Memories of my Grand Mother: A Reflective Eulogy - Part I

  It’s been many weeks since my Grand Mother died. However her memories are still yet to fade into twisting nether of my thoughts. I have not ceased to regret the fact that I could not be there near her during those last moments and I am not sure if I ever will. These few words that I write about her is just a small acknowledgment of the love I received from her.  It is by no means an exhaustive nor authoritative eulogy but rather a reflection of the memories treasured by a boy about his grandmother.

 My grandmother’s life was ordinary if you go by the metrics of the world. She has neither held positions of power nor stood up for women empowerment. But one thing she did do was perform the role she was ordained to by God with her utmost ability. Her story is also the story of thousand’s others like her who maintained the fabric of Kerala’s Syrian Christian society through their sweat and tears. If we are prosperous, educated and influential now it is in large part through these women and my Grand Mother is one of them.

“An Unflinching yet intimately caring woman” These would be the words I would use to describe her in a single phrase. Through her long life she has been through much joy and sorrow, times of plenty and times of want, loneliness and togetherness, illness and health. But none of them were enough to change who she was. She suffered from diabetes for longer than I can remember, was nearly electrocuted to death in an accident, suffered from multiple bone breaking falls, underwent 3 operations to replace both her knees and one thigh. These are just some of her sufferings in recent years that I know about.  My Grandmother was like a rock that could not be weathered no matter how much the elements tested it. 

My Grand Mother was born in 1926 in Koodallur, a place in Central Kerala which holds great historical significance for Kerala’s Syrian Catholics even though it is a largely inconsequential town nowadays. Unfortunately she was deprived of something most of us take for granted when her mother died at an early age but was fortunate enough to have caring sisters elder to her who played an important part in raising her. The flow of time did not weather their love towards each other as I have witnessed on several occasions. Her teenage years were in the time of great want caused by the World War 2 when even rice was scarce. She was fortunate to be in prominent land owning family but I believe this period definitely had an impact on her later life.  

However the one thing that did turn her life around was marriage into a family and location that was considerably different from what she was used to. The hilly, rugged terrain and agrarian aesthetics of Pathampuzha was in sharp contrast to her home town.  I will not mince any words when I say that her new family (which is also my family ) back then and to some extent even now were extremely thrifty both with money and with love.

However despite all the challenges she faced in her new home, she persevered and considered her new family as her own. She not only managed the house but toiled on the family land with the workers under her. There were times when she had to fight for her just rights to her land in the court of law. She also had a penchant for keeping farm animals and over the years reared cow’s, chickens, pigs, ducks, turkey’s and finally a goat. My Grand Mother was also particularly meticulous when it came to savings, and dutifully deposited the profit from all her farm endeavor’s each month in the bank. She did all this to secure a brighter future of her children and her grandchildren. I can only look back with heartfelt gratitude towards what she has left for us fully knowing that I am probably not worthy of it.

But what made my grandmother’s life unique was probably not how well she fulfilled her roles in life, but what she achieved despite the challenges she faced and her somewhat uncompromising personality. The last 14 years when she was living with us gave me a farther glimpse into her life. I would be lying if I say if we did not have our disagreements, and tense moments. But now looking back I believe those years with her were some of the most worthwhile days of my life. I was able to witness in her a simple woman possessing intricately strong opinions, an old lady with a witty sense of humor, a strict yet lovable mother, a soul brimming with faith and devotion towards God despite its failings.

I would like to continue but mere words from an amateur writer like me will not do justice to what my Grand Mother and other like her achieved in their life. So I stop for now until I find myself worthy enough to write the 2^nd part.

The Islamic State: Are Modern Nation States any Better?

The reader may genuinely wonder whether I am crazy to write an article in defense of an organization that most media, politicians and public describe with the most unpalatable of adjectives. To clarify I am writing about the Islamic state or ISIS. Also I am not in anyway their supporter (I am a through and through Catholic) but rather consider myself as a neutral observer of history. 

  This is not an article to to justify their actions which I find equally abhorrent. My motivation to write this purely on the basis of what I consider the fairness doctrine which in some ways allows you to put yourself in the others shoe and gain a better perspective. Another fact that motivated me was the pathetic show of selfishness and cowardice by United States  when they conducted airstrikes against them in the recent days.

    I start by asking a simple question. What makes ISIS more horrendously evil that the other insurgents/regimes/governments in the middle east or the wider world today? Is the Syrian regime with the blood of nearly a quarter of a million of their own citizen any better. Is Iran any better  aiding, and abetting the destruction of entire societies in Syria, Palestine, and Iraq  just to further their intrests. Is the Iraqi government any better. Are the Gulf countries any better with democracy and human rights.

    Now I want to go back a few decades in history and look the Western world which poses itself as the last bastion of Human rights. Where was it not barbarism when US nuked Japan or carpet bombed Vietnam. Was it not fomenting sectarian strife when Britain split India and turned a blind eye to  Hindu's and Muslims killing each other by the tens of thousands. Was it not ethnic cleansing when Russian uprooted the Tartars and deported them to Central Asia. Was it not religious Intolerance when Catholics were hunted down in Japan, China, Mexico. Was it not blatant territory grab when China invaded and annexed Tibet. 

  I could go on and on about nearly every country in the world.Yet all these countries I listed above have managed to white wash their blood with excuse like 'National Interest, political expediency etc' or what can be better termed as protecting their own thin skin. All of these countries share the world stage and comfortably look the other way at their own blood stained paths.

    Now I ask, how can a neutral observer of History say with conviction that the 'Islamic state' is more evil than other countries based on their actions till now. Looking through their lens they are fledgling state with mortal enemies on all sides who would have their blood and destroy them given the chance to do so. To establish their state they resort to all tactics that intimidate, their enemies as well as raise their own morale. 

  It may sound unbelievable but the fact may be that there is a huge segment of the Muslim population in Syria and Iraq who would find some sort of salvation in the idea of an Islamic state. They may be a sanctuary for destitute Syrian refugee women in Lebanon or a means to get justice for the disenfranchised Sunni tribes.

  Many in the world might be hailing the recent airstrikes by US on the Islamic state forces. But to me it reveals the visceral icon of selfishness that is the US political establishment today. Where were the security council resolutions and air strikes as thousands where killed with Chemical weapons in Syria by the regime. The US strikes are just to earn some moral high ground and safe guard the business investments of US companies.

     I conclude by saying that the actions of the Islamic state (despite their Barbarism) in all fairness does not make them any worse than the other nations existing today.