MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH

MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH

Dinesh is an executive with a well known company.  I came into contact with him when my Personal  Computer had developed some snags that had defied rectification. The Manager had assured me that he was quite smart and courteous. Dinesh wasted no time to call at my place. He had a look at the machine and he told me it was beyond his capability. But he assured that it was something that his Manager could easily resolve. He returned to his office and requested his Manager to accompany him. Proving Dinesh right the Manager had rectified the issue within no time. I had liked the mindset of the young man very much. He had a pleasant smile and had exuded confidence all around. 

‘Garbage in Garbage out’ is the motto of the computer. My machine was no exception. It must have been my own fault the machine struck work again after a gap of four months.  I requested the Manager to depute Dinesh once again. The Manager explained he was helpless as Dinesh had been hospitalized. But he had promised to visit my place within two days as he had been overburdened due to the nonavailability of Dinesh. True to his word the Manager had set right the machine within two days. It had never occurred to me to ask the Manager why Dinesh had been hospitalised.  Perhaps life had become very much self centered making me utterly unconcerned about others.

True to form the machine malfunctioned again after another two months. I was infuriated. It was a brand new machine.  When I had reported the fault the Manager was a much relieved person as Dinesh was available.

Dinesh reported at my place in the evening. He had no difficulty in setting the machine right. But I was horrified when he had narrated why he had been hospitalized.

One evening Dinesh could reach home a little early.  As he was at home his mother had asked him to buy milk from the booth at Ambalamukku. He went out on his scooter minus the helmet since it was a very short distance though the helmet had been a constant companion ever since he had purchased the vehicle. Alas, the unthinkable had happened on his way back. The vehicle had skidded and he was thrown off. His head had hit the asphalt. There was bleeding from both the legs. Though he felt numb inside the head there was no injury. He was able to get up and since the vehicle had no damage he rode it home.

After handing over the packets of milk to his mother he went to his room and sat on a chair. The moment he sat down he had become unconscious and had fallen down along with the chair. His parents rushed to his room hearing a big thud.   They found him lying on the floor. Blood was flowing from an injured hand. Scared they called up 108. The ambulance reached their home quick. He was taken to the Medical College Hospital. The Doctor on duty understood that the patient was critical. But a CT Scan and an MRI Scan were required for diagnosis and treatment. Unfortunately the Doctor found to his dismay there would be some delay for the scanning.

As the patient was receiving no treatment the parents requested the Doctor to discharge the patient so that he could be taken to a private hospital   in the vicinity that had all the facilities and life supporting systems. The Doctors at the private hospital were professional in their approach. The patient was put through a number of tests and scanning was done immediately. It was found that there was a blood clot in the brain. Though an emergency surgery was the remedy the patient could not be operated upon as he was unconscious. The patient was transferred to the ICU where he was administered injections to dissolve the blood clot. It took 48 hours for the patient to regain consciousness. The Doctors were relieved to observe that the blood clot too had miraculously vanished by that time.

Dinesh was shifted to the ward where he was put on Physiotherapy. It took two months and almost a lakh of Indian rupees for Dinesh to return to his usual self.

Indeed a blood chilling narrative.

Kerala United Theological Seminary, Kannammoola, Thiruvananthapuram on the threshold of celebrating its Platinum Jubilee

Welcome to the Kerala United Theological Seminary, Kannammoola, Thiruvananthapuram. Kerala United Theological Seminary (KUT Seminary) is the premier ecumenical endeavour of the erstwhile CMS, LMS and Basel Mission to promote theological education in vernacular language (Malayalam). Their initiative had been formulated as early as in the late 1930s. Ensuing deliberations had zeroed in on the establishment of a united seminary for Theological education at Trivandrum. The long felt need of a Seminary was fulfilled when the Kerala United Theological Seminary was established at Kannammoola, Trivandrum. KUT Seminary has now been in existence over the past 73 years. At present KUT Seminary is on the threshold of celebrating its Platinum Jubilee in a couple of months.

KUT Seminary is led by its Governing Council where all the Bishops of the CSI Dioceses in Kerala have an active role.

KUT Seminary is affiliated to the Serampore University. It offers courses such as BD, MTh and research facilities for Doctoral studies. Admission to courses is open to candidates from all denominations.

KUT Seminary functions in a scenic campus, situated within a short distance from major locations of Trivandrum. The tranquility permeates to each and everyone here bringing out the best from all those who are associated with the Seminary.

KUT Seminary had illustrious Principals at the helm like Rt.Rev.Jesudasan, Rev.Dr.Jacob Varghese, Rt.Rev. J.W. Gladstone and Rt.Rev.K.P.Kuruvilla among the long list of servants of God who had steered it in the past. The present Principal, Rev.Dr.P.T.George, follows in the path of his predecessors with imagination, radiating dynamism all around.   

KUT Seminary has a brilliant faculty that motivates the students to elevate themselves to the highest plateau. As most of the students when they finish their course go into priesthood the faculty guides them through the rigors of life. Besides attending their classes, the students have to spend fixed as well as productive hours in the Library. Incidentally KUT Seminary has a very good Library. The students manage the mess themselves. Very often one can find them lending a hand to the cook.  They take it upon themselves to keep the campus clean. They cultivate plantain and vegetables. They partake in various sports to keep themselves fit and energetic. Sport has the ability to build a spirit of camaraderie. They are the driving force behind the finance campaign every year.

K U T Seminary strives to breakdown all barriers to opportunity. Students are admitted to the courses here with a vision. It is obvious they could have done anything with their lives. But they have chosen the thorny path to do good. They are trained to sail against the wind and break down the barriers that divide the members of the Church as well as the society. The goal is to transform them as born leaders. Leaders who are confident. Leaders who have the initiative. Leaders who would lead the flock through thick and thin. Leaders who are unafraid to break down the glass ceilings that exist in our caste ridden society. Leaders who lead by example. Leaders who are kind and considerate. Leaders who follow Jesus Christ in word and deed. Leaders who break the barriers not for themselves but for the masses so that no one else would have to face them again.

KUT Seminary wishes to reinvent itself at the Platinum Jubilee and stay afloat in the chaos and destruction that confront the world today. KUT Seminary reiterates the vision of the founding fathers to be among the top class institutions in the world for spiritual learning.

KUT Seminary is well supported by believers in their multitudes, Churches and Organisations. The prayers that have brought KUT Seminary this far will carry it in the years ahead by the Grace of God.

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Accidents occur in the most unlikely places. It was early in the morning on Thursday the 22^nd July 2016. Two ramps off the NH Bypass lead to the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport, one for the entry and the other for the exit. Unmindful of the restrictions a young woman was riding her scooter down the ramp to the entrance.  A young man, an employee of a contractor at the Airport was going up the ramp on his scooter from the entrance to report for duty.  It started raining. The ramp had enough width so that there had been no scope for any collision on it.

Both scooters came at a high speed at each other like predators. The woman lost her nerves when she saw another vehicle coming straight at her. Her vehicle zigzagged. The rider of the other vehicle had no chance. The vehicles collided. Both riders fell off and were injured. The crowd that had gathered on hearing the collision found the woman off the scooter whereas the man was underneath his vehicle.

The crowd was chivalrous. The woman had injuries. She was immediately packed off in an auto rickshaw to the Hospital. There was no one to even look at the man who had also been injured. The commotion brought Ashwin who was jogging in the vast campus of the Airport to the scene. Ashwin, with the help of another onlooker, managed to extricate the man who was profusely bleeding from beneath the scooter and rushed him to the General Hospital.

Ashwin waited at the General Hospital till the injured was taken care of. Later he took the injured man to his residence at Valiathura. The young man was grateful and had requested his benefactor to have a tea at home. Ashwin shrugged and went off.

Ashwin Abraham runs an export firm ‘Cholakath Exports’.  He turned to export business after a stint in IT companies. In order to keep himself fit he would either jog or play football or exercise at the gym.

He donates blood for patients in intervals. In case he has not completed the interval and if someone is in urgent need he makes it a point to get someone to help the patient.

Ashwin Abraham is available at 9645964814.

YOU NEVER TOLD US YOUR PARENTS WERE POOR

Niranam is well known for Niranam poets. It is a small village in Pathanamthitta District, Kerala State, India. Legend says Niranam had once been reclaimed from the sea. The earth there is pristine white sand that one finds at the sea shore. The place is far away from  major thoroughfares and towns. Simple souls inhabit the land. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of the village. Paddy is cultivated in the fields. Sugar cane was once cultivated in the paddy fields as the second crop when the Sugar factory was in full swing. Tuber crops like Tapioca (Kappa), Chembu, Kachil and banana are cultivated in the land. Coconut Palm trees and Areca nut trees line the skyline. Pepper creepers climb up the Areca Nut trees. Jackfruit trees and different varieties of Mango trees provide seasonal fruits. There would be one or two Aanjili trees that go up sky high in almost every parcel of land. Anjili wood is extensively used for doors, windows, furniture, aras(where harvested paddy is stored) and even to build country crafts. Aanjili chakka, the fruit of aanjili is  delicious.  Its nuts are roasted and served as snacks. It is scores ahead of pea nuts.   Tamarind trees are grown for tamarind, an integral component of the delectable fish curry. Tamarind's pulp is sweet. Fish is caught from the ponds and the canals and the river that flows through the village. The paddy fields are flooded once the harvesting is over. It is a seamless  expanse of fresh water where fish migrate from the river and the canals and where the duck farmers lead their ducks to hunt for food.  Each household will have one or two cows that yield milk. They would raise a few hens or ducks for eggs and meat. 

Each family had a large number of children. They worked in the fields as they grew up. The roof of the  houses were thatched. There was no electricity. The people had an aesthetic sense. Flowers like Jasmine, Rose, Dahlia, Hibiscus, Nandiyarvattom and Sun flower spreading fragrance and  good cheer  could be seen around each courtyard. The path to the houses had thick growth of crotons on either side.

Drinking water was drawn from wells. Unfortunately all the households were not blessed with wells. People moved across from their dwelling places to wherever drinking water was available. They would  carry home the water they need in buckets and vessels.

There was no public transport system in the village. There were no Taxis. Autorikshaws were yet to make their mark even in the civilized parts of the state. When people had fallen ill vehicular transportation was not available to take them to a hospital far away.  A few able bodied men would lift the bed on which the sick were lying on to their shoulders and carry them to the point where a vehicle was available for transferring the sick to the hospital.

The people were deeply religious. They had no other go but to have absolute faith in their Gods because a crop failure or natural calamities would drive them to starvation and famine.

Education facilities were minimal. Higher education was a dream that never came true for most of the people. In spite of the handicaps some families had managed to send their children away for higher education.

Kochoikunj and Rahel of Kumbalath Nadukke Veedu had somehow managed to send Samuel, their eldest son to Madras for higher education. Samuel had enrolled in an Engineering College. He had excelled in his studies and had won a scholarship to complete his post graduation in Mechanical Engineering. Though his parents had expected their son to return to Niranam, Samuel had other ideas. He had found an opening in Best and Crompton at Madras. The company placed him in Product Design after putting him through probation for two years.  He had won wide acclaim for the fuel efficient engine he had designed for the tractor. Fame brought him a placement, Vice President, in General Motors in Detroit, USA.  

Samuel had married Mariamma when he had successfully completed his probation. It was an arranged marriage. When the offer of placement had come from General Motors, Samuel and Mariamma had two children, Babu of three years and Babita of one year.

Acceptance of the offer from General Motors meant relocation of the family to USA. The offer was so good that no one in his right senses would ever forsake it. Samuel was offered a royalty on his designs patented by General Motors besides the hefty package on offer.

The man from Niranam had made it big in the world. Kochoikunj and Rahel were proud of the achievements of their son. They were happy to receive letters regularly from Samuel. Since there were no Telephones in Niranam they could not converse with each other.

The demands of the job made it impossible for Samuel to plan a visit to India. Finally after seven years Samuel seized an opportunity to spend two weeks with his parents at Niranam. The arrival of Samuel with his family was a great event for the people of the village where everyone knew everyone else quite unlike in larger cities.

Kochoikunj and Rahel were happy. They wished to celebrate the arrival of their son with his family by serving a feast to all the residents of the village. It was a gala event. There was music. There was a big pandal (shamiana) to accommodate all the guests. Food was served on plantain leaves in true Kerala fashion.

When they saw food being served on plantain leaves Babu and Babita had started to cry bitterly. Samuel and Mariamma had no idea why the children were crying. They tried very hard to pacify them. The children while sobbing blurted out, “You never told us your parents were poor. That’s why they could not afford plates.”

AARON ANOOP ABRAHAM

GREASE THE PALM GET THE JOB DONE

Victor was a man of great principles. He was teaching mathematics in the local Government School. He taught his students to be honest always. He gave free tuition to students weak in maths. He asked his wards to be kind to fellow human beings. He emphasized that no bribes should be given or accepted for carrying out jobs for which one is paid for. He was the perfect role model.

Victor had come up in life the hard way. He had lost his father, Martin when he was five. Beatrice, wife of Martin, was left with their three children to battle it out. Beatrice somehow managed to pull along and finally when Martin had landed the teacher’s job the fortunes of the family took a turn for the better.

Martin had been the care taker of his family property of 50 cents. Though Martin’s brothers and sisters had a right to the property they had permitted Beatrice to run a farm in the property to eke out a living. There was only one condition. The property would have to be sold and the proceeds shared equally among all the nine claimants as soon as Victor completed his education and obtained a job.

Victor had the onerous job of selling the property. Buyers were aplenty since the property had commercial value. Victor managed to find a buyer who was prepared to buy the property at the high price he had quoted. The deal could be completed only when it was  registered. Victor came up against a wall at this point. The property was in the name of late Martin. Unfortunately Beatrice had forgotten to obtain the death certificate after the sad demise of her husband. Since Martin had passed away without executing a Will the Sub Registrar directed Victor to obtain the succession certificate from the Tahsildar. The Tahsildar in turn directed him to obtain confirmation of the death of Martin and the list of successors from the Village Officer.

The Village Officer asked Victor to obtain certificates of confirmation of death of Martin from three persons who had been present at the funeral twenty years ago. Victor pleaded but to no avail. The Village Officer was adamant that he would never issue the certificates unless Victor had produced the confirmation he had sought. If the deal was not completed Victor would be answerable to his relatives who had been kind to their family when they were in grief and penury. The relative who had accompanied Victor told him that the registration would never see light unless the official was paid his due. Victor argued that handing out bribes was against the principles he had professed all his life. The relative pointed out that he was in urgent need of money to marry off his daughter.

Victor waited at the office till it was closed. When the official was coming out of the office in the evening he had approached him again.He was asked why he had been waiting there. Victor took out Rs.2000.00 and tried to hand it over. The official was angry and Victor was rebuked for his audacity. He was advised to proceed to the  official’s residence.

The Village Officer was all smiles when saw Victor waiting at his residence. The money was exchanged. Victor was advised to visit the office at 4.00 PM the next day. The report and the certificates were ready when Victor had called in at the appointed hour.

CORRUPT BUREAUCRACY

Binu had bought three and a half cents of land to build a house. The family had been staying in rented premises for long. They had enough of the nomadic life. The ground was level and square and was adjacent to an irrigation canal.  The banks of the canal were dotted with houses on both shores. Binu was confident that he could build his dream house there.

Binu was a self made man. He had lost his father when he was a child. It was left to Kamalamma, his mother to look after the four children with great difficulty after the sad demise of her husband.  Binu worked as a mechanic in a garage to help his mother even as he was attending the school.   Soon after he had completed schooling he managed to start a workshop of his own for four wheelers.

Building a house is not a joke. You need a plan certified by a registered architect. You need approvals from government departments as well as the municipality. Binu submitted all relevant documents at the municipal office. As nothing had happened for over a month Binu made enquiries at the office. He was told that the delay was due to the absence of the building inspector who was on long leave. The building inspector had to visit the property and certify that the proposed building would not violate any of the rules in force.

The building inspector visited the property after another month. She had arrived in an autoricksha. The lady told Binu that she could not issue the no objection certificate as the proposed building was in violation of the norms. Binu argued that the banks of the canal were dotted with houses and there was no justice in the rejection of his application.  The building inspector affirmed that she would never approve the construction of the house at the proposed site. He took out Rs.3000.00 from his pocket and offered it to the building inspector. The good lady rebuked him for offering her a bribe. She asked him to pay the autoricksha charges.  

The next day Binu visited the municipal office. He met the building inspector. She repeated that she could not approve a construction in violation of the norms. As a despondent Binu was coming out the office a peon followed him. The peon told him that he would get the approval for Binu the next day provided he would hand over a full bottle of foreign made liquor. Binu agreed as he had lost all hopes.

The next day when Binu called at the office the peon met him. He was told that the papers were ready. But they would be handed over only after Binu had handed over the bottle. The bottle was promptly exchanged and Binu stepped out of the office with the building permit.