This is a offshoot of Writers' Forum

3. PPPPPrajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalana
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It was a very bright day, the scorching sun shone
bright and blazing. It was around 3 O’clock, the
roaring endless sea in front of us was beckoning . I
was walking along the beach with two of my other
companions.Thebreeze,stillwarmbutbracingand
balmy, boosted our energy and gave us a spring to
walk on the seashore. Among all these beautiful
creatures of God, we saw a fellow creature sitting
next to a boat and mending his net.
He looked at us with surprise and welcomed us
wholeheartedly. Then we got into a conversation.
I would like to share with you the ‘interview’ we
had with him. I feel that this will help us all to
understand the value of human labour.
Would you please tell us something about
fishing and the preparation part of it?
Well! Fishing is not as easy as some may think.
It is very challenging and risky. So we need to
be ready for any eventuality, especially when
we go out for a week or a month at a stretch.
We take along all the necessary things like
drinking water, provisions, petrol, motor, lights,
nets, ice, chemicals, medicine, knives, clothes
and so on. Some of these things are very
expensive. With all these preparations, we are
notsurethatwewillcomebacksafe.Soweplead
with God to be with us and to protect us. We
always pray together before going fishing.
Why do you take such risks when you know
that fishing is not easy, especially in the sea?
Imagine you are a musician. Before learning to
play a musical instrument you are aware of the
hard work entailed in learning it. And yet you
practice it, because you wish to become a great
musician. When we want to achieve something,
we go all the way without worrying too much
about the challenges and risks. We are born and
brought up on this sea shore. We practically live
by the sea. We depend on the sea for our
livelihood. The sea is our bread and butter. We
cannot suddenly stop all these works, because
we have no other means of livelihood.
Therefore, though it is very dangerous, we are
happy. We love the sea more than our lives,
because she is the one who feeds us.
No Catch, No Food
What are the struggles you
undergo during your hard
work?
Surely, fishing is a highly
adventurous job. We go
fishing with little security. We
believe in the providence of
God. We must carry enough
petrol to run the engines. The big storms and
the violent sea are the biggest challenges. There
is also a chance that our nets get torn by the
fish. These nets are very expensive. Fishing is
not a part time job. Summer, winter or rainy
season, day or night, we have to work. Our catch
is the source of our happiness in life. Our living
depends on how big the catch is. Sometimes we
do not get enough; sometimes we get in plenty.
When there is no catch, our stomach pinches.
Also we are not so sure that each launch will be
safe. We hope that it will be, because the
members of our family are praying for us. We
are secure only in God who created us, who
guides us, who leads and protects us.
As the sun was setting, waters began to glitter.
A flight of birds flew back to their nests. The
fisherman got up slowly, saying, “If there is no
catch, no food.” I could sense an expression of
gratitude in his eyes towards us for listening to
his story. But still, I was dumbfounded, as he
got ready to swim against the current, with his
boat.
I began to ponder over the risk the fishermen
take to earn their daily bread. Immediately the
words of St Paul came to my mind: “One who
does not work should not eat.” But it is not the
case with these poor fishermen. Here if there is
no catch, no food. So we see how so many
people slog for their food, ready to encounter
the danger they would face. It was already dark.
As we turned out steps to the Juniorate, we saw
the moon with her smiling face, the cool breeze
gently touching my whole being. The words of
that fisherman were ringing in my ears: “If no
catch, then no food!”
Sch Nishant Noronha SJ

4. PPPPPrajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalana
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How Do I Understand Education Today?
Albert Einstein says "education is what
remains after one has forgotten everything he
learnt in school". I too believe that education is
not only accumulation of information alone but
much more than that. It's not only training one's
mind but training hear and hands too. Education
does not take place only behind the four walls of
school but also happens at home, in the
surroundings and in our day today living. I consider
informationandknowledgeastwodifferentthings.
Information can be forgotten at any time but
knowledge remains with us because it becomes
part of us. That's what education is for me.
Great Philosopher Aristotle says "educating
the mind without educating the heart is no
education at all". Indeed true education helps us
to grow in honesty, truth and harmony. It makes us
more human. It motivates us to be broad minded.
It removes or ignorance and prejudice. Thus I
believe that education sanctifies us. True
education spreads the spark of equality. In the
oldendayseducationwasmeantonlyforthepeople
of higher class. But today it is reached to all. There
was a time when women were not allowed to be
educated but today women education is given so
much of importance. Education also breaks the
barriers of culture, creed caste religion, language
etc. People are growing in gender sensitivity. In this
way education paves way to create a just society
too.
True education forms ones
character increases the strength
of the mind and sharpens the
intellect. As a result one is able
to stand on his own feet.
Educationextendshumanbeings
good will and love beyond
communal racial and ethnic barriers. Better
educationalwaysproducesabetterculture.Itgives
dignity to a person. At the same time an educated
person realizes his duty towards himself one
another and society. Swami Vivekananda says
"education is manifestation of perfection already
in man". Indeed education helps for the integral
development of a human being.
As we are all well aware today education
is becoming one of the criteria to get a good job.
Gone are those days when people sought gurus to
get trained in their God given talents. Today money
decides the field of our study. We find no goal in
ourstudiesbutwearereadytoflowwiththecrowd.
The competition has grown so high it is difficult
for us take our stand. Education instead of making
us more sensitive and better humans it's making
us more arrogant and proud. Thus we continue to
live in ignorance. Our situation has grown so bad
we hardly have time for value based education.
Nelson Mandela says "education is the
mostpowerfulweaponwhichwecanusetochange
the whole world". It's very true. Education shapes
our lives, gives us direction, removes confusions
and fills us with hope and confidence. It makes us
more creative in our thinking and analysis.
Education is not few years programme. It's an
ongoing process. I wish that our education may
help us to transform our lives to become better
humans who are more sensitive, kind and thus we
create a new world for all to live in peace and
harmony.
Sch Ashwin Cordeiro SJ

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A Light to the Fading Light
It was quite dark when a lady shoutedat us to make
way. I gracefully greeted her with a smile. Soon she
understood I was a Brother and was sorry for her
behaviour.
That day I had been to a new ministry.Getting to
know people and their life situation is God’s grace
to me.
The old lady was just back from her daughter’s
house, bringing some vegetables, so that she could
prepare a little food for her paralyzed husband.
AlongwithmycompanionsIstoodbytheroad-side,
listening to her. She began her sharing by first
pointing out her present life situation, later the
sharing gradually led into a more serious talk.
One of her sons was arrested by the police, on
account of his heavy debts. Being jobless, the poor
man could not repay his debts. The only fishing
boat of that lady was lying unused, since her
husband lay paralyzed. It was not advisable to give
it on rent either, because most of them who might
take it were drunkards, and wouldn’t pay regularly.
Her present condition has been one of hand to
mouth existence.
The above incident may appear
tobeaverycommonoccurrence.
But I would like to draw your
attention to the people who are
without any job and find their life
a burden.
People are being cheated and ill
treated in the name of providing labour. In the case
of fishermen they must keep their fingers crossed.
Sometimes they are not sure they will be back to
the land; sometimes it is possible that their efforts
result in a very poor catch; sometimes the weather
may not permit them to launch out into the sea.
Many people are unemployed. They while away
their time. Add to it, they are addicted to rummy,
drinking and other business games and lose even
the last penny.
Most of the fishermen do not have a contented
and happy life. Though they try to lead a decent
life, either extraneous factors like bad weather,
poor catch, etc. or their own weaknesses result in
a very pathetic ending. It looks as if a happy life is
not meant for fishermen.
Now it is a great challenge for all of us to give a
thought to their situation. It is not only in the case
with fishermen alone, but there are thousands of
others who are the victims of unemployment.
I strongly believe that one day everyone will live a
dignified life, provided we start sharing, caring and
being more concerned about the marginalized.
It is very difficult but we are now compelled to do
this. All of us do feel at heart that our brothers
and sisters also must lead a good life. As Jesuits
we have ample opportunities to be in touch with
people. Let us make the best use of it so as to be
an example to others who really feel at heart to
serve others in need, but find it difficult to do so.
Sch George Varghese SJ

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Human Labour in general refers to human life-
activity whose purpose is the production of goods
necessary for human subsistence and the
realization of human potential. In the Christian
worldview human labour is an activity in which the
human person cooperates with God in the
unfolding of the potentialities of creation. But
today, we live in a context where labour is no longer
an expression and realization of one’s potential but
a commodity which could be bought and sold. In
this process the worst affected are the least, the
last and the lost in society for whom labour
provides resources nothing more than just to
survive on a daily basis. Despite the bleak situation
in which we find ourselves today, the Church is
trying to address various issues that revolve around
human labour and find answers to them in the
midst of confusion.
In the Social Teachings of the Church we notice
that the Church is trying to interpret Scripture
according to the signs of the times and that
accordingly shapes the Tradition.
Bible: The book of Genesis presents Yahweh as a
worker (Creation story) who invites human beings
to be co-creators with Him. But, Human beings
falter and sin, going against the will of Yahweh.
The hard nature of work is a consequence of the
fall of human beings. In the book of Proverbs
idleness is discouraged and work is encouraged. In
the New Testament we learn that Jesus himself was
a carpenter’s son. However His real work was not
Human Labour – A Christian Perspective
carpentry but preaching and
doing the will of God. In the Acts
we find Paul constantly
reminding people to do their
duties well. In general, the Bible
accepts labour as an important
aspect of human realization and
invites us all to be partners in
this process.
Magisterium: The teaching on Human Labour is
found in the social-encyclical “Rerum Novarum”
(On the Condition of Labour, 1891) of Pope Leo XIII.
Here the Pope examines the situation of the poor
workers in industrialized countries. He then
articulates the role of the Church, workers,
employers, the law and public authorities to work
together to build a just society. “Gaudium et Spes”
(The Church in the Modern World, 1965) of Vatican
Council II is another document which affirms that
human beings become partners with God in
perfecting creation and become associated with
the redemptive work of Christ. The encyclical
“Laborem Exercens” (On Human Work, 1981) by
Pope John Paul II sees work as a fundamental
dimension of human’s existence on earth. It is a
call to transform nature through work, a call to be
co-creators with God. The subjective dimension of
labour is upheld here. The person who does the
work is more important than the work and respect
for the person is not based on the type of work one
does. Hence, human labour is to better human
condition by sharing in the creative activity of God.
Christiantheologysurroundinghumanlabourfinally
boils down to labour as a human vocation. It’s a
call from God to create a new heaven and a new
earth. It is an effort for a purpose which makes a
difference in the world. The values of labour must
go beyond production and should find its
fulfillment in upholding human dignity, creativity
and participation. Only then, a human person can
become a co-creator in the redemptive plan of God
by realization of his potential.
Sch Norwin Pereira SJ

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When we look around we find people with white,
and blue collar jobs. Some well educated people
do mostly sedentary work and they are well paid.
Some are very good business persons who make
money out of everything. A few others use their
talents for art, music, sports, rhetorical skills, etc.
to live a happy life. There are many others who
work very hard the whole day in the fields, factories
and at various levels to eke out their living. We
cannot forget a few who use shortcuts like crimes,
corruption and so on to lead their lives. We can
consider every person on this earth to belong to
one or the other category.
Religious are very peculiar and strange in this
aspect. They can belong to any of these classes or
to none of these classes. We find many religious,
who are very good administrators, educators,
supervisors, social workers, etc. They are highly
capable, competent and committed. We wish that
their work may be of great value to society. We
also have a few business-minded religious who aim
at profits. Instead of spreading the values of the
kingdom of God, they are busy in meeting their
personal agenda; it is high time for them to wake
up.
There are many inspiring religious who are at the
service of the poor, the suffering and the needy;
they are working very hard to bring comfort in their
neighbour’s life. We also know many religious who
are using their gifts for the Kingdom of God. With
their talents for art, music, communication,
Religious Today and Their Works
dialogue and so on they are
spreading the good news of Jesus
Christ. It is also sad to see a few
religious who are mediocre. They
getgoodfoodandallthefacilities
in their communities. They need
toberemindedofthewordsfrom
Paul to the Thessalonians (2 Thes
3:10) - Anyone unwilling to work should not eat.
This way there is a mixture of all these kinds of
works among the religious today. Those who are
moving in the right direction must continue to give
their best. Those who have gone astray should fall
back to the spirit of their founder/ foundress.
There is also an outstanding characteristic in the
religious which distinguishes them from all the
other categories of working people. This unique
feature is selflessness. The religious do all the
things for the glory of God and for the good of
society. They leave behind everything and with the
vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, are totally
committed to the mission of God. They dedicate
their lives to the service of God and people. May
the good work done by the religious continue with
greater zeal and enthusiasm.
Sch Ovin Rodrigues SJ
Curiosity about life in all of its
aspects, I think, is still the
secret of great creative people
– Leo Burnett

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The world today is taking a giant leap towards
digitalisation. As Jeff Jordan, a partner at
Andreesen Horowitz, would say, “We are in the
midst of a profound structural shift from physical
to digital retail. It is happening faster than I could
have imagined.” In this context E-commerce has
made its mark, by being relevant to the people of
this generation. It has created an environment
where in the distance between the buyer and the
seller has been shortened. Moreover it has given
more convenience and the benefit of choice to “e-
consumers”.
Today life has become complex with too many
worries, including that of frequent traffic jams, long
queues, high prices and brand manipulation. E-
commerce comes as a solution to most of these
problems, as it provides varied services beginning
from electronics, clothing, cosmetics and books,
to reservation of movie tickets or tickets of any
modes of travel, E-commerce has come as a time
saving and a convenient option to many. Besides,
it offers a variety of products or services along with
its description and customer’s feedback, which
helps the customers to make a right choice.
In today’s commercial world we often hear about
a kilo of tomato costing five rupees being sold for
twenty rupees. Here E-commerce has made its
impact by offering products and services at
reasonable prices. This happens because E-
commerce undertakes its dealings without any
E-Commerce – A New Trend
intermediaries; so there is no
price manipulation. It was
estimated that the total turnover
of all the e-commerce
undertakings would cross
Rs10,000croreduringthisDiwali.
E-commerce is showing a steady
progress in India; it has 250.2 million internet users.
The total turnover of all the online marketing firms
was estimated at Rs 25,500 crore in 2011 and it is
expected to increase up to Rs 54,800 crore by 2015.
One of the online business giants, Flipkart had a
turnover of Rs 600 crore on its Big Billion day, i.e.
on 6th October, when huge discounts were
announced on all products. But it had to pay the
price for it as the Enforcement Directorate (which
governs the rules and regulations of E-commerce)
issued notices for violating the rules of fair trade
practices.
E-commerce offers 24x7 service, at anytime,
anywhere and for anything. This makes it
convenient for the buyers. It has very low
operational costs, as it hardly requires any
infrastructure and even the labour cost is less. This
ensures steady increase in the profit margin. E-
commerce increases the efficiency of the economy
by creating competition in the market and avoiding
monopoly. The marketing options such as Cash on
delivery and Easy Returns attract Indians to E-
commerce. Cross border transactions are carried
out without too many legal restrictions. If you take
the example of e-bay (foreign online seller), it
reaches out to four million consumers of 3,311
Indian cities. On the other hand around 15,000
Indian sellers sell handicraft products to 112 million
customers spread across 190 countries. In this way
E-commercewillcontribute4%totheGDPby2020.
It has not been easy going for E-commerce in India,
beginning with the internet, which is yet to reach

9. PPPPPrajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalana
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the frontiers. There is a need of last mile
connectivity too, a link chain to connect the remote
places. The other worry is high dropout rates by
consumers who opt for Cash on Delivery. Only
online payments will solve this problem. Besides,
restrictions on FDI also affect E-commerce.
E-commerce does confront small business
establishments. It has created an ‘adapt or die’
scenario. Introduction of E-commerce has also
reduced the customers at malls by 49.5% in Delhi.
Above all, heavy price reductions do affect retailers.
Hence the Enforcement Directorate has issued
notices to all the online retail firms.
But there is a way forward. Mall culture is just for
entertainment and not for purchases. People
prefer to sit at home and shop online. It is the right
time wherein E-commerce has to focus on the
smaller towns, where mall culture has not yet
penetrated. Introduction of mobile apps proves to
be an easy method of promoting online shopping.
Quick deliveries and customer satisfaction will
certainly promote online marketing. This will
reduce price manipulation by middle men.
Standard goods and services at a reasonable price
with customer satisfaction will add value to E-
commerce.
Sch Vishwas Misquith SJ
Iwonderwhypeoplegivecredittothepersonswho
just had the idea of building famous monuments
and sculptures and wonders of the world. Why do
people appreciate Shahajahan for building the
Tajmahal, Yaqut of Dabul for Golgumbuz, and
Caesar for Caesar’s Bridge across the Rhine, Quin
Shi Huang for building the Great Wall of China, but
utterly fail to appreciate and recognize the hard
work of labourers, workers, masons and sculptors?
Why are the workers not recognized? They are
important in building famous monuments and
wonders of the world, aren‘t they? They play a vital
role in the outcome of any particular structure. It
Aren’t They great?
is they who stand as a strong
pillar of any structure which is
standing tall and which makes
people stand in awe and wonder
at its majesty, splendor, beauty
and aesthetic brilliance.
Their work is hardly recognized
and appreciated. It might be the Idea or Plan of a
single mind to build a monument or a structure,
but it is the hard work and love of many a worker
that brings reality or a form to a structure. They
are the ones who shed their sweat and blood, even
at the cost of their lives thus they make the plan or
the idea of the monument or structure a reality.
Money and ideas cannot replace the skill, talent
and hard work of the labourers or workers. Money
and the idea/plan are just the tip of the iceberg
but the hard work of the labourers is the actual
Iceberg. It is the worker who brings reality to plans,
otherwise the plan just remains a mere plan.
We are all called to be labourers/servants on the
earth. Let us learn to give dignity to labour,
appreciate their hard work and skill.
Sch Kiran Leema SJ

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This year has been a year of several innovative
campaigns (abhiyaans). Campaigns do bring in a
lotofenthusiasmandaremuchhighlightedinnews
channels. But some questions still remain! Why
don’t they subsist longer? Do these campaigns
really target an effective change in immoral
structures that hamper good values or is the
change merely peripheral? Yes, if campaigns do
not continue to address beyond personal motives,
they will meet the same fate as the ‘India against
corruption’venture.
This year the innovative fire began with the Ice
Bucket Challenge in the West for a noble cause,
namely, ALS (Amyotropic Lateral Sclerosis) patients
suffering from the neuro- degenerative disease.
Several celebrities gave a thumbs up for it. Due to
the growing global connectivity, it spread to India
too. But it also faced criticism from several activists
due to its negligent attitude towards ecological
concern of water wastage. Yet an alternate
campaign enthralled all. That was the Rice Bucket
Challenge (the typical desi flavour) to feed the
needy and poor. But my sympathy goes to another
campaign, Mud Bucket Challenge (ecological
initiative of a biodiversity preservation group) that
hardly made any headlines. What a plethora of
ideas Sirji? 4G?
Similarly a few years ago we saw the ‘pink chaddi’
campaign against ruthless moral policing in the
south. Muthalik’s Sri Ram Sene was silenced and
scared. This recently found its new shoot as we
witnessed its nuanced and innovative form of
protest - in the ‘Kiss of love,’ a unique challenge
starting in Kochi, Delhi, Mumbai and getting a
grand response. It is due to spread to Bangalore
soon amidst controversies.
The political arena also learnt from these
campaigns when we saw an innovative challenge,
namely the Swacch Bharat Abhiyaan. It was a
wonderful move from a new government which
wanted to prove to the people that they too are
An integral Swacch Bharat? A new outlook at this Abhiyaan
pro-people and pro-national. It
spoke well to the sentiments of
thepeople.Manycelebritieswere
challenged to continue this noble
venture.
But one thing that needs clarity
is that these campaigns as such
will not hit the core of the Indian
psyche, unless they force an attitudinal change.
Swacch Bharat is a wonderful move like any other
campaign. But the Indian psyche has not yet
understood the gravity of the matter of cleanliness
and the eco-friendly way of life because of its
effect. Eastern religions, by their charisma, see God
in every aspect of nature. But in practice adherents
of some religions cannot but find a place to litter
anywhere and everywhere possible. It is a known
fact that Indians give utmost priority to keep their
compoundsandhouseyardsclean,butwillnotever
feel anything about dropping the dirt and waste
into their neigbhour’s.
The reason for the failure of the above mentioned
campaigns is that they have not effected inner
transformation. These have remained at the
external realm as outward commitments or
external actions. Only a campaign which speaks for
and forces an attitudinal change will boost external
cleansing. For instance, the ‘Kiss of Love’ campaign
is resisted because it has a message for an
immediate attitudinal change. But we cannot
compromise with obscenity Who decides what is
obscene is another big question.
We Indians need to get rid of our corrupt interior
life’s issues. The day we begin to see nature and
people as subjects we will cease to be corrupt and
will be clean from with in (conscience/heart). Then
external Swacchata will be relatively easy. The day
we see nature as having its share of respect for
life, that will be the day we will begin to respect it
and keep it clean. This is the change needed before
endorsing an external change.

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Therefore a possible alternative is an abhiyaan that
would help Swacchathaabhiyaan, namely, Swacch
tan-man-dhan Abhiyaan that will ultimately lead
to SwacchRajneeti Abhiyaan. All these abhiyaans
are interlinked.
What we need today more, along with Swacch tan-
man-dhanabhiyaan, is Swacch politics abhiyaan.
But when will it change? Yes, only when there is
an inclusive ‘Swacch Bharat’ beginning with interior
swacchatha.
Political sanitation is as important as sanitary
cleansing. A new political culture is the need of the
hour. That will lead to an integral Swacch Bharat.
Swacchata must be internal first, then external. We
need non-corrupt leaders to lead India in its drive
to cleanse our nation. This is the ultimate Swacch
Bharat abhiyaan. When we don’t catch the devil
by its horns we will not be able to tame it.
Above all, there is need for ‘Swacch Mind’ of
governance. Our nation is truly in need of many
other Swacchata Abhiyaans like cleansing from
discrimination, communal tendencies and the
concocted concept of development. But let us
cleanse our inner motives first. Then development
will not merely be signing projects that build
industry and infrastructure and cleanse sacred
rivers and build bullet trains. It will be a
development that will take into account the well-
being of the poor, raising their living standards and
bringing a smile on their faces. May the tribe of
Abhiyaanwalas with pure motives increase!
Sch Lancy Fernandes SJ
I am a catechism teacher in one of the parishes
which is near our seminary. Once I thought of
taking the catechism class creatively. It was for the
7th standard students. I prepared many questions
from the bible, with the idea of having an
interactive class. Most of my students are very
naughty and very active too. I asked many
theological questions; some they answered and
some they could not. As I was asking questions I
saw John on the last bench, sleeping. I woke him
up and asked him a tricky question: “Why had the
woman in the Gospel who was married to seven
brothers no children?” He stood up and almost like
fooling me said, “Brother, the answer is so simple:
the woman was barren.” On listening to his creative
answer, I felt a bit embarrassed and told him to sit
down.
After some time I saw Peter talking and arguing
with his brother Andrew. I told them to stand up
and asked what they were discussing. Andrew
answered gently, “Brother, we were talking about
God’s creation in Genesis.” I felt very happy
thinking that my students were mature enough.
Then I asked them what their discussion was about.
Peter said that they were arguing whether God
Creativity Requires Humility
created the egg first or the hen. I
got annoyed and asked them to
stand on the bench. As they
stood on the bench, Andrew told
me, “Brother, even after standing
on the bench, we are not getting
the answer, maybe there is no
range here.” Suddenly Shaila got
up from the middle and asked me, “Brother, why
did God not like Cain’s offering?” Before I could
open my mouth to answer her question, Shanti
stood up and said to Shaila, “You do not know such
a simple thing! God did not accept Cain’s offering,
because God is a pure non- vegetarian. The entire
class started to laugh and make a lot of noise. I
was not ready to give up the class, so I told
everybody to stand up and recite the ‘Our Father.’
Everybody was reciting it except Thomas. When I
asked him why he was not reciting the prayer, he
said firmly, “Brother, today my mother has
prepared Biryani, and hence there is no need of
bread; so I will recite the prayer tomorrow.”By then
the time got over. I slowly walked out of the class,
realizing that “CREATIVITY REQUIRES HUMILITY.”
Sch Preethesh Misquith SJ

12. PPPPPrajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalana
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We are all aware of the multinational companies.
An MNC is such a company that operates in
different countries by means of production and
services. MNCs play an important role in a country’s
economy as well as in the world at large. The
budget of some MNCs is so high that at times they
even exceed the GDP of a nation.
It all began after liberalization, as a part of the
economic reforms in 1991. The goal was to make
the Indian economy market oriented and to expand
the role of the private and foreign investment. The
goal was achieved partially. From then on, many
other companies saw rich arenas of the market
especially to make their business flourish in India.
On the other hand these corporations have the
specific goal of earning profit as any business is
expected to do. Some corporations even expand
their jurisdiction beyond their native places when
they get a wider scope to earn profit and also
acquire consumers’ confidence. Further, the rising
populationofIndiapromisesmacroscopeofmarket
and enormous profit to MNCs.
There is no doubt that these MNCs contributed a
lot to the development of India. Unused resources
were widely used, technological advancement, job
creation and overall stability of the economy are
some of the major achievements of MNCS in India.
Today MNC’s contribute inversely in increasing
Multiple Effects with Multiple Defects
Foreign Direct Investment and
thus contribute largely towards
Gross Domestic Production and
in decreasing balance of
payments.
On the other hand MNCs also
have a major influence on our
lives. Western culture is already
underminingourtraditionalheritage.Labourersare
squeezedformaximumprofitstotheneglectoftheir
health and safety issues. Tough competition is
raised among local companies which normally
cannot face it. The only way that is left to them is
to surrender and shut off! MNC’s are also
inculcating the feeling of subservience among
Indians. Their contribution to job creation is
marvellous, but that is also to their selfish
advantage by using cheap labour in India. Also they
play subtle politics as they get the policies suited
to their needs by bribing bureaucrats. Scams still
exist as we witnessed recently in the Flipkart big
billion conflict.
The trend of consumerism is also a fruit of the
MNCs. This is because MNCs hardly concentrate
on long term services but only meet temporary
mindset and taste of consumers. Now people only
flock to malls for all their needs, and the local
market seems to be deserted. All are ready to pay
higher costs, even double the amount and even
spend much time at mall quarters, which seems to
be a new trend among simple, middle class people.
Youth get blindly absorbed by offers and discounts
without realizing the techniques of selfish hawkers.
All this gives us the message to be more analytical
than hypothetical in our thinking about
consumption.
It is high time that we ponder over whether we are
losing something precious without our awareness.
We often tend to evaluate results on the national
level, but when it comes to our own home, surely
we end in nostalgic disgust. It looks to me that the
time has come when we need to be prepared for
the worst.
Sch Prashanth Saldanha SJ

13. PPPPPrajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalana
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God created this world out of his overflowing love.
Human being is a child of God, made in His image
and likeness. Is a child of God in any way a butterfly
or a stone is not? If so then what is special about a
human being? Is it our capacity to love? Even
though it may be a kind of love we share with the
rest of the animal kingdom, it would seem there is
a specifically human form of love that involves our
imagination, our emotions, our intellect and our
volitional consciousness. If there is any threat to
this imagination or feeling or thinking or willing, it
is a threat to human dignity.
Let us look at the worth of a human being in a
capitalist society. Human beings are gripped by
c o m m o d i t y
consciousness. As a
result, their focus is not
on the notion of the
development of the
higher powers, but on
the accumulation of
things. So it follows
that they seek
fulfillment not by learning to love in progressively
deeper and broader ways but by becoming things
acquirers, toy gatherers and fruit tasters. Their
focus is an affront to human dignity, a sort of saying
‘no’ to what human beings are and settling for
being less than what humans are. Having more is
more important for them than being more.
Since Genesis there have been at all times human
beings who always wanted much more than they
needed, who strove to accumulate much more
than they needed, and who treated other human
beings either as obstacles to their pursuits or as
potential instruments in their attainment. Even
others are obstacles; the usual tendency is to get
them out of the way through deceit, black mail,
bribery or even murder. e.g. Cain and Abel. When
people are considered to be instruments, the task
is to make full and profitable use of them. e.g.
Commodification of the Human Being in the Capitalist Economy
slavery in Egypt. Today, things
havebecomepeople,andpeople
have become things. Slavery is
one of the most dramatic forms
in which other humans are
viewed as property and turned
into a commodity to be used and
exchanged.Thetendencytothink
ofonlyone’sownfulfillmentresultsinthetendency
to commodify other human beings.
Contemporary aspect:
Greed and enslavement are the perennial forms of
commodity consciousness. The capitalist greed for
money is matched by a consumer greed for
commodities. Human development could be a kind
of commodity consciousness in today’s world. The
capitalist economy puts profit above people and
thereby creates a gap between the rich and the
poor, the haves and the have not’s.
Commodity consciousness and human
fulfillment:
Even if we consider that because of commodity
consciousness human beings have exerted and
extendedthemselves,unleashedtheirimagination,
had creative insights, made full use of their
deliberative powers, planned carefully and carried
out projects with determination and self discipline,
and even if it be granted that in doing so, they
have actuated their higher human powers, still the
question remains whether the people engaged in
it are, by that very fact, bringing about human
fulfillmentofotherswhowilltastethefruitsoftheir
efforts. Does it follow that they are fulfilling
themselves as human beings? The answer to both
these questions is, ‘no’. Neither the producer nor
the consumer who are gripped by commodity
consciousness can attain human fulfillment.
People think that new and better commodities will
make life better in all respects. Such a thinking is a
mythical delusion of commodity consciousness.

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Addressing the threats:
God loves the world to fulfill the world; God calls
and empowers human beings to love others in the
sameway.Thereforeeveryhumanbeinghasworth,
dignity and value in himself or herself. We can
never reduce human beings to a commodity. If we
do so, it speaks much about the self-worth, dignity
and value that we have for ourselves. Therefore
serious introspection is necessary in our way of
life. The way we live and the way we relate to
others, manifests our relationship with God. The
inner emptiness and insecurity of the person is
manifested in a commodification of human beings.
We can make this world a better place to live in
only when we share with others and consider
others as partners on the journey of our life on
this earth.
Sch Antony Pais SJ
In the present millennium many ideologies have
tried to dominate the world. But only one thing
seems to have achieved its goal, which has created
inequality and threatens to tear apart the world
into two parts. It is more powerful than any other
power in the world and greater than any other
religion, and that is consumerism. Mass
consumption had its roots in the theory of Scientific
Management which was proposed by Fredric
Winslow Taylor. This resulted in unlimited
productivity and reduced the cost
of commodity. By this began an
enormous production and
consumption at lower prices. On
the other hand, even when
consumer goods were not used,
the industries kept on producing
them for their survival. To stop
this problem a new concept
came up, that is, to buy and waste the things
in order to improve the economy. This concept
projected a new deceit on society that more
consumption leads to a better living. The main
motive behind all this is nothing but profit, by
whatever means possible, even exploiting the
weak.
Today, advertisements have become a channel of
deception, which can persuade people to buy a
product at any cost. This consumerism has spoiled
the social status of the nation. Today’s education
is more focused on earning than on learning human
Does Your Consumption Make You Think?
values. People have become so
selfish that they have forgotten
the society in which they are
living. People believe that
possessing costly and brand
products will increase their
status and dignity. But at the
human level it has created a dark
cloud of sadness. There is disrespect for elders,
emotional imbalances, lack of
satisfaction, and lack of self-
awareness and absence of true
love. Today’s friendships and
family life shifts have become
artificial. Modern life of ease and
comfort is filled with dead
gadgets which provide no
lasting satisfaction.
It was Adam Smith who
provided an economic system that led to
capitalism, and consumerism is its by-product.
Because of consumerism, we keep on buying and
throwing away things and there will be no end to
it. As the population increases, production and
wastage too increase and these will surely affect
our ecosystem. Consumerism is the poison which
diverts the mind from the purpose for which the
human being is created. We need to respect and
love nature, and nature in its turn will love and
respect humanity in its own way for its betterment.
Sch Joswin Pereira SJ

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“Nurse the baby, care the child and free the adult”
says, Alexander Hamilton. The baby, the child and
the adult here refer respectively to the under-
developed, developing and the developed
economies. Before the Second World War free
trade existed in the world economy, permitting
international flow of goods and services without
any artificial restrictions. Trade was a mutual
exchange of resources and services from one
economy to another. However in the early days
following the Second World War various countries
built in a barrier and adopted trade restrictions. It
washerethatworldeconomiessplitintodeveloped,
developing and under-developed economies.
Hence after various conferences and deliberations
a number of policies have been formulated to
protect each nation’s trade, to nurse the under-
developednationsandtoencouragethedeveloping
nations by the developed nations of the world.
India has grown from being a baby to a child. The
WTO, the Union of countries and integration
among nations have brought about a process of
development. The rise in the industrial countries
(BRICS) Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa
has generated a sense of optimism towards the
possibility of development albeit of a more
measured character than in the 1950’s. Even if the
entire South is not likely to develop it is
undoubtedly the case that a small number of
countries have experienced a genuine success in
their ventures. Will the late developing countries
succeed in the struggle to modernise their
economies and catch up with the more advanced
countries or are they destined to fall even further
behind?
As each type of existence on this planet has its own
life cycle, economy too has five business cycles,
depression, recovery, boom, inflation and
recession. Some economists are so attached to the
notion of growth that they can’t let go of that word,
so they refer to recession as a time of negative
growth. Centuries of economic deprivation and
neglect coupled with isolation from the
Misplaced Faith in Economy’s Growth
mainstream of Indian states had
resulted in widespread poverty,
unemployment and economic
backwardness of the people
living in the northern states like
Kashmir, Manipur, and Tripura
etc. Economic neglect and lack of
development generally create
inequality and disparity. These reach an
unsustainable level when there is a failure of
governance whose primary responsibility it is to
address the causes of such disparity. In the absence
of governance, extreme inequality and disparity
often lead to violence and militancy.
The justification made regarding the growth is, that
rapid economic growth will bring prosperity and
wealth to all Indians, removing poverty, hunger and
injustice. That high growth rates can make India a
land of milk and honey is a myth. 70% of India
remains deprived of basic needs of one kind or the
other, employment in the formal sector has hardly
grown, and undernourishment and
malnourishment are on a high. Inequalities
between the rich and poor are growing significantly
and ecologically unsustainable situation has
already set in. The more we go in for large scale
technology and intensive, capital investments,
these problems will only get aggravated. Modi’s
‘Make in India’ slogan can well be stated in the full
form “Make Money in India.” As someone stated,
it is highly profitable to invest in the Indian share
market rather than to start a business in India. This
paves the way for the MNC’s to enter India and
make their investments and return home with high
gains providing a little employment to the host
country.
Sacrificing ecological growth, the economic growth
has taken prime importance. The dire competition
among the countries to be an adult (Developed
nation) is the only reason causing the imbalance
and destruction of the various strands in the web
of life.
Sch Avinash D’Souza SJ

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Creativity can be summed up in the phrase ‘Letting
Go.’ I was uncomfortable with the very word when
I began my Jesuit journey. When I reflect on those
initial days and ask myself why I felt so then, the
insight that I received enlightened me. I reduced
creativity to art and painting and drawing and
thermocol cutting and the like. I am no good at it
as many other computer savvy people might be;
but does that mean that I can’t be creative? That
is merely one type of creativity. Creativity grows
out of limit situations. To be creative means to be
ready to experience changes around you. To be
creative is to embrace challenges and to learn from
the hard realities of life. And for all this, one has to
‘Let Go.’
Is systematic lifestyle diametrically opposed to
creativity? To be creative, have we to be
unorganized? Well, I believe that even highly
systematic people can be creative. There is a
certain order in the universe and yet there is
disorder. The universe is unpredictable; time and
time again when God chooses to surprise us, He is
being creative. Creativity emerges from
randomness. It springs from taking time off a daily
Creativity: Letting Go
routine. In fact what we think
about when we have nothing to
think about is being creative.
In this fast moving and internet
age everything is at lightning
speed and we look for instant
results. Creativity does not
emerge as fast as we would like
it to. It is a process that takes place at leisure.
Creativity relaxes. It helps at times to take rest and
then give, live and work with ever renewed vigour
and zeal.
Creativity needs a courageous self. It often
scandalizes others when we dare to be different,
but we ought to be prepared to face the
consequences. It is important to finish doing a
creative task before you start to lose faith in
yourself. Creativity does not spend much time in
rehearsing or thinking or doing a kind of self talk
all the time with nothing concrete in reality even if
we are not experts at it. A creative person is not
afraid to experiment.
Let me sum up. Keeping to a routine is important,
so also is being organized, may not be so much for
our own selves as we can always find order in
disorder, but for the sake of others who put up
with us. However, creativity lies in taking time off
from the humdrum of life. Creativity has to show
itself in the Sitz im Leben – life situations. If we
think that there exists a time for ourselves where
we can express our creativity, that time will never
come. What drives me always forward when I
reflect on creativity is the words of late Steve Jobs,
“stay hungry, stay foolish.” It is a searching mind
that can never rest from being creative. We may
run out of ideas if we only rely on ourselves all the
time. Reading, reflection and, more so, seeking
inspiration from others can help us in this our
creative venture.
Sch Ryan Rodrigues SJ

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In one of my classes, I once asked a girl, what she
associated with art and her reply was quick and
straight, “emotion”, “expression” and “creativity.” I
am sure many of us would arrive at a similar
consensus. Though the first two may be confined
to arts, creativity transcends arts and permeates
into all spheres of human activity. We see creativity
in science, business, technology and every field of
specialization. Our book stores are filled with books
on creativity like “Lateral thinking,” “Think outside
the box” and so on. There is a hunger for something
new, a longing for something different and an urge
for innovation.
Creativity or creative activity provides an impetus
to live a fuller life to all those who engage in it.
Among the many definitions of humans, “human
beings are creative beings,” is one. In creative
activity humans give expression to themselves.
Therefore, creativity is not reserved only to artists,
writers, philosophers or musicians, but is open to
everyone.
The notion of creativity has various nuances and
can be explored from various perspectives. But, in
this brief article, I would like to reflect on it from a
theological perspective. After reflecting on the root
of human creativity and its origin, I will go on to
reflect on what real creativity is and what it does
to human beings.
The root of human creativity:
Human creativity stems from the fact of being
created as human. Genesis 1: 26 – 27 reveals,
“”Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in
ourlikeness...’SoGodcreatedmaninhisownimage,
in the image of God he created him; male and
female he created them.” In these texts, we see
primarily that God created humans according to
divine image and likeness; therefore, humans share
in the life of God and participate in His work.
But what does it really mean to be created in God’s
image and likeness? The key phrase is, “image and
likeness.” The Hebrew word for “image” is “selem”
Creativity – In the Likeness and Image of God
which means a duplicate or an
idol, and for likeness it is
“demut,” which means
appearance,similarity,analogyor
copy. Though these words have
created considerable confusion
among the scholars, most agree
that both are complementary,
each making the proposition more precise.
It basically means that we are a snapshot or
facsimile of God. At the least it means that humans
alone are imprinted with a God-like character. Our
greatest fulfilment is to fully actualize this
godlikeness.
Human creative power originates from God:
God is the only true Creator, while human creativity
is part of God’s image and likeness given to man at
creation. We create because God created, and we
are creative because God is creative: “In the
beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
(Genesis 1:1). However, God creates out of nothing
(“ex nihilo”), while human can “create” only out
of pre-existing things. Further, human is wholly
dependent upon God in his/her creativity because
his/her creative ability, his/her very existence, and
the pre-existing “raw materials” he/she uses all
come to him/her from God.

18. PPPPPrajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalanarajwalana
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Implications of being created as creative beings:
Having been created in God’s image, and being
bestowed with godlike capacities we are not just
finished products. Unlike Plato’s notion of ideal
forms, our creativity is not just the carbon copies
of that absolute form, but rather as Aristotle puts
it, our creativity rests not so much in being as in
becoming. Each one of us has the potential to
express our creativity, though distinctively. We
ought to express ourselves and thereby actualize
our true human nature, which is to be godlike.
True creativity and false creativity:
Creativity can never be restricted to innovative
thoughts, novel ideas, and path-breaking
initiatives. True creativity can never be isolated
from the well-being of people, never blind to the
cries of nature and environment. But, sadly, today
creativity is confined to brilliant ideas to sell
products, innovative and effective methods to
eliminatevastpopulations,systematicorganization
of oppressive societies, and ruthless plundering of
natural wealth - this is false creativity.
Characters of true creativity:
1. True creativity rests on the firm foundation of
God.
2. True creativity helps humans to channelize their
intellect, will and emotion in life-promoting and
life-sustaining direction.
3. True creativity transforms human work into an
act of charity in loving service, especially
towardsthedeprivedanddiscriminatedpeople.
4. True creativity brings into awareness the
interconnectednessofthingsattheveryorganic
level.
5. True creativity works for the complete
realization of human rights.
6. True creativity makes us not destroyers and
dominators of nature but protectors and
stewards of creation.
Conclusion:
Through creativity, we become partners in God’s
creating and saving plan. We are called to put on
themantleofChristtohaveanewcreativeabundant
life (Rom 6:4, Jn 15:11). True creativity lies in
actualizing the image and likeness of God freely
bestowed on us, by becoming aware of the radical
interrelatedness with all creation, and thus
becoming persons who promote and protect life
rather than dominate over and destroy life.
Sch Sujay Daniel SJ
A WRINKLE IN TIMEA WRINKLE IN TIMEA WRINKLE IN TIMEA WRINKLE IN TIMEA WRINKLE IN TIME
A little girl got on her grandpa's lap and said,
"Did God make me?"
"Yes," the grandpa replied.
"Did God make you too?"
"Yes," the grandpa said.
"Well," the little girl said, looking at his wrinkles
and thinning hair. "He sure is doing a better job
nowadays!"
"Imagination is the beginning of creation. You
imagine what you desire, you will what you
imagine, and at last, you create what you will."
George Bernard Shaw