10 February 2014
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Model Bank's Relocated Borivli Branch Inaugurated The fastest growing bank of Catholics in Mumbai is on progressive path under the dynamic Chairman of Mr. Albert W. D'Souza. Its relocated new Borivali branch is blessed and inaugurated on 12 January 2014 by Rev. Fr. Barthol Baretto, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, IC Colony. The branch is now relocated at 4th Cross Road, I.C. Colony. Local MLA Vinod Gonsalkar graced the occasion as a Chief
Guest. John D'Silva - Former Chairman, Albert W. D'Souza - Chairman, William Sequeira - Vice-Chairman, Fr. William Palkam, Bro. Vijai Kumar Pereira - Principal St. Francis de Assisi High School, Gen. Manager - Francis Vaz, Asst. Gen. Manager - William D'Souza, other directors of the Bank were present. A large number of Share holders, account holders and well-wishers were also present on the occasion. —Rons Bantwal
Can Indian Bishops become aam aadmi shepherds imitating Pope Francis? by Dr. James Kottoor,
former editor of The New Leader (Chennai) Catholic weekly. The new full form of AAP is: Aam Aadmi Pope. He in fact was the first to herald the dawn of an aam aadmi culture in Vatican and among the high and mighty world leaders. How? Wasn’t he the first to put his foot down and tell all in their face: “Carnival time is over” to sweep out the VVIP, Imperial, pompous culture from the Catholic Church starting with Vatican? Now the mind boggling challenge hurled at over 200 Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) which begain their biennial week-long sitting in Palai, Kerala on Feb. 5th is simply this: Become Aaam Aadmi Pastors like Francis or at least hatch out a bunch of aam aadmi pastoral chicks, a la Pope Francis, to replace the royal, imperial, feudalistic, aristocratic, even autocratic, other worldly life style of the
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Indian Hierarchy totally out of touch with ground realities of the real aam aadmi in India today and modern internet world. Will their week long sitting succeed to give at least an Aam Aadmi face lift and the much needed structural change to the Indian Episcopal conference? Pappa Francis has been always talking of a “poor church for the poor”. Our bishops surely can do this instantly and at little cost. How? Just imitate the new Political outfit called Aam Aadmi Party (Contd.. on p. 9)
10 February 2014
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Contents
pg. 2 - Can Indian Bishops ... pg. 3 - Want To Be Like The Pope?... pg 4 - Is Everybody Mad? pg. 5 - Views on News pg. 6 - HUM AAP ke Hai Kaun? pg. 7 - Reader's Views pg 8 - Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow pg 9 - Love At Christmas pg 10 - Are We Afraid Of Criticism? pg 14 - 7 Ways Salaried Individuals Can Save Taxes pg 16 - 7 Social Evils pg 17 - Arabic Calligraphy pg 18 - Our Lady of Lourdes pg 19 - Inspiration pg 20 - Matrimonials pg 22 - His Light Will Rise In Darkness
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Want To Be Like The Pope? Try Being Nice
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ith the sometimes rabid exception of people at the ultra-traditionalist fringe of Catholicism who sputter at seeing him being respectful toward non-Catholics and acting “undignified,” Catholics are very pleased with Pope Francis. More notable, though, is the wild adulation he draws from those outside the Church, even more adulation, it appears, than he draws from Catholics. Pope Francis has been named Time magazine’s Person of the Year. An international men’s magazine declared him best dressed, more for what he does not wear than for what he does. The youth music channel MTV named him its man of the year, partnering him with a 17-year-old singer from New Zealand who was their woman of the year. The rock music magazine Rolling Stone featured him on its cover. A magazine focused on the interests of people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered put the pope on its cover, as have many other unlikely publications around the world. Personally, I like the cartoon on the Christmas issue of The New Yorker showing Pope Francis making a snow angel. A graffiti artist in Rome has portrayed him as a superhero. I was recently at dinner with a mixed group of Catholics and Jews; the Jews spoke of the pope even more admiringly than we Catholics did. The comparatively quiet satisfaction that Catholics have with Pope Francis is easy to understand. What he says and does is not very different from what we are used to seeing in our own priests. Most of us priests have administered baptisms where the star of the show was more interested in being fed than in being initiated as a Christian. Most of us, unless the architecture makes it impossible, have had small children escape their parents to join us at the altar. (I’ve asked them to "mind my chair" for me while I’m away from it, something they willingly do till they get bored, climb down and return to the pews.) Most of us have given a sympathetic hearing to people in pain and "bent the rules" on their behalf. To put it simply, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, a.k.a. Pope Francis, is a normal Catholic, and therefore a normal priest. And it is his normalcy that surprises and attracts people. With the exception of Pope John XXIII, Catholics have not seen popes as (Contd.. on p. 9)
10 February 2014
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Is Everybody Mad?
hen our children were small they enjoyed regaling visi tors to our home with this little story: There were four friends named SOMEBODY, NOBODY, MAD and EVERYBODY. One day Somebody killed Nobody, so Mad went to the Police and said “Somebody killed Nobody”! The infuriated policeman shouted, “Are you mad?”, to which the complainant replied, “Yes, I’m Mad”. A BUSYBODY crime reporter at the police station got a juicy headline for the next day’s paper, “Somebody killed Nobody – What Madness”. While this drama played out Everybody got sidelined. This story, which I have slightly embellished now, always drew wild guffaws. But now I find that this story is no laughing matter. I somehow find a message in everything I see, hear or experience; even if it is just a joke or a movie scene. So I find this children’s joke pregnant with meaning for us rational adults. Let us examine the proponents in this little drama. NOBODY: He was killed. Who was he? He was the aam aadmi (before a political party appropriated the term), the garib janta, the awaam, the nameless suffering, and toiling masses of India. Who killed him, or rather who is exploiting him? Who is the Somebody that killed Nobody? SOMEBODY: Somebody is a person with a distinct identity that differentiates him from anybody or everybody else. Somebody comprises all those who pursue identity politics, or vested
BY CHHOTEBHAI
interests. Unfortunately, our country has been flooded with identity politics, based on caste, creed, or ethnicity. Today a majority of the States of the Indian Union are ruled, or greatly influenced, by Somebody. Among them we may count the BJP, SP, BSP, NC, BJD, RJD, JDU, TMC, DMK, AIDMK, TDP, TRS, AGP, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena, MNS, Gorkha and Bodo fronts, and several smaller parties in the North East. To this list we may also add the class-based Left Front. Among those with vested interests we may count the industrialists, media barons and the Naxalites; and fundamentalists like the RSS and the Indian Mujahideen. Small wonder then that Nobody has been murdered, if not physically, then atleast figuratively. It is this balkanization of thought that leads to the fragmentation of society. Who is complaining? Mad is. Who is Mad? MAD: I am Mad, figuratively, and sometimes literally. I do not necessarily mean myself when say “I”. Here the “I” stands for those Indians who are
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true patriots, who love their country, devoid of personal or vested interests. Such persons do not wish to associate with identity politics. They want inclusion, not exclusion. Of late Rahul Baba has been talking about “inclusive growth”. We will come to him later. At this point I will re-assert that Somebody is indeed the killer of Nobody. Now what should Mad do? Is it enough to complain to the Police? It is always easier to complain, crib and criticize. It is not always easy to undertake constructive action for nation building. So what should Mad do? We will come back to that, but first let us identify the Police. POLICE: This may seem obvious, but it is not just the cops. Here the term includes all the law makers (Legislature), law enforcers (Executive) and law interpreters (Judiciary). The Legislature has often been paralyzed, the Executive is largely corrupt and insensitive to the suffering masses, and the Judiciary is so bogged down with the pendency of cases that indeed justice delayed becomes justice denied. Yet, Mad people should never give up hope. There are good people everywhere, even in the three wings of Govt. We need to identify and encourage them. Just as one bad apple can spoil all the fruit in the basket, so can one intravenous injection bring healing to an entire body. Busybody may not always take note of the good things, because they don’t make news. BUSYBODY: Yes, Busybody is the media, busy about other peoples’ busi(Contd.. on p. 6)
10 February 2014
Why Grudge The VIP Culture? There are reports that all the Members of Parliament, who are already being treated like Maharajas by our own Air India, should also be treated likewise by other domestic airlines which operate in India. TV channels have been telecasting and holding debates on why the ‘Lal-Batti’ culture should be extended instead of curtailing it, in line with the directive of the apex court. What MPs are possibly looking for, is privileges which are not available to the cattle class. No standing in queues, access to Business class lounges, right to be escorted, right to delay the flight or right to reach the airport at the 11th hour etc. There are reports that one Congress MP is behind the move having missed his flight had to spend a night in Mumbai at his own expense. He is not used to paying – only getting free. It is up to the airlines concerned to agree or not to agree. They are free to reject such a proposal and tell the authorities that this is simply not possible. They may have to do it at the cost of the ordinary passengers. Today the MPs are demanding such privileges. Few months down the line the Legislators will make such a demand not forgetting our City Fathers. These facilities, even if the airlines agree, do not affect the public exchequer because the expenditure will be borne by the airlines concerned. Hence the industry which is under severe financial stress can surely make a collective decision not to adhere to such ridiculous demands. Even if they do accept the proposal they should not demand their own pound of flesh and ask for certain concessions from the government. The elected representatives when they come for votes promise service to the people. But in the process they serve themselves. In August 2010 they gave themselves a hefty 300+ % hike in salary from 16000 to 50000 rupees. Add to this other allowances such as constituency allowance, daily allowance, stationery allowance etc which works out to about another 80000 making a fat total of Rs 1,30,000 per
10 February 2014
VIEWS on NEWS month. They get free housing in prime areas [which most of them refuse to vacate], furnishing etc. Then there are free air tickets, rail tickets etc. Free electricity and free water is available to them. Interest free to buy a car is also extended. Sometimes we wonder, what are they really pay for. Even those junkets in the name of study tours abroad take care of their vacations. Incidentally, nowhere in the world the elected representatives decide on their own salaries because of the conflict of interest but that does not apply to our chaps. In Switzerland the MPs do not get any salary. They are usually working somewhere and the concerned Corporates give paid leave to them to attend Parliament sessions. By the way, how many of our leaders will agree to accept such an arrangement. *****
Governance Redefined Having unexpectedly come to power in Delhi, the AAP is not reconciled to the fact that they are no longer a group of freelance activists not bound by any protocol. As activists, you have the freedom of engaging in dharnas, sitins, defiance of prohibitory orders or any other variation of protests that go under the broad term of ‘right to protest’. Of course you have all the rights but you are expected to look at your duties as well. Freedom is never one sided. It is a coin with two sides. This must be the first time in Indian history that a serving Chief Minister sat on a dharna despite promulgation of Section 144, just to back his own Minister who went berserk with his intemperate language ordering the Police to do things without procedural formalities. I wonder how a Law Minister can give orders to the Police Official, which is not his domain. Did he think that as Law Minister he had unfettered rights to dictate terms to everybody around? Was he trying to impress his followers who had collected in large numbers and may have encouraged him to exceed his brief? It gives an impression that power is going to the heads of the newly crowned
by Marshall Sequeira Ministers. They have started talking like seasoned politicians. As activists they did not care for the law and went about their agitations without being challenged. Then there was restraint because of the presence of Anna Hazare. If he was not leading the protests then, the likes of Kejrival would have been packed in police vans and possibly locked up. They are now trying to extend that approach even as Ministers. This is setting a new kind of defiance. When a party is in power, the cadres of that party are not given a free hand to protest and create hurdles in the administration. They can indulge in symbolic protests within the broad parameters of the law. But here we have a party whose Chief Minister leads the protests creating hurdles in the preparation of Republic Day celebrations. He even went on to say that he does not believe in such celebrations. Ultimately, he had to eat humble pie and abruptly call off the agitation and also hoist the national flag. Anna Hazare, at the height of Lok Pal agitation a little before Independence Day was gracious enough to say that he will vacate the grounds and allow the celebrations to go on. The very fact that all political parties and intellectuals [who had backed them all the way] in one voice condemned the defiance and arrogance of Arvind Kejrival should send a strong message. If that was not enough, the subtle message of the President of India should make him sit and reflect on his definition of governance. He went to caution political parties [ready AAP] not to make promises which cannot be fulfilled further reminding that the State is not a charitable trust. The country has been ruled on democratic lines since independence and the whole world has applauded it. Let not the likes of Kejrival sully the nation’s image.
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(Contd.. from p. 4) ness; chasing ambulances, juicy sound bites and TRPs. One may also add the social media to the list of busybodies. I have many friends in the print media, and also enjoy reading what others write; particularly the edit page of the Hindustan Times, to which I subscribe. But the so-called debates on TV turn me off, because they seem to be manipulated by the anchors, who conveniently cut off what they don’t want aired. I am also not on FB or Twitter because most of the content is frivolous, for which I don’t have the time. In all this where is Everybody? EVERYBODY: Etymologically the word means “all”. Who is the all-embracing Everybody in the political life of the nation? Has he been sidelined or reduced to a mute spectator? Who can lay claim to representing all and sundry? There are two claimants, the grand old party (the Congress), and the new kid on the block (AAP). AAP has infact cleverly hijacked the Congress’ punch line “Congress ka haath, aam aadmi ke saath”. With sadness and disappointment I must say that the current leadership of the Congress is digging its own grave. It has many achievements to its credit, but it has not been able to get its message across to the people. From the time Pranabh Mukherjee was kicked upstairs into Rashtrapati Bhawan two years ago, the Congress has floundered. It has hobbled from one political crisis or logjam to another. The silence of the triumvirate – Manmohan, Sonia and Rahul Baba, has been deafening. They have lost the plot and their grip on the nation’s psyche. If this trend continues then Everybody will be increasingly sidelined, and Somebody will surely continue to murder Nobody. What of Arvind Kejriwal (AK assault rifle) and his AAP? He raised great hopes, which, like the fresh morning dew, cannot withstand the emergence of the sun – the harsh media glare, and people’s scary expectations. Enough has been written about AAP, so I do not have much more to add. There are just a couple of things that a Mad person like me would like to say to AK. Wearing a Gandhi topi does not a Gandhian make. Gandhiji was not driven by an obsessive hatred for the
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British (the other). He led by personal example, soul power and a love for all (even his opponents). He was truly everybody’s man. Gandhiji was strong, but humble, a quality not seen in AK. Gandhiji suspended the popular swaraj agitation after the violence at Chauri Chaura. A true leader must have the sagacity and magnanimity to know where to draw the line. Even Nelson Mandela, who suffered years of solitary confinement, talked of reconciliation, not confrontation. In 1977 the Janata Party had a far greater mandate than what AAP has today, but they squandered it in a witch-hunting campaign against Indira Gandhi. AK needs to learn the lessons of history, if at all he really aspires to don the mantle of Everybody. Otherwise, in due course, he too will fade into history. He needs to remember the adage “Pride comes before the fall”. WHAT NEXT? We Mad people need to remember that eternal vigilance is the price of freedom. With great sadness I say today that no party in India has Everybody’s interest in mind, and therefore not competent to lead the country. Should I then press the NOTA button during the forthcoming parliamentary elections? Heaven forbid. This time around I think that the Mad people should rise above party loyalty, caste, creed, class and community to elect good persons, who have a proven track record of honesty, diligence and community service. Vote for them, even if they end up losing. No vote is ever wasted. It is always a source of encouragement, even to the loser. It is also not enough to just go and get inked on voting day. Every Mad person who loves his country must actively engage in civic, social and political affairs, and espouse just causes. The Mad people (paagal aadmi) must also amplify their efforts and beliefs through a supportive media. Over the years I have tried to practice what I preach, and will continue to do so out of love for my country. Mad loves Everybody, and will not allow Somebody to again murder Nobody. JAI HIND! * The writer is the Convenor of the Kanpur Nagrik Manch. His views are personal
Infant Jesus Church, Dombivili Celebrates Its Annual Feast Day The ‘Infant Jesus Church’ at Dombivili-Thakurli celebrated its annual feast Mass on Sunday, February 2, 2014. Just before the Mass at 8.30 a.m., the statue of the Infant Jesus was carried in a palanquin and taken in a procession around the Church. People, both young and old took part in this procession in large numbers. There was bursting of crackers and singing of hymns in various languages. Bishop John Rodrigues was the main celebrant for this feast day Mass. After the Mass, there was a family get-together in the Church compound. Each of the 13 zones were asked to perform in its own language. Zone W 7 won the first prize. The second and third prizes were awarded to zones E 5 and W 6. There were also games, a Bible quiz contest and other entertainment programmes for all the parishioners. The delicious food served at noon was enjoyed by all. The programme ended at 6.00 p.m. We thank Fr Peter D'Cunha, the Parish Priest and Fr Jefferey, the Assistant Parish Priest for making this celebration a grand success. — Jubel D’Cruz, Dombivili
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10 February 2014
Court asks Christians to wait one year to file for divorce Bangalore: The separation period required for a Christian couple to file a petition for dissolution of marriage by mutual consent will be one year, the Karnataka high court ruled on Monday. The court disposed of public interest litigation relating to Section 10A (1) of the Divorce Act, 1869, (applicable to Christians) in the light of a 2010 verdict of a division bench of the Kerala high court. The Kerala court had read down the 'two years' separation period in Section 10 A to 'one year' so as to bring the same in conformity with Section 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, Section 32B of the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act and Section 28 of the Special Marriage Act. A division bench headed by Chief Justice DH Waghela noted that the Kerala court judgment has become the law of land in the light of an apex court judgment which says that any verdict of a high court holds good for the entire country unless the same is challenged in the apex court. The bench also noted that the Cen-
Laughter
"If I sold my house and my car, had a big garage sale and gave all my money to the church, would I get into Heaven?' a man asked the children in his Sunday School class. "No!" the children all answered. "If I cleaned the church every day, mowed the yard, and kept everything neat and tidy, would I get into Heaven?" Again, the answer was, 'No!" "Well," the man continued, "then how can I get into Heaven?" A five-year-old boy shouted out, "You gotta be dead!"
10 February 2014
tre, which was a respondent before the Kerala court, did not challenge the said judgment. During the hearing, counsel for the Archdiocese of Bangalore said that the dissolution of a Christian marriage by divorce by mutual consent or by decree of court is not at all recognized by the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). "But realizing that a 'marriage' could be brought about with underlying defects or shortcomings or other disqualification, the RCC has procedure for annulment of marriage. Annulment by church is the only way of termination of marriage recognized by the RCC," he said. The PIL was filed by Shivakumar, who challenged the norm under Section 10A of the Divorce act prescribing a twoyear period prior to filling of petition for
divorce by Christians. The petitioner contended that a twoyear separation period is arbitrary as the Special Marriages Act, the Hindu Marriage Act and the Parsi Marriage Act have a one-year separation period clause. The Kerala high court had said: "Having considered all the relevant circumstances, we are of the opinion that the stipulation of a higher period of two years of mandatory minimum separate residence for those to whom the Divorce Act applies, in contra-distinction to those similarly placed to whom Sec 13B of the Hindu Marriage Act, Sec 32B of the Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act and Sec 28 of the Special Marriage Act would apply, offends the mandate of equality and right to life under Arts14 and 21 of the Constitution."
Fund-Raiser Musical For Navjeet by Irwin Almeida
All one needed to do was just sit back, relax in air-conditioned comfort, and enjoy an evening of entertaining performances on Tuesday, January 28, at the St. Andrew’s Auditorium, Bandra. That’s how it was at the fund-raising Musical Concert, in aid of Navjeet Projects for the underprivileged, produced by Felix Flor, while the ebullient compere, Shahriyar Atai took you through the evening starting from the word Skit and kept you in stitches with his down-to-earth humour while some of the best medical specialists went through their procedures -- vocal and instrumental renditions of ever-popular numbers. Both GPs and MDs of Bandra’s “Health is Harmony” Holy Family Hospital gave of their best for a deserving cause, the Navjeet Community Centre. Founded in 1978, by the Ursulines of Mary Immaculate Sisters, Navjeet has partnered with the local community and other bodies. Navjeet Community Health Care Centre works untiringly in the slums of Bandra and the nearby suburbs not only in health care but also in fields like education, empowerment of women, and income generating projects. Over the years, Navjeet’s community development programmes have changed the lives of disadvantaged urban and rural com-
munities. Sr. Bindhu, Director of Navjeet, thanked Felix Flor for producing the concert year after year, getting the performers together and also for having an appreciative and responsive audience. She welcomed the Chief Guest, Ms. Janet D’Souza and thanked the sponsors, Earnest John Group of Companies. The musical featured Ella Atai, Riya and Simran Duggal, Frederica Flor, Edward Mendes, Niyati Melody Mirajkar, James Miranda, Kashiff and Mihika Miranda, Marie Paul, Tara Sutaria, the groups – Relative Harmony and Victory Chorus Line, Doctor’s Musical OPD conducted by Dr. Nikhil Cunha and others. The musical concert had as its Chief Guest, Ms. Janet D’Souza, Vice Chairperson, Maharashtra State Minorites Commission, who, in her address, appreciated the noble work of our priests and nuns which she had witnessed in the course of her visits to various districts. She therefore assured the multi-speciality Holy Family Hospital and its social outreach, Navjeet Community Centre of assistance and guidance in their efforts. An enjoyable evening concluded with all the performers on stage led by Felix Flor aptly singing “We’ll meet again….”
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Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow
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anuary 30th in 1948, Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of our nation was assassinated. As a nation, we were shocked: how could this dastardly act be done on anyone, and particularly to Gandhi who gave of his best to the country and its people? His assassin Nathuram Godse was an RSS man. The core ideology of the RSS has always been a fascist one; with no place for the minorities in their scheme of things or for the pluralism which reflects the character of the Indian nation. Rightly enough, the then Home Minister of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel held the RSS and its affiliate, the Hindu Mahasabha, responsible for the murder of Gandhi. On February 4th, 1948, Patel had the courage to ban the RSS naming it as an anti-national organization because of its dangerous activities which fomented divisiveness, hate and violence in different parts of the country. Today: sixty-six years later, the RSS (the many bans on it, having been lifted) and their affiliates, are well and alive. They continue with impunity and immunity with their agenda of hate and violence. To top it all, they have decided that their protégé Narendra Modi will be the Prime Ministerial candidate of the BJP for the forthcoming National Elections 2014. That Modi presided over the killing of his own citizens (in what is known as the Gujarat Carnage of 2002) is beyond a shade of doubt; that he embodies the RSS ideology to the core, is without debate. So apart from the many problems the country is plagued with at this moment, India has also to deal with a person who constantly lies and who has virtually destroyed freedom of religion, speech and expression, in his obsession to gain power. And this, when he rules over the State which gave birth to Mahatma Gandhi! Today: is ‘MARTYR’S DAY’ in In-
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dia. We hang our heads down in shame when we remember the many other lives that have been lost all over the country because of hate and divisiveness - in Gujarat, in Orissa, in Bihar, in U.P, in Assam and in so many other parts of the country. It is also a day on which Catholics in the country observe a ‘DAY OF PEACE’. The message by Pope Francis for this celebration is entitled ‘Fraternity, the Foundation and Pathway to Peace’; an unequivocal challenge for all of us to ensure fraternity in order to build a just society and a solid and lasting peace. Tomorrow: Mahatma Gandhi reminds us that an eye for an eye will make the whole world blind, so we need to have eyes and a heart for the future, a vision for a new tomorrow. Pope Francis in his Peace Day mes-
HOW TO HANDLE MISTAKES
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ever mind all the mistakes you did in the past. What ever mistakes you have done, you have learnt some lessons from them. There is no point in regretting this moment for the last moment which is already gone. Resolve right now. 'The moment I am innocent, I am pure, I am part of the light, I am love', and think what you can do in the next moment. So, you have to pull yourself up again and again, to see (keep your attention on) the future. Depression is always thinking about the past and then fearing the future. Spiritual knowledge is that which gives you the strength for the future, 'Nothing to worry, only the best can happen to me because my heart clean, and my mind is clear'.
BY FR. CEDRIC PRAKASH SJ
sage reminds us that “the many situations of inequality, poverty and injustice, are signs not only of a profound lack of fraternity, but also of the absence of a culture of solidarity, New ideologies, characterized by rampant individualism, egocentrism and materialistic consumerism, weaken social bonds, fuelling that “throw away” mentality which leads to contempt for, and the abandonment of, the weakest and those considered “useless”. In this way human coexistence increasingly tends to resemble a mere do ut des which is both pragmatic and selfish.” And above all “Fraternity needs to be discovered, loved, experienced, proclaimed and witnessed too. But only love bestowed as a gift from God, enables us to accept and fully experience fraternity”. Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: in more ways than one, January 30th is a day on which we need to look back, do a reality check on what is happening today and above all give ourselves a firm agenda of deep hope for a new tomorrow. Let’s make a start now! (* Fr. Cedric Prakash SJ is the Director of PRASHANT, the Ahmedabad based Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace.)
10 February 2014
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Konkani Literary Award – “Yuvakiran 2013”
he young talent Roshan Vamanjoor had won Melky Sequeira has been this award in 2011 and chosen for the 2012 respectively. “Yuvakiran-2013” award. This Roshan Sequeira with award was instituted during 2011 his pen name Roshu by Samanvaya, Mangalore and Bajpe, hails from Bajpe is sponsored by non-resident Inand has been chosen dians Mr & Mrs John A. Karkala for this award in recogpresently living in the U.S.A., who nition of his contribuhold Konkani culture very close tion to the cause of to their heart. It includes a cita- Roshan Melky Sequeira konkani language and tion, a memento, shawl and a literature. He has been cash prize. Joel Noronha of Siddakatte writing from the young age of 16. He and Darrel Jeevan D’souza of
Want To Be Like The Pope?
(Contd.. from p. 3) their priests: "The pope is the pope, and Father So-and-So is my priest." People accepted the difference, whether they were happy with it or not. Some lay folk and even some priests wanted priests to act more like popes than pastors. And, too many priests have been willing to oblige. Now, we are seeing a pope who looks more and more like what most Catholics expect from a priest. And they like it. That is encouraging for those priests who strive to be good shepherds, companions and healers to the People of God. But, what are we to make of the wild enthusiasm that Pope Francis has aroused among those outside the Church? Clearly, the world is starved for normalcy and simple decency in our public figures, whether they be politicians, financial leaders, entertainers, sports stars or even religious leaders. We have come to expect scandal, corruption, egoism, selfishness, abuse of power, betrayal, manipulation, self-righteous hypocrisy, greed, pettiness, violence and a host of other less-thaninspiring characteristics. That a man in a position of world leadership can attract so much attention and affection by simply being a decent human being is a sad commentary on our world. And yet, the response of people to Pope Francis is a hopeful sign. We
10 February 2014
are fed up with the sort of men and women who usually get into the headlines and on the magazine covers. Yet people have not given up hope that there might be men and women around who can take a stand against so much that the world considers "normal," not through confrontation, but by simply being sincerely interested in people and their good. The world still looks for goodness, for kindness and for common sense. In other words, the world want normalcy. That presents a challenge and an opportunity for Christians. Incarnating the Incarnation, living as a disciple of Christ, is the most normal thing a human being can do, because Jesus is the norm for humanity. For someone baptized into union with Christ, living otherwise presumably takes extra effort. Pope Francis is showing how enthusiastically the world responds to a loving, caring, forgiving, friendly and good-natured believer. One out of every three people in the world is a Christian, and half of those are Catholic. How might the world respond, how different would the news of the world be, if all of us simply acted normal? The world is waiting, ready and even looking forward to finding out. Father William Grimm MM is publisher of ucanews.com
has a number of innovative articles to his credit along with a few short stories and poems. He has won prizes in Rakanno literary competitions regularly and also in Sevak competition. Presently, Roshan is employed at M.C.C. Bank, Bajpe. “Yuvakiran 2013” will be conferred on him on 16th February, 2014 at 3.00 p.m. at Mai De Dues Church ground, Puttur. — Dr Ronald Cutinha Director, Samanvaya
Can Indian Bishops become aam aadmi shepherds imitating Pope Francis? (Contd.. from p. 2) (AAP) even if it may look humiliating for those expected to be role models in society. Bowing to truth wherever you find it, is not humiliating, but ennobling. Simply declare and proclaim at the very out set: “We the Catholic Bishops of India renounce and reject for good the VVIP, flashy, flamboyant culture starting with our addiction to a soothing royal, imperial, godly but outdated honorific titles and appellations like: Your Eminence, Your Grace, Your Highness, Your Excellency, Monsignor, Most Rev. Very Rev. Rt. Rev and Rev for the just ordained – all wrong and blasphemous — and the all too costly life style in palaces and moving around in posh cars – even imported bulletproof ones reportedly – and all sorts of dressing up and make up for public display like the newly weds, in silk and satin, gold and silver and matching head gears reminiscent of princes of a dead bygone era, and the company of a coterie of “yes- men” when in public space,” never alone, also for security reasons perhaps.
(To be contd...)
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Hey Oliver! Orlem’s Got Talent! By Ladislaus L D’Souza One of the finest authors on the English literary firmament was undoubtedly Charles Dickens and his finest and, indeed, thought-provoking novel equally undoubtedly was OLIVER TWIST. Producing such a story on stage is no mean task to which, of course, Our Lady of Lourdes, Orlem, proved itself equal! Orlem has always been a happening place ever since Father Hugh Fonseca of happy memory [to whom the youth of Good Shepherd’s, Four Bungalows, so aptly paid homage in the souvenir] brought the celebration of its patronal feast—and the Novena preceding it—out of the confines of the church into the open, making the parish one of the 10 model parishes of the time. Oh yeah! Orlem’s got talent! But never before was that talent so creatively on display as in its performance of OLIVER TWIST! The mammoth production staged by Anthony Coelho (Director) and Lancelot Lewis (Asstt Director) and their team which numbered not in tens and twenties but hundreds on the 17, 18 and 19 January 2014 was the fruit of a two months-long exercise that saw the young and not-so-young alike go the whole hog to give the parish a musical it would remember for long! The story of Oliver Twist is an enigma in that it challenges our stereotypical way of looking at things, viz. with absurd passivity. “Please Sir, I want more!” was a shocking statement to make at a time when Oliver and his fellow orphans lived on a meagre ration of food while those doling out the measly meal seemed too well-fed to care for the hunger pangs of the havenots. This was well brought out by the Ferrao boys as Oliver and Thomson Andrews as Mr Bumble, everybody else from Fagin to Nancy and from Brownlow to Mrs Bumble forthcoming in bringing the issue of child labour into prominence even at the cost of having the audience learn that ‘the Law is an Ass’! Hitches and glitches there seem to have been aplenty, leading to vacant seats caused by the notion that all tickets were sold out! But that did nothing to compromise the quality of talent on display on the part of the totalOrlemite cast those three long nights (though the same cannot be said about the snack boxes on sale!). Awesome acting, singing and choreography brought out the nuances of the theatrics involved in the presentation. However, the most amazing aspect of the overall performance was obviously the least apparent and that was the two choirs that so ably supported the entire do: the Adult Choir conducted by Maxim Wen and the Kiddies Choir conducted by Maria Rodricks, delightful balancing and perfect synchronization the highlight of their joint act! As for the ‘sound’, what clarity!! Kudos to Father Daniel Fernandes, the indefatigable overall coordinator of the programme and to the Parish Priest, the young and ebullient Gilbert de Lima, but for whose full backing OLIVER TWIST would least likely have happened! Would that the production were presented in other parts of the diocese, too!
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21st All-religion Prayer & Get-together
The brain-child of Sr. Dr. Pauline Chakkalakal, DSP which was started in 1992 soon after the riots, completed 21 years on the 23rd of January this year. What began as an All-Religion Prayer & GetTogether with only 100 people, now sees a crowd of over 500+ attendees. The event beautifully displays unity in diversity, not only in the programme but also in the organisation of it. With Bombay Urban Industrial League for Development (BUILD), Bandra as well as Bandra Hindu Association working together with the Daughters of St. Paul for 21 harmonious years to come up with innovative themes and presentations for the Get-Together year after year. This year’s theme was “Youth for Change”. The programme which was held at Duruelo Convent High School, Bandra, commenced with the lamp being lit by representatives from various religions. This was followed by a beautiful prayer dance to invoke God’s blessings by the students of Dr Bhanuben Nanavati Pharma School, Vile Parle. Educationists, youth, students, parents and eminent personalities were present for the occassion. The chief guest Dr. A C Vanjani, Principal of Smt. M.M.K. College of Commerce & Economics, Bandra was felicitated by Mr. Ajit Manyal, Secretary of the Bandra Hindu Association. Sr. Dr. Pauline Chakkalakal explained that the sole purpose of having this All-Religion Prayer and Get-Together was to celebrate unity in diversity, not uniformity. She said that it served as a platform to foster sisterhood & brotherhood between people from different religions, languages, cultures and walks of life. To display this, during the short prayer service, verses from the Bhagavad Gita, the Bible and the Quran were read and reflected on. Since this year’s theme was Youth for Change, a few of the guests were asked to share their wisdom with the youth. The common thread between all the pearls of wisdom given by, Mrs Saba Patel, Principal, Anjuman-I-Islam GHS & Jr. College, Rev. George Daniel, General Secretary, BUILD, Ms Delnaz Jalnawalla, Ms Manya from the Brahma Kumaris and Dr A. C. Vanjani, was that the youth must bring about a change. The youth should be advocates of positivity, harmony, justice and peace. Rev. George Daniel said, “Old people dream dreams, but young people have visions”. — Nolencia Dharmai, Bandra, Mumbai
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7 Ways Salaried Individuals Can Save Taxes 2014 : At the end of every financial year, many tax payers frantically make investments to minimize taxes, without adequate knowledge of the various available options. The Income Tax Act offers many more incentives and allowances, apart from the popular 80C, which could reduce tax liability substantially for the salaried individuals. Here are seven smart tips to help you save more and reduce taxes.
1. Salary Restructuring Restructuring your salary may not always be possible. But if your company permits, or if you are on good terms with your HR department, restructuring a few components could reduce your tax liability. Opt for food coupons instead of lunch allowances, as they are exempt from tax up to Rs. 50 per meal Include medical allowance, transport allowance, education allowance, uniform expenses (if any), and telephone expenses as part of salary. Produce bills of actual expenses incurred for these allowances to reduce tax Opt for the company car instead of using your own car, to reduce high prerequisite taxation.
2. Utilizing Section 80C Section 80C offers a maximum deduction of up to Rs. 1,00,000. Utilize this section to the fullest by investing in any of the available investment options. A few of the options are as follows: O Public
Provident Fund Insurance Premium O National Savings Certificate O Equity Linked Savings Scheme O 5 year fixed deposits with banks and post office O Tuition fees paid for children's education, up to a maximum of 2 children O Life
3. Options beyond 80C If you have exhausted your limit of Rs. 1,00,000 under section 80C,
10 February 2014
save more tax. The principal component of your loan, is included under Section 80C, offering a deduction up to Rs. 1,00,000. The interest portion offers a deduction up to Rs. 1,50,000 separately under Section 24.
6. Leave Travel Allowance here are a few more options: O Section 80D - Deduction of Rs. 15,000
for medical insurance of self, spouse and dependent children and Rs. 20,000 for medical insurance of parents above 65 years O Section 80G- Donations to specified funds or charitable institutions.
4. House Rent Allowance Are you paying rent, yet not receiving any HRA from your company? The least of the following could be claimed under Section 80GG: O 25
per cent of the total income or O Rs. 2,000 per month or O Excess of rent paid over 10 per cent of total income This deduction will however not be allowed, if you, your spouse or minor child owns a residential accommodation in the location where you reside or perform office duties. If HRA forms part of your salary, then the minimum of the following three is available as exemption: O The
actual HRA received from your employer O The actual rent paid by you for the house, minus 10 per cent of your salary (this includes basic dearness allowance, if any) O 50 per cent of your basic salary (for a metro) or 40 per cent of your basic salary (for non-metro).
5. Tax Saving from Home Loans Use your home loan efficiently to
Use your Leave Travel Allowance for your holidays, which is available twice in a block of four years. In case you have been unable to claim the benefit in a particular four- year block, you could now carry forward one journey to the succeeding block and claim it in the first calendar year of that block. Thus, you may be eligible for three exemptions in that block.
7. Tax on Bonus A bonus from your employer is fully taxable in the year in which you receive it. However request your employer for the following: O If
you anticipate tax rates to be reduced or slabs to be modified in the subsequent year, see if you could push the bonus payment to the subsequent year O Produce your tax investment details well before, to prevent your employer from deducting tax on bonus before handing it over
A Final Word Keep in mind the below points, to avoid the hassles of last minute tax planning. O Give
your employer details of loans and tax saving investments beforehand, to prevent any excess deduction O Check the Form 16 received at the end of each year from your employer thoroughly O It is important to start your tax planning well before 31st March, and to file your returns before the 31st of July each year - Source : NDTV Profit
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7 Social Evils
reat people may come and go but trusted people, have last ing legacies, for they leave an indelible impression on the mind. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was one such person. He not only pioneered a freedom struggle based on his firm belief in Satyagraha, but also proclaimed a moral vision, guided by his love and concern for humanity. He envisaged a society that did not hide behind a façade of moral hypocrisy, rather one that backed truth and har-
Ninette D'Souza mony. Gandhi was a visionary who realized that, the freedom that would be achieved at a great price, would need a conscientious society to carry it forward. Misguided modes of conduct, he fearlessly condemned as ‘deadly evils’ because they would destroy us, he claimed. On the 64th death anniversary of Gandhi I wish to share, the 7 social evils spoken about by Gandhi, as way back as in 1925, but which remain valuable even today, for the paradox of our times is while we have made forays into space, we have also let the malaise of evil dictate our very lives. As the wise
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Buddha said, “It is a man’s own mind that lures him to evil ways�. The 7 social evils : a) Wealth without work - Simply put means getting something for nothing. It advocatesDon’t work, just manipulate people and things. A notable example being, make money without paying your taxes and yet reap the benefits of citizenship. b) Pleasure without conscience - The chief query of the immature, greedy and selfish is, “What’s in it for me? Will this make me happy?� Learning to live selflessly, to be sensitive and considerate is a challenge today; otherwise there is no sense of social responsibility in our pleasure seeking activities. c) Knowledge without character - Little knowledge is dangerous definitely, but only focusing on academic excellence without character development, is as dangerous if not worse. Our education should empower our children to become persons of substance - the need of the hour. d) Commerce without morality – In his book Moral Sentiment, economist Adam Smith has shared the importance of service and contribution to society. If we allow business to operate with no moral foundation, we would only be setting ourselves up for an immoral society. e) Science without humanity – If Science becomes all technique and technology it will quickly degenerate into a battle of man against humanity. If there is no sound understanding of the human purpose for which a said technology is striving, we will end up victims of our own technocracy. f) Worship without sacrifice – If
we claim to profess a religion without any sacrifice then we are only involved with the social façade of religion and the piety of religious practices. Important in religion is learning to put ourselves in the other’s shoes, walking the extra mile for another, all of which involves sacrificing our own pride, prejudices and ego. g) Politics without principles - If life is governed without principles there is nothing to depend upon. Focusing only on one’s personality is creating an image that will sell well in society. Like our politicians who spend astonishingly large sums of money to create superficial images ,in order to win votes and gain office. In his book, ‘Principle Centred Leadership’, Dr. Stephen Covey has elucidated the works of Gandhi and has realistically laid open the meaning of the 7 social evils for anyone who cares to listen and learn. Hence I have spoken of them in minimalistic terms. I would rather try and use this forum to source out a reason for the escalation of these evils and look at a way forward. The indecipherable Albert Einstein, often referred to as a ‘mad scientist’ shared these words of wisdom, “The world is a dangerous place to live in not because of the people who are evil but because of the people who don’t do anything about itâ€?. How often have we taken the easy way out and blamed society for everything that has gone wrong. But wait a minute. Are you and me not society? So if we want to make it a better place we need to change ourselves first. We need to eschew all forms of evil and its associated signs. Winston Churchill has rightly pointed out, “Except for the word ‘Change’ all other things in this world are subject to change, an inseparable part of life and if we fail to change ourselves and remain stubbornly in the past we will not be a part of the futureâ€?. It would have greatly pained Gandhi to see a vast majority of his country men and women refusing to change, clinging stubbornly instead to meaningless rituals, customs, traditions and beliefs, that bring only
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pain and tragedy to themselves and their families. It is this very lack of change, that has created these evils which are not only an abomination to our culture, but are also proving to be stumbling blocks in India’s strides towards rapid growth on the global chart. I am convinced by Kahlil Gibran who says, “To be able to look back upon one’s life in satisfaction is to live twice.” As a teacher I work daily with young hearts and minds I can make or mar. I choose to challenge my students to be the change they want to see. I motivate them to implement new ideas and set high ideals for themselves and others, build upon their inherent talents and capabilities to create a positive environment of growth and respect, exude a trust that cuts across all barriers and become proud pioneers of a turn around in the mindset by working consistently and with conviction. Am I encouraging them to emulate Gandhi? Of course! While there always will be one and only one M.K. Gandhi where is the harm in Gen Y propagating ‘Gandhigiri’? If Munnabhai could use it to bring about a change in reel life, why can our children not use it to bring about change in real life? For the 64th death anniversary of Gandhi, I have a wish— that there exists a society where everyone has the same opportunities, where equality and understanding become an everyday experience. Am I asking for the impossible???? I do not know, but I take courage in the words of the Mahatma himself who said, “When I despair, I remember all through history, the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they can seem invincible but in the end they always fall. Think of it –always”. Yes, friends the amount of good in one warm hearted person is enough to go over all the cold hearted people in the world. Jai Hind. Mrs. Ninette D’Souza, Canossa High School, Mahim. This piece won the first prize at the inter school compendium of competitions on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, conducted by the Gandhi Smarak Society at Mani Bhavan in Sept 2013. I have edited it to suit his death anniversary.
10 February 2014
Arabic Calligraphy
A very ancient form of calligraphy, it is a form of writing in which Calligraphers produce eleborate designs using Arabic script. Few religions prohibits the worship of images. As a result, nonfigurative art forms such as calligraphy have a high degree of importance in such culture. Arabic is the language of the Qur'an, giving Arabic calligraphy a special status Over the long and varied history of Arabic calligraphy, a number of different styles developed in different regions. For example, the early Kufic style is highly linear, with sharp angles and straight lines. A later calligraphic style, the Nash or Naskh script, is much more fluid. Writings in Arabic calligraphy appear in a wide variety of contexts. Calligraphic designs are common in books, particularly sacred texts, but they also occur on pottery, coinage and other objects. Inscriptions in Arabic calligraphy are an important part of the decoration of many mosques. These inscriptions are combined with geometric decoration to create a visually striking effect. In some mosques, the passage from the Qur'an chosen for the
inscription relates to the part of the mosque it adorns. One unusual type of Arabic calligraphy is the calligram. In a calligram, the calligrapher uses the words of the inscription to create a picture. The picture is often related to the text of the inscription, creating a visual pun. Calligrams are a form of popular calligraphy and do not usually appear in mosques or other high-status contexts.
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Our Lady Of Lourdes Feast Day-February II World day of sick Declared as day of physical and spiritual healing. Situated in the foothills of the great Pyrenees, In a cave at Mssabielle, Near Lourdes in France, In the year 1858, Between II February and 16 July, Our lady appeared 18 times, To a 14 year old girl, Named Marie Bernadette Soubirous. This has become, One of the world's most pilgrimage centres, On account of its innumerable miracles, Of physical and spiritual healing, A Basilica was built on the rock, Above the grotto, In accordance with Our Lady's request, To St. Bernadette. And when this proved too small, The 'Rosary Church' was added to it In 1901. In 1907 Pope Pius X extended to the Universal Church, The observance of this day's Feast, With its special office and Mass, Devout pilgrims thronged to the shrine, From the very beginning, The first of national pilgrimages, Arrived in 1872. It was a French one, Consisting of 25,000 pilgrims, It is now estimated, That about a million pilgrims, Visit Lourdes each year. The physical cures began within, A few days of the first apparition, And have continued ever since. These miracles are not confined to believers, But to prayer offered, By some faithful Catholic relative or other,
The most touching sight and time however, When most miraculous cures, Seem to take place, Is the daily procession, Of the Blessed Sacrament, When the Eucharistic Presence, Carried by a visiting Prelate, Into the great Rosary Square, In front of the Basilica, Goes through seriously affected invalids. Blessing each one individually. At this time the voice of invocateurs, And thousands of pilgrims in chorus, Cry out, 'Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me! Please Lord, that I may see! Lord, that I may hear! Lord, that I may walk! This moving spectacle, Ends with General Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, From the Basilica steps. The miracles of Our Lady at Lourdes, Lead the Church to declare, Her feast day, A day of 'Healing' in modern times.
—Ella Almeida
The wheel chair and helpless stretcher cases, Which arrive in special 'invalid trains' and buses, Are lovingly handled By volunteer men and women nurses, Who at all times and everywhere, Keep reciting the Rosary aloud.
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10 February 2014
CYBER AWARENESS
Inspiration!
What is cyber crime?
My Dream Is To Inspire
E
ver since she was a child Julene has enjoyed painting, drawing, and other arts and crafts and attempts to use her abilities as gifts to others. She started her design and media company Envibrance Studios in 2002 as a teen, minored in art in college and wanted to find a way to create original art to share with others‌ She had always liked cute and feminine t-shirts, but often could not find any with messages she liked or with un-cluttered, pretty graphics that could be dressed up with cute layering and accessories or dressed down for casual occasions. When visiting her mother’s homeland of Haiti after the earthquake she was shocked at the standards of living there and wanted to give back in some way through product sales (a portion of Envibrance Dream Apparel sales will go towards charitable causes, including helping people in Haiti). She also saw some of her cousins in Haiti wearing second-hand brand-name tshirts with scary images of skulls and
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decided to create positive t-shirts for youth to wear instead While working with youth as a motivational speaker, Julene often saw teens and tweens wearing shirts with negative messages. She began creating her own positive shirts to sell and wear at events, and to donate to special youth events and organizations There are so many t-shirts out there already but very few merge positive messages with bold, artistic graphics.
O
Cyber Crime is a criminal activity committed with the use of computing or Electrical Devices and Internet.
O
Such crimes are increasing rapidly in Pune
O School and College students are
the most common victims of these attacks. O Netcrime refers to criminal exploi-
tation of the Internet. O
Generally, however, it may be divided into two categories: 1. Crimes that target computers directly; 2. Crimes facilitated by computer networks or devices, the primary target of which is independent of the computer net work or device.
O Netcrime refers to criminal exploi-
tation of the internet.
Eating Onions And Garlic Will Help Your Hair Grow
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arlic and onions are very similar and come from the allium family, with their benefits to the human body numerous. Garlic contains high levels of allicin, a compound of sulfur that gives it the strong smell. Allicin is also a very strong antibiotic which helps the body in killing germs and curbing their ability to reproduce. The antibacterial properties are what give this bulb the power to eliminate toxins from the scalp, so ladies, take note. It also promotes circulation of the scalp, and these are both key for hair to grow. Oh, those who suffer from scalp dryness can use garlic to good effect. For best effects, apply garlic directly to the scalp. The same case can be said of close cousin the onion and a 2002 study outlined the benefits of onion to hair growth. The sample group involved 23 patients who applied onion juice twice a day, and 86.9% of these experienced hair regrowth after just six weeks. The positive effect of these two on hair regrowth has the high sulfur levels.
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Regd. No. ROYAL CHRISTIAN FAMILY, 99, Perin Nariman Street, 1st Floor, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001.
To Place Your Matrimonial Advertisement Call: 2269 3578 OR 2265 4924 10 February 2014
MATRIMONIALS MUMBAI : Goan Roman Catholic Spinster, aged 25 years, Ht. 4’ 7”, Wt. 48 kgs, Fair Complexion, Edn. B.Sc., in H.Sc. Textile working as a Asst. Executive. Contact email : dmelloaurealia@gmail.com OR 9819569874 (Regd. No. 6026) MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman Catholic Spinster, aged 24 years, Ht. 5’ 6”, Wt. 58 kgs, Wheatish Complexion, Edn. B.A., working for a Multinational Company. Contact email : denverr89@gmail.com (Regd. No. 6025) MUMBAI : Roman Catholic Divorcee, aged 49 years. Ht. 5’ 7”, Wt. 65 kgs, Wheatish Complexion, Edn. B.Sc., working as a Sr. Govt. Officer. Contact Email : reenaahuja2012@gmail.com OR 9323552662 (Regd. No. 6023) MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman Catholic Spinster, aged 28 years. Ht. 5’ 3”, Wt. 45 kgs, Fair Complexion, Edn. B.E. Computer, working as a I.T. Consultant. Seeks an educated Mangalorean boy from good family background. Contact : 8879179796 or Email : ajd19@yahoo.co.in (Regd. No. 6018) QATAR : R.C. Spinster, age 28, Ht. 5’ 6”, MBA, working in Qatar for an Oil Company along with her family, seeks alliance from tall, well educated bachelors (working on ship or abroad-Engineers), having strong catholic values. Please re-
Royal Christian Family Helps In Choosing The Right Life-Partner
Serving Since 32 Years 10 February 2014
spond to email: MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman vanspereira25@gmail.com OR Catholic Spinster, aged 32 years, 97466756066 (Regd. No. 5990) Ht. 5’ 5”, Wt. 57 kgs, Wheatish Complexion, Edn. MBA, working as MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman Marketing Manager in Bangalore, Catholic Spinster, aged 30 years, Contact email : Ht. 5’ 4”, Wt. 63 kgs, Wheatish Com- richardathanasius@gmail.com OR plexion, Edn. MSc. Nursing, work- 9980555027 (Regd. No. 5973) ing as a Nurse in Abudhabi - UAE. Seeks a well educated MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman Mangalorean boy with good family Catholic Spinster, aged 28 years, values. Contact email: Ht. 5’ 5”, Wheatish Complexion, janydz_1484@yahoo.com OR Edn. MBA, well settled. Seeks a 9930076741 (Regd. No. 5980) boy below 33 years. Contact email: MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman Catholic Spinster, aged 24 years, Ht. 5’ 4”, Wt. 51 kgs, Fair Complexion, Edn. B.Sc., PGD. Event Mgt., working as Manager-client servicing, good looking. Seeks a RC bachelor below 30 years, Ht. above 5’ 8”, Preferably working abroad. Contact email : olinda.r90gmail.com OR 9820340642 (Regd. No. 5979)
c_dsouza2007@yahoo.com OR 9920384736 (Regd. No. 5972)
MUMBAI : Anglo Indian Roman Catholic Spinster, aged 34 years, Ht. 5’, Wt. 53 kgs, Wheatish Complexion, Edn. Graduate, working as a Web Designer in MUSCAT. Seeks a well settled bachelor. Contact email : newimage23@yahoo.com / parsjudy@gmail.com OR 00968MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman 95852514 / 9820300874 (Regd. Catholic Spinster, aged 30 years, No. 5971) Ht. 5’ 4”, Wt. 63 kgs, Wheatish Complexion, Edn. MSc. Nursing, work- MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman ing as a Nurse in Abudhabi - UAE. Catholic Spinster, aged 25 years, Seeks a well educated Ht. 5’ 3”, Wt. 60 kgs, Wheatish Mangalorean boy with good family Complexion, Edn. B.Com., working values. Contact email: as a Sales Co-ordinator. Contact janydz_1484@yahoo.com OR email : avonquadros@ymail.com 9930076741 (Regd. No. 5980) OR 9969741361 (Regd. No. 5970) MUMBAI : Mangalorean Roman Catholic Spinster, aged 24 years, Ht. 5’ 4”, Wt. 51 kgs, Fair Complexion, Edn. B.Sc., PGD. Event Mgt., working as Manager-client servicing, good looking. Seeks a RC bachelor below 30 years, Ht. above 5’ 8”, Preferably working abroad. Contact email : olinda.r90gmail.com OR 9820340642 (Regd. No. 5979)
Address your replies to :
Regd. No. ROYAL CHRISTIAN FAMILY, 99, Perin Nariman Street, 1st Floor, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001.
Please renew your membership at lease a month in advance before its expiration date. 21
His Light Will Rise In Darkness
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are those men and women e credit the rich in who in linguistic and ethnic heritance of our diversity misinterpret the Faith to Holy Mother Lord’s light. In the Gospel of the Church. She has preJohn, chapter 3, verse 19 it is served, propagated and prowritten : “ this is the judgtected the Laws of God with ment, that the light has come the Laws of the Church; divinely destined to be the beaBY MELVYN BROWN into the world, and people loved darkness rather than con to guide souls in this life. The Spirit of God, however, decides on light because their deeds were evil.” John was an insurance salesman whom to send with His light. God spoke to prophet Isaiah, “ I in his early thirties. He rose in the task he will give you as a light to the nations, that was given and was made executivemy salvation may reach to the end of the salesman within a year. Within three earth.” (Is.49:3). The Christian faith will years of hard labor John was able to find always carry this torch in Jesus’ name. his life-partner, build a home and beThere is no drawback to the Lord’s come a father of twin daughters. Somecontrol of his mission-ministry when he how, for John, it was not a satisfied life. appoints His chosen one. In the tangled Something was not there. At this stage web of man’s interpretation to know he felt like a ship adrift. Suddenly, on God’s will; nothing can bear fruit unless hearing a Sunday sermon proclaiming He so reveals it. “You are the salt of the Christ crucified changed his routine life. In the darkness of his soul the earth; but if salt has lost its taste…. It is no longer good for anything, but is Lord’s light broke through. John took on thrown out and trampled under foot.” a personal mission to help the helpless, (Mat.5:13). When God’s light is not on a to protect women from violence, to shelperson; the man is lost in darkness, ter the homeless and the old, while still unable to make logical deductions re- holding his insurance work. To those who received his aid, John spoke to gardless of how intelligent. St. Paul’s faith rested on God’s them of the faith and how love is able to power. Proclaiming Christ crucified, Paul conquer through Christ. Then, one afternoon, his wife read wrote in his First letter to the Corinthians, “ So that your faith might rest not on out to him a verse she had come across human wisdom but on the power of reading the Bible. “If you offer your food God.” (1Cor.2:5). Paul believed in the to the hungry, and satisfy the needs of credibility of Jesus. He launched a self- the afflicted, then your light shall rise in imposed campaign (after being ap- the darkness and your gloom be like the pointed by God) to be a light to the noonday.” (Is.58:10). John was gracious nations. He carried the torch of the new and humble. He was proud of the Church Christian faith from Antioch to Paphos in for preserving the faith in Scripture, Cyprus (AD 48-49). A year later from prayers, rituals, devotions and laws. It Jerusalem to Athens (AD 50-54). In the was inevitably God’s mission-ministry; same year from Joppa to Corinth (AD His light given to a dark world. The great, insurmountable reward 54-58). Your light can rise in the dark. It will when in darkness is to receive His light. be starkly shown in exact configura- “His life is the light that shines through tions, while the rage to live, standing the darkness – and the darkness can alone at the harbor of storm and wind – never extinguish it.”(Jn.1:5/LNT.) This the light will shine on you to take the is a quotidian truth. Thus we meet with cognitive leap. This, is pure epiphany. Christ every day of our life, readily reachYou will change from competitor to con- ing out to save souls. fessor, proclaiming Christ. And yet, there •
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Rosary
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hoever shall re cite the Rosary devoutly, applying himself to the consideration of its Sacred Mysteries shall never be conquered by misfortune. God will not chastise him in His justice, he shall not perish by an unprovided death; if he be just, he shall remain in the grace of God, and become worthy of eternal life.
Benefits of the Rosary 1. It gradually gives us a perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2. It purifies our souls, washing away sin. 3. It gives us victory over all our enemies. 4. It makes it easy for us to practice virtue. 5. It sets us on fire with love of Our Lord. 6. It enriches us with graces and merits. 7. It supplies us with what is needed to pay all our debts to God and to our fellow men; and finally, it obtains all kinds of graces for us from Almighty God.
Blessing of the Rosary 1. Sinners are forgiven. 2. Souls that thirst are refreshed. 3. Those who are fettered have their bonds broken. 4. Those who weep find happiness 5. Those who are tempted find peace. 6. The poor find help. 7. Religious are reformed. 8. Those who are ignorant are instructed. 9. The living learn to overcome pride. 10. The dead (the Holy Souls) have their pains eased by suffrages.
Do you know? The rosary is a powerful weapon that helps fight the evils around us. — Jubel D’Cruz
10 February 2014
Royal Christian Family invites
BACHELORS & SPINSTERS for their forthcoming
GET-TOGETHER A grand gathering to get acquainted with boys and girls of matching age group who are in search of a suitable Life-Partner of their choice with an ultimate view to matrimony.
Gain much required important information concerning marriage
Highlights K Participants bio-data circulated at least 15 days in advance among participants. K Many choices for a Boy or Girl in his/her own age group K Marriage counselling and guidance by experts in the field. K Cordial atmosphere K Free and independent way of choice + Volunteers to assist K A well planned introduction session. K Boys-Girls of matching standard, status and education. K Games and other activities to get to know with each other. K Participants include good boys and girls K Each Get-together is limited to around 100 boys and 100 girls K Boys and girls from all over Mumbai and from other locations K Get-togethers will be held on Sundays or Holidays
Places are limited ! Book Your Seat Early !! Royal Christian Family 99, Perin Nariman Street, 1st Floor, Near GPO., Fort, Mumbai 400001 Tel.: 022 - 22693578, 22654924 Email: secular@vsnl.com, secular@sezariworld.com
10 February 2014
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RNI No. 56987/92
Published on every Monday & Posted on Monday & Tuesday of every week Posted at Mumbai Patrika Channel Sorting Office, Mumbai - 400001.
10 February 2014
Registered No. MH/MR/South-139/2012-14
Printed and Published by Lawrence Coelho at The Secular Citizen, 99, Perin Nariman Street, 1st Floor, Harihar Nivas, Fort, Mumbai - 400 001. Tel.: 2269 3578, 2265 4924 10 February 2014 Printers: The Secular Citizen, Fort, Mumbai 400001. Editor : Philip Myaboo
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