Tomichan Matheikal's blog

A K Antony Mr A K Antony’s recent remark that the appeasement of minority communities by the Congress party has led to its disgraceful defeat in the last general elections may generate some debate in the country.  However, it is not only the Congress but also many other political parties in the country that should take an introspective look at themselves vis-à-vis their attitude towards religions.   One of the greatest tragedies in independent India has been the misuse of religion by its politicians.  The catastrophic misuse started even before Independence and the British imperial government’s divide-and-rule policy added the necessary fuel to the fire.  The vision embodied in the Constitution of India with respect to religion is very noble indeed.  It respects every religion and allows the citizens to follow the religion of their choice or not follow any.  What happened from the time of Indira Gandhi onward has been disastrous for the country, however.  After her rout

When my problems bogged me down, I approached Guru. “No one, not even God, can solve your problems unless you want to solve them yourself,” said Guru. “But…” I was shocked.  I went to him for help because I wanted to solve my problems, didn’t I?  Why is he speaking as if I didn’t want to solve my problems? “ Most people are in love with their problems ,” Guru said as if he had read my mind.  “The drug addict, for example, loves drugs and don’t want to leave them though he may say he wants to kick the habit.  What withholds him from kicking the addiction is precisely what led him to the addiction.” “A sense of emptiness?”  I asked because I had faced that sense time and again.  “Is there anything better than emptiness in life?” asked Guru.  “Weren’t all the Mahatmas searching for emptiness?” “People can’t bear emptiness,” I blurted out. “Precisely.  That’s why they fill their life with things.  And when things fail to satisfy the real inner need, they

Tradition without intelligence is not worth, said T S Eliot.  The word   tradition   brings to my mind the celebrated movie The Fiddler on the Roof .  Tevye, the protagonist, tried his best to stick to his religious traditions, but the reality overtook him at every step.  Finally, having given away each of his three daughters in marriages that went against his "tradition", he has to leave his home too because of the persecutions against the people of his religion (Judaism).  The fiddler on the roof, the recurrent motif in the movie, accompanies the Jews in exodus playing on his fiddle the theme of tradition. Tradition sent the Jews into exile all through their history .  Finally when they got their Promised Land of Israel, they became encroachers who have had to fight a protracted battle.  Why does tradition engender so many battles - at home, in society and in the country?  In spite of such battles and other forms of enslavement, why do people stick to traditions