DEMOLITION, MODERNISATION OR A HUGE STRUCTURE

 The Church has a Parish Hall known as Centenary Hall. It had been built soon after the visit of the Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia who had donated Rs.25000.00 for its construction. The Church raised an equivalent amount and the Centenary Hall came up in the compound to mark the Centenary of the Church's establishment. 

The Centenary Hall stood there serving the  community of worshippers and non-worshippers alike. It was a landmark.  

As time wore on improper maintenance brought it into disrepair. It could have been modernized. But it did not happen. The Centenary Hall became a relic. 

There were two views. Some wanted it demolished and build a huge structure in its place. Some wanted to retain it, and modernize it. Nothing happened as the debate went on. The favourite pastime of Malayalees.

Recently there was the periodic elections to the positions in the Church. A day prior to the election, one of the contestants had circulated a pamphlet stating that those who were above 75 in age had torpedoed the proposed reconstruction of the Centenary Hall into a magnificent monument.

Demolition, modernisation or a huge structure were all okay, but throwing mud at those of 75 in age and beyond, I felt, was a blow under the belt.

It transponded me to a creative mode

The ceaseless drive to demolish the Centenary Hall and the building of a 12cr edifice in its place, unfortunately stalled by arch regressive visionaries over 75.

To begin with, those above 75 should stay at home. As the call to eternity is closer, they must spend their time in prayer and immerse themselves in the scriptures hoping they'd be well received on the other shore. If not, it serves you right for antagonizing those below 75 and know well,  fire and  sulphur await you.

Now for the Centenary  Hall. 

Those who are below 75 want a structure that outshines Girideepam at the Mar Ivanios campus. That it has ample parking space whereas our project will have limited parking space is the fillip to their dream. 

What are we going to do with the huge structure that comes up?

We may have around 10 marraiages that would be solemnized in our Church  for which the families if they choose would have the reception in this Hall. 

 Of course, the return on income is not at all a factor to be factored in, in an investment of 12cr and that is the most important fact the detractors of the ambitious project should keep embedded in their psyche.  It makes it more  than evident they must realise that their evil motives are the most ungodly acts they could ever perceive. Nobody is going to forgive them either.

Now it is for all to see that the CSI Cathedral at Broadway, Ernakulam has not yet thought of building a project of the stature of the 12cr project conceived by the active young of  less than 75 in age here though they have space enough for such a  project. It could be surmised that the entire membership of the Cathedral is above 75 for not initiating such a regressive act.

Well, what has now happened here?

The protagonists of the 12cr project have been thrown out lock stock and barrel by the most insensible members of the church.

At least they knew what was good and what was bad.

Long live people like them for the good of mankind

APPRECIATION

 

                             The Principal, KUT Seminary, Rev. Dr. C I David Joy, 
         currently the President of the Senate of  Serampore writes an appreciation

IT WOULD WALK OVER YOU

 

One day I had referred to a friend, of  late Jacob George and of the property he had bequeathed to his church.

The friend later wrote to me, "Where can we locate details of the property gifted by late Jacob George?"

I replied, "Try as much as I did, I couldn’t locate it, because those who knew had kept their mouth shut.

But the period I could guess.

It could be between 1992  and 1996 or 96 - 99 or 2001 - 2003.

I do remember there was a mention of it in an annual report with a red/rose coloured cover page.  Not the size we have now.  Something like the size of a convention song book. There was just one sentence. "We have received the property of Jacob George."

Then there was no mention of it anywhere.

The former Sexton/Church peon had once told me, it was sold to a member of the church.   But I am not certain who it is.

He had also said it was sold off as 4 cents although it was 5 cents.

The first time I had mentioned it in the  Church Committe 2011-14 meeting, a senior member said it was sold to build a new structure. The next time I brought it up he said he didn't know anything about it at all.

No one knew anything.

At home my wife asked me why was I bothering about it when Jacob George's family members were unconcerned. I replied it was because  I had worked with him and because  he was a good man. 

I still feel bad the manner  in which  the dead had been ignored and dealt with. The church took hold of his property that was bequeathed to it and they had sold it off. The least it could have done was to keep alive the memory of one who had done something good for it.

But no, they were materialistic to the core. 

And to think that a prime building at the YMCA bears his father K.George's name, to think that K.George was a former Chief Secretary of the state, to think that Jacob George's elder brother was the doctor who had set up the ENT dept in the TVM Medical College, to think that Jacob George was the classmate of film actor Madhu (hearsay), to think that Jacob George's birth was rather late in the life of his parents, and to think that Jacob George was a bachelor that had made no one speak up for him though he belonged to a great family the members of which were still a part of the church,  all those were of no interest or consequence to the ungrateful church that found it convenient to push his memory down the precipice into ignominy.

The rationale and the message to the unsuspecting do gooders  of the church is quite simple. Never gift anything to the church. The church would never remember you. It would walk over you."

AMRITA RAJAN // SINGER // INDIAN IDOL FAME

 

(Evana, our eight year old grand daughter, studying in the 3rd Standard ICSE at St.Thomas  Residential School, Mukkola, Trivandrum helped me come this far. I had no idea in the navigation. She learned this when she took drawing lessons online. I wondered how efficient today's children were, when I compared my own childhood with theirs'.

A few of her drawings have found a place in this blog)

Extracted from the  malayalam magazine 

VANITHA 

July 18-31, 2026 issue

published by 

M.M.Publications Ltd

Kottayam

(a Malayala Manorama Publication)

that highlights singer Amrita Rajan's 

journey through the reality show

Indian Idol 

Translated into English, it reads:

Amrita Rajan

One of the songs I had compiled while pursuing my College education manifests the essence of my own desires and vision for the present and the future. The song's ethos is defined and reflected in the music I composed for it.

"I  long to explore the ocean's depths

I wish to traverse the sky swift in a chariot 

I look to fly as a sparrow

Alone, around the world."

MAGIC MANTRAS

 

Magic happens when talent is provided ample opportunity

 A  region's economic strength and vibrance is highly dependent on its dynamic population. Migrants are  essential  for development. 

Trust people and bring them together.

Adherence to the common rule is the only way to spread success.

Build a golden system that is rare today: Institutions, Academies, Companies, and cultural traditions that keep discovering talent. Give it room to flourish.

Convert talent into excellence.

Good leadership is the difference between being ordinary and special.

NIRANJAN T G IN MALAYALA MANORAMA

   തരിശിട്ട പാടങ്ങളിൽ വിളയാതെ പോയത്

മലയാളികൾക്ക് ഏറ്റവും പ്രിയപ്പെട്ട വിനോദമായ തർക്കത്തിലേർപ്പെടാൻ തിരഞ്ഞെടുപ്പുകാലം കഴിഞ്ഞ് കിട്ടുന്ന ഒരു സന്ദർഭമാണ് ലോകകപ്പ് ഫുട്ബോൾ. ആ സീസണും അവസാനിക്കാൻ പോവുകയാണ്. പല പ്രമുഖ ടീമുകളും കളമൊഴിഞ്ഞുകഴിഞ്ഞു. അവരുടെ നിരാശരായ ആരാധകരെല്ലാം നിശബ്ദരായി. പടുകൂറ്റൻ ഫ്ലക്സുകൾ പലതും കവലകളിൽ നിന്ന് അപ്രത്യക്ഷമായി തുടങ്ങി. പൊതുവെ അപഹസിക്കപ്പെടാറുള്ളതുപോലെ മഴയിൽ കോഴിക്കൂടുകൾക്കോ ഷെഡ്ഡുകൾക്കോ മേൽവിരിപ്പുകളായോ, വെയിലിൽ കൊണ്ടാട്ടമോ ധാന്യങ്ങളോ ഉണക്കാനുള്ള തറവിരിപ്പുകളായോ മാറുക എന്ന ദൗത്യമേറ്റെടുക്കാനായി അവ ചുരുട്ടിവെയ്ക്കപ്പെട്ടു കഴിഞ്ഞു.

തോറ്റാലും ജയിച്ചാലും ഫുട്ബോൾ തർക്കം തുടരാൻ മലയാളികളെ എക്കാലവും പ്രചോദിപ്പിക്കുന്ന രണ്ട് പ്രമുഖ ടീമുകളാണ് ബ്രസീലും അർജന്റീനയും. ഭൂഗോളത്തിന്റെ മറ്റൊരറ്റത്ത് കിടക്കുന്ന ലാറ്റിനമേരിക്കയുമായി അല്ലെങ്കിലും മലയാളികൾക്ക് പണ്ടേ ഒരു ‘ഇദുണ്ട്’. പ്രത്യേകിച്ചും എഴുപതുകളിലെ ലിറ്റിൽ മാഗസിൻ കാലം മുതൽ. തൊട്ടടുത്ത പഞ്ചായത്തിനെക്കാൾ ലാറ്റിനമേരിക്കൻ രാജ്യങ്ങളെ അറിയാമെന്ന് കരുതിയിരുന്ന ഒരു തലമുറയിലെ യുവാക്കളെ മാർക്വസും യോസയും നെരൂദയും ബോർഹസും നിക്കനോർ പാർറയുമൊക്കെ മലയാളി എഴുത്തുകാരെപ്പോലെത്തന്നെ ബാധിച്ചിരുന്നു. സാംസ്കാരികകേരളത്തിനെന്ന പോലെ കായികകേരളത്തിനും കാൽപ്പന്തുകളിയുടെ ഈ വസന്തഭൂമി ഊർജം പകർന്നു.

ഗയാനയും സുറിനാമും വെനിസ്വേലയുമൊഴിച്ചുള്ള തെക്കേ അമേരിക്കൻ രാജ്യങ്ങളെല്ലാം ഫുട്ബോൾ ലോക കപ്പ് കളിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്. കേരളത്തിലെ ഫുട്ബോൾ ആരാധകർക്കിടയിലെ പരമ്പരാഗതവൈരികളായ ബ്രസീലിനും അർജന്റീനയ്ക്കുമിടയിൽ കൊയ്തൊഴിഞ്ഞ പാടത്ത് താൽക്കാലിക ഗോൾപോസ്റ്റുകളായി വെച്ച രണ്ടു ഉരുളൻകല്ലുകളെപ്പോലെ കിടക്കുന്ന ഉരുഗ്വേയും പരാഗ്വേയും പോലുമുണ്ട് അതിൽ. പുറമെ നെരൂദയുടേയും നിക്കനോർ പാർറയുടേയും ചിലിയും മാർക്വസിന്റെ കൊളംബിയയും ഇക്വഡോറും പെറുവും ലോകകപ്പ് യോഗ്യരായ രാജ്യങ്ങളിൽ ഉൾപ്പെടും.

ലാറ്റിനമേരിക്കൻ ഫുട്ബോളിനെ ഒരു വികാരമായി കൊണ്ടുനടക്കുന്ന മലയാളികൾക്ക് ഭാരതമെന്ന പേരുകേട്ട് അന്തരംഗം അഭിമാനപൂരിതമാവാൻ നിവൃത്തിയില്ലാത്തതു കൊണ്ടാവണം ബ്രസീൽ, അർജന്റീന എന്നൊക്കെ ഞരമ്പുകളിൽ ചോര തിളയ്ക്കുന്നത്. വാട്സപ്പ് ഗ്രൂപ്പുകളിലും സമൂഹമാദ്ധ്യമങ്ങളിലും ഈ ആരാധകർക്കിടയിലെ വെല്ലുവിളികളും വാഗ്വാദങ്ങളും അധിക്ഷേപങ്ങളുമൊക്കെ കാണുമ്പോൾ ഒമ്പതാം ക്ലാസിലെ കേരളപാഠാവലിയിൽ പഠിച്ച ഒരു കഥയോർത്തു. ഉറൂബിന്റെ 'അഭിപ്രായഭേദം'.

അഭിപ്രായഭേദമാണല്ലോ പണ്ടുതൊട്ടേ നമുക്ക് ഊർജം തരുന്ന ഒരു പൊട്ടൻഷ്യൽ. കഥയിലാവട്ടെ അത് കഥാകൃത്തിനോടൊപ്പം ഒരു പാസഞ്ചർ ട്രെയിനിൽ സഞ്ചരിക്കുന്ന കണ്ണപ്പൻനായരും കിട്ടുണ്ണിക്കുറുപ്പും തമ്മിലുള്ള സംഭാഷണത്തിലെ ഒരു വിയോജിപ്പിൽ നിന്ന് തുടങ്ങുന്നതാണ്. തന്റെ നാട്ടിലെ കാന്ത്രാട്ടു മനക്കാർക്ക് ഒന്നര ലക്ഷം പറ നെല്ല് പാട്ടമായി കിട്ടുന്നുണ്ടെന്ന് കണ്ണപ്പൻനായരുടെ ഒരു ചോദ്യത്തിന് ഉത്തരമായി കിട്ടുണ്ണിക്കുറുപ്പ് പറയുന്നതിൽ നിന്നാണ് തുടക്കം. അത്രയ്ക്കൊന്നുമുണ്ടാവില്ല, കൂടിയാൽ എഴുപത്തയ്യായിരം എന്ന് കണ്ണപ്പൻനായർ. എന്തിനേറെപ്പറയുന്നു, വിയോജിപ്പ് വളർന്ന് തർക്കമായി, സംഘർഷമായി, അടികലശലായി. കിട്ടുണ്ണിക്കുറുപ്പ് ക്ഷുഭിതനായി ഷൊർണൂരിൽ ഇറങ്ങിപ്പോവുന്നതു വരെ അത് തുടർന്നു. ഈ രണ്ടു പേർക്കും സ്വന്തമായി വല്ല കൃഷിയുമുണ്ടോ എന്നത് സംശയമാണു താനും!

വാട്സപ്പ് ഗ്രൂപ്പുകളിൽ തർക്കം തുടരുന്ന ബ്രസീൽ, അർജന്റീന ആരാധകർ ഷൊർണൂരിലിറങ്ങിയ കിട്ടുണ്ണിക്കുറുപ്പിനെ പോലെ എക്സിറ്റടിച്ചുപോയാലും കേരളത്തിലെ പ്രശ്നമവസാനിക്കില്ല. തരിശിട്ട പാടങ്ങളിൽ പോലും ഒരു പറയ്ക്കുള്ള ഫുട്ബോൾ കൃഷി നമുക്ക് സ്വന്തമായുമില്ല !

- നിരഞ്ജൻ ടി ജി

LIONEL MESSI THROUGH THE EYES OF XAVI HERNANDEZ AND JAVIER MASCHERANO

 "Nothing Messi does should surprise anyone - except, of course, that it does."

"He is a special one." 

"You cannot compare him with anyone. He's different, totally different."

"Always when we see him, always it's a surprise because he's doing a lot of things that we will never, never see in another player. Hence I think, in the future, it will be difficult to find a player like him. I think it's impossible."

Xavi, who shared years of midfield sorcery with Messi at Barcelona, said he watced Argentina's 2-1 win over England with Mascherano and could barely process what he was seeing.

"We were together watching the game, and he told me, "39 years(old), and what's he doing? It's amazing."

"In my opinion he's the best in history. And he's still making a difference on the pitch. And his ambition, his attitude. He's a warrior. He's absolutely the best."

Xavi Hernandez and Javier Mascherano had been Barcelona greats. They see the their old club's shadows everywhere.

Xavi was a pillar of Spain's side whose tiki-taka possession game won the country's first World cup in South africa in 2010.

Masscherano was Messi's teammate with Barcelona and Argentina and his coach at Inter Miami until early 2026.

According to them, Lionel Messi is Barca academy's most dazzling export still bending matches to his will at 39.   We can see that it is  the inluence of the club coming  very much alive in Messi's game.

They both were of the view that Barca's footballing idea runs through both Spain and Argentina.  They reiterated  whoever is crowned once the final is over, the winner would ultimately be Barca.

Times of india 19 July 2026
Invisible champions: Why Barca win, no matter the score