Canonization of Sister Alphonsa

Read the news report today about Canonization of Sister Alphonsa. She would become the first Indian woman and second Indian to receive the sainthood. In the light of this event, Finance Minister P Chidambaram announced that a coin will be released on August 19, 2009 in Kerala commemorating her achivements.

I am happy that an Indian woman is getting recognized worldwide. But my rationalist mind makes hard for me to take pride in this moment after reading about why she will be canonized. Since my sole source of this event and the biography of Sister Alphonsa is news & media reports (which are not very authentic and comprehensive) my thoughts may not be entirely correct.

As per whatever understanding I have got, for a person who died naturally, atleast one miracle is necessary to be declared blessed (beatified) and at least two miracles are necessary to be declared a saint(canonized). The "miracle" that is reported, took place when a physically challenged person in Kurupanthara in Kottayam district, was cured of his deformity after his parents prayed at Alphonsa's tomb in May 1999.

I am not against Vatican canonizing Sister Alphonso. It is a religious organization and follows certain "faith" and it is not objectionable for such an organization to believe in miracles. But why does popularly elected government of India has to believe in miracles ? And that too a Harvard educated Finance Minister of India ?

If the government had to honour Sister Alphonsa for her contributions to the Indian Society, why did it had to wait till Vatican decided to canonize her ? It is ironical that the government is commemorating someone for her post-humous achivements which are confirmed by a religious organization.

On one hand the government talks about "Anti Superstition Bill" and on the other hand Central Government has itself started believing in superstitions ? Is the government encouraging people to visit sadhus, babas and sisters instead of doctors when they are contracted with diseases ? Isn't this encouraging superstition ?

Please dont get me wrong, I am not the typical rightwing hindu fundamentalist who is trying to oppose just because the person in discussion is a Catholic. Lack of sources which describe her contributions when she was "alive" is forcing me to take this view. If the government would have decided to commemorate a hindu godly figure in this manner my views wouldn't have changed. The only point that I want to make is Government should respect but remain aloof from religious matters of any religion.

The following quote is taken from the website of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti(http://antisuperstition.org/)

“It is Science alone that can solve the problems of hunger and poverty, insanitation and illiteracy, of superstition and deadening customs and tradition, of vast resources running waste, of a rich country inhabited by the starving people.

Who indeed could afford to ignore Science today? At every turn we have to seek its aid.

The future belongs to Science and to those who make Friends with Science.”- Jawaharlal Nehru

Freedom !

15th August 1947: After fighting with British for nearly more than 200 years, we say that our country became free. We fought with the British using different weapons from news paper to Bombs.

Some of us revolted violently, some revolted by peaceful methods, Some of us got themselves hanged, some of us went to jail and some who were less gallant expressed their discontent in their own house. Finally, India became a free country.

Our democratic constitution granted us all the fundamental rights which citizens of any free nation are supposed to have. But do we really understand what these rights mean. At a more fundamental level, do we really understand what is the meaning of freedom ?

In reality, not many people understood what it meant for a country to be free. There is a story often told about a small boy who asked his poor father, "what is the meaning of independence ?" The father replied, "After Independence we will get enough food to eat !". Some people thought independence or freedom is an end to exploitation.

There is another story which throws light on the journey which our country has taken. When the country became free, some people refused to buy rail tickets. The reason which they gave , "We are now free !". I think, this sentence is embedded in our brains and has become our national slogan.

We refuse to obey traffic laws : We are now free !
We spit on roads : We are now free !
We keep volume of our music systems high at night : We are now free !
We refuse to lower the noise levels in Ganpati Festival : We are now free !
We honk unnecessarily on roads : We are now free !
Instead of obeying we break laws : We are now free !
If some one asks us to sacrifice something for larger interest of country, We refuse : We are now free !

In this process, we have become so selfish and blind that we have forgotten to put our country first.

Can we really change this ?