Sunday, October 12, 2008

Sister Alphonsa is now Saint Alphonsa

Being a product of St.Theresa's convent and having had the opportunity to look closely into the lives of Sisters who are dedicated to God and serve all their lives, I thought today is definitely a day marking in the history of Catholic community in India. A proud moment when Sister Alphonsa is declared as the Saint by Vatican. A short life of 36 years, full of human suffering that did not stop a soul from her service to her fellow beings, and a person who is believed to be making miracles from her tomb is regarded as the most blessed person in the world today as she attains her sainthood, the highest honour conferred by Vatican.

I have studied in the convent for good 12 years, almost spent my childhood in the lawns of the school maintained by the St.Ann's congregation. Few things that need to be mentioned. Discipline, spiritualistic attention, utmost care, unparalleled love and a great amount of service. I know few sisters who have not gone back to families for ages. To them, we the students were everything. They used to nurture us like flowers in a garden. One or two used to be very angry and show their temperaments on us, but again, they are also human beings. Overall, they are the self-less souls who had taken up the most toughest decisions to be nuns, for it is not easy a task to do. But I have not seen any of them regretting their decision, they did their chores with happiness and a contentment. Unlike what I hear in general, there was never a thrust upon us for converting or what so ever.
Every Good Friday, we got a chance to look at the old movie"Karunamayudu" or "Dayamayudu" and I remember lot of children sitting and crying along with the sisters watching Christ getting crucified. Christmas was time to rejoice, for we always celebrated the festival either on Dec 21 or 22, just before our holidays began. I remember one of my friend who always donned the role of Mother Mary and one another, a girl cutely dress up as Jesus Christ. One play that is still getting enacted in the school on this day is "The Last Judgement". I remember shouting on the stage one day "You too Brutus.." and falling down to the ground. I have been one among the sheep, one among the three wise men from east, remember my younger sister as an Angel always standing next to the Baby Jesus..and it was all fun. The sisters rediscovered their happiness and life in seeing us grow and become good citizens. When I took my family to the school after 10 long years, I was stuck with amazement when most of my teachers recognised me and sisters took me inside the convent, a rare instance. I got my chocolates from them after several years.....that's my love for my Alma Mater.

Finance Ministers Urge to maintain CALM??

Did I hear it right in the morning news? Finance Ministers urging people to maintain Calm??. I once again looked into the news in detail. I know its not the time to be too pessimistic but it also do not give us enough reasons to be optimistic the way we are always. Its getting very hard not to believe that the global contagion is getting hit from all sides and struggling to keep intact what was other wise a smooth sail so far. Never in the history have heard COUNTRIES going BANKRUPT. With the news of ICELAND in the brink of bankruptcy, it urges us to look deeper into the economic transformation of the world happening in the last few days. Rumours are that Pakistan is next in line.
What is happening in India? For those who for several years have made a hue and cry that Indian banks are not totally privatised, I think it is now time to acknowledge the fact that we are more regularised and regulated Financial System with India leading the growth trajectory, exercising caution always. Other than complaints on a poor service, I think most of the public sector banks do have a very regularised lending pattern which saves them from the economic turbulence. Except for the rumours on ICICI, there are no major consequences on the Indian Banking industry.
Somehow, it does not give us a sense of security when it is been repeatedly said by every economist and bureaucrats of the country that our fundamentals are strong. Then why is the sensex dipping day by day as a reflection of the global markets. RBI Governor's repeated statements that we are not having a direct impact raises its own direct questions, then why is RBI introducing the dreadful p-notes which were curtailed from the market earlier? Why are measures taken to cut the CRR rates for 7.5% and what makes him be in Washinton DC discussing consequences with the worlds' finance ministers if every thing back home is safe and secured?? May be the new governor Dr Subba Rao have lot more work to do and challenges to upkeep the reputation created by his predecessor Y V Reddy.
The sensex and nifty is going low every day making investors and companies have sleepless nights and it is impacting the every corner of the Indian economy no doubt. So there cannot be a wave of calmness unless people are rest assured that we are not sinking along with the global ships. Time to maintain calm, I doubt. Least we could do being born optimists is that to keep trying for what our finance ministry is asking us to do!!!