Wednesday 27 November 2019
Friday 22 November 2019
Organic Farm
One of the meaningful and creative ways of relating to the nature is through farming. It is the basic sustenance of human persons. All over the world, we find human persons engaging themselves in farming.
Naturally growing plants
Many plants depend only on the rain. Such plants look awesome. The difficulty is that we cannot see them whenever we want to. It is meaningful to open our eyes and admire of them whenever we see them. Some such plants are from the campus...........
Looking back to the rainy season
What a terrible summer it was!
The rainy season has changed the face of the campus,
The rainy season has changed the face of the campus,
Monday 28 October 2019
Tribal Identity and Land
The Tribals are a group of people who accept and profess that they have descended from their common ancestors, they have their common language, culture, custom and tradition. They are governed by their own social institutions like kingship, clan, Parha-system, beliefs and customary laws. They are the group of people who constitute a homogenous unit, live in a particular geographical unit, speak a common language and with a social structure based on kingship. So for the Tribals, Jal, Jungle, Jameen (water, forest, and land) become their indelible identity.
Definition of Land:
People think of land as a plot, cycling in season and off season, producing fruits they reap. This is the utilitarian understanding of land. It is the human perception that needs to be more flexible to gain a better understanding of land According to the perception of tribal societies, land is not property but the means of livelihood. Including agricultural land, all natural resources belong to the village community and every individual has the right to use these resources for his livelihood.
Land in Hebrew Bible and Tribal Land
There is a great similarity between the Hebrew Bible understanding and Tribal understanding of land. For the Israelites, land was a promise and a gift. Land is given to them as a people and signifies their identity, the presence of Yahweh and therefore, an open future. The Book of Deuteronomy spoke of; “A good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters, welling up in of brooks of water, fountains and springs flowing forth in valleys and hills… a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity a land in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper.” (Duet 8:7-9) The Exodus Tradition of liberation from slavery finds its fulfilment in the Promised Land.
When we see the historical movements related to land, we find that it is very similar to the significance of the land in the Hebrew Bible. Tribals are known as sons of the soil, the original settlers of Jharkhand land, which is known as Chotanagpur and Santal Parganas. The land of Tribals is considered holy, the land of their ancestors and, yet that too, is a long and sad history. Wherever tribals went first, they sought for land and wanted to establish themselves well. But some alien forces (the Dikus, Turks, Zamindars) drove them away from their land and, as a consequence, they had no other alternative than to go in search of new places for their settlement until they reached the Jharkhand Plateau, ‘the promised land’. It was covered by dense forest. They cleared the forest, prepared the land for cultivation with their efforts, hard work and limited tools.
Jharkhand, on which today’s tribals live, is the same land which was prepared and cleared through their ancestors’ sweat and blood. This is a gift from God. Therefore, it is sacred and belongs to their ancestors.
Historical Movement Related to Land
During the period between1585-1765, the great Mughals conquered Chota Nagpur and gave the name Jharkhand. This time against the will of the people. The ‘Raiyat’ system was introduced which broke the back of the whole political system of the tribals. In order to pay a tribute to the Emperor, the kings demanded regular revenue payment. This displeased the tribals and they resisted the efforts of the kings. The Zamindari and Landlord ship system was chiefly responsible for triggering off the agrarian movement of the 19th century.
British rule came to Chota Nagpur around 1765. It started its rule under the Mughal Diwani rule. The Jagirdari System was introduced and tribals were more oppressed and exploited than before. They eventually lost their land. The massive agrarian discontent finally erupted in the Great Kol Insurrection of 1831-32. Its magnitude shook the entire length and breadth of the country.
The Arrival of the Missionary
The Missionaries arrived in Chota Nagpur around 1845-1886. Their coming was a big blessing for the tribals. They tried to motivate and educate the young tribal people to put up a brave front against the crisis which they were facing. Fr. Constant Lievance fought the land cases in court, the setting up of factories, building dams and the establishment setting of mining mills. The impact of displacement on the tribals and their socio, religious and cultural life has always been devastating with deadening consequences. Such a displacement is not merely physical moving out of their homeland to another place but it is their emotional, psychological, social, religious and cultural disintegration, a virtual tearing apart of a community that has emerged out of innumerable difficulties, struggles and pain. It is really cruel to deprive of them of land, streams, rivers, forests, hills, mountains and from their affinity that is linked to these core areas of Mother Earth.
Conclusion:
A Tribal is emotionally linked to land and nature. Apart from these and from nature, you cannot impose tribal identity. A tree for a business man is a thing of commercial gain. But when a tribal looks at a tree, he thinks of its shade, fruits and its direct usefulness in his life. So this is their slogan: “Jaan Dengey, Jameen Nahi” (“We will give our life but not land.”)
Fr George Beck SJ
The Superior of DNC Philosophers
DNC Times, Sep 2019, Pg 6-7.
Definition of Land:
People think of land as a plot, cycling in season and off season, producing fruits they reap. This is the utilitarian understanding of land. It is the human perception that needs to be more flexible to gain a better understanding of land According to the perception of tribal societies, land is not property but the means of livelihood. Including agricultural land, all natural resources belong to the village community and every individual has the right to use these resources for his livelihood.
Land in Hebrew Bible and Tribal Land
There is a great similarity between the Hebrew Bible understanding and Tribal understanding of land. For the Israelites, land was a promise and a gift. Land is given to them as a people and signifies their identity, the presence of Yahweh and therefore, an open future. The Book of Deuteronomy spoke of; “A good land, a land with flowing streams, with springs and underground waters, welling up in of brooks of water, fountains and springs flowing forth in valleys and hills… a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity a land in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron and from whose hills you may mine copper.” (Duet 8:7-9) The Exodus Tradition of liberation from slavery finds its fulfilment in the Promised Land.
When we see the historical movements related to land, we find that it is very similar to the significance of the land in the Hebrew Bible. Tribals are known as sons of the soil, the original settlers of Jharkhand land, which is known as Chotanagpur and Santal Parganas. The land of Tribals is considered holy, the land of their ancestors and, yet that too, is a long and sad history. Wherever tribals went first, they sought for land and wanted to establish themselves well. But some alien forces (the Dikus, Turks, Zamindars) drove them away from their land and, as a consequence, they had no other alternative than to go in search of new places for their settlement until they reached the Jharkhand Plateau, ‘the promised land’. It was covered by dense forest. They cleared the forest, prepared the land for cultivation with their efforts, hard work and limited tools.
Jharkhand, on which today’s tribals live, is the same land which was prepared and cleared through their ancestors’ sweat and blood. This is a gift from God. Therefore, it is sacred and belongs to their ancestors.
Historical Movement Related to Land
During the period between1585-1765, the great Mughals conquered Chota Nagpur and gave the name Jharkhand. This time against the will of the people. The ‘Raiyat’ system was introduced which broke the back of the whole political system of the tribals. In order to pay a tribute to the Emperor, the kings demanded regular revenue payment. This displeased the tribals and they resisted the efforts of the kings. The Zamindari and Landlord ship system was chiefly responsible for triggering off the agrarian movement of the 19th century.
British rule came to Chota Nagpur around 1765. It started its rule under the Mughal Diwani rule. The Jagirdari System was introduced and tribals were more oppressed and exploited than before. They eventually lost their land. The massive agrarian discontent finally erupted in the Great Kol Insurrection of 1831-32. Its magnitude shook the entire length and breadth of the country.
The Arrival of the Missionary
The Missionaries arrived in Chota Nagpur around 1845-1886. Their coming was a big blessing for the tribals. They tried to motivate and educate the young tribal people to put up a brave front against the crisis which they were facing. Fr. Constant Lievance fought the land cases in court, the setting up of factories, building dams and the establishment setting of mining mills. The impact of displacement on the tribals and their socio, religious and cultural life has always been devastating with deadening consequences. Such a displacement is not merely physical moving out of their homeland to another place but it is their emotional, psychological, social, religious and cultural disintegration, a virtual tearing apart of a community that has emerged out of innumerable difficulties, struggles and pain. It is really cruel to deprive of them of land, streams, rivers, forests, hills, mountains and from their affinity that is linked to these core areas of Mother Earth.
Conclusion:
A Tribal is emotionally linked to land and nature. Apart from these and from nature, you cannot impose tribal identity. A tree for a business man is a thing of commercial gain. But when a tribal looks at a tree, he thinks of its shade, fruits and its direct usefulness in his life. So this is their slogan: “Jaan Dengey, Jameen Nahi” (“We will give our life but not land.”)
Fr George Beck SJ
The Superior of DNC Philosophers
DNC Times, Sep 2019, Pg 6-7.
Failing Land, Broken Lives
Thousands of precious human lives have been lost. Innumerable poverty-stricken families have been broken in body and mind. This is the hard reality of the suicide committed by farmers in India - a catastrophe that has befallen the agricultural system in India. In recent years, a large number of marginal farmers in India have put a premature end to their lives in despair and the numbers are staggering. Since 1995, more than 3 lakh farmers in India have ended their lives and their families and communities have been left shattered. The state of Maharashtra takes the largest share of those numbers and, therefore, it is known as the epicenter of farm related suicides in India.
Mass suicides relating to a single profession raises serious questions concerning the system around which the farming profession is built. No doubt, the agricultural system and the economy supporting it are not in favour of the small scale farmers. The circumstances under which farmer suicides take place vary significantly from case to case. Yet the common factors remain the same: unmanageable debt, government apathy, lack of social support, crop failure, which altogether makes up the broad term ‘agrarian distresses’.
The problem of suicides by farmers is not just an Indian problem. It is a global concern. Similar incidents of suicides have been reported even in developed countries and developing countries alike. Agriculture is hence termed as a high risk and high stress profession. However, the situation in India is different. Indian agriculture is prone to the vagaries of the Monsoon as large portions of Indian agricultural canvas are yet to be covered by artificial irrigation. Infrastructural benefits have not yet completely reached the Indian farmer. In the absence of formal channels of credit from banks and financial institutions, the marginal farmer relies heavily on costly loan from moneylenders. Thus the small farmer is even cheated and deprived of the occasional respite of loan waivers which trickles down through the banking system.
The spectre of mass suicides by farmers continues to haunt the governments at the Centre and the States. Unable (or unwilling) to tackle the menace structurally, governments have resorted to short term solutions such as announcing loan waivers. Some State Governments have even suppressed data on farmers’ suicide. The increasing death toll becomes a weapon for political mudslinging. However, lasting solutions have not yet germinated. Farmers’ suicide continues to remain a stain in the much vaunted modern Indian economic growth story.
The fate of the surviving family members of farmers ending their lives is even more tragic. There seems to be no escape or end to their distress. They not only carry the pain of losing a family member, who is also a bread winner, but they are also pursued by money lenders for the repayment of a loan taken at exorbitant interest rates! Not all the survivors of farmers committing suicides qualify for financial relief by the Government. Farmer suicides have pushed many households into destitution. Thus, the vicious circle is constantly pushed wider. A fitting response to the problem of farmer suicides needs to include multi-pronged strategies. This response needs to begin with a humanitarian concern for the poor farmer.
The marginal farmer needs to be empowered by providing multiple options for earning income as well as providing psychological aid. On our part, we could express solidarity with the farmers by supporting Farmers’ Movements, spreading awareness on problems of farmers, reducing waste, and promoting and practicing ecological sensitivity. The farmers supply our basic human need of nourishment. In return for this service they render to humanity, they deserve a fair deal when it comes to the matter of their own survival.
Sch. Praveen Kiran Martis SJ
DNC Times, Sep 2019, pg 17-18.
Mass suicides relating to a single profession raises serious questions concerning the system around which the farming profession is built. No doubt, the agricultural system and the economy supporting it are not in favour of the small scale farmers. The circumstances under which farmer suicides take place vary significantly from case to case. Yet the common factors remain the same: unmanageable debt, government apathy, lack of social support, crop failure, which altogether makes up the broad term ‘agrarian distresses’.
The problem of suicides by farmers is not just an Indian problem. It is a global concern. Similar incidents of suicides have been reported even in developed countries and developing countries alike. Agriculture is hence termed as a high risk and high stress profession. However, the situation in India is different. Indian agriculture is prone to the vagaries of the Monsoon as large portions of Indian agricultural canvas are yet to be covered by artificial irrigation. Infrastructural benefits have not yet completely reached the Indian farmer. In the absence of formal channels of credit from banks and financial institutions, the marginal farmer relies heavily on costly loan from moneylenders. Thus the small farmer is even cheated and deprived of the occasional respite of loan waivers which trickles down through the banking system.
The spectre of mass suicides by farmers continues to haunt the governments at the Centre and the States. Unable (or unwilling) to tackle the menace structurally, governments have resorted to short term solutions such as announcing loan waivers. Some State Governments have even suppressed data on farmers’ suicide. The increasing death toll becomes a weapon for political mudslinging. However, lasting solutions have not yet germinated. Farmers’ suicide continues to remain a stain in the much vaunted modern Indian economic growth story.
The fate of the surviving family members of farmers ending their lives is even more tragic. There seems to be no escape or end to their distress. They not only carry the pain of losing a family member, who is also a bread winner, but they are also pursued by money lenders for the repayment of a loan taken at exorbitant interest rates! Not all the survivors of farmers committing suicides qualify for financial relief by the Government. Farmer suicides have pushed many households into destitution. Thus, the vicious circle is constantly pushed wider. A fitting response to the problem of farmer suicides needs to include multi-pronged strategies. This response needs to begin with a humanitarian concern for the poor farmer.
The marginal farmer needs to be empowered by providing multiple options for earning income as well as providing psychological aid. On our part, we could express solidarity with the farmers by supporting Farmers’ Movements, spreading awareness on problems of farmers, reducing waste, and promoting and practicing ecological sensitivity. The farmers supply our basic human need of nourishment. In return for this service they render to humanity, they deserve a fair deal when it comes to the matter of their own survival.
Sch. Praveen Kiran Martis SJ
DNC Times, Sep 2019, pg 17-18.
Jesus the Farmer
The Israelites, after the Exodus, came to the land of Canaan, the Promised Land. But much of it was dry and infertile other than the land which spread near the “fertile crescent”. The people started to till the land for crops and eventually, the Hebrews became farmers. The story of the first human beings on earth hints at this: Adam was forced to sweat from the brow in cultivating the land among thorns and thistles (Gn 3: 18-19). Similarly, in the book of Genesis, we read the story of Cain and Abel, which again gives us a clue that the Hebrews had become farmers. We could see throughout the Old Testament instances of people using farm products.
The Gezer Calendar, which was found in Israel, dates from the time of Solomon, in the mid-10th Century BC, described the agricultural cycle, month by month, giving the tasks to be performed at certain times of the year.
· August and September are times of harvest
· October and November are set aside for planting
· February is devoted to the cultivation of flax and,
· March, to the barley harvest, etc.
Farming was also important in the New Testament times. Farming lends itself to some great spiritual truths, as found throughout the Scripture. Through analogy, it can show us how we can cultivate spiritual growth, work hard, and be watered and refreshed by the Gospel.
Jesus talked often about the land and its products in his teachings, showing he was familiar with farming techniques. Jesus often taught in parables, an ancient Eastern literary genre. But he made use of the matter available in nature when he went around the cities and towns of Israel. For example, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire labourers for his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1). Jesus saw what was happening in and around the Israel farming culture and used those parameters in his parables for teaching. Whenever Jesus used words pertaining to farming, he used it to as an example from everyday life to convey a spiritual truth. Jesus often used farming methods and farm equipment to illustrate important teachings. (Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 4:3-9; Luke 13:6-9) Why? Because he lived in an agricultural society. Many who listened to him followed farming traditions that had remained unchanged for centuries. They appreciated his references to their daily activities. He could relate to them, and they were moved by what he taught (Matthew 7:28).
Jesus not only used words pertaining to farming but he also went further, saying His Father is a farmer. We are used to the translation in John 15:1, which says my Father is the “vine grower,” but the Greek is γεωργός (georgos) and the Latin is Agricola. Both ‘georgos’ and ‘Agricola’ mean farmer, not simply vine grower. God is the one who gives life, nourishes, tends, and brings to fruition. He is a farmer. Aquinas refers to this passage in Augustine and explains a little more what it means to cultivate God when commenting on John 15:
God cultivates us to make us better by his work since he roots out the evil weeds in our hearts. As Augustine says, “He opens our hearts with the plough of his words, plants the seeds of the commandments, and harvests the fruit of devotion”. But we cultivate God, not by ploughing but
by adoring, so that we may become better and produce a hundred fold by Him: ‘If anyone is a worshiper,’ that is, a cultivator, ‘of God and does his will, God listens to him’ (9:31).
“Cultivating” God, or worshiping Him, as these the same words in Latin, means cultivating a relationship with Him, by which we give Him honour and we are ourselves are cultivated, pruned and groomed. To be more like Him. The seeds of His life grow in us and blossom into divine life.
Sch. Royston SJ
DNC Times, Sep 2019, pg 3-4.
The Gezer Calendar, which was found in Israel, dates from the time of Solomon, in the mid-10th Century BC, described the agricultural cycle, month by month, giving the tasks to be performed at certain times of the year.
· August and September are times of harvest
· October and November are set aside for planting
· February is devoted to the cultivation of flax and,
· March, to the barley harvest, etc.
Farming was also important in the New Testament times. Farming lends itself to some great spiritual truths, as found throughout the Scripture. Through analogy, it can show us how we can cultivate spiritual growth, work hard, and be watered and refreshed by the Gospel.
Jesus talked often about the land and its products in his teachings, showing he was familiar with farming techniques. Jesus often taught in parables, an ancient Eastern literary genre. But he made use of the matter available in nature when he went around the cities and towns of Israel. For example, “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire labourers for his vineyard” (Matthew 20:1). Jesus saw what was happening in and around the Israel farming culture and used those parameters in his parables for teaching. Whenever Jesus used words pertaining to farming, he used it to as an example from everyday life to convey a spiritual truth. Jesus often used farming methods and farm equipment to illustrate important teachings. (Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 4:3-9; Luke 13:6-9) Why? Because he lived in an agricultural society. Many who listened to him followed farming traditions that had remained unchanged for centuries. They appreciated his references to their daily activities. He could relate to them, and they were moved by what he taught (Matthew 7:28).
Jesus not only used words pertaining to farming but he also went further, saying His Father is a farmer. We are used to the translation in John 15:1, which says my Father is the “vine grower,” but the Greek is γεωργός (georgos) and the Latin is Agricola. Both ‘georgos’ and ‘Agricola’ mean farmer, not simply vine grower. God is the one who gives life, nourishes, tends, and brings to fruition. He is a farmer. Aquinas refers to this passage in Augustine and explains a little more what it means to cultivate God when commenting on John 15:
God cultivates us to make us better by his work since he roots out the evil weeds in our hearts. As Augustine says, “He opens our hearts with the plough of his words, plants the seeds of the commandments, and harvests the fruit of devotion”. But we cultivate God, not by ploughing but
by adoring, so that we may become better and produce a hundred fold by Him: ‘If anyone is a worshiper,’ that is, a cultivator, ‘of God and does his will, God listens to him’ (9:31).
“Cultivating” God, or worshiping Him, as these the same words in Latin, means cultivating a relationship with Him, by which we give Him honour and we are ourselves are cultivated, pruned and groomed. To be more like Him. The seeds of His life grow in us and blossom into divine life.
Sch. Royston SJ
DNC Times, Sep 2019, pg 3-4.
Friday 19 July 2019
Thursday 18 July 2019
Sunday 9 June 2019
Eco-Mass
We had the Eco-Mass as part of the Orientation Programme 2019. The Eucharist was celebrated by Fr. Edward M SJ, the Rector of De Nobili College who highlighted the urgent need to take care of our common home.
The Eco-Mass was celebrated near the herbal garden to feel one with the nature. It was a moment of grace and mission to respond with new vigor and zeal. We welcomed the new comers to DNC and inviting them to be part of this legacy of expressing ecological awareness in their own unique ways.
The Eco-Mass was celebrated near the herbal garden to feel one with the nature. It was a moment of grace and mission to respond with new vigor and zeal. We welcomed the new comers to DNC and inviting them to be part of this legacy of expressing ecological awareness in their own unique ways.
Saturday 8 June 2019
Gratitude to the Past and hoping for the New
The new academic year has begun. We are grateful to the staff, students (deacons), lay collaborators, etc. for taking care of the plants in the summer. Though we faced difficulties to look after the plants, we managed our time carefully and spent some time to care for them. The Srishtimitra team is grateful to them.
We are venturing in the new academic year with creative plans to plant more saplings and promote clean and green DNC.
We are venturing in the new academic year with creative plans to plant more saplings and promote clean and green DNC.
Friday 15 March 2019
Interview of Fr. Ted Bowling SJ on historical development of “Green Cover” [Series-1]
Interview
of Fr. Ted Bowling SJ on historical development of “Green Cover” at De Nobili
College, Pune, by Sch. Jaya Singh on 22nd of February, 2019.
1. Could
you express your experiences of initiating and taking care of plants in the
campus? [from the time you arrived]
My
experience of planting tree saplings on the campus of DNC and taking good care
of them from June 1952, the year I arrived here to begin my theology studies,
and from 1957 onwards when I was assigned to the staff of DNC for teaching
Basic Science and Scientific Questions connected with philosophy.
By
nature I like to do heavy manual work. My theology and Tertianship batch mates
told the Tertianship Master in Kodaikanal in 1956-1957 that “I was a giant for
manual works”. That’s why in my first year of theology I very often volunteered
to dig tree pits 1m.x1m.x1m, deep and fill up the pits with alternate layers of
organic matter (grass, leaves, banana skins, etc.,) and mud, to give a chance
to a sapling to establish deep roots. In my second year of theology I was
appointed the sub-beadle and among other duties I had to assign fellow
theologians to do 1½hrs. of manual work two times per week to plant trees in the
empty DNC spaces, and also to water them for 2,3, or 4 years till they could
survive the summer heat of April and May.
2. What
do you think, are some of the factors giving rise to “Green Zones”?
The
chief factor is accountability for a specific area. Don’t simply ask students
or staff members to take care of the DNC trees. Tell the groups clearly for
what parts they are responsible. Assigning “Green Zones” to specific areas is a
splendid idea. Then some groups who are lax in their care giving can be pulled up,
or those groups whose area looks clean and green can be congratulated.
3. Can
you throw some lights on your experiences of “nature walks” in the evening?
When
I arrived here in 1952, there was no such thing as a ‘nature walk’ except along
the road on DNC property from Nagar Road to the DNC House entrance, where two
rows of Rain trees and Gulmohar trees had been planted by the Jesuit Brothers
who built the ground floor of the theologate in the two years of 1942-1944. It
was early June when I first arrived here, and the bright red flowers of the
Gulmohar trees was a beautiful and welcoming sight that I cannot forget. The
rest of DNC’s lands were very barren. However, as time went on more and various
kinds of trees came up on the DNC campus as well as within nearby Housing
Societies. In Kalyani Nagar, Viman Nagar and Chandan Nagar, there are now many
more trees and some public places for a nature walk. My favourite was DNC South
to the Mula Mutha River and along one of its banks up to the Kalyani mansion,
and back to DNC. Right now on our property the best nature walk is along the
Stations of the Cross and the borderline with the Fransalian’s property.
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