Hijack

In a land far away from us - a train has been hijacked. The whole train taken hostage by Maoist fighters.

That land is where we were working for 4 years. The station the Naxalites boarded the train was Barwadih - just 10 minutes from Daltonganj where we used to alight and take a 45 minute jeep ride to the Nav Jivan Hospital in Tumbagarah.

Once again, the contradictions of our large and confusing land raises its head. On one hand we are able to produce the cheapest car in the world, even shifting the manufacturing plant at the drop of a hat when political issues get in the way. On the other hand our medical corporates manage to be seen as world-beating entrepreneurs. And yet vast swathes of our nation are places people are fleeing from - places where the most archaic colonial style governance takes place - as the elites and plebians alike consider them basket-cases.

How will the current train hijack end? Will the Maoists melt away into the forests as they have done so far. Will the small communities that live in the rain-fed uplands of Jharkhand continue to grudgingly give them shelter? Quite likely - at least in the forseeable future. Why? Sometimes it is the point of a gun - sometimes out of admiration for people who stand up against other powers - and other times of the choosing a lesser evil.

Many will flee this India and go for a different world of the cities and a few will break out and go abroad. But the vast majority are still tied to place. Here in Mall-town India we forget this. The day to day illusions of commerce and trade and services at the click of a mouse cloud our vision. The sweat and toil of those who live in 12 hour power cuts - or where the copper wires have been stolen so that the 'electrified villages' do not get any power at all - are far from our urban minds.

Until the rumblings of a train hijack take us there reluctantly.

But what was I saying ... the IPL Cricket tournament is on! This news-smooze is just a time-pass yaar - change the channel to something more lively... Lets watch Yuvi hit some sixes and see the cheer leaders and...

Retreat

Jesus took his disciples away for some time. To be with Him. To rest. To be recharged.

As the mercury soars – we very much need the same.

And so we went.

Sunita and Lata enjoy some very sweet chickoos on the train to Kedgaon.

We went as a team to the Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission in Kedgaon. 5 hours by train from Thane. In the heat. A dry and interior place.

But also a place of truth and light. A place where for 120 years people have been blessed.

We chose “walking in the light” as our theme.

The main speaker was the Holy Spirit Himself. And the Word. We were amazed by the depth to which we were able to go. By the relevance and insight each session had to who we were and what we are doing.

Life is short. We want to live in the light. We realize again and again that what Jesus said is truth – He is the light of the world – and so are we. Reflecting His light through who we are, and what we do, and how we do it.

We were only at Mukti for 2 days - but what days they were.

Times for prayer. Below an extended early morning prayer time complete with a symbolic seven-fold march around the chapel as we prayed for the local churches in Thane.

Time for fellowship and reflection. Time for worship and inputs from the Word.

Time for fun and frolicking together. How about a water balloon toss anyone? Its amazing how quickly a bucket full of water balloons can be popped when you are tossing them and catching using dupattas - esp. when 3 or 4 balloons are in the fray at the same time...

Time to hone skills that are often dormant in the work-serve-work world we are in while serving with JSK in Thane. A Christiano Ronaldo in the making?

Time to show each other that we love each other. We finished off the far-too-short and yet wonderfully-blessed-and-much-to-be-remembered time at Mukti by washing each others feet and then celebrating the bread and wine together.

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1.7

Surreal Part 2

The elections continue to bubble away. Already millions have cast their votes in the Naxalite affected parts of our country. At least 30 paramilitary / police have been killed in violence so far – including some very close to where we used to work at Nav Jivan Hospital in Jharkhand.

But here in Mumbai / Thane-land the sheer inanity continues. On a hot and sweaty afternoon, I spotted this vehicle with its engine on – air-conditioner going – and the driver sleeping inside. Perhaps waiting for the evening campaigning. One the front of the vehicle there is a prominent “PRAISE THE LORD” emblazoned across the top of the windscreen. On the back the cheery greeting seen in the picture above.

On top of this chariot we see the beatific face of Ms. Mayawati – a cunning and hard-bitten politician who is riding the caste-based wave to power – and has never hid her ambition to become the first Dalit prime minister – and doing whatever it takes to get there.

Her local candidate looks like he has been just let out on parole. The Marxists across the country want to prop up Mayawati as an alternative to the Congress and BJP blocks - but are in a real pickle since many of these gents who are candidates of the ‘Elephant’ have declared assets in the tune of crores.

Our nation does require justice. Caste and class discrimination is rife. There are many ceilings – forget glass – for most the ceilings are concrete and brick and mud. But the track-record of most of those who don the mantle of social justice to get things done through politics is just as murky as those who they are replacing.

Mukti Mission

The poor will always be among you.

And so will the destitute – at least until our Lord returns.

Thank God for places like the Pandita Ramabai Mukti Mission – which is in its 120th year of caring and rehabilitating the destitute. People like Mrs. Tamin – who was living outside on the pavement at Happy Valley, where we live. Mrs. Tamin’s brother and in-laws live nearby – but she was abandoned after her husband’s death last year. This Marathi lady who was highly pregnant when our staff first noticed her – and who gave birth to a beautiful little girl which our staff helped name as “Esther.”

Giri, Lata and Sunita at Pandita Ramabai's modest gravesite

After repeated efforts to get Mrs. Tamin’s brother to take her in, we found ourselves looking for places where this abandoned woman could go – only Mukti Mission seemed a real option. Just as we were about to send her, however, a local social worker took Mrs. Tamin to the police station – and had her give up the child to a remand home. Mrs. Tamin thought that they were both being looked after – but found out to her horror that her 2 week old baby was taken away from her. She was literally driven away. Again.

It was enough to send her around the bend. And it did. Somehow she had a tract on which Lata, one of our JSK staff had written her phone number. Mrs. Tamin called Lata up and was guided back to Thane. But now she was in a worse condition than before. Clearly mentally disturbed she sat on the pavement in front of Happy Valley in the cold, gesticulating, mad.

After much spadework and advocacy we were finally able to get the child back to Mrs. Tamin – and both admitted at Mukti Mission.

The next 2 months were a deep struggle for our friends at Mukti as they grappled with Mrs. Tamin’s mental unbalance – but the child has thrived and with the loving and firm care – and much prayer and love by the dear people at Mukti - Mrs. Tamin too has slowly returned to her right mind.

The story is not yet over. But just one of the many miracles that keep taking place at Mukti Mission. Pandita Ramabai started Mukti with prayer – and saw many miracles over her years of leadership. Times when there was no food and when it arrived miraculously at the gate. The current administrator – Mr. Jagdish Solanki shared that he has seen the miracles continue. On one Christmas there was a severe cash shortage. It looked like it would not be possible to do anything for the almost 2000 who make up the Mukti Community. But then amazingly a man came and decided to give Rs. 1,25,000 in cash! Enough for all the girls to get dresses and for all to have a Christmas dinner.

Daniel with Nivedan - Rahul and Varsha's son at the main entrance to Mukti Mission

So this was the place that we as the JSK team were destined to go to for our Staff retreat for 2009. And what a time we had…

A mirage?

The power goes off at 4 PM every afternoon now.

With the delight of April's sun burning its way across the sky - our little office with its silent fans suddenly becomes a sweatbox.

This afternoon I was talking with a potential staff member - and we abandonned the office to sit out by the side of the road.

Deep in conversation, we were suddenly interrupted by a big Toyota Qualis with a huge saffron flag on the front.

A rousing "hallelujah" came from within - and there - as large a life were a bunch of pastors riding in a Shiv Sena vehicle.

"Praise the Lord" one said loudly to me - "we were looking for you."

I doubt they were. But anyway, up I get.

The surreality only got worse. I am told that the driver has had an attack by Satan. "Please pray for him." I am about to - and am then urged to go around the other side to the driver himself. As I come to him I can see the pamphlets for the local Shiv Sena candidate prominently displayed on the front wind-screen. These chaps are clearly in bed with the Sena.

I pray. What else to do?

The merry padres then tell the driver to head off.

Writing all of this seems too bizarre to be true. But its the absolute veracity. A bunch of pastors is driving around in Shiv Sena vehicle, promoting the cause of the Sena for the upcoming elections - and telling all and sundry that they are doing it to protect and build up the Christian minority community.

Politics makes for some pretty strange sights...

Stay tuned as we plunge into a month of elections - with the outcome being anyone's guess.

Lord help us. Keep us from mocking our leaders. Let us genuinely plead with You for justice and truth and sanity to roll like a river across our dear land.

on top of a hill

We went up the hill yesterday.

Its a ridge that always seemed huge when we first moved to our flat at Happy Valley 5 years ago. Then 2 years ago we got to the top for the first time with our church youth.

With the kids having grown stronger (no more carrying them) and our awe of the distance dissappearing - we now are able to go up on a whim.

Like yesterday afternoon.

There we were at 5.30 PM at the bottom of the hill. And then just before 6 on the top. To our right, Thane was splayed out in sun-drenched splendour. The profusion of tall buildings catching the setting sun light - the air clear and cool - we were able to see well beyond the creek to Bhiwandi. Was that Kalyan in the distance?

But it was to the left that the magic really lies.

You cross over the gap and come... to a different world. Not a highrise - or lowrise (i.e. slum) in sight. Just hills. A few small neat shelters that the local villagers use seasonally. 2 small huts off to the side nestled in trees with smooth courtyards. And most of all - silence. Just the breeze and the rustle of leaves.

As we were sitting enjoying the evening we saw a small girl and a man in the distance. She went back and squatted down. He stayed on the path and then was joined by 3 of 4 others. One of these was a spirited girl in her early teens. She had a ball and was engaging a man who had a stick in an impromtu cricket game. She threw the ball. He swung wildly. They switched with no better results. The ball was never hit in flight. They were too far for us to hear what they were saying, but the delight and sheer fun communicated across the small valley. Backlit by the setting sun, the small puffs of dust made by happy feet still remain in my mind's eye.

We played the "thankfulness game" each one of us telling 2 things we were thankful for. Rishav and Urvashi were with us and it was wonderful to be thankful under the high bank of clouds that shimmered the sky ceiling vaunted far above us.

Being the oldest I was last.

Here is one of the things I was grateful for: The colour green. That single tree showing her pale green leaves in the slanting sun. Down there against the blacks and greys of burnt fields. Magical.

The colour green - because without cholorphyl we would be toast. How amazing that something so hard-working, efficient and versatile - would be so soothingly beautiful. Once again the whole bit of truth and beauty making itself known!

We did not want to come back down to the city. But here we are - back in Gotham!

Thane ART Centre

Some sobering thoughts.

With the roll-out of anti-retroviral therapy we now have over 4500 people signed up at the ART centre at the Thane Civil Hospital.

I visited the centre to meet with the District Programme Officer of the newly set up District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit - which is part of the Government's National AIDS Control Organisation.

I passed a long snaking line of people - all HIV positive - holding their cards and standing in line to pick up their monthly medications.

This is a programme - which though there are short-comings - is working. Each one of those in the line has the disease that is working to reduce their immunity - but the meds that they are coming faithfully for is making a difference. They are alive. Without the meds most of them would be dead. Its as simple as that.

Having said the basic truth - there is so much room for increasing access. We need not only one centre for the district (for which we are of course grateful - esp. since 2 years ago the number of ART centres in Thane was zero). We need multiple centres. We need places where people can come without fear. We need access to care that can bring the thousands of lives who do not have ART meds into the land of the living.

Yesterday we heard some exciting news. The government is planning to set up "Link ART Centres" where they are willing to have private players start providing ART medications. We are obviously very interested. Keep us in your prayers as we consider the ins and outs of what we had been hoping for all along.