India lost a mother on this day, 10 years back.
Her contribution to humanity is, well, unfathomable. In an era of conflict, Mother Teresa’s compassionate approach without any sort of favoritism is an example and a half for those who build paradigms even when it comes to humanity. 10 years down the line, Sister Mary Nirmala Joshi continues to keep up the good work at the Missionary, but no other name is synonymous with service for the poor. Look at any list of women in India, and you ought to find Mother Teresa right up there. Ironic, that our best representative in community service is of Macedonian origin, but who cares really - that’s what she was all about - wholehearted service irrespective of race and religion.
But this post isn’t about what she has done for the people. It isn’t a tribute to a woman who was a perfect depiction of love, compassion and strength. It’s about a little event that went unnoticed on this day, 10 years back.
‘Acharya’ Giriraj Kishore is a senior member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad. The VHP, of course, is India’s biggest cover-up of Hindu nationalism, if that’s what its interests are. When the Mother breathed her last, and she was awarded a state funeral for obvious reasons, Giriraj Kishore spoke against it.
His stupid point - she was Christian, she belonged to the Church and as a result, every little act of charity she undertook was an automatic incident as a result of being part of the Church. That, apparently, didn’t merit a state funeral. Besides - according to Kishore - she carried out secret baptisms of the dying.
What kind of lowly filth makes such statements against a women of her nature and achievement? The absurd claims by the VHP didn’t find refuge, not even in Mother Teresa’s critics. I’m not sure which pre-historic India the VHP live in, but that deserves another post altogether so I’ll leave it at that and let the hate-mail pour in.
Back to 2007, her non-political agenda of helping the poor is something that must be referred to time and again, for every cause out there that’s trying to help those below the poverty line. If there ever was a contemporary saint, a biblical Holy Mother depicted in flesh, body and bone - it’s her.
They say Gandhi was the Father of the nation. She, in all certainty, ought to be titled Mother India - the Saint of the Gutters. Calcutta’s streets are indebted to her.
As long as poverty and conflict exist, you shall be missed. Er, actually, you shall be missed forever.
