James Augustus Hickey, Publisher and Chief Editor, The Bengal Gazette

 "Shall I gamely submit to the yoke of slavery and wanton aggression?"

James Augustus Hickey, Publisher and Chief Editor, The Bengal Gazette,

 loudly asked this question and proclaimed 

he'd stand for truth, self respect and independence.

Of course, the british dealt with him harshly

CINEMA // JAVED AKHTAR

 Javed Akhtar

If you find something wrong in a film, it's more likely a societal problem

He says what you see on screen is often a reflection of what the writer and director dream about society.

Dreams that you remember are made of your concerns, insecurity, ambition, hopes, disappointments etc.

What you see in cinema is the manifestation of what's happening in society

JAVED AKHTAR // MAKING OF A WRITER

 Javed Akhtar

The very ambition of writing comes from wanting to say something.

Even senior writers for the last 30-50 years have to think about what they want to say, what are the right words for it and how to put them on paper.

Many people can be good writers but they give up. Often they criticise what they write, sometimes chucking it altogether and starting afresh.

Gradually by rejecting your own writing and trying again, you find the right path.

Ranji Trophy Cricket // On The Kerala Team // Runners up in 2025

There was an article  on the Kerala Cricket team for the Ranji Trophy Cricket Tournament
in the sports page of Times of India of 14 October 2025. 

Kerala is taking on  Maharashtra from 15th October for the 2025 - 2026 edition.

The Kerala team had reached the finals of the Ranji Trophy Cricket Tournament for 

the first time in the  history of the tournament in 2025.

Though they fought hard they had lost to a resurgent Vidarbha Team

 who were a step ahead of them.

The article concluded,

"The Greenfield stadium is not just hosting a game - it holds the weight of unfinished business.

This isn't a team starting over. It's a team starting forward - unafraid of the future, driven by hunger. and built to chase what they now know is possible."

If  we switch it to our own lives, it leaves a message for us.

"Yes, there is a lot to accomplish. There is a lot to rectify. Fight. Fight. Fight."

This is the story of Evangelist K C Sunny

 

The musical group, Boney M, has a very popular song ‘El Lute’. It begins, ‘This is the story of El Lute.’

Somehow when I heard Thengakal, my mind travelled to El Lute.

I shirked it off and look where it has taken me.

Here it is, ‘This is the story of Evangelist K C Sunny’.

Evangelist KC Sunny is the Catechist at the CSI Church, Thengakal. When I first heard the name Thengakal I had thought it was a God forsaken land at infinity. But it is not. It is a Tea Estate owned by the RBT Company.

RBT Company was one of the plantation companies operating in the Peermade area, that includes Vandiperiyar. 

The RBT Company was associated with plantations in the Peermade region of Kerala, including Vandiperiyar. But it appears to have been taken over by groups like POABS and has experienced issues such as workers' wages not being paid. The specific "rbtcompany plantation.vandiperiyar" refers to the estates previously managed by RBT, such as those in the POABS group, that were involved in tea production.

 The RBT Company in Peermade was a subsidiary of a British company, Travancore Estate (UK) Ltd, that owned the tea estates before Indian Independence. The estates were eventually taken over by other groups, including CBS Group and MMS Group, in the context of a land dispute with the original British owner. 

The original owner of the 6,127 acres of tea estates in Peermade, including properties like Kozhikkanam, Pambanar, and Manjumala, was the British firm Travancore Estate (UK) Ltd.

After the British left, RBT Company's land was taken over by either the CBS Group or the MMS Group, according to a joint workers' union.

In 2017, the special officer appointed by the government issued a notice to both the RBT Company (CBS Group) and RBT Company (MMS Group) to vacate these lands, indicating a complex transfer of ownership in the post-independence era.

In May 2025, The Hindu reported that seven tea estates under the POABS group in Vandiperiyar, including former RBT estates, were facing a threat of closure due to the management failing to pay wages to workers for several months. 

Key Estates involved (previously RBT, now under POABS): were, Pambanar, Granby, Munjamullay, Nellikai, Thengakal, Injikadu, and Pasumallay (Pashumala).

The current status is that the RBT Company has abandoned the plantation since 2005.

 Now, let’s move back to Thengakal Tea Estate.

 

The workers there mostly are Tamils. Many among them were CSI Christians. They had no Church for their Sunday Worship. However some among the managerial and the supervisory staff had influenced the management to donate 30 cents of land to the CSI in order to build a Church and conduct worships on Sundays for the workers.

  The Thengakal Church is now a part of the CSI East Kerala Diocese. The Thengakal CSI Church and the parsonage stand on 30 cents of land donated by the RBT Company

 Evangelist, Mr.  K C Sunny serves the Church as the Catechist at the current juncture. He dons the white cassock with a white rope like cord known as Cincture or Girdle tied around the waist.

.As life was difficult for them at Pallom where they belonged, Sunny's father and his three brothers, Syrian Christians, had left Pallom for Upputhara. They were among the initial settlers at Upputhara where they took over a good area of forest. The CSI Church at Upputhara stands on the land donated by his family.   The family’s property at Pallom had bordered the property of Bishop Rt.Rev.C K Jacob, the first Moderator of the Church of South India and the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin.

 K C Sunny has two sons.  Both are married.

 They are:-

 1.   Rev Shijo K Sunny who has an MA in Sociology from the CMS College, Kottayam and BD from Guntur. He is a Pastor in the CSI East Kerala Diocese. He is married to the daughter – an MLT - of a Church Worker – Upadeshi – of the CSI, hailing from Ayroor, Kozhencherry. 

While Sunny had been posted at Melukavu, Shijo was commuting everyday by bus from Melukavu to Kottayam and back for his studies at the CMS College. It was quite tough. He had to catch the 6am bus in his pursuit of higher education.

  2.  Lijo, who has an MSc in Physics from the MES College at Nedumkandam. After completion of his studies he was on the verge of securing a job at Italy. But the onset of Covid had prevented his departure from India. He now carries on with his own business venture  at Pampakuda.  He is married. They are blessed with a child.

  The Thengakal CSI Church has 40 families as its members. Almost all of them are the workers of the defunct Thengakal Tea Estate. They are at present unemployed with no steady income. They survive carrying on odd jobs wherever available. They work at the Weekly Market as well. In order to help them secure work at the Market that functions from 9.30 am, the Worship at the Church is invariably concluded at 9.30 am.

 The  Evangelist,  KCSunny serves them as the Catechist at the Church looking after their Pastoral needs.  Sunny at times, from his own limited resources, is forced to lend his members a helping hand whenever they are in financial exigencies.

 The Catechist has no mandate to conduct baptisms or weddings. These are done by ordained Pastors from nearby CSI Churches.  But the Catechist is empowered to conduct the burial services at the Church.

 Sunny conducts the Worship at the church on all Sundays. However, the Holy Eucharist is performed only once in a month at the Thengakal Church by the visiting Pastor from the CSI Church at Haileyburia Tea Estate.

 Recently, the CSI Church at Madurai had extended financial assistance of Rs.75000.00 to the Thengakal CSI Church towards the construction of its altar. However, the Madurai Church was unhappy when no one turned up at Madurai  from Thengakal  to express gratitude for the magnificent gesture.

 Sunny says expressing gratitude is a feature quite alien to the Malayali.

 He, however, made it to Madurai along with a senior member from his Church. He was happy the Madurai Church had provided him an opportunity to join the conduct of the worship along with the Pastor and the four Catechists. The latter assist the Pastor in the Holy Eucharist where they serve the wine after the wafers are served by the Pastor.

He was quite impressed by the Worship at the Madurai Church that was attended by 2500 worshippers and where the Offertory was very substantial on a Sunday.

 Sunny, 65, who is set to retire in 2027/2028, is at a disadvantage. He is homeless, except for the Parsonage provided by the Church he serves.

 He did have his own property. But he had to sell that off when his wife who hails from Pala was afflicted with breast cancer. He said he did it as they loved each other very much. Her treatment was at the Medical College Hospital, Kottayam where she had to undergo mastectomy. She was put through 8 Chemos as well.  They had to buy all the medicines and meet the entire expenses of the tests at the MCH. True, costly treatment in time had saved her life. It is six years now. There still are reviews every six months.

 According to Sunny, his wife does have health issues. She can’t travel much. Both her legs are weak. She can’t stand for long either. A Cancer survivor, she does all the cooking at home and shoulders the housekeeping functions with élan.

 Sunny serves his Lord with all his might. He knows, though he has no house of his own to stay after his retirement – he is due to retire in two years – Jesus is sufficient for him. He knows he has nothing to fear. He knows for certain the God in whom he believes and puts his trust on will not forsake him. He knows for certain God will lead him to his own house when he retires from the service with the CSI East Kerala Diocese.

Faith does wonders. Absolute faith harbingers miracles.

                                                                                                                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Evangelist KCSunny His wife had Breast Cancer. Treatment at MCH Kottayam. Mastectomy of a breast. He has to buy all medicuines meet costs of tests. It is six yeras She has to go for review every 6 months had surgery and 8 chemos. She has health issues. both legs are weak. can't travel much.Can't stand much Can't take too much strain

does all the cooking including food for guests

he had to sell his property  for treastment.

no house. no place to go after retirement

Wife is from Pala. Catholic origin. Her father married from CSI and joined CSI

Their family house is next to the famous mental facility at Pala

65 two years left to retire in 2028. He has no property as he had to sell off his property for his wife,s treatment. He had to do it as they loved each other. He doesn't have a house to stay after retirement in 2028. But he is certain the good god would provide.

Catechist at CSI Thengakal Pastorate since two years. Thngakal is 16 kms from Periyar -Vandiperiyar

Thenkal is a closed Tea Estate. You can reach the place catching a bus from Vandiperiyar. The first bus starts at 7 am. If you wish to traverse the distance earlier to that it's rs.500 for autoriksha. Part of High Range the weather is cold. Heavy rains. It belonged RBT company. They have abandoned the plantation. Workers have no jobs.Tamilians who know malayalam well They do odd jobs

Sunday worship starts at 8am closes at 9.30 am 80 families . They are happy to contibute in the offertory. but the means are limited The closure of tehworship  cannot be delayed because the members have to go to the market for their livelihood

The Thengakal CSI Church and the parsonage stands on 30 cents of land donated by RBT Company. through the influence of CSI officials in the company

Son of migrants from Pallom to Upputhara Syrian. Their family property at Pallom borders the property of Bishop Rt.Rev.CKJacob, the first Moderator of CSI Church of South India and the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Travancore and Cochin

 Sunny's father and three brothers left Pallom. Migrated. They took over a good area of forest. They were among the initial settlers at Upputhara. The CSI Church at Upputhara stands on the land donated by his family

two sons both married

1.Rev Shijo K Sunny MA Sociaology CMS Kottayam BD from guntur Pastor EKD married to a the daughter MLT of a retd upadeshi from Airoor 

Travelled from Melukavu to Kottayam everyday by bus for MA. Leaving at 6am Bus Sunny was at melukavu

2. Lijo MSc Physics MES Nedumkandam Tried to go to Italy. Covid prevented it Doing business at Pampakuda Married with a child

 

CSI madurai helped the church for construction 75000. They expressed displeasure at no one going from there to Madurai to express thanks. Sunny says expressing gratitude is alien to malyali

 

He says the worship at the Church at Madurai

 is attended by 2500 people. Offertory is 2.5 lacs a Sunday. they have 4 catechists who assist the achen in holy commeunion achen gives wafers they wine

 

sunny can do burial

no baptism or wedding

the church service he conducts. once in a month the Achen from Hekebria estate church conduct holy communion

He is robbed white cassock with white rope like cord known as Cincture or Girdle tied around the waist

 

Top of Form

Bottom of Form

The RBT Company was associated with plantations in the Peermade region of Kerala, including Vandiperiyar, but it appears to have been taken over by groups like POABS and has experienced issues such as workers' wages not being paid. The specific "rbtcompany plantation.vandiperiyar" refers to the estates previously managed by RBT, such as those in the POABS group, which were involved in tea production. 

Details about the RBT Company connection:

·         Historical Association: RBT Company was one of the plantation companies operating in the Peermade area, which includes Vandiperiyar. 

·         Takeover by POABS: The RBT Company's estates were taken over by the POABS group. 

·         Recent Crisis: In May 2025, The Hindu reported that seven tea estates under the POABS group in Vandiperiyar, including former RBT estates, were facing a threat of closure due to the management failing to pay wages to workers for several months. 

Key Estates involved (previously RBT, now under POABS): 

Pambanar, Granby, Munjamullay, Nellikai, Thengakal, Injikadu, and Pasumallay (Pashumala).

The RBT Company in Peermade was a subsidiary of a British company, Travancore Estate (UK) Ltd, which owned the tea estates before Indian Independence. The estates were eventually taken over by other groups, including CBS Group and MMS Group, in the context of a land dispute with the original British owner. 

Key details about the ownership of the RBT Company estates: 

·         Pre-Independence Ownership:

The original owner of the 6,127 acres of tea estates in Peermade, including properties like Kozhikknam, Pambanar, and Manjumala, was the British firm Travancore Estate (UK) Ltd.

·         Post-Independence Status:

After the British left, the RBT Company's land was taken over by either the CBS Group or the MMS Group, according to a joint workers' union.

·         Land Dispute:

In 2017, the special officer appointed by the government issued a notice to both the RBT Company (CBS Group) and RBT Company (MMS Group) to vacate these lands, indicating a complex transfer of ownership in the post-independence era.

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EVANA SMILING LION

                                                                    EVANA 7 YEARS

                                                                     SMILING LION 

                                                                 

 

         

Feedbacks

 This has to be happiest lion I’ve seen in the longest while.

Shara

 Looks so real

Well, smiling lion for a change

 Convey congratulations to dear mol

Laji

So cute. 

This sunny lion (face resembles the sun/ sunflower 🌻)

looks so friendly....

Love to the little artist 😍 

Thanks for sharing this sir.

Rev. Dr. Santy S Paul

FIRST AID//REV.A.T.THOMAS//SAMARITAN

 I had sent the following message to Shara, Preethi's sister.

 Shara is in USA.

"We held a prayer at home on 4thOct2025. Approx 40 participated. Inclusive us.

ATThomas Achen of Pattoor St.Thomas MarThoma  Church, Trivandrum gave a rousing message. A challenging message.

Worth the pain. And the time.

It was a time to bring alive Ammachi"

 She replied, "Waiting to hear the synopsis of the message."

 And I replied, "It's a difficult proposition."

"It was quite good. No recordings. No one wrote out the points.

I can challenge my memory.

 Achen spoke on Ammachi extensively. He acknowledged the write ups I had forwarded. He said from what he has learned Ammachi was a great woman. A woman who did wonders for her patients. That too at cheap costs when he compared the 1lac rupees he had to spend for implanting one tooth

He went on to the good Samaritan.

He said those who could and those who were closer to God sidestepped the fallen man though they had the first aid with them. The Samaritan stopped to help the Jew although they were enemies. His thinking was if  he didn't help who else would do that.

Then he spoke on the sufferings of the rich  elderly. He said there were two invalid persons in a single house where the cost to look after them was Rs.65k per person. 

Money doesn't buy comfort as you grow old. Your money is worthless. The problem has arisen because of the extended longevity.

Achen said though he is incapable to do big things his prayer was that he should be capable to provide the first aid.

He spoke highly of Lila and Ammamma and the families who looked after the great Ammachi in her old age."

I know this is skeletal. Please check with Preethi who may have more to contribute"

 Her reply, "👏🏼👏🏼 No onset of dementia by God’s grace."

HOLLAND AND KUTTANADU

                                                                            

                                                                             

 

                                                                         

                                                                              

                                                                                    

          These are the pictures of a house at Anaprampal on the Tiruvalla - Edathua road at the time of 2018 floods. Though the floods and the suffering of 2018 was unprecedented,    ever since the year 2000, year after year, multiple times a year, the house undergoes the trauma.

The house belongs to a middle class family.   It neighbours the main road where traffic is heavy.

The house when it was built was three feet above the road level. Floods never transgressed into it. As time wore on, the State Govt took steps to develop the road. It's level was gradually raised higher and higher.     Today the house stands three feet below the road level. And floods  creep into it with ease.

When the road was developed, it had bunded the flow of water. The artificial barrier ensures that flood waters are confined to one side of the road that is closer to the Pampa river.                                                  

While this is the direct cause, there are four more factors that are indirect.

Anaprampal is very much an integral constituent of  Kuttanadu, once the much heralded rice bowl of Kerala.

In order to protect agriculture in the area, the Thottappally Spillway and the Thannermukkam barrage were built. Unfortunately, as the water level rises quickly in the area there are delays in opening their shutters to let out the water into sea. 

The coastal railway line acts as an extended bund impeding the smooth flow of water across Kuttanadu.

Further in a bid to improve connectivity, roads now criss cross Kuttanadu.  These roads have come up on bunds. The corollary is water cannot move freely in the area like it had been in the earlier days when development was a dream that never materialised.

One has to blame the planners for this state of affairs. They did not provide for the smooth flow water across when the roads and the railway line were built.

Kuttanadu is an area that is below sea level. 

Holland shares this feature. But they do not experience the issues Kuttanadu face.

What beats the common man's intelligence is,  though a host of the high and the mighty have trekked it to Holland time and again to learn how Holland has successfully tackled the rising waters and of course the horrors and trauma of floods ,   Kuttanadu has remained in the doldrums over the years. 

Everything is piecemeal here. Meanwhile Holland, below sea level, has flourished. It is among the most advanced nations in the world today.

Kuttanadu remains neglected.  No one cares for the place nor its people. The suffering is endemic. 

                                                                                  

KUTTANAD RICE BOWL OF KERALA

KUTTANAD 

RICE BOWL OF KERALA

PADDY RIPE FOR HARVESTING

                                                                               

 These were common sights in Kuttanad in the 1950s,1960s, 1970s or even upto 1990s. Agriculture was the sole mainstay of Kuttanad. Then agriculture had become nonprofitable due to fragmentation of farm lands.. The agriculturists could no longer make both ends meet. The militant labour skyrocketed the costs further. 

Now fallow fields abound in Kuttanad.

EDATHUA St.George Forane Church Perunnal - Feast or Festival

EDATHUA St.George Forane Church

The EDATHUA St.George Forane Church attracts believers in large numbers from different parts of Kerala and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. The numbers soar at the time of the Perunnal or Feast or Festival. 

 

 Nestled amidst the scenic backwaters of Kuttanad, the St. George Forane Church in Edathua is one of Kerala's most significant Christian pilgrimage sites. Founded in 1810 by a group of believers who parted from the Champakulam diocese, this church belongs to the Archeparchy of Changanassery and is dedicated to Saint George, a patron saint widely revered for his healing powers.

With its serene location on the banks of the Pampa River, the church is both an architectural marvel and a spiritual haven. The magnificent altar, adorned with intricate designs, lends a majestic presence to the interior. The church is particularly noted for being a place of healing, especially for individuals with mental health conditions, and continues to draw people seeking divine intervention.

Steeped in history and faith, Edathua Church stands as a beacon of spiritual solace and cultural tradition. Alongside other famous churches like Arthunkal and Thumpoly, it plays a key role in shaping the Christian pilgrimage landscape of Alappuzha and Kerala as a whole.

History says the statue of St.George at the Church had been brought from the Edappally St.George Church

                                                                                    

                                                                           

                                                                                 




            

Champakulam views

                                                                       

                                         
                                                                       

                                             

CHAMPAKULAM

In the 1960s Kuttanad was connected to the rest of the state through the Boat Service. Connectivity through roads was just a dream.

The Chengannur -  Ernakulam Boat used to stop at Champakulam. It would be midnight. The journey lasted the whole night. 

The aroma of the black coffee/ Tea and the tempting smell of the Palayankotan Pazham seeping through as we lay half asleep on the floor of the boat linger even now.

Champakulam is now connected through roads that criss cross the countryside.

Champakulam views                                                                                                                                            

Champakulam is one of the most beautiful places we have visited. The Church is ancient. The interior  was magnificent. The small tea shops served us excellent snacks.                                                                           

                                                                            

                                                                            

                                                                         
                                                                   



                         The Church and the adjacent river are a feast for the eyes