"Lights (and shades too)."

"Lights (and shades too)."

Acrylic on canvas
Palette knives were predominantly used.
Quarantine painting😊

"Quo Vadis?"

"Quo Vadis?"

Acrylic on canvas.

This is my critical response to the indifference of the government to the miseries of the downtrodden subalterns of the society as well as a pointer to the responsibility of Christians fitting the lockdown due to COVID 19.

The insensitive govt believes more in theories than considering the plights of the citizens, especially those who are marginalised. The scattered dear bodies of the migrant labourers made no tears in their eyes or pain in their hearts. The supporters of the government console their pricking consciousness by raising technical questions like 'how can people sleep on a railway track', while many poor families mourned over their loved ones who will never come back.

The presence feet of Jesus, which are seen as walking with the people who are under misery, urge us to do the best to the neighbours, oppose religious, classist, racist, linguistic, and casteist divisions at this time of pandemic and beyond. (The railway track acts as the lower part of the cross). Extend our support to others.

This may be a long description of the painting. But, I hope the painting itself will speak to you better.

Speaking in Tongues: Contemporary Manifestations

Speaking in Tongues: 

Contemporary Manifestations

(Published in CSI Life in Pentecost Season in 2011)

“And suddenly from heaven, there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability” (Acts of the Apostles 2: 2- 4)

The followers of Jesus, who were dejected, disarrayed and shattered after his crucifixion, were filled with fiery Holy Spirit after Jesus’ resurrection. They began to speak in tongues. All these astonishing events took place in the city of Corinth, which was a prominent commercial centre of that time. All those, who include people from other languages such as Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Phrygians, and Arabians, miraculously understood what they spoke! Thus speaking in tongues became a communicative process, which unified many people who were otherwise divided into many levels. Speaking in tongues helped evangelization in a better way.

Trivializing the crux and meaning of speaking in tongues has been widely seen in many present-day Christian sects. Utterances without any meaning, which have been used in a cunning yet crafty manner, with the help of highly sophisticated sound system from the extremely festooned stage, deceive naive believers. False prophecies, which do not have any social commitments, are carved out of these tricky tongues to lure people for material benefits of so-called evangelists. One should remember that tongues, in the biblical context, are a unifying factor rather than a divisive force. St. Paul rightly points out that “If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (Romans 13: 1) and “If I come to you speaking in tongues, how will I benefit you unless I speak to you in some revelation or knowledge or prophecy or teaching?” (Romans 14: 6).

Speaking in tongues have many other manifestations. One can find that translations of the Bible to umpteen number of languages all over the world are another form of speaking in tongues. Many biblical scholars and stalwarts of the gospel toil hard to translate the bible into the languages even do not have a script as their own. All these works to catalyze evangelization could be rightly considered as equal to speaking in tongues. In India, this revolutionary step of translating the bible to vernacular languages was initiated by the European missionaries encouraged by the protestant movement. We should praise God and thankful to the missionaries who made it possible to read the word of God in our own mother tongue.

Language is the basis of knowledge. Knowledge is power. Speaking in tongues shares the knowledge about Jesus and thus about the triune God. Speaking in tongues in current world connotes that knowledge is a resource and a tool to share power, which should be extended to the deprived and marginalized in the society. Privatization and the subsequent commercialization of education system in India push the majority of the Indian students to the margins of the knowledge system. Proactive interference in the field of education by the church to ensure that equality prevails in the arena of education is the need of the hour.

Word is a core component of language. “Let there be…!”, were the words uttered by God to create life out of the chaos. To make life's sustenance ‘word became flesh’. Jesus is the human form of the creator word. Hence language is not a simple gift from God. It is invaluable, complex as well as Spirit-filled gift. Usage of language, in any form such as verbal, non-verbal, written, digital, visual and audio should be used wisely and guided by the fiery Holy Spirit to unite people instead of dividing them. No language dominated the Pentecostal experience; everybody understood everything and tongues addressed all the people. Language of hegemony should be replaced by the language of equality. Tongues, in its real sense, were the language of equality. The non-verbal and animated presence of the Holy Spirit as the form of fire highlights the importance of non-verbal language. Even our smile, a powerful nonverbal language, does matter to the world. Spreading love using language in its different forms is the responsibility of Christians.

‘Aksharam’  (letter/ alphabet) means one that will not perish. Jesus Christ, the Word became flesh, and his teachings are imperishable. Speaking in tongues and its meaning, thus, surpasses the boundaries of any form of divisive forces and time.  

Dalits and New Media: 
Towards a Progressive Social Discourse

22 July 2013 at 13:32

Rev. Sunil Raj Philip, 
Director,
Church of South India Synod Communications. 

 

Introduction

Communication in India is complex and complicate in tune with the stratification and hierarchical order of Indian casteist society. Casteism, being the most complex and discriminatory social system of the world, vehemently denied the right of Dalits to have the education. Thus letters and literature were inaccessible for Dalits for about three millennia; even though they kept their oral tradition alive. Things were changed not because of any positive change of attitude of the dominant caste groups of India; but, ironically, because of the intervention of the western missionaries. It was Christian missionaries, who wanted to produce the Bible in the several languages of the country, who introduced printing and publishing in India[1]. News magazines, newspapers, books and pamphlets were published by the missionaries. Local dominant caste people took part as assistants.

 

Even though the colonial power and its myriad ways of implementation have been severely criticised, it was a blessing in disguise for the Dalits in India. When the missionaries, especially the protestant missionaries, shifted the focus of their mission work and conversion to the vulnerable communities in India, doors were open for the Dalits to access education. In a sense, Dalits were able to effectively use one power (colonial) to overpower the other power (casteist dominance) to a certain extend. It is an astonishing fact that there are a number of eminent writers among the Dalits even though they are in the third or fourth generation literates. While the writers from Dalit background emerged as a force in the last decade, hindrances were umpteen from the casteist Indian media. They are branded as ‘Dalit writers’ who write ‘Dalit literature’. This tokenism in the field of literature has been used as part of the ploy to suppress the emergence of the literature of the Dalits as a rebellion against the casteist social matrix of India.  

 

There is a need for a communicative medium for any writer or a thinker. It is very important for anybody to reach a mass audience in the twenty-first century to disseminate his/her ideas. Mass media’s support is very much needed to spread ideas, views and socio-political stands. Mass media in India have been growing at a rapid pace. ‘India has a powerful press. Ranked next to China [107 copies sold daily], India has a booming [099 million copies] newspaper industry. The US press is a distant fourth [051 million copies]. India has over 04720 daily newspapers and 14743 weeklies. With 34 news Channels, India’s electronic media has made its mark[2].’ Print media is getting challenged by the visual media and the new media such as internet and mobile phones are getting more accessibility. It is important to discuss how Dalits are portrayed in these media and how far Dalits are able to utilise these media effectively.

 

Media: Is it a serious affair?

The characteristics of mass media also have been undergoing drastic changes. From being a serious affair of bringing news to the masses, it has been changed into entertaining people even with the news. There is no more news, but only ‘news stories’. The unavailability of the basic needs for the people from the margins and the sufferings of the vulnerable communities are not at all news, or they are overshadowed by the news about celebrities, entertainments, party politics and even sexuality (which usually male chauvinist). Information also becomes infotainment. These characteristics are actually against the interests and needs of the marginalised communities in India.

 

Media: a mirror of society or more?

Indian media is a cross-section of Indian society, or one could rightly say that Indian media is an exaggerated cross-section of Indian society. There is no doubt that mass media is primarily a business. But certain ethics were expected in this nexus of business and media. With the intervention of neoliberal policies and the encroaching of corporate giants in the field of mass media helped to lose those ethics too. In other words, the new economic policies and corporate helped the existing Brahmanical ideologies and forces to be reiterated in the field of mass media. In this kind of a scenario, there is no wonder that ‘there were almost none [Dalits] in 1992, and there are almost none today: Dalits in the newsrooms of India's media organisations. Stories from the lives of close to 25 per cent of Indians (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes) are unlikely to be known — much less broadcast or written about[3].’ The absence of Dalits in the newsroom is a pointer to the disinterest of Indian mass media towards the retrogressive caste system in general and the issues faced by Dalits in India in particular. That is why Rupesh Kumar, who is a filmmaker from the Dalit background, says that "It is time we broke the established visual language for depicting Dalits, be it in films or in the news media[4]."

 

The lethargic approach of Indian mass media is glaringly evident. Space in the print media and time in the visual media is sparingly kept apart for the Dalit issues. One positive change in the recent years is that the resurgence of Dalit movements and active interventions of Dalit writers and activists have been compelling Indian mass media to give space, even though as tokenism most of the times in the media. Even then also the portrayal of Dalits is most of the times in a distorted way. ‘Media tends to stereotype Dalits- often with a negative connotation. For instance, if an individual Dalit made a mistake in public life, the impression goes that ‘they are like that’. The whole community gets stigmatized. But, when a Dalit outshines in public life, the impression goes that ‘he/she is an exceptional Dalit’![5] Trivialising Dalit insurgence into mere caste politics by the Indian mass media also could be considered as a ploy against Dalits. One of the recent examples of this is the reporting of the death of Ilavarasan in Tamil Nadu. Instead of criticising the dominant approach of the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) which triggered the communal violence. This row of events ended up in the separation of a couple of inter-caste marriage (Dalit- Vanniyar) and eventually the death of the husband, Ilavarasan, who was a Dalit. Instead of reacting to this issue as caste-based oppression of Dalits and the violent invasion on the right to live, mass media portrayed it as a clash between two caste groups. The discussion on inter-caste marriage, which could be used as a tool to overcome caste-based discriminations, was not initiated by mass media and thus revealed its casteist face. Those who work in the mass media argues, directly or indirectly, that they are giving what the public want. The visual media is more interested in the ratings and the issues related to the Dalits, Tribals, Adivasis and other vulnerable people are not helpful in this regards according to their assessment. That is why in the issue of Koodamkulam, even though the media gives coverage to the people’s struggles, Indian mass media rally behind the government and brush the serious concerns about common people’s safety under the carpet.

 

Indian media’s agenda-setting

The term ‘Agenda Setting’ was coined by McCombs and Shaw to describe a phenomenon which had long been noticed and studied in the context of election campaigns. The core idea is that the news media indicate to the public what the main issues of the day are and that is reflected in what the public perceives as the main issues[6].’ While Indian media sets the agenda, it ‘normally’ tends to avoid the issues faced by Dalits and to discreetly support the status quo of the casteist Indian social matrix. By using the tokenism for the Dalit writers and thinkers, these print and visual media are trying to put them into the box. Tokenism also helps to neutralise the emergence of Dalit consciousness and the questions raised by them. The actual need is to portray the needs and struggles of Dalits without any bias. But unfortunately, Indian print and visual media miserably fail to meet this ethical aspect of journalism. But interestingly Dalits in India find an alternative in the new media such as social networking and mobile phones.

 

Social networking: new space for Dalits

Since social networking is free (to a certain extend) and opens for all unlike the print and visual media, Dalits find it as a viable and useful media. It is nearly impossible for Dalits to start and run a media firm, but can easily log in to any social media site and give expression to his/her thoughts. An empirical study suggests that most of the people use social media sites to make new relations and friends. Many others use this for information and socialising. But this study says that a significant number of people use these sites for debates too.[7] Dalits have been widely using social networking sites to generate debates about the casteism and issues related to it. They make assertions through online media and social media. ‘They utilise the newer possibilities of cyberspace to constitute an important new space for the subaltern [Dalits]. It maps the emergence of a subaltern [Dalit] cyberspace with interesting and important consequences not only for the Dalits – the ‘untouchable’ castes of India – but for the political culture in the age of digital media[8].’ It is interesting to note at this point that the paradigm shift to the cyber age was actually initiated by a Dalit, Sam Pitroda, advisor to the Prime Minister of India on public information infrastructure and innovations! Dr Meena Dhanda, a well-known scholar in Philosophy and Cultural Politics, observes that Social networking has speeded the exchange of information between Dalits in India and abroad.[9]

 

In social networking sites, Dalits find their peer groups from all over India and even from abroad. Sharing the common concerns and raising theoretical, philosophical and sociological questions against casteist discriminations are common features of Dalit interventions in the social networking sites. It is important to note that the thoughts of Ambedkar are given much importance in the arguments of Dalits to make their points. Ambedkar and his ideology have a great impact on the Dalits in India and this factor is a pointer to the possibility of an emerging common consciousness among the Dalits in this information technology era than the past decades.

 

Even though the postings, discussions and responses in the social networks by Dalits contain their pain and pathos and the anguish and anger against the inhuman caste system, they do step out of the emotional straightjacket and position themselves to a level of quality discussion and debate with a theoretical approach backed with relevant data. Presence of many Dalit students who excel in their respective field of education, activists, writers and critics in the social networking sites makes a perfect arena to present their case, make perfect counter-arguments, and thus redesign the trajectory of the discussion in the favour of the Dalits. This does not mean that they do not face challenges. The Dalits who are seriously engaged in the discussion are looked down upon with the casteist comments. They are accused of ‘dividing the society’, while they speak about the casteist discriminations! They are continually told that they speak about casteism because of their ‘inferiority complex’! Social networking sites are flooded with the casteist outbursts against the reservation system. The Dalits are advised by the casteist people to ‘work hard’ instead of ‘crying’ for reservation. While these kinds of criticisms are raised, Dalit thinkers and activists make prompt and befitting counter-arguments. They profusely use historical and ideological materials to substantiate their viewpoints.

 

The deliberate and collective attack in social networking sites against Dalit affirmation is not a rare case. Recently Dalit activists like Manushyaputhiran, Meena Kandasamy and Kavinmalar were vehemently attacked in the social networking sites on their stand in the death (murder?) of Ilavarasan in Tamil Nadu. The Hindu reports that “Everything seems to be a fair game - from targeting the commentator’s disability to even sexually-provocative innuendoes. Hate campaigners, often under the cloak of anonymity or inventing provocative online aliases, are leaving no stone unturned while commenting on social networks”[10]. Though the criticisms are unfair and go to any extent to tarnish Dalits and to undermine their arguments, Dalits in the social networking realm are capable enough to continue their theoretical and sociological arguments.

 

Print and visual media realise that social networking sites are becoming stronger and they cannot turn their face from the discussions taking place in this new media. Hence, print and visual media nowadays quote from the postings in the visual media and even publish the photos and other materials from social networking sites. This gives space for the Dalit issues too to an extent. Utilising this possibility is really a challenge for the Dalits. The accessibility of social networking even in mobile phones makes things easier and viable for young Dalits. Coping with the situation to bring casteist discrimination in public discourse is a challenge, which should be continually taken up by the Dalits. 

 

The low rate of higher education among the Dalits in India and the situation to live in the margins of the society and in the remotest villages keeps most of the Dalits away from being in tune with the new developments in the field of information technology. It is really a responsibility of the society in general and educated Dalits/Dalit leaders, in particular, to see that more and more Dalits focus on better education. Encouraging more Dalit students to be competent enough to utilise modern technologies for a better assertion is the need of the hour. It is the collective responsibility of the government and citizens to fill the ‘digital divide’, which is still prevalent in the casteist Indian society. R. S. Khere rightly points out that the "dependency challenge," though widely identified and increasingly politically exploited in recent decades, is perhaps still most difficult for Dalits to surmount. Since Dalits, today need aggressive preparation and effective practical strategies to secure their share from the wider society, here new social learning is as important for them as is an unlearning of whatever has socially kept them divided and weak. Most importantly, the Dalit youth must now clearly see how their major interests significantly shift as India rapidly privatizes and globalizes[11]. Knowledge in the field of technology developed skill in language and effective interventions in the field of media will be helpful in the move towards this goal.  

 

Dalit Christian theology in the new media

Surprisingly, the presence of Dalit Christian theology in the new media and social networking sites is negligible. Christians raise the question that “how can one be a Dalit even after becoming a Christian?” By raising this question, they are trying to hide that fact that Indian church is very much under the clutches of casteism. They are trying to evade the Christian responsibility to fight against casteism within and outside the church by pretending that there is no caste division within the church. Dalit (Christian) theology directly addresses the issue of casteism (within the church too) and tries to expound the biblical and theological aspects that support Dalit resurgence and their right for equality. The increasing intervention of Dalit theologians and uploading of materials on Dalit theology is needed in the new media to spread this ‘gospel’.

 

Conclusion

As part of asserting the self-esteem and countering casteist attacks in the media, Dalits skilfully utilise the new media. Their interventions in social networking could be rightfully considered and the communication for social change. It is the responsibility of the people, who believe in equality and justice, to give ample support for these interventions in social networking sites. Communication in its effective form and with a sense of justice is much needed to make a society, which is progressive and void of casteist discriminations.

 

Wounded Christ and Suffering Dalits

Article in CMJI

25 July 2013 at 17:20

Christian Medical Journal of India, the official magazine of the Christian Medical Association of India, has published a special issue on 'Brokenness to healing. My article, which is given below, from a Dalit perspective is also included in this issue. The scanned pages are given elsewhere as an album. 

 

 

Rev. Sunil Raj Philip*

 

 

Hey, where is casteism in India?!

Casteism is a reality in this ‘globalised’ India. The new trend by the ‘dominant caste’ people is to negate the fact that casteism is still prevalent in India. But they practice it with all its vicious forms in their lives and take the benefits out of it.  People from the lower strata of this caste-ridden society, the Dalits, have been adversely affected by this heinous system. They are looked down upon. We, in everyday life, discriminate people on the basis of caste. Caste segregates people. Even the Christian religion in India is also affected by casteism!

 

What is casteism?

Casteism is a form of apartheid, but more complex and inhuman in nature. This system is legitimised by the Hindu religious belief system. It says that people are made by god in a hierarchical order. According to this belief system, Brahmins are born from the forehead or brain of god and thus handle jobs related to knowledge. The kshatriyas are born from arm or shoulders since they are supposed to be the warriors. Vaisyas are born from the belly and because of that, they are traders or business community. Shudras are born from feet of god and thus become servants or serving community. The ‘Panchamas’ or Dalits are not even considered as born from god, and because of that they are untouchables and they are not even considered as human beings. Their fate makes them do all the manual, polluted, imputed, impure jobs. Even though this fivefold hierarchical system is not in existence in its strict form, caste differentiation and caste-based discrimination are still rampant in India.

 

You too, Christians?

When Christians in India also follow casteism, they have been following the most heinous social system, which discriminates and marginalises people on the basis of their birth. By following casteism Indian Christians are becoming idol worshippers. By discriminating people they are acting against the will of God. The following passages from the bible suggest that great fact that Christianity acts against any kind of discrimination.

‘Are you not like the Ethiopians to me, O people of Israel? says the Lord. Did I not bring Israel up from the land of Egypt, and the Philistines from Caphtor and the Arameans from Kir?’ (Amos 9:7)

‘He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.’ (Luke 17- 19)

‘So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days.’ (John 4:40) 

‘The voice said to him again, a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ (Acts 10: 15)

 

Casteism is like an octopus

Casteism acts like an octopus which reaches out to all the spheres of human life in India. There are ample pieces of evidence of discrimination against the Dalits, the most vulnerable, in myriad forms in all spheres of societal life. Although the constitutional provisions have been in place for penalising those practising casteism are in place, access to basic amenities and social facilities have always been a concern in the context of the Dalits.

 

Inaccessibility to Health Care: a prominent form of Discrimination

Even in the field of health care, discrimination is rampant against Dalits. Poverty is an important determinant of access to health care services and most poor are Dalits as well as most Dalits are poor. Poverty evolves a different health culture and the stepping back of the state from the responsibility of the health care of its citizens adds salt t the wound. Dr Ambedkar had rightly cautioned about the danger involved in the withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities. Liberalisation policy actually has been helping the state to shrug off its responsibilities. Health care has been becoming more and more exclusive that serves only the elites of the society and the poor and especially the poor Dalits struggle to avail the medical facilities. Even the United States realised the need for a health care policy that caters the needs of financially vulnerable people. But India, at this juncture, actually taking a negative move by moving towards privatisation and liberalisation in the field of health care at a swift pace.

 

The question one can raise here is what difference it makes to the Dalits from the poor non-Dalits. Poverty is a situation, which can be changed by earning/getting money. Possibilities of having financially found relatives or peer groups are much more for the non-Dalit poor than the Dalits since Dalits are predominantly poor. The physical untouchability, which is still prevalent in many parts of India also becomes a hindrance for the Dalits to access proper health care. All these make the lives of the poor Dalits far more miserable than the poor non-Dalits.

 

Corruption Keeps Dalits away

There are certain affirmative actions provided for the vulnerable communities such as Dalits and Adivasis by the state and central governments. Crores of rupees have been pumped to these projects by the government machinery and unfortunately, the money does not reach to these supposed to be beneficiaries after all the ‘trickling down’. The massive corruption involved in the level of politicians and bureaucracy becomes a hindrance between the resources and the beneficiaries. A tribal colony, called Attappady in Kerala, was recently reported of deaths of children because of severe malnutrition. Mothers are also reported as with maladies because of the malnutrition. ‘Malnutrition in women and men can result in reduced productivity, slow recovery from illnesses, increased susceptibility to infections, and a heightened risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. (A woman’s nutritional status has important implications for her health as well as the health of her children. A woman with poor nutritional status, as indicated by a low body mass index (BMI), short stature, anaemia, or other micronutrient deficiencies, has a greater risk of obstructed labour, having a baby with low birth weight, having adverse pregnancy outcomes, producing lower quality breast milk, death due to postpartum haemorrhage, and illness for herself and her baby’.[1] So the communities of Dalits and Tribals are compelled to become prone to ill- health and diseases) In the official records lakhs of rupees have been spent in these places for these Tribals, but in fact, it did not reach them! The similar stories are reported about Dalits also in terms of health care. The possible inability to be aware of the nuances of government projects and the legal rights makes the lives of the Dalits even more miserable.

 

Dalits at the margins

Dalits in India are literary pushed away to the margins of the Indian society. Most of them are forced to live either in the rural villages, and even in the peripheries of the villages where the basic amenities like public well are inaccessible, or in the backward areas within the cities like slums. They are forced to do menial jobs, without having protection from the dangers of exposing to diseases. The ‘modern India’ should be ashamed of the fact that Dalits are forced to do manual scavenging, which is the most inhuman practice exposed to all the maladies. Because most of the Dalits do not possess land or they do not have government jobs they are doing jobs at daily wages. This factor compels them to ignore illness in the early stages and is not in the position to take the proper rest needed. Being a socially marginalised community, Dalits always face these kinds of difficulties to access the proper and timely health care.

 

The facts like the limited number of Public health Centres in the remote villages and the unwillingness of many of the doctors to work in these Centres makes things worse. The correlation of this situation with corruption and increasing privatisation in the field of health care is noteworthy. Many of the doctors who come out of the government medical colleges, supposed to do compulsory service in the remote areas, evade the responsibility using corrupt methods and on the other side, the profit-oriented private medical colleges produce doctors without real social commitment. Ultimately Dalits are at the receiving end of these situations.

 

Dalits exposed to fatal health hazards

Caste-based occupations that Dalits are compelled to perform, such as manual scavenging, and forced prostitution, often expose them to serious and sometimes fatal health hazards, including exposure to HIV/AIDS. Dalit women, who are forced to do prostitution, are in a vulnerable situation either because of the ignorance of the possible dangers involved or the because of the socially- imposed inability to demand the male partners to take the necessary measures for safer sex. According to a study conducted by the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice and Human Rights Watch, Dalits are frequently refused admission to hospitals and denied access to health care and treatment[2]. ‘The Untouchability in Rural India survey found that Dalits were denied entry into private health centres or clinics in 74 out of 348 surveyed villages, or 21.3 per cent of them. Overall, the study found that in 30-40 per cent of the villages surveyed, public health workers refused to visit Dalit villages. In 15-20 per cent of villages, Dalits were denied admission to public health clinics, or if admitted received discriminatory treatment in 10-15 per cent of the villages. The study also reported that Dalit women deal with government officials most frequently in attempting to access healthcare for themselves and their children and often encounter discrimination from auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and Anganwadi workers (community development workers). Dalits are denied entry to clinics, charged fees for services that should be free, and Anganwadi workers may even refuse to visit Dalit hamlets.’[3] These facts are really disturbing, but unfortunately, the dominant Indian society looks at this as a ‘normal’ situation.

 

Is this a labyrinth?

Is twenty-first century India in a labyrinth of casteism? Is there no way out? To get rid of casteism and caste-based discrimination deliberate steps b the government as well as the citizens are needed. To end the discrimination against the Dalits in the field of health care he involvement of the church/ Christians is also very much needed. It is evident that the situation of the Dalits became more vulnerable because of the decline of the mission hospitals. The Indian church, Indian Christians, Christian hospitals, and the Christian doctors are called to recapitulate the ‘essence of mission’ in the field of health care.

 

There should be confident efforts from the side of the Indian church to rejuvenate the mission hospitals. It will be a Herculean task to run hospitals with a mission agenda amidst the rapidly growing commercialisation in the field of health care. But Christians should understand that they are called and set apart for doing these near to impossible things for the glory of God. Challenging the state to take up its own responsibility in health care, vehemently opposing the corrupt practices, and giving awareness to the Dalits about their own legal and social rights are the need of the hour.

 

Providing the right and adequate medical care for the Dalits is the responsibility of the society since the discrimination based on caste and thus the inaccessibility of health care for them is imposed upon them by casteist Indian society. Indian church does have a greater responsibility to the Dalits within the church and in the society since the greatest and most powerful prophecy portrays Jesus Christ as one who identifies with the plights of the Dalits. Are we able to see this wounded Christ in the suffering Dalits?  

“He was despised and rejected by others;

  a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity;

  and as one from whom others hide their faces

  he was despised, and we held him of no account”. (Isaiah 53:3)

 

Blue eye and Dragonflies

Dragonflies danced around her
Big eyes widened bemusing

Blue hair spread to the horizons

(A painting during the lockdown in the COVID era by me. Acrylic on canvas.)

The institution of the Lord’s Supper: Leading to the Alternative Community

Matt.26:26-29

Mk 14:22-25

Lk 22:14-20

 

The Church receives the Eucharist as a gift from the Saviour Lord. While we meditate on the theme, "The institution of the Lord’s Supper: Leading to the Alternative community', It is important to see that this gift of Eucharist is pointing towards the most essential life supporters; food and drink. The concern of Jesus towards the lives of human beings is glaringly reflected in his concern to those who are hungry and thirsty. The importance of Jesus feeding the multitude who were hungry is reiterated in the Bible because it is reported by all four gospels (Matthew 14:13-21; Mark 6:31-44; Luke 9:12-17; John 6:1-14). Jesus was so concerned about the physical hunger and thirst of human beings. Before he started his open ministry in the world, he prepared himself by facing hunger and thirst in the wilderness. He was a leader, unlike most of the world leaders, who knew the severity of hunger and thirst. That is why he exhorted, as seen in Matthew 10:42, that “I tell all of you with certainty, whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple will never lose his reward”. John 7:37 tells us that for those who are thirsty, he offered himself saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink”. When Jesus spoke on the spiritual life and its fulfilment, he uses the imagery of water and thirst; "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life" (John 4:13-14).

 

When Jesus instituted a sacrament in remembrance or anamnesis of him, he did not choose a tasteless, colourless, meaningless, tricky, peripheral act that is similar to magic (as similar to the stunts used by many of the present-day human gods or the Tele-evangelists who vehemently advocate the prosperity gospel). Rather he chose the basic needs of human beings: food and drink. It was the symbol of a new covenant, which was alien to human beings till date, a covenant of body and blood of Jesus Christ offered as the sacrifice for the remission of the sins of the human beings. He ordered us to “Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” (Please refer I Cor. 11:23–25; cf. Matt. 26:26–29; Mark 14:22–25; Luke 22:14–20).

 

Christians see the Eucharist prefigured in the Passover memorial of Israel’s deliverance from the land of bondage and in the meal of the Covenant on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24). It is the new paschal meal of the Church, the meal of the New Covenant as the anticipation of the Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9). Hence, the Eucharistic meal is something which denotes the freedom of humankind from all the bondages. The intrinsic element here is that those who join in the Eucharist are expected to be part of the process of seeking freedom from all the bondage of human communities.

 

The Eucharist is essentially the sacrament of the gift which God makes to us in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. We receive this gift of salvation through communion in the body and blood of Christ. In the eucharistic meal, Christ grants communion with himself. This communion, which is as intimate as the body of Jesus Christ and his blood is becoming part of our body and blood, calls us to have communion with our fellow beings in its ‘fullness’. In the present world, which is broken, bruised, disturbed because of the divisions such as communalism, false- nationalism, racism, classism and, gender divisions including the prejudices against women and sexual minorities, and casteism, the communion with Jesus Christ should be translated as a communion of creations without discriminations and bonded in love. The table of Eucharist is the table of communion with Christ as well as our fellow beings. In India, casteism is so rooted and have a negative influence on people to such extent that the so-called upper caste people even refuse to share the table of food with the people from the so-called lower caste. In order to counter this, the social reformers brought together the progressive thinking people and the people from the lower strata to dine together in the 19th century. There is no doubt that this was one of the revolutionary moves against caste-based discrimination. But we forgot the fact that even decades before these common dining were organised, protestant missionaries like Ringeltaube brought people together from different caste background around the Holy Communion table and made the Eucharistic table as a place of an alternative narrative of unity, fellowship, and equality.

 

For the world which God has reconciled is pre-sent at every Eucharist: in the bread and wine, in the persons of the faithful, and in the prayers, they offer for themselves and for all people. This sacrifice of praise is possible only through Christ, with him and in him. The bread and wine, fruits of the earth and of human labour, are presented to the Father in faith and thanksgiving. The struggles of people are incorporated in and their pain is addressed by the act of Eucharist. The Eucharist thus signifies what the world is to become: an offering and hymn of praise to the Creator, a universal communion in the body of Christ, a kingdom of justice, love and peace in the Holy Spirit. The Eucharist is a call for seeing the world from a new viewfinder. It is about giving space for the other in the table and sharing the wine from the same cup and eating the same bread. It is a new world order envisaged by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who during his earthly life, surpassed the human-made boundaries and was willing to embrace everybody.

 

This meditation draws many insights from the Baptism, Eucharist, Ministry text, popularly known as BEM Text, prepared by the World Council of Churches. BEM text reminds us that “The whole action of the Eucharist has an “epikletic” character because it depends upon the work of the Holy Spirit”. This invocation of the Holy Spirit should help us to focus on an alternative community of togetherness and inclusivity which stands against any division or discrimination. The Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost acted as the Spirit of unity amidst diversity by helping people from various language backgrounds to understand what the disciples of Jesus Christ were speaking. The language of love and unity inspired by the Holy Spirit should be experienced in the Eucharist. The Church, as the community of the new covenant, confidently invokes the Spirit, in order that it may be sanctified and renewed, led into all justice, truth and unity, and empowered to fulfil its mission in the world.

 

The Eucharist, Holy Communion, is a two-fold communion: it unites Christ and the Church, it unites Christians to one another. These two aspects are indissoluble, the latter being determined and also implied by the former. Communion with Christ assumes and demands that those who, because of their union with Christ, are of one spirit with Him should form one body among themselves. Spreading the horizon of this communion to bring everybody into the fold is the integral process a Christian should consider as the pivotal part of his or her Christian faith and life. This willingness to embrace others, understanding that the Eucharist is a wider embrace of the body and blood of Jesus Christ with humanity, makes this sacrament as a threshold to an alternate community rooted in Christ.

 

"This is the body

 This is the blood

 Broken and poured out

 For all of us

 In this communion

 We share in His love

 This is the body

 This is the blood"

 

Prayer:

Oh, Lord our God, who is present amidst us and in us as the body and blood of the Saviour Jesus Christ, help us to realise that the Eucharist is a gift that brings all of into communion. Make us understand that we are called to be in this communion, which is holy, and responsible to bring others to the communion table. God, help us to see a better alternative world around the table of communion.

Amen.

 

Rev. Sunil Raj Philip,

Director,

CSI Synod Communications.

 

Cleopas and Other Disciple

Luke 24: 13-27 (NRSV)¹³ Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, ¹⁴ and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them,¹⁶ but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. ¹⁷ And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad¹⁸ Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” ¹⁹ He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, ²⁰ and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. ²¹ But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. ²² Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, ²³ and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” ²⁵ Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! ²⁶ Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.

‘The walk to Emmaus’, a description with a flavour of dramatic elements, is seen in the twenty-fourth chapter of St. Luke’s gospel. This post-resurrection scene in which Jesus is depicted as still thirsty about the salvation of people and specifically concerned about the continuity of the salvific act is a periscope which instils hope in the people amidst distress, hopelessness and utter despair. This long piece, which relates in a singularly vivid and picturesque manner one of the earliest appearances of the Risen, is peculiar to St. Luke. St. Mark (Mark 16:12, 13) mentions it, but as it were only in passing. St. Matthew and St. Mark, holds a middle place between the earliest apostolic memoirs represented by the first two Gospels and the last memoir, that of St. John, which was probably put out in its present form by the apostle “whom Jesus loved” sometime in the last fifteen years of the first century. Writers of varied schools unite in expressions of admiration for this singularly beautiful “memory of the Lord.” Yes, this passage brings forth a beautiful memory of our Lord which is perennial and permanent.

It is important and interesting to note that the “two of the disciples,” although doubtless well known in the apostolic age, seem to have held no distinguished place in early Christian History. Jesus after the resurrection walks and dines with two insignificant people (of that time and history) is undoubtedly an indication of his continuity of characteristic of being with the last and the least in the society. One of the Disciples was Cleopas whose name is a Greek contraction of Cleopatras, which points to Alexandrian antecedents, which suggests that this may in part, perhaps, account for this Cleopas, not improbably a Jew of Alexandria, imparting to St. Luke what had not found its way into the current oral teaching of the Hebrew Church at Jerusalem, as embodied in the narratives St. Matthew and St. Mark. In other words, St. Luke writes this passage getting source from one of the persons in the real incident and the historicity of the incident is thus proven. This journey of the disciples with Jesus Christ is not only a time of dramatic events unfurl, but also a journey that tells us certain points to ponder over. 

An escape from the centre of activity to the peripheries

Jesus entered into Jerusalem with all the paraphernalia (though in an alternate form) of a King to Jerusalem a few days back with all the followers shouting Hosanna. We see a bit different- aggressive- Jesus in the temple. He opposes those who turns his father’s house into a marketplace- challenging the cut-throat attitude of the market, which see human beings as commodities. Jesus explained the nature and characteristics of the kingdom of God (The Parable of the Wedding Banquet, Matthew 22) He talked about politics and indirectly hinted the need of the involvement of people in politics for a society of justice and equality (The Question about Paying Taxes, Matthew 22: 15- 22). He gave the greatest commandment of love, which is a new revelation for the world (Matthew 21: 34- 40). He questioned, challenged and corrected the Pharisees and Scribes (Matthew 23). He talks about the judgement of nations and hints at his crucifixion. He was caught, faced the trial and crucified. Series of events, which were incomprehensive for many of the disciples including Cleopas and ‘the other one’. They could not withstand the pressure the series of events mounted. They could not really understand the words of Jesus Christ. They could not pray with Jesus when he was in agony. They could not be there under the cross because they were afraid. They started to flee when they heard about the resurrection fearing the aftermath of that perplexing incident. They were not able to be part of the most exciting event in the life of Jesus even though they were disciples of him. 

The Christian life is not a way decorated with rose petals. It is not a way of life which offers you all the wealth and worldly pleasures as some ‘prosperity gospel preachers’ propagate. It is a life of challenges, a call to be with Jesus which means follow his directives to love each other, do justice, and be righteous in every walks of our lives, and a commitment to be the salt and light in the world. It is an invitation by Jesus to us to be with him and carry the cross. These poor disciples in history could not understand this ‘new testament’ and ran away to the peripheries.

But the resurrected Jesus followed them!

A journey of perplexities and confusions     

The disciples travelled to Emmaus with mixed feelings. They were confused, perplexed, devastated, disappointed, and clueless about their future. They were the disciples of a popular ‘guru’ with supernatural powers. The guru claimed that he is the Son of God. Did these disciples believe it? The answer is ambiguous. They explained who this Jesus was supposed to have been to the resurrected Jesus. “He was a Prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,” which can be paraphrased as “equally great in secret contemplative holiness and in public acts of beneficence.” But then the “two” explained, “This he was; for he is no more. Our chief priests and rulers have done him to death. They have crucified him.” They are not sure about the resurrected Jesus. They could not read between the lines those Jesus proclaimed that he will resurrect. They did not reach the level of faith that needed to realise that Jesus himself is the Messiah. The divinity of Jesus that makes him greater than a guru and lead him to sacrifice his own life for the salvation of his own creations was a mystery for the disciples. 

But the Emmaus experience transforms them and make them understand the real meaning of the presence of Jesus among them. 

The exact meaning of the presence of Jesus among us and in us is the realisation of the sacrifice he had done for us, his victory over death, his compassion for the world, and his willingness to follow us and be with us even when we try to shrug him off and distance ourselves with him. That is what Jesus was doing with Cleopas and the other disciple. This presence of Jesus is an assurance to be bold to do justice, love others and resist evils. Jesus follows us so that we will come back from the peripheries of disappointment and inertia to Jerusalem, the centre of actions of resistance, facing challenges and carrying the cross. 

Jesus who follows us, Jesus in search of us and Jesus who is with us makes us stronger to face difficult situations. When the world shivers with fear and anxiety because of the deadly CORONA Virus which already took away the lives of more than 80,000 people, our faith tells us about this Jesus. Faith in him instils hope and at the same time invites us to be back into Jerusalem, back into action. Emmaus experience is the call for staying firm in the discipleship. This painful time of pandemic is a time to reiterate in the resurrection of Jesus who won over the powers of death. This faith should become lucid as Cleopas and the other disciple experienced. 

Realising Jesus in the broken bread

The disciples who walked away from Jesus to Emmaus realises his presence among them only when Jesus took the bread and broke it for them during the dinner. The disciples had the experience of the fellowship and the broken body of Jesus which opened their inner eyes. Jesus was the leader who realised the hunger and thirst of people. He was concerned about the basic needs of people in his earthly life and he is still concerned even after his resurrection. This Jesus was experienced by the disciple around a piece of bread which is broken and accepted that broken piece as food. The brokenness of the body of Jesus and the fellowship around the memory of it makes us follow the command of him to realise a world where “all may be one”. 

Prayer

Heavenly Father/Mother, we submit ourselves to your table. Fill will your strength so that we will realise the real meaning of fellowship. Challenge us so that we will go back to the centre of actions where we will change love into realisation. 

Amen.

Pic courtesy: © Art Revisited, Tolbert www.artrevisited.com