NOVEMBER2012 December 2012
A Secularized Christmas? Money and corruption are ruining the land, crooked politicians betray the working man [& woman], pocketing the profits and treating us like sheep, and we’re tired of hearing promises that we know they’ll never keep RAY DAVIES
CORRUPTION Niketu Iralu
It is not necessary to explain for good people to do nothAccountant enabled me to aim became to satisfy the real needs of peowhat corruption is to anyone ing”, said Edmund Burke. understand the complicated ple. For decades we have given priority to in Nagaland, nor to anyone And people like Anna Hazconnections in the finan- low-priced housing. We refused to speculate elsewhere in the world. are, Kejriwal, the Bhushan cial world. But above all it with our reserves of building land. If we had Indira Gandhi impatiently brothers, Kiran Bedi, and so enabled me to cheat heavily indulged in such speculation we often could and famously dismissed and on, are shining examples of on the income tax. We had have made bigger profits than by building rationalized corruption as “a good people caring and darthree balance sheets: one for houses ourselves. Through our new policy we global phenomenon” when ing enough to do something the tax authorities, that was built a few thousand housing units at low cost. a journalist touched on cer- to defeat evil. And these completely crooked; one for It is true that as a consequence the profit martain scandalous scams of her close associates. good people are discovering the shareholders which was gin became smaller. But in spite of that the It revealed the doctrine of politics and govern- how tough it is to defeat evil. fairly crooked; and one for income of the firm increased. ance she followed to consolidate her power In a recent discussion myself that was correct. Evebase to rule India and to pass on her dynastic on TV with industrialists and ry year it took two months Trust: Honesty is costly, but in the long run it legacy to her sons, and for them to do like- bankers, Deepak Parekh, to establish these three ver- pays. It creates trust. There was a period of wise. The nation discovered that none of the economist and highly resions. I was successful and recession because oil price trebled. Quite a few scams directly implicating her and her family garded Chairman of Housyet I missed the essential building firms closed down but we always had could be investigated by the CBI. The Bofors ing Development Finance which makes life worth liv- enough contracts – some of them from the case revealed this reality and the rest is history. Corporation, said “Corruping. I was bored and empty. State because of our reputation. On November 8th President Hu Jintao tion is not going to go away I had to take pills to be fit of the People’s Republic of China, sternly told from our country. I think the and more pills to sleep. Revolutionary teamwork: One day I proA church located in Dimapur seenishere for the Christmas season. Photograph by Caisii Mao the 2270 specially chosen delegates attending manner Kejriwal is goingis about not decorated right.” One weekend I met the organization posed to the Works Council to share 50% the Communist Party Congress in Beijing for The justification and protection of cor- called Moral Re-Armament. It turned mebeenofoffering the profit with food the toworkers. were extravagant people whoThey already have James Kalong the once-in-a-decade leadership change pro- ruption by the Parekhs of today’s India and 180 degrees around. I was fascinated by theexcessive speechless. our promise but tables? did not food inWe theirkept own homes and on their Do If wecorruption cannot share ourruling food party with the hungry, what aboutto just giving a gift cess that in the could their readiness deny space to voices of dis- idea of living to transform the world insteadwe dare givetothem instead invested the moninvite cash to ourand homes in the name of Christmas those hristmas a high point in the Chris-bywhoeyareinhungry prove “fatal” tovery its 63-year-long sent do and protest against injustice from crusad- of only for my own issuccess. I was struck socialinbenefit funds. One was for the streets and who go fund for days without instead? It is virtuous togrip give,over butthe to whom we mostly give gifts during calendar. It is who the season re- a single country: “If we fail to handle this issue well, it ers like the ones already mentioned because the freedom tian of people I met were of totally cases of accident and sickness, another a meal? If we cannot share our food with thewas hungry, Christmas? It is to proper that and we must onesthey andare to those whoabout are is not committed tomembering andIt became celebrating the what could prove fatal the party, even give causeto our theloved manner “going a world aim. the most very generous pension fund. We 20 yearsto about just giving a gift instead? It iswere very virtuous incarnation of the to up Hu-mygive, but to whom dolegislation we mostly give the of the state”. shows how complicated hazardous expensive week-end of my life.Divine I made ahead of the ofgifts theduring SwissChristmas? Federal dearcollapse to us. But many a times we give to peopleright” who already have more thanand what man—the birth of Jesus, the Son of It isState. proper that mustwork give toresulted our lovedin ones and to those In the background of his report on the the battle is for anyone taking it on. mind to take stock of my whole life. I wrote Thiswe team many valuthey want or need and from whom we would expect What to reciprocate with another Godthat whowould gave his life as Savior whoable are dear to us. But many a times give to people who State of the Republic was the trial and sackare we to do then? Is it at all down 20 points have to the different. suggestions from the we workers for the of humanity! Celebrations of Christ- already have more than of what they want or need and from gift.ofWouldn’t be more blessed give to those whotrying will never able to return ing two top it ranking leaders of to the Party, worth “to bebe the change you want to practical running the firm, especially in the in honest Nagaland have, however, weofwould expect to reciprocate with another gift. Bo Xilai Minister on see in the world”? Family: I hadmas to get with my wife. It waswhom field security. whatand we Railway give them so thatLiu weZhijun give without expecting anything in return? evolved into a carnival of sorts. In Wouldn’t it be more blessed to give to those who will never shocking charges of corruption. Also ahead Aldous Huxley said, “Those who crusade, terribly hard. I thought she would divorce me. a state that prides itself on having a be able to return what giveenterprise: them so that we1.give of the Congress a New York Times investiga- not for God in themselves, but against the devil But she was most generous and merciful and Philosophy ofwe our Wewithout put large Christian population, Jesus, expecting anything in return? The Scripture is clear, “It is tive report revealed that Premier Wen Jiabao’s in others, do not succeed in making the world forgave me. It actually saved our marriage. people before profit. 2. Service is more imwho is the very reason for celebrating Christmas apparently more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Perhaps family had accumulated at least $ 2.7 billion in better”. Our endless discussions on corruption portant than getting. 3. He who gives much has taken a back seat during Christmas! Christmas carni- we are giving and sending the wrongourselves direction! to “hidden riches” during his ten-year rule. tend to be no more than crusading against vals, the Christmas Incomesales, Tax:Christmas I decidedfeasts, to goand and see the Minreceives much. 4.gifts Weincommit Christmas parWhen Jesus was born on that chilly winter Everyone knew who the President was devil in others. But instant interest and hope ties—Santa are ister takes of Finance. He in was totally perplexed the best value for a fair price night and more we center-stage them all! Streets lit withtothanoffer 2000 years ago, he came into this world in a very pitireferring to when he talked of “Leading of- aroused by anyone who shows what crusading meet an honest businessman. He told me that regard it as our duty to make an effective colorful lights, traffic points decorated, dim stars hanging able condition. Jesus was born in a stable because no one ficials at all levels, especially high ranking of- for God in oneself means and can do. I had to pay no fine. But the unpaid from contribution to the economic development on almost every business signboard—diktats aretaxes the way had any room for him. With no bed to sleep, he laid in a ficials” sabotaging the balanced growth of the I had the privilege of knowing Gottfried the past amounted to roughly 500,000 Swiss of our country. to go! Orders for putting up Christmas decoration in the manger of hay. Yet, Jesus was born so that he can give his nation by their unrestrained greed and grab. Anliker, a Swiss businessman, and taking parttown in orFrancs, a big amount for our small firm. My Allself-giving this amazing grew about Sunday shopping are the stark mnemonic of a life for us. The of Jesusdevelopments is what we need to emuChina risks the deepening unrest in some missions with him, in my work in Moral father scoldedA quick me fearing I would ourlateout of my decision to take every morning secularized Christmas. scan of current localruin papers today as we celebrate Christmas. We need a shift in the nation going out of control. But Hu Jintao Re-Armament, now called Initiatives of Change. firm.season But I isstuck the dictate of if myorientation enoughabout timeChristmas to reflectfrom andthe listen toinstitutionalfind new during building the Christmas all tootoglaring to reason usual could only talk about “unremitting efforts to Anliker inherited from his fatherChristmas a heart. The amount wesecularized! had to pay in taxes hasizeddirection and to go back to the basic source. in Nagaland has been and secularized way of celebration—from formality combat corruption”. struggling construction company in Lucerne,Thenaturally multiplied many times. Since that Through honesty I have found that undreamt secularization of Christmas is quite ubiquitous in to embracing messiness, from receiving to giving, from “It was a conservative report. But Switzerland, about 60 years ago. By the time initialMost payment the State has received of powers are liberated in me which formerly many ways. obviously Christmas season hasmillions been partying to worshipping. We may want Christmas to be metamorphosed a season for shopping. “Christmas” there is nothing there that suggests any break- he handed it over to his successor, his daughter, of Swiss to francs which it would not have if Ihas hadverywere blockedwarm, by a neat, bad well conscience. experiimmaculate, attired andI in a party synonymous with “shopping”! Besides food, gifts, mood, through in political reforms”, stated Open it was the leading company in the field in become Lu- not made that turn around in my life. enced themust truth of the words of was Christ: but we remember that Jesus born“The into a and clothing, just think about many special Christmasofmessy Magazine, an independent Hong Kong publi- cerne and one of the top in the nation, known But there is the another side. Because Truth youAt free”. andshall lowlymake situation. Christmas and also at other offers and is even ad for buying JCB cation specializing in Chinese politics. for its unmatched achievements in economic myproducts. honestyThere I saved twoan months I usedato usetimes we need to embrace the messiness of life that are as a festive Who wants JCBauthority. backhoe loadIndeed corruption is a global phenom- terms as well as in how management andproduct la- before for offer! defrauding the atax Dur-lived Conclusion: find people it fascinating be whom an emin the lives of Imany around ustowith Jeeconomic stimulus also frequently identified—the poor, of thedifficulties. sick, the prisenon. India, the world’s largest “democracy”, bour brought the best out of one another.er for Christmas? ing theseThere two certainly months isI an earned a great partsus ployer in the present day period around of Christmas, but Christmas is so commercialized that oners, prostitutes, thebe homeless, theshow beggars, the weak, and “Communist” China with the most stirring I shall give his story as he had it writthe money our firm had to pay in higher Wethe are called to tools to ourselves we are more often than not bought over by the tag “Christmas widow, to theothers lowly, the the outcast, and the slogans for the down-trodden, the two emerg- ten out in English for his visit to Nigeria some taxes. So I experienced this – cheating resultsthe useful andpowerless, so it is with our possesSALE!”in cheating ourselves, while honesty very soondespicable in the society. ing Asian super powers, are equally paralyzed years ago. sions. From this point of view I do not see myWe leads unabashedly indulgeeconomy. in it becauseAnd materialism identified himself to this classbut of people when he said, by corruption. What Titus Livius said of his decato a sound so our has firm Jesus self as an owner of our firm as a temporary been ingrained so deeply into our consciousness that shopFor I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was dent society under the Roman Empire correctly “At the age of 25 I worked very hard and grew rapidly from 50 to 500 workers over and steward of it.” ping has become an activity central to the Christmas seathirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger describes the crisis of the two giants: “We have took the Swiss Federal Diploma in Account- above our office staff. son. The culture of “Christmas shopping” corrodes the very and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, reached the point where we cannot bear ancy. I started 50 companies. They were so “The Christian ideal has not been tried essence of Christmas spirit! And speaking about “spirit,” sickfound and youwanting. looked afterItme, in prison and you either our vices or their cure”. interwoven that no one but I knew what be- New aim – the important thing was that I gotI was and hasI was been found difthe spirit of Christmas is further hijacked by the wrong kind came to visit me . . . Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one “For evil to succeed it is only necessary longed to whom. My training as a Chartered concept of my job an employer. My ficult and not tried”. - GK Chesterton. of spiritainnew Nagaland. Alcoholic spiritasflows like a stream
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We have reached the point where we cannot bear either our vices or their cure TITUS LIVIUS
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of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for during Christmas in Nagaland, supposedly a dry state. This me” (Matthew 25:36-40). To love them and to share with them also tells us that the omnivore in us comes alive at Christ- what we have will redefine the meaning of Christmas for us. mas as well. There is nothing wrong in celebrating Christ- This is the same reason to reach out to this vulnerable group mas with eating feasting—eating feasting beingare of people. As Jesus proclaimed the purpose Opinion is a theme-based supplement published on the third Saturday ofand every month.and Here you the artist, the writer, theof his coming to very symbolic and significant part of our Christian belief this world in Luke 4:18-19 – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, photographer, the storyteller and the creator of your own opinion. and practice. because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. It is also very noble to show hospitality and invite people He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and reto our homes for eating. We invite friends, family members, covery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proand relatives to our homes for meals and dinners. But have claim the year of the Lord’s favor.” we ever given a thought that most of the time we invite only We must celebrate Christmas but it must be celebrated Illustration by Süngküm those whom we favor or those who will favor us? Or have we in the way of Jesus’ self-giving!
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