CASK 
The Heart Is A Powerful Tool
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.– Helen Keller
On Palm Sunday, while in Mumbai, I had an opportunity to attend Mass where the service was in Hindi and the entire laity present belonged to the North-Eastern states of India. I felt humbled to ponder that within our community on an all India basis we have a lot to do and a long way to go, for the uplift of the economically and socially backward strata of society.
It is here the article written by Julio Reberio, ‘As a Christian suddenly I am a stranger in my own country’ flashed across my mind that here is a voice from the heart that has given us a wake-up call on our minority tag as Indian citizens. The call for the security of minorities and the effect in armed services was further endorsed by former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Sushil Kumar, on national television channels.
Justice Kurien Joseph of the Supreme Court of India expressed his sentiments too over the Easter weekend baring the inequity towards minorities, staining the fabric of secularism in our democracy. The issue of institutional interest being more important than the individual interest will be debated from now on.
The fundamental question is who is serving whom? Is it the individual at the service of the state or the state at the service of the individual? The Preamble of our Constitution ‘we the people’ highlights this aspect. Only in Communism and Nazism the State is supreme.
To educate us further on this issue, Sylvester Frank Centenary Foundation Chairman, Prof Edmund Frank, will sponsor a seminar with Catholic Association of South Kanara. We have this event slated for 1st of May and it is open to all. Details are given in this issue for you to evaluate the speakers and the topics selected.
CASK congratulates our own Ms Aafreen Rachel Vaz on being crowned Miss India first Runner-up. We wish Ms Vaz all the very best for the International event to follow. On the national front we had our Saina Nehwal take up the No. 1 seed in Women World Badminton. Our tennis star, Sania Mirza, is just 145 ranking points away from No. 1 spot in women double tennis rankings. We have had Mary Kom, the world boxing champ at 32 years, preparing for the Rio Olympics. Can we look forward to three gold medals from these three ladies at the next Olympics? Their hearts definitely are in the category of superwomen as they conquer physical and mental fitness to be world class. Perhaps more youngsters will take up individual sports disciplines and the focus from cricket gets diverted for a change.
We need to bow our heads in shame at the incident in Bihar few days back. The photographs of parents scaling the walls of exam halls to assist their children to cheat in the exams speaks of India’s failing education system. Where is the Indian value system? The ‘Economist’ of 28th March- 3rd April 2015 on page 31 carries an article on Education in India titled ‘Wall of shame’. The damage done with this one picture alone, across the globe, will adversely affect future Indian students and the Indian educational qualifications. Can we remain silent spectators to this? My answer is simple – “Practice what you preach and follow the law, our Dharma (Duty). This is applicable in all fields of life and not the education sector alone.
It is with a sense of satisfaction that CASK has implemented the Pure Drinking Water Scheme under Swacch Bharath Abhiyan at St. Raphael School, Badiyar on 30th March 2015 – the beneficiaries being 233 children. I am happy to inform that the second project will be taken up soon at St. Anthony Higher Primary School Gardady (7 km from Badiyar). This school has a strength of 225 children. George and Thelma Pais have come forward as sponsors for the full costs incurred. The third eye camp in collaboration with Fr Muller Medical College Hospital will be held at Concetta Hospital, Kinnigoli, between 9 AM to 1.30 PM on 19th April 2015. You are more than welcome to join the office bearers and GC team to Kinnigoli on 19th April to learn more of our social activities.
On a personal note, on behalf of all of you let us wish Dr Derek Lobo all the best on achieving the Biblical age of three score and ten (70) on 29th March 2015. Congratulations to Derek and Patsy on completing their 45th Wedding Anniversary. This is a special mention made for the contribution they have made to CASK. This couple works for CASK and ‘Mangalore’ from their hearts. Jai Hind.
Capt. J. P. Menezes
Tags: President Speaks
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