Here comes an important development in Sr. Abhaya murder case after 12 years. CBI has submitted a report on the case before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court, Ernakulam.

The CBI inquiry team led by SP R M Krishna subjected Fr Thomas M Kottoor and Fr Jose Puthrukayil for the narcoanalysis in September, 2007. Both the priests had associated closely with the St Pius X Convent where the body of Sister Abhaya was found on March 27, 1992. The test result was submitted before the CJM Court on January 21 this year following directive of the High Court on January 11. [Abhaya killers identified? - The Indian Express]

The local news papers report that the Narco Analysis Test results hints at Fr. Thomas Kottoor as the culprit. News has it that the CBI will submit the final report at the Court on June 4th so we will know the culprits soon.

One of the main speculations about the reason behind 21-yrs old Sr. Abhaya's murder is that she came to know that some of her colleague nuns had sexual relationships with two Catholic priests - Fr Jose Putrukayal and Fr Thomas Kattoor. Now consider this point too - that Sr. Abhaya came from a poor family. I have heard stories (from reliable sources) of how poor nuns are being treated in the convents by their superiors. The nuns from wealthy and known families have special consideration inside the convent and the poor ones are treated badly.

On the other hand, some priests have indulged in sodomy and sexual abuse and affairs. There was a lady staying near my house and a young assistant Vicar used to frequent her house at late evenings. A couple of altar boys (an association of boys who help the priests with services in the church) had found out that the priest was having an affair with this woman. When the matter became public, the woman herself claimed that the priest is their distant relative (nobody has seen this distant relative in the place before he came to serve in our parish, but now we see him regularly even after he left our parish).

There were reports of sexual abuse of minor girls too. This has been happening in many parishes but in many cases the victims do not go public to avoid media attention and such pervert priests escape. In some cases, the local parish community has man-handled such priests. But such reaction from the community happens mostly in the village areas and urban areas tend to ignore such parish/religion related issues (as they are busy with their life).

The Church administration should not hold any sympathy for these pervert priests and should terminate their priesthood when they are found guilty. But the Church is not being ready to do so and these perverts keep on doing it again and again. This is also affecting the reputation and good work of other good priests and results in a bad reputation of the Catholic church.

I hope, at least this time, justice will be done to Sr. Abhaya's family and the guilty will be prosecuted as per law.


PS: For Hindutva brigade's attention - You can't take any baits here if you thought my post is in support to your theories. I know that priesthood in any religion has always been corrupted and it happens in all religions. I haven't forgotten the pedophile Babas, sexually-abusing Swamis and murderous Mutt-heads.

I hold this song dearly for one reason. When we bought a CD player at home, Pardes was the first music CD that we (I and my brother) played. We played the CD all day and night long. The experience of listening to music from a CD player was totally new and exciting. Even at night, I would play the music in a low volume and spent almost the entire night without sleeping. I still remember that time clearly.

Nadeem-Sharavan was a hit music duo of Hindi film industry. Their songs are beautiful and melodious. This song from Pardes is no different. The karaoke track had lots of problems. It slowed up after sometime and then fastened up in between. On and off. So it was really difficult to sing along, however I couldn't resist singing this beautiful song. :-) Here is my humble try in singing Do Dil Mil Rahe Hain from Pardes. Do let me know what you think.

Movie: Pardes
Music: Nadeem-Shravan
Originally sung by: Kumar Sanu
Sung by: Jo

Download the song from here (6.55 MB)

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And they did it again.

And we scribble about it again.

And the Government says they have tightened up the security and India is on alert.

Then comes another terrorist attack, a bomb blast and it claims ordinary citizens' lives.

"___ save India"

One group of people whom I hate the most in Trivandrum are autorickshaw drivers. I have never seen such kind of rude people anywhere else in Kerala. As a person who travels frequently in autos (everyday, to and from office), I have had many bad encounters with them. But yesterday it was a little bit surprising. I called an autorickshaw from Jagathy junction in the morning and there was total traffic chaos since there was no policeman present at that time. Then the driver began talking. And I listened with much interest. He talked about how he is being alienated amongst the other auto drivers.

"The other auto drivers say I'm different. Perhaps I am. They accuse me of trying to be different. I follow the traffic signals everywhere which the others don't care about even a bit. I used to work in a Gulf country and returned an year ago. The traffic rules out there is very strict and people are made to pay a fine if they ignored the signals. Here our laws are very loose and nobody cares. I also don't charge anyone other than the regular charge and do not confuse people who are new to city with taking them on long rides and charge them high."

I looked at him and I could spot an old gold plated Rado watch on his wrist which used to symbolize every Gulf-returned person in Kerala. He must be in his 40's and was well groomed and neatly dressed. He spoke Malayalam in pucca Trivandrum accent, but used print media language in between.

"Did you understand what I just said?"

"Yes, I did." I smiled.

"Many people these days do not understand good Malayalam, you know. They say they know very little Malayalam and are proud to say that. I was shocked to see this after coming back to the country."

"You know," He continued to speak, "I used to work with an MNC out there in Gulf. I can speak 7 languages! English, Hindi, Tamil, Arabic etc etc. And when I speak Malayalam, I speak in good Malayalam. Isn't that how it should be?"

"You are right about that."

Then we reached my office and I was wondering if he was just playing all this to ask for more than what I have to pay. But he was not. He asked for the regular charge and we told each other "it's a pleasure meeting you." He made my morning good.

PS: In the evening on the very same day, I called an auto and he asked for more than what I have to pay. I said I wouldn't pay a penny more. Then he said in a threatening voice, "Do as I say"!!! I was really angry and I gave him what I really owed him and just turned back. I could hear him on the back showering me with all the words that you wouldn't find in shabda thaaraavali.

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I was with a couple of my friends during a weekend and like it would happen with every bachelor group, the marriage talk came in between. There is this friend of mine who is a farmer (as in he owns an estate in Tamil Nadu) and also an eligible bachelor. As we where talking about bride-hunt, he said that he prefers a simple girl from a simple family and he wouldn't take any dowry.

"Then you should look for a well educated girl", I said.

"No, I don't want to demand anything, I don't see marriage as a business".

I told him that he was wrong. Why? It was an arranged marriage that we were talking about. Even if he doesn't look at marriage as a business, the proposed girl's family would look at it as a business. Would anyone send-off their daughter with him if he was from a poor family and earnt a nominal salary? Even if he doesn't take any dowry, they would look for better alliances. The women's family, be it poor or rich, always look for good baits.

Recently, I was on a bride-hunt trip and the proposed girl's father 'interviewed' me for quite sometime. I never felt such an exhaustion even after a job interview. He kept asking me so many questions. What would you do if you lose this job? Do you have plans to move outside the country? Would it be possible for you to work from home? Are your parents well? (this must be in reference to "will my daughter have to look after your parents", I believe). I answered many of the questions promptly and with patience but after a little while I began to feel irritated. At one point of time I said, "if I lose my job tomorrow, I will have to simply sit back at home until I get another job. What else can one do?". It was like a military interview or something.

Then happened a funny thing. This fellow asked me and the proposed girl to go outside and talk to each other. Just when we two were going to talk, he came out and asked his daughter, "Don't you have anything to ask? Talk something" and then before she could even speak, he said "Oh, then you don't have anything to speak? Then let us talk for sometime, you may go inside". And he continued the second session of the interview. Heh.

So why should not men have their own demands? There is nothing wrong in demanding an educated and/or employed wife. Education or employment is the new dowry and I believe there is nothing wrong in asking for that as the women's family also asks for the same dowry from men's side for their daughter's safe future. Above it all, it helps build a healthy relationship as both husband and wife contribute to their family's financial stability and they feel equal because of the shared responsibility.

Related posts:

Thought
Changing systems of marriage in India


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Here is an excerpt from an article I read in Jessica's blog. It is so moving and I am sure you will be inspired too.

He smiled, wiped the sweat from this brow, raised his bow to quiet us and then he said - not boastfully, but in a quiet, pensive, reverent tone, "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left." What a powerful line that is. It has stayed in my mind ever since I heard it. And who knows? Perhaps that is the definition of life - not just for artists but for all of us. Here is a man who has prepared all his life to make music on a violin of four strings, who, all of a sudden, in the middle of a concert, finds himself with only three strings; so he makes music with three strings, and the music he made that night with just three strings was more beautiful, more sacred, more memorable, than any he had ever made before, when he had four strings. So, perhaps our task in this shaky, fast-changing, bewildering world in which we live is to make music, at first with all that we have, and then, when that is no longer possible, to make music with what we have left.

The musician who has been mentioned here is Itzhak Perlman (shown in the image above), a classical violinist. Head over to Jessica's blog to read it in full.

This is good news for all wanna-be-famous musicians. You have a chance to remix one of A R Rahman's songs from his upcoming movie album ADA. The prize is that if you are chosen, you will get to work on one remix song for the album and work with ARR himself, in his studio. Ten other winners get a chance to star with Rahman in the Music Video of the remixed song. The contest is organized by Nokia.

The contest closes on May 31st, so hurry! Click here to download the tracks.


Related: AR Rahman, Big Music, Nokia team for Ada music