POWER OF THE PRAYER - II.

Death is always terrible especially when it comes when you are active and able bodied when you are of much use not only to your nearest and dearest but to your community and the society as well. Worst of the deaths that one cannot absorb is the death on the Gallows.  Great Sociologists, Social Scientists and Anthropologists oppose the death on the Gallows with the logic and reasoning that State has no right to take your life from you, not even an individual can take away your life. Only God can take away your life and being the almighty God who is the creator of our life he alone can touch our life.   The rest none can touch your life. Yet  we see the State and governments take away our life when the State’s or Government’s branch known as Judiciary passes its verdict on a criminal who commits a crime by taking away life of somebody.  This is called a capital punishment, this type of punishment normally reserved and passed against those who murder or kill other human beings for any relevant or irrelevant reason.

 This type of punishment it looks is based on the law of Hamurabi the ancient king of ancient Mesopotamia that currently falls around Basrah and Baghdad in Iraq. It was this King who introduced the first Code of this planet known as “Eye for an eye and Tooth for tooth”.  When Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait he was during those few turbulent months taking pride in front of the World leaders who came to meet him, by saying “Iraq is such a civilized land that we had the unique distinction of giving to this World the first known Code” and on the other side to humiliate Kuwait, Kuwaitis and the Kuwaiti Sheikhs, he used to say this with  lot of anger: “these Kuwaitis and especially the Sheikhs they know only one thing that is to collect money and girls, besides that they cannot do anything   They are a disgrace on Arabs and Islam.  It is they who lower the image of Arabs and Islam”.

When death sentence was passed in Kuwait against Francis Araujo  in late eighties for murdering two persons as I indicated last week in this forum, we tried all the avenues to commute it, I myself personally tried so much but nothing could be done, even our Indian Embassy refused to involve citing that “we don’t support murderers”. Even the lawyer whom we hired to defend Araujo by paying so much of money remained absent  by going to Cairo on the day the final judgment was passed. Only the Maltese Bishop of Kuwait sided with us and made a Mercy Petition on behalf of the Church which the Kuwait government rejected.

When we realized that everything is lost for us, we all joined together and started to pray continuously to give courage to Araujo to face this death boldly and gracefully without making any scene of refusal and disturbance while going to the gallows.  Normally these persons refuse to move and shout loudly even giving bad words vomiting all the secrets they know.  Araujo told once to his Sister when she went to visit him in his prison cell that he will vomit all the secrets of Kuwait government what they do for them in the prison but last minute he remained silent and carried those secrets to his grave along with his dead body.

When on the day of the hanging of Francis Araujo, Fr. Pinto a Mangalorean priest attached to the Kuwait Church went to him early in the morning with the Holy Communion, he wished Fr. Pinto saying:  "Hi Father!! Good Morning.  You are come? Welcome. Fr., I am strong and well composed because Jesus is with me". Even at the time of going to the gallows we were in deep prayer and with Jesus with him accompanying him, he climbed the Gallows and faced the death very boldly as none faced before so calmly, as per the jail authorities, even they were surprised.

This same method we all people of God will apply in our life while facing the danger of Corona Virus and this danger will surely disappear.  I am positive about it since I have tasted the power of Prayer even at the last minute God accepted my prayer. I will pray on my part and you should pray on your side. And the victory will be ours.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

THE POWER OF PRAYER.

In today’s  Herald dated  31.03.20, I read on page No. 4 a nice article on “The Power of Prayer” under people’s edit by Ibonio D’Souza where he describes how great is the power of prayer and some of the quotes he indicated are worthy of admiring. 

Going a step further, let me supplement it with something of what I know of the power of prayer. In the Biblical book of Prophet Joshua, it is written like this:  While fighting his war against his enemies, He felt the need of Sun Light which was coming to an end and if the Sun goes down with the advent of the night the  darkness will surely envelope the  world including the battlefield where the Prophet Joshua and his army fighting the battle against his enemies (Philistines?) and because of this darkness there was every possibility for Prophet Joshua to lose war.  At that moment Joshua till that moment heavily relying on his troop led by Him to defeat his enemies, realized that depending upon himself and his troop is going to be useless and with all his mind and heart asked Heavenly God something impossible, to come to his rescue by creating a miracle of keeping the Sun intact to help him to indlict defeat on his enemies.  The power of this prayer was so great, that God had no other choice but to accede to Prophet Joshua’s prayer and keep not only the Sun but also the entire Stellar system intact for 24 hours till Prophet Joshua won the battle. 

This incident was finally scientifically proved as genuine during the second Moon landing expedition. One of the Astronauts was entrusted with the task of checking the rotations of the Sun round the Earth and after double checking and convinced his finding is correct he sent the message to the ground saying that he found on one day Son did not go down.  Though the ground scientists were not very much convinced thinking there must have been a human error occurred while collecting the data by the top  Astronaut, at that moment only it was dawned on the mind of the top Astronaut that this was exactly scripted in the Biblicsal Book of Joshua which was finally confirmed even by all.  The Astronaut who did this finding as a young student was very good in Biblical studies where he read this incident.  Inspite of this, he was not ready to accept the Biblical facts turning himself an atheist.  However, miraculously, while going to the Moon he was an atheist but while returning he was a convert and as a mark of respect for the Bible and God, he left his job after landing on to the surface of the Earth, he left everything and turned into  a gospel preacher.  This is the power of prayer if we apply properly in our prayer, I am sure the power of Corona Virus will disappear like an ether.  What a tiny invissible particle known as Corona Virus is shaking the whole world inflicting total fear in us who  produced mighty and deadly weapons such as Atomic and Hydrogen to eradicate human beings from this planet, finally we are become impotent to face these invisible particles!! Where is our power gone now?  Yes, we have our power not in mighty weapons but in our prayers of the type Prophet Joshua prayed.     

A.Veronica Fernandes.

IN GOA, FUNERAL SERVICE IS STRIPPED OF ITS RITES.

In today’s Times of India, Goa edition, on page No.2 under the heading “Grave matter of funeral skip solemnity”, there appeared a very interesting news item by Lisa Monteiro where it is said how due to the current situation the final rites alone are directly performed in the Cemetery  by bypassing even the Mass in the Church.

  

It looks very serious matter of denying the dead  person even the blessing of the Mass.  I don’t think it was made mandatory by the government but it looks to me that the Church leadership to indicate its over enthusiasm of obedience, it  went one step ahead and decided thus: “if we are expected only to bend down, we will go beyond that and to please the authorities concerned we will not only bend down but we will stoop down too”.

  

This stripping of the funeral rites these days in the name of Corona Virus could have been easily settled nicely by performing the rites at home as usual with the family members only and the Mass in the Church also with the family members and  very close relatives.  All these people could be accommodated in the Church by spreading them on the benches far from one another in keeping with the instruction of keeping a safe distance between the two persons.  As an added support to this system, the Priest while offering the Mass can also say a few words in explaining why this method has to be followed by asking the co-operation of everyone  and thereby allowing only the close blood relatives of the dead person in the Cemetery.

          If this procedure is followed, I don’t think it would be an infringement of  professional foul needing the Red Card.  As it is, we are seeing so many people for a short time  gathering near the Grocery Shops in the purchasing spree and yet things are going well. In the name of implementing law and order there should not be any inconvenience to the public however even if by not implementing the law and order situation everything goes normal then those who are responsible for implementing the law and order they should just ignore and look the other side to allow the situation to move on its own. If the Church authorities feel that my suggestion as indicated above is workable then I feel it should be implemented.

In the same news item the writer writes saying how difficult it is now to get the services of regular Grave Diggers and in the absence of them this job is gone into the hands of migrant workers who are also charging heavily.

  

While on this subject let me say something more, traditionally this job of the Grave Diggers was performed by a certain Caste people from Roman Catholic community and traditionally every village of Goa was inhabited by their tribe in one Vaddo, this particular Vaddo was even named after their Caste. During Portuguese rule in Goa with the backing and the silent nod of the Bamon Bhattkarshahi that was very close to the Portuguese Royalty and also to the Church, this particular Caste of Grave Diggers was purposely kept at the lowest ebb without affording them any opportunity to  develop and move beyond their own area of Caste and they were given most menial work that was rejected by the others.  However, when the last Portugues Governador came to Goa somewhere in 1958, he opened their File and silently studied their problems and thru his own officials started helping them first by encouraging their children to go to schools and one from their Caste got qualified the Governador himself made his efforts and got him the job of a Postmaster – Chef of Post Office – in one particular village in Bardez.

 

Our Caste system was based on the profession that we performed and also to keep the availability of their work unhindered for the requirement of the high grade, high caste and for the society as a whole like that of the grave diggers, caste system was supported by our Church too.  Precisely, because of this I feel, I Goa Church failed to oppose the practice of Caste system even in our Church premises, on the contrary our Goa Church supported and promoted the existence of Caste system in our Churches.  Even the great Padris and Saint of Goa namely Pe. Jose Vaz and Pe. Agnelo remained as silent spectators in front of the Church supported and Church promoted Caste System.  Because of this Caste System so many of our young Seminarians had not suffered the persecution and even dismissal from the Seminaries?

 When Martin Luther the Civil Rightist and the Baptist denomination Christian in America, one day preaching in his Church at Montgomery, he preached thus pointing his finger to the Whites who by being  White Skinners, by tradition and system of the Church had to occupy  the Benches in the Church to the Right Side and the Blacks to the Left.  Seeing this discriminatory system in the house of God, Martin Luther preached thus pointing out to the White Skinners: "My dear brothers and sisters, if you cannot integrate with the masses - pointing out to the Blacks - you will never integrate with Christ because Christ Himself come from the masses". This one sentence was enough to produce the required effect to create revolutionary effect against apartheid in USA.  Did any Padri of ours in Goa during about 500 years of our Roman Catholicism said anything like what Martin Luther said from the Pulpit? Our Church was full of Casteism and most of our Brahmins promoted it in their daily routine, even the great Ghaum Bhau of mine Abade Faria (l'Abbe Faria) firmly believed in his Brahmin Caste and after his death when one of his books was published the author's name was indicated as " l'Abbe Faria, Brahmin, Doctor in Theology".

A.Veronica Fernandes.                                                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                                                          

IS GOA GOVERNMENT FAILING US?

It is now a few days back that the Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant giving the Press briefing to media personnel informing how things are moving and steps his government has taken so far to minimize or to eradicate completely the effects of the Corona Virus on Goan population. Since he started his briefing, I have been watching him carefully and marking his body language too.  Yesterday, when I watched him briefing the media personnel, I found him very dejectedlike person and as if  he is rejected from his circle of Ministers and MLA’s. His face looks like that of a baby who has been scolded by the mother for playing mischief with other colleagues.

So much so, it looks to me that in  Delhi he is isolated and our contact there was almost lost, it is no more what it was during the CMship of Parricar who not only established his contact well but also maintained it well.  This Sawant cannot do  because he is just a raw  and being so how  could attain that much of maturity?  Because he is not well matured and not well advanced his level is that of a youth fit for playing the games, Parricar while on his death bed selected Sawant to take over from him which he did.  Parricar it seems knew very well Sawant is unfit to sit on the Chair which he already occupied thru rightly and wrongly.  Parricar wanted to be remembered very well even in his death and because it is so, he pushed Sawant’s candidature for the post of CM.  The greater the weakness of Sawant the  greater is the efficiency of Parricar and hence the greater is the popularity of Parricar.

 

Pramod Sawant is not maintaining the track  of his arguments, he jumps from “Maddar to Peddar” and thus loses his track.  He is losing his logic of talking.  Take one incident of the supply of some necessary items from the shops and grocery shops.  He said grocery shops will be kept opened that means when groceries  are opened then there is an open invitation for the public to go to these groceries and buy their requirements.  But on the other hand after a few seconds Sawant instructs the same people, he not only instructs but pleads with them in his folded hands not to move  out of your houses.  In this case, who will supply the necessities without going yourself personally to the shop? The CM failed miserably in organising the home delivery system because Sawant is unfit to cope up with vigours of this critical job.  

Sawant must know one thing that there is one proverb in our Goan language Konkani saying “Karveank nhoi khuim ghorvam ani Rendrank nhoi khuim Tarvam”.

It looks to me that Sawant is having lot of opposition for his CM’ship and if all is not going well  he may face rough weather.  He is indicating lot of weaknesses in dealing with this Corona Virus, the crisis that we are facing now are very bad and such dangers have to be averted with utmost care, knowledge and patience by taking the people towards you.   

Meantime, why cannot help in doing something for the delivery system by all the political parties by joining together? As things are moving now, nothing is organized that means are we facing the disaster? Why there is silence from Goa-Goykar-Goykarpon?

A.Veronica Fernandes.       

It is now so many days our Chief Minister is briefing the Media persons on the latest development of Corona Virus and what actions his government has taken so far to

GOA CM MUST DISCIPLINE POLICEMEN.

Once again the BJP government has failed in its duty towards its people almost during the last one whole week by shutting down all the food item selling outlets, the government without creating alternative arrangement given the brute power to the brute Policemen to act just like wild animals in handling cases even on humanitarian basis, not allowing the genuine persons to move freely even to go out to purchase their necessary things? Everybody is aware how 2 days back in front of Candolim Church, one Policeman has mercilessly with his Dando assaulted one local,  Damiao by name as declared by him. Later on as informed, he was examined by the Health Centre proving the correctness of this assault on the handicapped  Damiao.

What is wrong with our Policemen and why they act as Salazarist Police force in a very harsh manner? Is there no one to see this?  Where is our local MLA gone now?  As a people’s representative was it not his duty to enquire personally and give his verdict?  Where are all our contestants for ZP election gone now?  Why they have not, not a single of them, issued a statement on this  police action?            If they don’t involve now then after the election they will never bother to support the Damiaos.

Voters from my constituency now only do your assessment  on your candidates and move forward. We must campaign hard on this topic for people to know who is for us and who is not. 

CM Sawant  must give full confidence to the people that they will not encounter any hindrance from any authority especially from police force for those people who are going out to purchase their necessities.  Those who are supposed to protect law and order they must act decent and not like barbarians  during Salazar regime in Goa, a policeman cannot use filthy bad words nor use his danda, it is given to him to defend himself and not to use it wildly against  non-belligerent civilians. When policemen act “abuzad” unnecessarily then he brings bad name for  him & for his force.

A.Veronica Fernandes.

GIVE FREEDOM TO PURCHASE ESSENTIALS.

This is to bring to the notice of all concerned  that what our Premier spoke on Wednesday the 25th of this month extending the Curfew to another 21 days was absolutely not a right decision without allowing the public to be ready for this.  It was done hurriedly without applying his mind properly or his advisers must have committed a goof.  Before the expiry of the then existing Curfew, suddenly  on Wednesday  the  Prime Minister came  with another extension effective 23.03.20 for the next 21 days.



It was understood  by us that when the then existing Curfew ends on 22.03.20 we would go to Bazar and purchase our necessary requirement especially the food items.  But without giving us sufficient space, our Premier came with a big jolt of 21 days Curfew – Lock down - which is to be maintained very rigidly by the Police personnel and since they are doing their jobs very rigidly even sometimes going out of the way, at some places as it was in Caandolim infront of the Church where one local Damiao was severely assaulted by the law and order protectors. Who gave the authority to the policeman to take the law into his own hands?  Are we still in Salazarist regime to act like  the brute and uncivilized Portuguese Pakles? All the concerned persons and authorities must investigate this matter and CM must answer how this has happened.  Can’t we go out to purchase our emergency medicines  ?




I am afraid that the law protectors may go out of their way and follow the Salazarist methods to punish irrelevantly the innocents. CM Sawant must give full freedom  to people to move freely to purchase their requirements   without any hindrance.



A.Veronica Fernandnes,



.

RESPECT NATURE AND ITS LAWS.

                                                                       Came Parricar and came Babush with the big promise to remove the Casinos from the Mandovi Waters and yet they failed to keep  their promise they gave to the people especially to the Panjimites thus proving how both these cheap politicians are   fooling the voters. But came  silently and invisibly and whatever Parricar and Babush could not do with all their tall and mighty financial and administrative powers, the Corrona Virus did without even promising and thus made those Casinos totally inoperative. Incidentally even if Parricar and Babush had been successful in their election time promises they would not be as piercing as CoronaVirus. This is the power of the Nature.

                                                                        The second World War brought on this planet the most devastating effects that felt in every part of this world since the deadliest weapons including the nuclear were used in this war but the most deadly effect of Corona Virus felt not only on every part of this world but also in every piece of this planet thereby inculcating the worst fears into the minds of human beings.  The weapons used in the second world war were seen in one’s own naked eyes while the Corona Virus came as invisible and did the most devastating damage to this planet.  Even the might of atomic and hydrogen weapons finally turned into a big zero in front of the Corona Virus about which no producers of the deadly weapons are able to trace for sure its origin. Inspite of all the powers and facilities at its disposal, the world having great brains at its command, still no  preventive Vaccine up to now can produce. Oh what a mighty power of Nature!!

                                                                          However powerful we may be but the power of the                                                                 Nature subdues all other man made powers.                                                                             Otherwise if human power was more powerful then                                                                today generated by the Nature in an invisible form                                                                   the tiny particle called the Corona Virus on its own                                                                 without any Supersonic Jet Plane would not tavel                                                                   to each and  every inch of our planet without even                                                                   any Passport and Visa.   

                       The human beings are become very destructive against the Nature leading us to face this calamity as we are facing now. A few years back speaking to the Indian Express – Bombay,  Amitabh Bachan said against those who disobey the natural laws: “We are guided and controlled by one supernatural power, (Nature) for which we have to pay our obeisance, because I failed to do so, I suffered”.    

A.Veronica Fernandes.

MEN ON THE GALLOWS.

Within a few minutes,  4 hardened rapists and heartless murderers were hanged in New Delhi at dawn on 20^th of this month.  In Kuwait where I worked for  a long time and even witnessed one hanging of a Pakistani national, a Barber by profession, killed his compatriot, cut his body into pieces and burried it in his own shop only.  I will come back on this later. This was somewhere in 1978.  Then there was another hanging about which I took keen interest, one of the persons involved in this crime, i.e. the robbery of Exchange Shop from where the Irani owner of that Exchange Company was killed.  When the gang of Thais (people from Thailand) were caught, the judgement was delivered speedily and the culprits were hanged.  One of the culprits who was sent to the gallows was very strong physically as back at home in Thailand he was a body builder and it took him 7 long minutes to breathe his last, for a normal person it takes 3 – 4 minutes to die.  According to all the doctors and experts monitoring his hanging from close range as officials said that it took so long because he was very strong physically. 

While Zulficar Ali Bhutto when he was hanged in 1979 by the General Gia’s government by framing false charges against him and also by bending the laws and rules  to facilitate him to send Bhutto to the gallows. When Bhutto came to power thru fair election he occupied the chair of Pakistan’s premiership.  When he became the Prime Minister, Bhutto by bending some rules elevated Gen. Zia to the top ranking General of course to the dissatisfaction of all the ranking generals who were waiting for their promotion.  But Bhutto did not care for their dissatisfaction and went ahead with his plans of raising General Zia to the pedestal.  However, Gen. Zia like a Judas who betrayed Jesus in the same manner Gen. Zia betrayed Bhutto with a Judas Kiss, brought a coup in Pakistan by overthrowing Bhutto and sending him to the prison languishing him to rot there till he was hanged. While he was languishing in zail where he could not stand up because the height of his prison cell was short and neither he could sleep well by keeping his legs straight as the length of his cell too was short.  

In view of this Bhutto while sitting he was sitting on the ground folding both his legs bent like a Hindu “Bott” and because of the short height of his Cell he was never standing in his Cell. Hence, while sleeping on the floor such a majestic man who was till recently the pride of Islamic world in the World forum turned like a beggar. Then he wrote a book in his prison cell by holding the note pad on his tigh by sitting on the floor and smuggled the manuscripts to one of his friends in Bombay who got it published in India, the title of this book is “IF I AM ASSASSINATED” where he said “My sons  -  Bhuttos both the sons (Shanawaz and Murtaza) will not be my sons, they will be Bastards if they don’t take the revenge and shed the blood of those who try to shed mine.  Who are my sons?  They are Shanawaz and Murtaza and all the sons of Pakistan are my sons. 

Incidentally, as per the writings of Bhutto in his book, Gen. Zia never enjoyed a peace till he died in a Plane crash while serving Pakistan. Now coming back to Bhutto’s hanging, the hangman came early in the morning on the day of his hanging in his cell and called him thus ‘Bhuttosab, chalo, apka time aya” and then Bhutto went to the gallows smoothly without creating any obstacles and when his Christian hangman tied the rope around his neck, within 3 minutes he breathed his last.  This hangman as it was said in some quarters at that time , was itentionally brought by  Gen. Zia to play his mischief against Christian community who loved Bhutto.   Zen Zia’s intention by bringing a Christian hangman Tara Masieh was to create a discord between Bhuttos and Christians of Pakistan.

When Saddam Hussein was arrested in Iraq and after conducting his trial for creating disrder not only in Iraq but almost all around the globe, he was sentenced for gallows. The judge who was conducting his trial in the court was much younger in age as compared to Saddam Hussein’s and when Saddam Hussein once got irritated on him, he   said  to that judge “ hey boy, what are you talking?” Then when he was  brought for hanging and when the rope the hangman tied around Saddam Hussein’s neck was tight, Saddam in his raised voice said, Hey hangman, make it lose because I find it too tight”.

Kumar was the first criminal hanged in Goa somewhere in 1978 for the crimes he committed on mother and her young child, he killed both of them when the husband of the lady was out of Goa for a few days, Kumar was a Keralite working as domestic servant at the house of those whom he murdered. He was caught and in three years time he was hanged at Aguada outside the prison premises where the specially built gallows was erected.  In fact overwhelming majority of Goans were against this sentence executing in Goa, even the then Bishop of Goa requested the Shashikala government to plead with the government of India thru  Mercy petition to commute the sentence but Shashikala refused and on top of it she insulted Bishop aying that “Bishop made a big show by talking good of Kumar”.

Coming back to Kumar a Malyali whose real name is PETER was  the first person to die on the gallows. When he was asked what was his last wish, he replied by giving a speech which was recorded on the Tape Recorder for all the prisoners to change their behaviour and become good.  And finally he said his body to be given to GMC for the research.

In Saudi Arabia they don’t hang but behead the criminals.  There was one criminal whom the security was taking  for the beheading.  However, before reaching the last spot, this man got heart attack and he collapsed but not died necessitating to take him to the hospital.  While on the way the beheading man was next to him.  The criminal opening his eyes saw the person who was to behead him next to him and softly and pitiably asked him this question, “would you leave me now atleast, no?” Listening this, the beheading man said his heart melted with pity and this was first such an experience of his otherwise he was very hard hearted man who used to take pleasure in doing his job.

Coming back to the hanging of a Pakistani Barber in 1968 in Kuwait, there were nearly a thousand Pakistani people working in Kuwait came to see his hanging.  The moment he falls and hangs to the rope, all the gathered Pakistani run to the main door to save him inspite of tight security who inspite of having guns did not fire a single shot and did not provoke Pakistanis from creating a riot but they pushed them back and immediately closed the main gate door. 

Francis Araujo was in Kuwait, he was a young man of Kalafura Goa. This incident  happened somewhere in late eighties, in Kuwait. He entered Public Transport Bus, the Bus Conductor an Egyptian issued him the ticket for which Araujo pays him in all small coins.  Seeing these small coins the Conductor gets angry and throws back the same coins on Araujo’s face. Araujo felt insultrd and argued with the Conductor but meantime the Bus Driver a Turkish joined the Conductor and both of them beat Araujo too much and threw him out of the bus on the road side. 

Araujo was not only physically hurt but more than that his personal ego was hurt and then and there he decided to take heavy revenge of those both the Muslim Arabs the Bus Conductor from Egypt and the Bus Driver from Turkey. Araujo returned back home, took a knife and returned back to the same place/Bus Stop where he was assaulted, for  the same Bus to return.  When the Bus came and stopped at that Bus Stop, Francis entered the Bus and first stabbed to death the Bus Conductor followed by the Driver. In the ensuing judicial process, Francis Araujo was sentenced for the death by hanging.

When the time came for the hanging of Francis Araujo, Fr. Pinto from Catholic Church as per the system went to him with the holy communion etc., and prayed over hīm and told him to ask Jesus Christ to give him courage to bear the gallows and he died on the gallows withhout creating any disturbance to the security at the laast minute.  We all joined together and conducted his funeral in Kuwait but as per the Security instruction we were not allowed to open his coffin in the Church nor in the Cemetary.

A.Veronica Fernandes.