Joseph Varghese Kureethara CMI

Why are politicians fearing people?

2025-08-24T11:47:00.005+05:30

There could be two major reasons for the politicians to fear people. Both are related to elections. It is on the assumption that people do not make the right choice. The second reason is that people make the right choice. In either case, several politicians are there to lose power. It is those who are in power who fear the worst.

A good number of politicians who are involved in electoral politics, either as part of a political party or as an independent, engage in small and large electoral fraud. Some do not want the election to be held at all. They cling to power by pretending to be doing good for the people. Politicians who are members of the political organisations use the organisational support and force to dictate terms. They bully, intimidate, harass, browbeat, etc., members of the smaller organisations and independents. They even use amygdala hijacking on some people. In some cases, they narrate the advantages of unity in the absence of elections and the consequences of division among the people if an election takes place.

We have faced some extreme electoral fraud in recent years and, of late, in the college union elections.

Some of them are the following.

Illegal interference with the process of an election
Persuading the possible opponents to withdraw from contesting elections
Libel
Ad hominem attack
Finding accomplices
Working on the letter of the law rather than on the spirit of the law
Influencing the electoral officers for unfair actions

The situation is not different in educational institutions. For long, in the college/university union elections, students have also used almost every possible manipulation/fraud. Students fear other students. They fear fair elections and use unfair means to hijack elections. We need to train our students to come out of this. We need to help the students understand the real meaning of democracy.

In football/soccer, the term 'parking the bus' is used when teams operate with a lot of players behind the ball when out of possession. That is, they spend most of the time on their own posts rather than engaging in scoring. This is done when the particular team is leading. In elections, a similar thing is done by not letting others contest or campaign or both. People use several simple technical/clerical issues to disqualify the opponents. People also exhibit many unsportsmanlike actions to let opponents quit contesting.

It is difficult for a loser to accept the verdict of the election. If the loser does not consent to the defeat, the entire democratic process is jeopardised. Loser’s consent is generally obtained if the loser is given the opportunity to be heard on the doubts of the transparency and fairness of the election. Loser’s consent is doubtful if the losing margin is very thin. Recently, Mr. Rahul Gandhi claimed that 1,00,250 “fake votes” were created in one of the constituencies in India in favour of the ruling party. This count was on the basis of a manual search of the voter's list. However, nobody can prove that these fake voters voted in favour of the ruling party. Being a serious allegation, it is not difficult for the Election Commission to provide the digital voter's list, the hour-wise voting frequency in each of the polling booths, the voting machine data of the record of votes polled, CCTV records, etc. to come out clean. Even if, under the current laws, it is not a requirement, for a transparent system and to uphold the noble values of democracy, our rulers must follow in the footsteps of a noble king who abandoned his wife, who was under the captivity of another king. Our rulers have to prioritise the welfare of our country and should uphold dharma (righteousness) over their personal feelings. Caesar's wife must be above suspicion.

In democratic systems, if the elected representatives, irrespective of being the office bearers or not, can be given more financial and administrative decision-making power, then losers’ consent is not very difficult. In India, the Members of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and the Member of Legislative Assembly Local Area Development Scheme (MLALADS) are very good examples of such procedures. However, financial allocation to these schemes has to be increased substantially.

Angry losers are a real threat to democracy. Rather than going ahead with the constitutional methods to challenge the elections, weaponising the anger and using the anger rhetoric have to be severely punished. As against the loser’s consent, the winner’s restraint is also an important factor establishing faith in the electoral process and thus in democracy.

For a democracy to be successful, rationality, respect, and restraint are very important.

How to understand the retraction of publications?

2025-07-22T00:14:00.003+05:30

Retraction is the act of withdrawing a published document (article, book, book chapter, report, etc.) either by the publisher or by the author. This can happen when someone confesses to academic malpractice knowingly or unknowingly.

The major reasons for retraction are the following.

Retraction by the author

●       Inaccurate result
●       Faulty experiment or methodology
●       Unethical practices by the journal
●       Compromised data/content
●       Compromised peer review

Retraction by the publisher

● Inaccurate result
● Faulty experiment and methodology
● Unethical practices by the author
● Compromised data
● Compromised peer review
● Compromised editing
● Falsification of data
● Image manipulation
● Violation of publication ethics
● Unethical use of AI tools
● Plagiarism

Who is responsible for retraction?

The primary responsibility of retraction lies with the publisher itself. The publisher should take utmost care in publishing accurate and ethically sound documents. A journal/publisher that claims to uphold the peer-review system should not compromise its publication policy.

Who are affected by retraction?

Retraction affects all the stakeholders simultaneously. The community of researchers and academicians, authors and publishers are burdened with the garbage publication.

What are the major reasons for retraction?

Some of the major reasons for retraction are the following.

● Lack of proper training in publication
● Ignorance of publication ethics
● Predatory Publications
● Open Access Publications that provide fast publication
● Paid publications that are busy making a fortune
● Ranking and accreditations focused on certain publications
● Universities providing promotion, increments and rewards based on publication

Should Institutions be penalised for retractions?

In any crime, a penalty is awarded only to the person who is committing the crime. The transitive effect of crime refers to the ripple effect or indirect consequences that crime has on individuals, communities, and society as a whole, beyond the immediate victim and offender. However, as no punishment is given to the family of a criminal, the institutions of the author/editor who is part of a retracted publication should not be punished. Nevertheless, those institutions that are funding or providing incentives to their members for publishing in predatory and spurious journals should be penalised.

In this context, the recent announcement of awarding negative weightage to the institutions for the retracted papers is unethical and is stemming out of pure ignorance. Further, how can institutions be awarded negative weightage for citations from retracted papers? This is absurd.

Instead, the Ministry of Education, Government of India, should take necessary steps to blacklist academic publishers who are publishing content without proper peer review. Further, an author who is publishing compromised content should be awarded proper academic penalties. The role of the Institutional Academic Integrity Panel is very important in this regard.

How to deal with retraction?

In a general sense, retraction is positive. Removing erroneous content from the public space is always welcome. If the author takes initiative in retraction, she/he should be appreciated for it. If the publisher retracts the publication on its own, institutions should conduct proper enquiries of those authors involved in those publications and take appropriate actions. In any case, the benefits that were given to the author should be withdrawn with retrospective effect, including the award of a degree.

Discipline, Financial Penalty and Success

2025-02-22T20:17:00.000+05:30

Every educational institution is primarily a training house. Good institutions transfer good values to the students/trainees that are good for the future of the student/trainee. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it (Hebrews 12:11).

Disciplinary action is an essential tool for managing unwanted behavior in the workplace. In ancient Indian political and strategic philosophy, the four actions of Saam (dialogue), Daam (persuasion), Dand (coercion) and Bhed (alienation) were very significant. These are processes through which training can be implemented. They were also used in bilateral relations among nations, employer-employee interactions and training houses.

Although there are many processes involved in instilling discipline among the students/trainees in comparison to mature employees, monetary penalties, like fines, are always justified to be most effective. Compared to any other steps, it discourages people from repeating the offence by making it financially undesirable. A significant fine can temporarily limit an offender's ability to continue her/his carelessness due to financial strain.

As a means to deter future misconduct by imposing a financial cost on the offender and thereby acting as a punishment proportional to the offence, financial penalties have brought stability and quality to many nations and organizations. However, its effectiveness can be debated based on factors like the offender's ability to pay and the severity of the violation.

Some of the following points are worth considering in relation to financial penalties.

1. A student/trainer/employee should be aware of the pros and cons of offence
2. An educational institution/government/firm/trainer should make the policies transparent at least through an internal note
3. Decisions on financial penalties should be objective.
4. A student/trainer/employee should not take anything for granted. For, St. Paul writes, ‘but I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified’ (1 Corinthians 9:27).

In a transparent system where the penalties are not arbitrary, one must note that the penalties are not income-generating mechanisms for the institutions. If people comply with the rules and regulations, there will not be a fine.

I like the way credit card companies use penalty policies. They have a combination of late payment fees, higher interest rates, and over-limit fees. Additional charges are levied when cardholders don't pay their due on time as late payment charges. Late payment charges can damage one’s credit score and lead to interest accrual. Many credit card companies levy a penalty interest rate if a payment is due for over 60 days. The penalty rate may be as high as 50% of the outstanding bill amount. A penalty is charged by credit card companies when cardholders' purchases exceed their credit limit. All these are imposed after one enjoys the privilege of purchasing without cash in hand. Does a credit card company accept any apologies for the late payment or for crossing the credit limit? If students are going to face the world, they should be aware of the things in the world. Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid (Proverbs 12:1).

If a student’s/trainee's performance remains unsatisfactory, she/he should receive penalties of various levels depending on the expected outcome of the training. However, the student/trainee can always leave the training if she/he is unsatisfied with the system. It is said, “if you throw peanuts, you will get only monkeys”. If your discipline is diluted, you will not get the expected outcome.” Mr Narendra Modi, is the prime minister of India for three consecutive terms. It is heard that he works for nearly 19 hours a day. Ms Mamata Banerjee, the West Bengal chief minister for the third time, is also working around 20 hours a day. Many successful sportspersons, including some Olympians, engaged in financial penalty-based training. A well-disciplined hard work, with a clear view of what is at a loss if they do not work hard, is the simple justification for their success. It is said in the Bible, ‘whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him’ (Proverbs 13:24).

Jesus said, ‘Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and God what belongs to God (Mark 12:17). If you want to be smart in the world, do smart things of the world and get trained in the hardest way.

Develop a skeleton for each day

2020-12-20T15:22:00.003+05:30

One has to develop one's own habit of writing. One important characteristic of habit is that one may not realize what one does in a habitual action. This has positive and negative impacts.

In skill oriented works, this provides speed and perfection. Even at home we do experience some of these habitual actions that make us happy. In my mind the most noticeable habitual action at home is my mother's cooking. She cooks like a magician. All our mothers do this. Mothers are miracles. They are miracle workers.

Nevertheless, habitual actions may not always be good. Prayer is the best case. We do not even sometimes know what we do during the prayer time. Another less impactful action is our relationships and gestures at home. We take things for granted and lead life without enjoying the thrill of it. Do we appreciate what our family members do? Do we express it publicly?

Writing can be meaningful even when it becomes a habitual action. It might be boring too after some time. One way to improve writing as a meaningful habitual action is to have a skeleton for everyday writing. For example, at least invisibly you can have the following points whenever you write.

Introduction
Inauguration
Examples
Major stress
Narrative style
Story
Pictures
Quotes
Comparisons
Conclusion

Once you have these kinds of points to focus, take a permutation of them on each day. Let your writing be a flow. Let it be a dance of words on your paper.

Computer and Internet can wait

2020-12-14T08:10:00.001+05:30

As a toddler, I started writing with my fingers on a spread of rice.

Now, when I look behind, the tool and the platform I left on the road less travelled by were many. They kept changing as I grew up even without my knowledge. Each of these tools and the platform brings in nostalgic memories. Much more are the various thinking processes I had gone through while handling them. Each of them takes me through my formative years from being a toddler to a teacher. Let me list down the writing tools and platforms I used over the last four decades.

Finger and Rice
Pencil and Slate
Graphite Pencil and Paper
Graphite Pencil and Paper/Notebook
Fountain Pen and Notebook
Ballpoint Pen and Notebook
Typewriter and Paper
Keyboard and Computer
Mobile
Voice
Stylus and tablet

I still use the graphite pencil and sheets of paper to draw and sometimes to write. It gives us the flexibility to correct our errors without any hurt. Many authors used to tell me that they use graphite pencils for writing. It is quite a challenging task to leave computers and the Internet. On some days you can experiment with the pencil and paper. Do not forget to keep an eraser next to you.

Tips for writing regularly

2020-12-03T05:05:00.001+05:30

It is wonderful to write. It is even wonderful to write on a regular manner. Here are some tips to make writing as a habit.

#Tip 1

Computer and Internet can wait: Write in a paper using a pencil without looking at a computer or using the internet.

#Tip 2

Develop a skeleton for each day.

#Tip 3

Focus on some keywords.

#Tip 4

One day at a time.

#Tip 5

Include a minimum of three new words.

#Tip 6

Aim a sentence of 11 words at a time.

#Tip 7

An explanation is not a luxury.

#Tip 8

Infuse positivity in writing by intentionally inserting pleasant words.

#Tip 9

Email what you have written, to some of your best friends.

#Tip 10

Believe in yourself. You are an excellent writer.

The Rereading

2020-11-03T23:47:00.004+05:30

I feel like reading it again and again.
Then, I did it again and again.
I feel I can't reciprocate line by line.
Then I did try in vain again.

Out of me, I doubted, you were born.
Out of mind, I know, when I blow horn.
For me too, I guess, you were born
For all you do, I think, I blow my horn.

I have felt from the day one the bond.
I felt I had this supernatural connection.
I've knelt never to someone else's perception.
I feel proud to see you are on your own.

You could write, things, of your own,
On your life and on your imagination.
On your books and MacBook, and religion.
On your grandma and on your passion.

I am here to read, from dusk to dawn.
I am there to comment line by line,
And sometimes to commend a line,
Or two, but be confident of this bond.

I can't label you in this special connection,
For any label is limiting a bond.
As for me, unbounded is every bond
Spanning the boundaries of every imagination.

Religion of legions

2020-10-19T22:01:00.001+05:30

A human being who perpetuates hatred is worse than the stinging nettles.
A religion that is not tolerant is worse than a terrorist organization.
A God who is nothing but love is the evil, if it exists.

I struggle with those who have religion for their hands and heads, than for their hearts and hence,
It is better to be alone than in a bad company.
I may die starving rather than sharing the cup of blood of my brethren.

Knowing that someone else loves what one loves

2020-10-12T13:09:00.000+05:30

A night has passed

With a bite of shock.

Nothing seriously did I do,

But the act of night, sleep.

I am fresh, but with the tremors

I am at shock even after a night.

Hearing that you are a hoopster

Is what made me motionless.

Hearing about you singing,

Dancing, Writing, Painting

Drawing, Acting, Chanting

Would never give me shock.

What a wholesome person

One can be with a taste

For letters, stories, thoughts,

Art and a fine mix of sports!

Nights and days can't stay

So the tremors will recede

And happiness will succeed

Knowing a wholesome person!

Rain

2020-10-12T12:58:00.007+05:30

Rains are rare,
But when it rains,
It reigns for, sure,
One who minds.

Life as a teacher

2020-09-11T23:33:00.000+05:30

What a great life it is!

I know not how long I live

No one knows it too.

Indeed, it's a great life

I know not how long it lasts

No one lasts long too.

To read, to write, to speak

I exist, but with no claims,

No one thought I could.

I read, I wrote, I spoke

To some fine souls

No one knows but I.

This time, my time, is

Finer than ever, than

Anyone else imagines.

It is not the longer life,

But a long teaching life,

God, grant me for you.

Being Wanted

2020-09-01T22:58:00.003+05:30

What is the greatest happiness one can have in life?

Is it money, food, sex or power?

Money's value diminishes

Food's taste is short-lived

Sex leads to frustration

Power powers to hatred

None of these lasts forever.

One who lays trust in any of these has a universal name: FOOL.

What is the greatest happiness one can have in life?

A moment of being wanted.

Tes, the feeling of being wanted.

A moment of giving.

Yes, the act of giving.

These differentiate the HAPPY from the FOOL.

In the last couple of months,

I have been happier than ever.

I have the feeling of being wanted.

Being wanted by knowledge-seekers,

Is an amazing feeling.

Oh! I can feel it.

I can't think of a session without some of you*.

You make me better.

Although I cook the same,

Like every time a mother cooks

the most delicious food for her children.

But I am getting the 'unlikely' response,

Of these magnificent ones

And that makes me feel better.

Oh! I can feel it.

O God!

What a happy person I am!

Help me serve better.

Help me feel more wanted,

Even at the cost of every loss in this world.

Supply me with knowledge seekers

To whom I can offer my life.

Enkindle me, a candle,

To be melted to the last dust of the wax

For these great ones given to me.

*My most vibrant and ever-responsive PhD scholars....

An ode to a wonderful student

2020-08-01T22:04:00.001+05:30

Can I believe my eyes?

How do I trust my senses?

With sheer unbelief, I started twitching my eyelids.

With utter mistrust, I started testing my senses.

Never had I seen someone so scholarly attending my sessions.

Seldom I sense someone reshaping the uttered words into structured treatises at ease.

No one has any idea how happy I am.

Did someone tell you anytime that you have the gift of words?

No wonder, if it is so.

But, did someone tell you that you have the extraordinary gift of abstraction?

You are focused. You have an enviable power of clasping.

May God bless you to be a mother of infinitude of written words.

Quo vadis?

2020-06-19T01:35:00.003+05:30

What a great run during these months!

A run in a circuit shortened by the former and the latter normals.

Restless I may, but overfull is the desktop in all sense.

Life is changed inevitably, but that is life.

Society is changed reluctantly, but that is society.

Being part of a changed society with a changed life is what I experience now.

Some pass the day fearing the unknown and the unseen to pass them.

Some fear the pass of the unknown and the unseen days.

Some pass the fear of the unknown and the unseen.

But some, like me, fear the unknown and the unseen may pass them.

My run in this short circuit makes me pass the comment

That the known and the seen are always the delightful ones.

FISH on the shore

2020-03-19T08:08:00.000+05:30

Fear.
Ignorance.
Suspicion.
Helplessness.

I was safe in the water.
I could go to the deep waters.
Sometimes, I could go to the shore.
I was in the sea of confidence.

Suddenly, the water is receded.
It continued to recede.
So also is my confidence.
Masked, sanitized, alienated fish is out of water.

Deep sea fish is no more in the deep.
It is in the shallow water.
Fear. Ignorance. Suspicion. Helplessness.
Alienated to insanity.
Sanitized to be masked.
Masked to be alienated.

Divided we stand. United we fall.
The new philosophy of the time.
But not a new one.
Many human covids tried to divide the people
Before the covids appeared.

Empathy
Knowledge.
Acceptance.
Support.

Rise up humanity.

She had gone to the Lord

2019-12-02T22:33:00.000+05:30

She cried, when I was born.
I cried, when she had gone.

She bled, when I was born.
She bled, when I was torn.
She was torn, when I was bled
She was done, when I had gone.

She cried, when I cried.
She smiled when I smiled.
She cried, when I walked,
With joy, she talked.
She cried, when I talked,
With joy, she walked.

The stories she told,
Are the berries I hold.
The memories I hold,
Are the stories she told.

She kissed my cold skin
Soaked in blood when I was born.
I kissed her cold in the coffin
Packed in when blood is gone.

I cried, when she had gone,
With the dead, to the mud.
I cried, when she had gone,
With joy, to the Lord.

Write anyway...

2019-11-24T13:54:00.001+05:30

To write always
Is right always.
The pain to write
Is the gain to read.
With pain, may ye write
the rites of our rights.
May ye gain then, time
that is your me-time.

Life of the dead

2019-01-17T01:01:00.001+05:30

Taj Mahal was built for a dear dead
That made the world happy over a dead.
Plays, poems and prose were penned
Prompting the living to pen better lives.

The dead have died as no longer could
They lead life as dead before they died.
The dead have died after they lived
To lead the living to a life that is good
For the dead could not live
Forever, but the living could, until dead.

A beautiful arrangement....

2018-10-09T01:26:00.000+05:30

During the lunch yesterday, Prof. Julio mentioned me about a pattern of positives and negatives in social groups. I was then reminded of a puzzle asked by Manjul Bhargava that whether it is possible to arrange binary numbers such that every 3-letter block is different.
It is a beautiful arrangement of symbols as we see below.

0001011100

If we group every three adjacent letters, we get different numbers.
They are:

0001011100

Interestingly, their decimal equivalents are 0, 1, 2, 5, 3, 7, 6, 4.

Is this the only pattern?

Do you observe any other beautiful element in this pattern?
Look at the things vertically.
You see first a block of 0's, then 1, then 0, then 1's and then 0's.

0001011100

00 01011100

1100

0001011100

and

0001011100

Julio's social groups are people who are + and -, replacing 1and 0, respectively.
We represent the structure as:

---+-+++--

Can we extend this to block of four letters?
Answer is yes. Look at the following pattern. It is provided by Lavina D'Souza.

0000100111101011000

Their decimal equivalents are 0,1,2,4,9,3,7,15,14,13,10,5,11,6,12,8.
They are all the elements of Z16.

It's a good turnout.

Is there a pattern for blocks of n letters?

We begin with block of length 2. Strange though, there four different patterns! We use binary tree to construct them.
Algorithm:

Begin with any binary number of length 2.
Remove the bit on the left
Add 0, 1 to form the new binary number that is not already an ancestor.
Repeat steps 2 and 3
Stop when all the four binary numbers are found.

See the diagram given below for more details.

This can be expressed and explained with the help a directed graph (digraph). A directed graph is a graph with edges having directions. If there are no specific direction for an edge, then it is assumed to be bidirectional.

The diagrams given below are the same. One is with directed edges and the other is with undirected edge. Both of them represent the binary number 10. This gives all possible binary numbers of length 1. Every consecutive block of length one gives distinct binary numbers of length 1. Of course, it is very obvious!

We now move to binary numbers of length two. We have seen this. Neverthless, the following digraph gives all the possible smallest binary numbers whose every consecutive two bits give distinct all the distinct binary numbers of length two.

How do we get all the possible smallest binary numbers whose every consecutive two bits give distinct all the distinct binary numbers of length two? It is quite simple. Start with any vertex. Follow the directions. Visit every vertex in the graph.
As an example, we begin with the the top vertex 10. Following the directions, we choose 00, 01 and then 11. Removing the common bits, we get 10011.
In fact, what we find is a Hamiltonian Path in the directed graph.
A Hamiltonian Path is a path in a graph with each vertex appearing exactly once.

It will be quite interesting and every effective in the case of binary numbers of length three.
See that diagram below.

We can begin from any vertex. Every Hamiltonian Path gives the smallest binary number whose every consecutive three bits give all a distinct binary number whose decimal equivalent is in the set Z8={0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7}.

When it comes to binary numbers of length four, every Hamiltonian Path in the following diagram gives the solution.

One such path is given here. Follow through the red edges.

The binary number equivalent of this is

0000100111101011000

This is an interesting sequence. It is not just linear, it is cyclic as well. Any four consecutive bits give a unique number from the set Z16={0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,1,3,14,15}. See the diagram below.

As if a stone...

2018-04-18T09:24:00.002+05:30

Like

With their rasp,
hammer and knife,
they cut, chip
and break stones,
to make
lifeless gods,

As if a stone,
they cut, chipped
and broke her lifeless,
witnessed by
the lifeless stones,
in the sanctuary of shame

In immeasurable times?

(In the style of Ayushee Garg.
Never stopped weeping after hearing about Asifa Bano.
So many unheard, speechless Asifas are around us.
Forgive us children, for being rasps, hammers and knives.)

Dr. Fr. Thomas Kalayil CMI: A Placid Scholar and a Solid Professor

2017-07-22T19:47:00.006+05:30

It was during the Christmas vacation of 1986 that I met two people who became highly influential in my life. One was a priest and the other was a scholastic. For the next three years I continued to have periodical interactions with both of them. Eventually, on June 4, 1989, I joined the CMI congregation at Chethipuzha. By the grace of God, these two gentlemen were there to receive me and to initiate me to religious life. Dr. Fr. Thomas Kalayil and Br. Francis Njallampuzha were my rector and assistant rector respectively, for the next one year. As trainers they were the best ones in the Saint Joseph Province, Thiruvananthapuram of the CMI Congregation could provide us with.

Fr. Dr. Thomas Kalayil CMI

Fr. Thomas Kalayil, for me was a great source of knowledge. During the one year when I was trained under him, I could not think of anything that he could not deliver to me. Until the moment I joined the seminary, I thought my father to be the most knowledgeable person on earth. I corrected my opinion after meeting Fr. Thomas. He could clear all the doubts I had, whatever the magnitude might be. My fascination never ended as everyday he brought surprises.

One day some foreigners visited the monastery. They were with Fr. Thomas when I first met them on the corridors of the Sacred Heart Monastery, Chethipuzha. When I passed them, I heard Fr. Thomas speaking to them in a tongue that I had never heard. I was curious. In the evening, during the daily gathering after supper, my curiosity burst out. I asked Fr. Thomas about the language in which he was conversing with the strangers. “Italian,” he replied. I became more curious. My next question to him was, where he learned Italian. He then told us that he had studied in Rome. From the very next day, several things were revealed to me about this great man who was looking after a bunch of fifteen year olds. He completed his Doctorate in Biblical Theology in May 1973 from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome with the maximum possible grade of Summa Cum Laude Probatus. The title of his doctoral dissertation was Christ’s Work of Redemption according to St. Ephrem. He had reached the Gregorian University in 1965 to complete the Licentiate in Theology. He continued his studies and acquired a second licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the renowned Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome during 1967-69, with the grade Cum Laude Probatus.

Hence, I did not find it strange to believe his fluency in Italian. What astonished me was his mastery in other languages. He taught us Latin from mid year. I came to know that he taught Hebrew, Greek and Syriac as well at various levels in several other place.

Fr. Thomas Kalayil is a formator par excellence. He loved his students as his own. He treated the formees under him as his own children. He used to address us in the same rhythm and melody our parents used to address us, quite often using our pet names. The Johannine construction of Jesus as a loving father to his apostles (John 21:5) was very much exemplified in Fr. Thomas.

During the month of November and December he entrusted us to Fr. Joseph Puthenpura and left for Dharmaram College. This was his plan ever since he took up the rectorship of minor seminary students in the year 1982. We came to know that he was teaching Biblical Theology in Dharmaram College. He lectured Pentateuch, Wisdom Literature and Introduction to Sacred Scripture at Dharmaram College. I was fortunate enough to attend his lectures in Wisdom Literature, when I was doing my Bachelor’s in Theology in 2002. I remember him always as a placid, jovial and contented scholar.

Immediately after completing the doctoral studies, Fr. Thomas Kalayil was appointed to Dharmaram College. He served Dharmaram College for two terms as a member of the faculty. His first innings was from 1973 to 1982. He came back to Dharmaram in 2007 and continued there till 2017. Between 1982 and 2007, he served Dharmaram College as visiting faculty. During his long tenure of service at Dharmaram College, he held several administrative positions such as that of Academic Secretary (Registrar, 1973-75), Controller of Examinations (1978-81) and Master of Students (1975-82, 2007-2008). Fr. Thomas was always a protective father to the scholastics who were entrusted to him. His students knew him, heard his voice and loved him. (John 10:14, 27) In the entire history of Dharmaram College, among all the Masters of Scholastics, he would ever be remembered among the most popular ones.

Fr. Thomas Kalayil is systematic as a spiritual director. He made sure that he meets his directees periodically. A distinct feature of his spiritual direction is that, he schedules the sessions with the directees well in advance so that none of them misses the mandatory meetings. He keeps the record of all those who are under his spiritual direction. He prays for them regularly. Even when he travels outside for classes, his scheduling made sure that his directees never misses the regular spiritual directions. While living as an aspirant I experienced his spiritual interests and involvements. At Dharmaram, Chethipuza and Mannanam, for several years, he was the one who was giving introduction to the celebration of Raza, the most solemn celebration of the Eucharistic Liturgy. When he was our rector, he used to train us in the active participation in the Liturgy. Between 2008 and 2017, as a spiritual director, he guided numerous scholastics in their spiritual discernment.

Fr. Thomas Kalayil has been a much sought after teacher. He has an engaging style of teaching. It was a delight to see him giving lectures. He has a very attractive body language while delivering lectures. He involves everyone to be actively participative. The vast knowledge he has in almost every field makes his classes great. This is the reason why he had invitations from a good number of places for regular classes. He served as a visiting faculty in Kristu Jyoti College (Bangalore), Vidya Deep (Bangalore), Sandesa Nilayam (Changanacherry), Mar Thoma Vidyanikethan (Changanacherry), Amala Theological College (Changanacherry), Missionary Orientation Centre (Kottayam) and Vijnana Nilayam Institute of Philosophy and Religion (Eluru, Andhra Pradesh). He treated all his students in a dignified manner.

One of the unavoidable things in the life of a religious is to minister as a superior. In religious life, administration is often considered as penance. In two separate terms for about a total of six years, he was the Vicar Provincial of the St. Joseph Province, Thiruvananthapuram. During his first term, he also served as the Provincial Councillor for education and communication. In the second term, he guided the province in the affairs of evangelization and pastoral ministry. His personal contacts with the then heads of the eparchies helped him to make sure that the relations between the province and the eparchies were cordial and functional. St. Joseph’s Monastery, founded in 1831, is the first monastery of the CMI congregation. It is also known as the mother house of the CMI congregation. He was appointed Prior of St. Joseph’s Monastery, Mannanam in 2002 for three years. His leadership gave the monastic community a newfound vitality. His loving presence and caring attitude attracted people around, to the monastery. He had special care for the supporting staff. His sense of history helped him build a strong network of supporters for the monastery. As an ardent devotee Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, he took several steps to popularize devotion to him. During the same period, he was also the parish priest of the St. Joseph’s parish at Mannanam.

His administration was not without any hurdles. He had to face one of the tumultuous times in the history of Kuriakose Elias College, Mannanam, while he was its manager. A good number of teachers participated in the state-wide strike of the government employees and teachers. The entire college was almost paralysed. The road between Mannanam Bus Stop and College gate were flooded with posters, placards and supporters of the strike. Fr. Thomas took the leadership in obtaining the High Court order in asserting that the road is a private road of the Monastery. This forced the eviction of the striking staff and removal of posters and placards. He ordered strong action against some of the teachers including a state level leader of the teachers’ organization. Some of these measures helped to clamp down the strike to a certain extent. A usually calm and pleasant Fr. Thomas became fearless fighter for the cause of rights of the Monastery.

Fr. Thomas has deep love and sense of history. It was during his tenure as Prior of the Monastery that a serious attempt was initiated to organize the archives at Manannam to make them more accessible to researchers. He spent a good amount of time in cataloguing the documents in Syriac, Latin etc. He was pulled drawn into another unfinished work during that time. The work towards the compilation of the complete works of the legendary writer and father of St. Thomas Christians, Dr. Placid Podipara, that had begun a couple of years before, was almost moribund by then. As a student of Fr. Placid and a great admirer of him, he took up the daunting task of editing and publishing them. It was a laborious effort on several counts. He had to literally read every line as the number of typos was enormous. The main reason for this was the presence of the numerous theological and historical terms that were not available in the computer dictionary. Word by word, he read, re-read, copyedited the works of Fr. Placid, almost every day. When he completed his term as Prior, he was half way through the editing. However, he didn’t get an opportunity to continue living in the Mannanam monastery after his term was completed. He was transferred to Thiruvananthapuram and then to Thiruvalla. During the next three years, he lived in Thiruvalla with limited facility and mobility. He was without any official assignment during those days. This was a blessing in disguise. He continued and completed the editing work while at Thiruvalla by not just completing the proof reading but by writing authentic and authoritative introductions to each and every work of Fr. Placid. The great works of Fr. Placid are accessible to the whole world now, thanks to Fr. Thomas Kalayil. No one can think of a better person than Fr. Thomas Kalayil for bringing such a magnum opus in five volumes consisting of over 3000 pages. The Church, in particular, that of St. Thomas Christians is perpetually obliged to Fr. Thomas Kalayil for this great accomplishment. I would say, it is an invaluable asset to researchers all across the various fields of theology. This might be one of the greatest theological contributions by the CMI congregation in modern times. As for Fr. Thomas, he had delivered numerous talks on Fr. Placid. He had written on Fr. Placid in several journals and annuals. In the souvenir Placidachan published in 1995 to commemorate the tenth death anniversary of Fr. Placid Podipara, the article titled “The Profile of a Prophet” contributed by Fr. Thomas Kalayil is a much talked about item in scholarly circles. There will not be a disputed in attributing Fr. Thomas Kalayil as the foremost Placid scholar of our time.

Fr. Thomas is a prolific writer. He is one of the few theologians in India who regularly contribute to the development of theology in the vernacular. His articles on the Bible, biblical themes and Church History were appearing frequently for decades in the periodicals such as Biblebhashyam, Mathavum Chinthayum, Karmelakusumam and Kathiroli, etc. In Kathiroli alone, more than 100 articles were published which were much appreciated by the laity, religious and clerics. Fr. Thomas also had contributed to the theological journals such as Asian Horizons, Christian Orient and Jeevadhara. In many of the bulletins and annuals too, he contributed regularly. It might be another mammoth task for anyone to collect all the works of Fr. Thomas Kalayil. He is a solid professor with content and delivery.

During his youth, he was part of the great initiative of the translation of Peshitha to Malayalam. He collaborated as translator and General Editor in the publication of a new Malayalam translation of the New Testament from Mannanam in 1978, which many scholars consider as one of the best Malayalam translations of the New Testament theologically and literarlly.

He is on the committee of the members of Dharmaram College who are preparing its history. Fr. Thomas has a collection of a host of rare documents. Added to this is his memory about events and persons. Several of the chapters of the history including the introduction have heavy contributions from Fr. Thomas Kalayil. During the various rounds of the meetings of the history committee, his adaptability was very visible. Fr. Thomas is communitarian to the core. He thoroughly enjoyed the semestral outings of the staff members. He makes sure that he cancels all his programmes to take part in community activities. Although a man of conviction and courage, he never tried to insist that his views are the final ones. In several theological and related controversies, he always stood for the common good.

In December 1989, he celebrated his Silver Jubilee of Priestly Ordination. His mother, Birgitta was fortunate to take part in the jubilee celebrations. His father Joseph belonged to the noble family of Kalayil from Koonamthanam, Chethipuzha, Changanassery. He was born on August 18, 1937. His primary education was at St. Anne’s (Convent) School, Changanacherry during 1943-48. Later he continued his school studies until the Secondary at St. Berchmans English High School, Changanacherry.

In 1955 he was admitted to the Mary Immaculate Minor Seminary, Mannanam. In the very next year, he was trained at Mary Queen’s Minor Seminary, Mutholy. His novitiate and juniorate were at Sacred Heart Monastery, Chethipuzha during 1957-1959. On May 16, 1958, he became a professed religious. He reached Dharmaram College in 1959 for his ecclesiastical studies. During the historical Eucharistic Congress at Bombay where for the first time a Roman Pontiff, Pope Paul VI, visited India, he was ordained priest on December 1, 1964.

The octogenarian Fr. Thomas Kalayil belongs to a rare galaxy of the priests in India who contributed extensively to theological literature. His type of persons is a rarity. The life and times of Fr. Thomas Kalayil remind every CMI priest to respond positively to the talents each one is bestowed with. Fr. Thomas used to get up very early in the morning. His usual day begins with morning meditation and the Holy Qurbana. He then reaches the chapel at 6 AM, to take part in the morning prayers along with the community. Then he goes back to his room for academic work. This routine gives him sufficient time to read and write. The vast collection of books, articles and documents he has in his room are not just decorations and space fillers but are accreditations and mind chillers of his scholarship. Living with him, studying under him and knowing him for almost three decades, I can undoubtedly say that his veins contain the true blue blood of holiness and scholarship, like that of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, Emmanuel Andumalil, Bernard Alencheril, Placid Podipara, Mathias Mundadan, et al.

(Published in Ascend to Holiness(ISBN 978-93-84964-92-4), Dharmaram Publications, pp. 1-8, 2018)

Ants in my room

2017-07-12T20:18:00.000+05:30

Ants are organized insects.
They march in a line
beside a wall or on a natural line
thus always taking a path the shortest.
They commute between their nest and lust.
They greet everyone on the move.
They make way for everyone on the move.
On their way, no one they ever hit.
Some take quick diversions for quicker surveys
and then join back to the line.
For, if they miss the line, they die in pain.
On their diversions they find items new.
The surveyors survey the new items taking time
Until they're back taking longer paths but in time.
Back in the line they communicate
the fresh discovery and the fresh mandate.
Surveyors continue to move ahead
Not claiming their role in the discovery.
Antenna to antenna, the news is spread
by rants and chants, to reach the discovery.
One, two, three, five, eight, thirteen...
The new found item is surrounded.
Discussion, Planning, Execution...
Even an elephant is sliced and carried.

Workers work. Surveyors survey.
Ants continue to work until their last sleep.
Ants don't starve since they work.
Ants aren't obese since they work.
Ants don't complain since they work.
Ants aren't alone since they work.
Ants work in group for the group.
They worked yesterday.
They work now and tomorrow
as they rest only for their final rest.
Ants aren't idle
and they find no reason to be idle.
Night or day, they work
as they work in group.
Dawn to dusk and dusk to dawn
ants work until they reach their dusk.
Ants work until they work no more.

The Sound of Cry

2017-05-06T07:49:00.000+05:30

Why do we cry?
When we're sad,
Or when glad?
Shy, after we cry?
When we're floppy,
Or when happy?
A wet cry for a debt.
A dry cry for a doubt.
We cry at a loss,
At a toss or pass.
A shy cry at times
A wry cry some times.
A cry for a gain,
A cry for a pain.
A cry in vain,
A cry in bane.
Cry washes pain,
Ashes gain.
Cry vanishes
And banishes bane.
A cry in pain
Is a rain in the dry.
Drops of tears
Are hopes of flair.
Cry in silence
Is a cry of sacrifice.
Cry sends
signals of pains.
Cry cleanses
the stains of lives.
Tears form deluge
that tears life apart.
Fear of tears is part
of life of fears and tears.
Cry in, cry out
Cry in need.
A child cries in need
The old cries of deed.
Mother knows
when a child cries,
For why it cries.
When mother cries,
Even her eyes know not.
The cry of the old
Is fun for the less old.
But for the old
any cry is a cry.

One cries at birth
Others cry at death.
The wise cries under cover
The wicked in open.
The wise cries for solutions
The wicked for problems.
Cry is the end of reason
Cry ends reason
Cry comes from many things
Cry goes to many things.
From where it comes
To where it goes,
Not even the wisest knows.

A deep cry leads to solutions
A shallow cry to re-cries.
Origin of cry?
Cry begins before the cry.
Cry ends before the end.
What is it?
Cry needs a trigger
Cry takes both the eyes.
Cry is not one-eyed
Am I the trigger of a cry?
Woe to me, if so!
Can I stop a cry?
Bliss to me, always!
Listen to cries
To the cry within
To the cry outside
To the cry everywhere.

What is cry?
A primitive feeling
But perfected too.
Cry is an expression
of a pressing matter
expressed through
the press of the precious eyes
creating symmetric streams
of the cleanest water
yet the hardest,
by an unknown chemical reaction
from a mysterious source
for a finite time
submerging even the mightiest.
It converted the strong,
melted the hard,
felled the valiant and
stopped the villains.
It's mysterious.
It's hysteric, delirious
And nefarious
Although it's melodious.

my BOSS

2017-04-17T21:18:00.001+05:30

Years passed by
Fears gone away
Quest for life made me
Priest for life

Whose choice it was?
Choice! What a fuss!
Boss of my life
Chose my life

Why was I?
High 'bove many,
Way 'bove plenty...
Mystery.

A walk
Long walk
Indeed, not
A gawk.

Always...
Made me bent but
Never broke my gut
Forced me beg
Chased 'way my bugs
Stretched me but
Strangled me not
Soaked me in blood
Baked me but food good
Presented me miserable
Prized me but invaluable

Go on
on and on
my boss
Love thee.

Lessons learnt from here and there

2017-02-14T21:44:00.000+05:30

1. Power and Wealth are not the last words

J Jayalalithaa was a powerful Chief Minister. She was a powerful person in life. Nobody could stand straight in her presence.
However, during the last several months of her life, she was undergoing severe suffering. It was more than one can get from an Indian prison for politicians. Many belive that she was killed by her own people. It is worse than capital punishment. Her power and wealth couldn't save her life from an unnatural mysterious death... Her death was not like any of the endings of her films.
It's a lesson to learn. Let us do good things. Even if we suffer, then there is a merit in it.

2. Judge not

What lesson can we learn from these persons?
1. Justice John Michael Cunha found some people guilty.
2. Justice C R Kumaraswamy acquitted them.
3. Justices P C Ghose and Amitava Roy annulled the acquittal.

Logically, all the above judgements are not true. Hence, who is the real culprit: a criminal or one who misuses the power to help criminals escape and crimes to flourish?
We are helpless when we heard their judgments of naming white black, then black white and then white black.
Justice delayed is justice denied. Similarly judgement leaked is judgement sneaked. An influenced judgement is a crime...

3. Succession plan is a myth

No leader paves way for another leader as leadership is one of the most enjoyable pleasure. It is way above money and sex. One who enjoys power will never think of someone else stepping into one's shoes. Successor emerges by successful strategies.

4. India is a land of wonders

Here in our motherland,

A person of humble origin can be the emperor one day. Royalty is not mandatory to success.
Human beings venerate and respect non-human beings and inanimate things more than human beings themselves.
One can the richest in the land by theft alone.
One can live in a prison but still can enjoy freedom. One is free, but still can be someone's captive.
We convert prison to a spa and a spa to a prison.
It is strange to see that the MPs and MLAs who are elected by people by secret ballot have no right to elect their leader by secret ballot.
Spiritual leaders can convert water to wine, urine to saccharin, ash to cash and shit to asset.

5. We are not extraordinary

Our memory is weak. Our actions can be influenced. We are a people who can be easily provoked and many a time misguided. It has antecedents in the history.

Brutus was a hero. After a few hours he became a zero. People turned against him.
Jesus was a hero. After a few days he became a zero. People crucified him.

Sasikala was a hero. After a few months she became a zero.
There are many other heroes here. After a few years they surely will become zeros.

Individually all of us are brilliant and intelligent. Collectively, I am not sure what we are...

Joseph Varghese Kureethara CMI

Why are politicians fearing people?

How to understand the retraction of publications?

Discipline, Financial Penalty and Success

Develop a skeleton for each day

Computer and Internet can wait

Tips for writing regularly

The Rereading

Religion of legions

Knowing that someone else loves what one loves

Rain

Life as a teacher

Being Wanted

An ode to a wonderful student

Quo vadis?

FISH on the shore

She had gone to the Lord

Write anyway...

Life of the dead

A beautiful arrangement....

As if a stone...

Dr. Fr. Thomas Kalayil CMI: A Placid Scholar and a Solid Professor

Ants in my room

The Sound of Cry

my BOSS

​Lessons learnt from here and there

Lessons learnt from here and there