I have a tail that’s nothing much to boast about, It loves to get in the way sometimes just to show off whatever colours and plumes it has; The silly little thing is attached to me as I am to it.

Religion can make one a devil.  Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter (1850), shows how. Roger Chillingworth, a sombre scholar, marries a pretty woman, Hester, much younger in age.  During his long absence she develops an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, a pastor.  When a child is born to Hester in the protracted absence of her husband, she is labelled an adulteress and punished. All this happens in the 17 th century Boston, then a Puritan colony.  The Puritans were a kind of religious fundamentalists.  They followed the letter of the law.  Love, mercy and other such tender feelings had no place in the Puritan worldview.  People should abide by the law at any cost. Hester is punished to wear “the scarlet letter” on her bosom throughout her life.  The letter A, for Adulteress, is emblazoned on her chest, and she has to spend some time on the pillory everyday displaying herself for the edification of the public.   Dimmesdale is struck with guilt feeling

The only time I listened to Tarun Tejpal speaking in public was when he was the chief guest on the occasion of the Annual Day in my school five or six years ago.  I loved his speech.  He spoke on the importance of courage, courage to question what’s wrong.   It was an inspiring speech, a really motivating one.  It came from genuine convictions.  Tejpal’s magazine, Tehelka , has always reflected that courage.  The magazine has been questioning a lot of wrong things in Indian politics.  Tejpal had the courage to attack formidable leaders like Narendra Modi.  He brought convincing arguments and evidences against people like Modi.  I have a fair share of admiration for this person called Tarun Tejpal. The scandal that has erupted is being blown out of proportion, I think.  The media loves to report about the sexual fallibility of people who have some reputation.  It’s true that Tejpal slipped; he did make a mistake.  He admits it.  See his letter to the woman concerned: http: