Points to Ponder

Read today about the victory celebration of Mr. Thomas Varkey and team in the news paper. Mr. Varkey and team’s thank you acknowledgement was at the back page of the news paper.

Reading it, to be honest, I felt that words are loosing its meaning. One of my teachers advised us on her last day in the class, “Do not do or say anything against your conscience”. Though this is the ideal situation, most people are unable to keep this. We are all human beings.

I believe most people want to do well in their life as individuals. But when it comes to a group or team, most are guided by different standards. Our conscience might get blurred by a thick fog of team spirit. Some call this peer pressure. We rationalize and find justification for our words and actions. As a group, most people want to win at any cost. I am also not completely free from this phenomenon. For example in a war between India and Pakistan or China, I want India to win as I identify with India. This is the group psychology. Most do not give much weight to right or wrong here. The good of Pakistan or the bad of India is not relevant here, if you identify with one side. Winning is only that matters. Different rules and standards are used in the battleground. Kurushethra also was not any different. Nehru discusses this aspect of human character in his famous ‘Discovery of India’. We justify it as patriotism. Political party members feel the same way.

But, in the olden days and in this 21st centaury also, there are rules to conduct war. There can be consequence if rules are not followed- both secular and divine consequences. So it is wise (wisdom is the ability to foresee consequence of our thoughts, actions and words into the distant future) to follow rules. Here those who were elected to uphold the rules (bylaw) were taking sides. (The celebration pictures in the news paper reveal it. A picture is thousand times better than words in conveying a message. Election Commissioner celebrating with the winning side is not a good sign. Secretary also can avoid siding with one side publicly).

In the ‘thank you acknowledgement’ in the news paper Mr. Varkey and team has compared what happened in this election to a game and requested to take the result in sportsman spirit. What Mr. Varkey forgot to recognize is that the rules were not followed here. Rules are strictly followed in a game. If rules are not followed and if you are on the loosing side, how you will feel. Won’t you turn this world upside down? Sorry to say that this was not a fair game.

But we all make mistakes. The honest thing to do for all is to admit the mistakes and try not to repeat it. Hiding behind words that have lost its meaning- “Please forgive us if we have done anything wrong without our knowledge” is hollow words. Here there is no admission of mistakes. I do not think the Malayalee community here will accept it as honest. It is not easy to forget everything and go forward in this situation. The court didn’t rule on the right and wrong here. The judge’s sentence was only one sentence- “Too many conflicting evidences”. He couldn’t decide which side is right, and so he lifted the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). To me what he suggested is to go on appeal with further evidence. We didn’t want to follow that path because of financial considerations and the best interest of the Malayalee community here.

Shijimon Jacob and the fourteen candidates with him didn’t contest this election as they had no hope of a fair election if contested it. Election Commissioner made it clear that he can change rules anytime without notice. Results show that less than 25% of the members voted in the election. Vast majority of the community stayed back from the election. This must be a lesson for future office bearers.

It is better to have a strong team that can work together serving the community. The FOMAA/FOKANA compromise of the past or an elected team that can’t work together is not good for the community. It is best for the Malayalee community to elect a strong team in the future to serve the community better. (The same religious fundamentalist force that worked behind FOMAA/FOKANA division is clearly visible here in the picture in the news paper). It is important to isolate these divisive forces that give lip service to unity of the community, and work behind the scene to divide and rule.

I wish the elected team the best and, pray that God strengthen your hands to do great things for the Malayalee community here. Best Wishes!