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Hichki
Director: Sidharth Malhotra. Cast: Rani Mukerjee, Neeraj Kabi, Supriya Pilgonkar , Shivakumar (2018. 106 minutes. Hindi, with English subtitles.)

The movie is something that Indian educators can easily identify with. It is about social inclusion and the liberating power of education.  The setting is Mumbai where Naina Mathur, with a brilliant academic record behind her, dreams of becoming a school teacher. But, from childhood, she is hampered by a neuro-disorder called Tourette Syndrome, causing an embarrassing speech hindrance especially when she is tense. She has had to face ridicule and humiliation for this from childhood. In interview after interview, she is rejected because of this problem. But Naina is determined to become a teacher.

Her opportunity arrives when she is recruited by St Notkers, a reputed school, since a teacher leaves in the middle of the year, and no one else wants to teach class 9F, which has kids who are considered failures. They are from the slum, and got admission in the posh school through the RTE clause. Most teachers see them as “municipality garbage.” The students are a tough lot—unruly, more interested in fighting and playing pranks than in studies. Naina’s challenge is to connect with them and direct their energies in the right direction.

The loving, patient and creative ways in which she wins over these students from whom other teachers expected nothing good, and turns them around academically and otherwise, forms the narrative  of this gripping and well-acted movie. Naina’s radiant cheerfulness, her never-say-die attitude and her evident interest in each student works the miracle.  Hichki is also a family saga. It is truly inspirational, showing what a determined and imaginative teacher can achieve with her students. The concluding scene will bring tears to many eyes.

Karol: A Man Who Became Pope
Director: Giacomo Battiato. Cast: Piotr Adamczyk,  Małgosia Bela,Raoul Bova, Matt Craven, Ken Duken, Ennio Fantastichini, Olgierd Łukaszewicz ,Lech Mackiewicz. (2005. 155 minutes)

The movie draws inspiration from Gian Franco Svidercoschi’s book Stories of Karol: The Unknown Life of John Paul II. Released close on the heels of St. John Paul II’s death, it is a loving tribute to one of the most remarkable leaders of the 20^th century, who has had a deep influence on Church and secular society. It covers Karol’s early life and the shaping influences that made him the exceptional leader he was. The events over the four decades from the Word War II to 1978, when he was elected Pope.

The movie begins with the Nazi planes bombing Cracow, and the flight of people from their homes. Karol’s mother and his elder brother are already dead. Soon he loses his father too.  Nazi Germany occupied Poland in 1939, intent on wiping out Polish culture. During World War years he was part of an underground theatre, offering cultural resistance. Though his academic aspirations are thwarted and many of his friends perished in the concentration camps, he did his priestly training while working in a stone quarry. It gave him an intimate knowledge of the working class and a deep appreciation for the dignity of labour. The brutalities of the time are depicted tellingly. When the Soviets drove the Nazis out, Poland had no respite from tyranny and violence. Poland suffered much under the Nazi occupation and then under Communist rule.

Karol’s life is shaped by the long suffering of his people.  He was deeply inspired by the Cardinal, who stood up to the Communists, and by exemplary priests who paid a heavy price for their courage. One of the most dramatic moments is his confrontation with the Communist regime’s attempt to create Nova Huta the city without God where, under his leadership, they erected a church. The concluding sequence makes use of the actual TV footage of that historic moment when the first Pope from behind the Iron Curtain was introduced to the world. The movie’s success was followed by a sequel dealing with John Paul’s papacy years, called, “The Pope Who Remained a Man.”

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Dr Gigy Joseph

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Here are two new and unusual books by the same author which have become an international phenomenon. They have received rave reviews, such as the following: “… a starburst of a book, as enjoyable as it is stimulating,” “Brilliant. Harari is a master storyteller and an entertainer,” “…will shock you, entertain you, and make you think in ways you had not thought before,” “… shows you where mankind is headed in an absolutely clear-sighted and accessible manner.”
The author is Yuvan Noah Harari, who has a PhD from Oxford University and lectures at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Both are huge, and require attentive reading. The author’s style is gripping, and takes the reader along with increasing interest. Here are the books:

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
(London: Vintage, 2015. 498 pages).

Beginning with a timeline of history, the book has four parts, each dealing with a revolution: The cognitive revolution, the agricultural revolution, the unification of humankind and the Scientific revolution.

It shows how, starting in Africa as an animal of no consequence, homo sapiens not only survived, but came to dominate over other species. Packed with gripping data, the book shows, in nearly five hundred well-argued pages,  the role played by knowledge, the importance of myths in uniting large groups of people, the rise of religion, the impact of the scientific revolution—and much more.

A catchy description of human history given on the book’s inside cover gives us a glimpse into the book: “Fire gave us power. Gossip helped us cooperate. Agriculture made us hungry for more. Mythology maintained law and order. Money gave us something we can really trust. Contradictions created culture. Science made us deadly.”

Harari, according to the Sunday Times, “is an intellectual acrobat whose logical leaps have you gasping with admiration.”

Another reviewer explains why Sapiens has become an international bestseller: “It tackles the biggest questions of history and of the modern world, and it is written in unforgettably vivid language” (Jared Diamond).

Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.
(London: Vintage, 2017. 513 books).

The book opens with a look at the three terrible problems that troubled humankind for centuries: famine, disease and war. These were conquered not through religion and myths, but through science and organization of society.

Today’s problems are very different. You are more likely to commit suicide than die in a war. Obesity is a greater problem than famine. Plagues that killed millions in the past are not longer a threat today.

In Part I, Harari explains how Homo Sapiens conquered the world. Part II is about how humans find and give meaning. Humanism played a big role in this, and includes such values as the rights of individuals, freedom, democracy. Part III explains how humans lost control. We are in a new era in the twenty-first history, where machines are often more powerful than humans, and data matter more than people. Today’s quest is for immorality, happiness and divinity.

Harari (not a Christian) finds that Christianity in the past proposed revolutionary ideas—the equality of all human beings, the special dignity of the poor—and pioneered efficient administration and higher education.

 “In addition to social and ethical reforms, Christianity was responsible for important economic and technological innovations. The Catholic Church established medieval Europe’s most sophisticated administrative system, and pioneered the use of archives, catalogues, timetables and other techniques ahead of data processing. The Vatican was the closest thing twelfth century Europe had to Silicon Valley” (p. 320).

But, coming to the twentieth century, he finds that the great contributions did not come from traditional religions, but from elsewhere, especially science. He finds religions reactive rather than creative.

Today’s challenges are different from the past. Artificial intelligence is proving to be stronger than human intelligence. Work does not require many humans. To be strong, a country needs better data and organization and an educated elite—not a vast number of workers or soldiers. Many jobs will disappear. Much of what we study in schools will be obsolete very soon. Data seems to matter more than people.

Harari’s books are among the most gripping eye-openers I have read in a long time.

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Fr Joe Mannath SDB

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Write to the address given on page 4, or email to: crimagnet@gmail.com

E-mails, too, should carry the writer’s postal address and phone number.

Caution Needed

The article on Information Breach, published in October issue, is very informative, especially the Measures of CAUTION. These easures are known to us,  but the problem is we don’t practice. It’s like “Smoking is injurious to health.” Everyone knows that; but how many practice?

I am a customer of Indian Overseas Bank since 2013. After two years of opening an account, it’s time to renew my debit card. A month before its expiry, I received a call from a so-called ATM Bank. The banker revealed the exact date, month and the year of expiry. Believing him as a Good Samaritan, I answered all his queries. They were queries related to my debit card. Within a minute I received three messages. It was about money debited from my account.

How did they get all my information? Can the bank share all this? I believe no bank can do that. I might have used all this information sometime online.

We are in the era of Information Technology. Every communication, including business transactions, is carried out through it. No office is functioning without relying on systems with internet facility.

Don’t just get scared but be cautious, as explained in Information Breach by Rocky in MAGNET. Know internet related dangers and remain away from them. Not using internet is not the solution, but careful use of it will minimize the danger.

Rakesh Roshan Lakra
Sarai Julena, Delhi

A Treasure

God bless you and your effort to publish such a treasure, MAGNET. We never want to miss it.

Sister Mary Jayanti,
Vasai West, Maharashtra

Useful for All

I came across MAGNET magazine and found it attractive and gripping. True to its name! The topics appeal to all readers, not just to religious people. Being a teacher and parent, I found it useful for me in many ways. The July issue on parenting is worth mentioning. The October issue likewise has topics that are applicable to my way of life. I appreciate the articles written by Crystal and Kevin. I find them very interesting and inspiring. Special days are briefly explained, yet sufficiently informative and handy. In general, MAGNET is among the famous magazines with a uniqueness of its own. I would say that it has lasting contents that could serve as source of inspiration for anyone at any point of time. Congratulations to the MAGNET team. Wish you great success in your endeavour.

Mrs. Sbunlang
Jowai, Jaintia Hills

Nurtures Integration

Going through the October 2019 issue of MAGNET, I would like to thank you for articles that really make an impact. ‘Women’s Mid-Life Challenges’ by Fr Jose Parappully is a particularly enlightening and valuable article. It is not often that one comes across articles that throw light on this period in a women’s life wherein the changes can even be confusing and worrying. The article really helps one understand this phase better. A key point for me was that many of the psychological problems related to menopause are caused by unresolved pre-menopausal conflicts and emotional disorders. This more strongly brings out the need and importance of addressing our emotional challenges.

Thank you for featuring the article on Fr Andrea under the ‘Candles in the Dark’ section. Fr Andrea’s witness is truly inspiring. I have not had a chance to hear about Fr Andrea before and this also reminds me of so many religious and faithful who are leading lives with courage, faith and simplicity.

The magazine presents a variety of topics with an interesting mix of information, reflection and education! It truly is following its path of nurturing personal, social and spiritual integration. Thank you, MAGNET team, for lovingly creating content that helps us grow!

Pearl D’Souza,
Mumbai

Opens our Eyes! Made Me Fall in Love!

I congratulate the team of MAGNET for the wonderful and insightful magazine that gives its readers food for thought and reflection.  Every article has a powerful message.  My very first encounter with MAGNET (September 2019 Issue) has made me fall in love with it. I am sure everyone who will flip through its pages will say that it’s worth subscribing to. Coming to the October Issue (Minority Educational Rights), I would like to appreciate Sr Tresa Paul SCSC for this well-researched article with facts and figures that has enlightened us better on our rights, our responsibility and our duty.

The many instances of interference from the Government in different areas of our educational mission as highlighted by the article clearly show the present scenario of our country.  Some State Governments have already issued orders to private schools to follow strictly the set standard in fixing the fee structure.  All minority communities should stand united to fight against the unwanted forces that can destroy the soul and spirit of our positive intervention towards the future of the poor in our society. The right guaranteed by the Constitutions of India in the Art 30  (I) to the Minority is under threat; if we remain passive, we may run the risk of not being able to run our institutions the way we want it to be.

The massive contribution of the minority communities, especially the Christian community,  found no mention in the Draft of the New Education Policy 2019 that was released on 30 May 2019.  This has sent a strong message of its indifference towards the minorities.

Reflecting on the issues discussed has helped many of us to have a closer look into the manner we manage our Institutions. I feel there is an urgent call.  It is best to have a reality check on how we function as persons responsible in the field of education.

It is time to set our house in order and feel a deep sense of responsibility to our Nation and Mission.

Sr Joplin Suchiang FMA
Shillong, Meghalaya

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Who are “minorities” in India?

What rights do they have?

What national and international laws are there to safeguard their rights?

The protection of the minorities gradually evolved and came to be covered within the concept of human rights and fundamental freedoms as enshrined in the United Nations Charter. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 declares that “all human beings are equal in dignity and rights” and prohibit all kinds of discrimination—racial, religious, etc. This was incorporated in Article 27 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, as: “In those States in which ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities exist, persons belonging to such minorities shall not be denied the right, in community with other members of their group, to enjoy their own culture, to profess and practice their own religion, or use their own language.”

When speaking about India, we know that India is a colorful conglomeration of numerous races, religions, sects, languages, scripts, culture and traditions, with varying differences in dress, food habits, worship, customs, culture and language.  Therefore, the need to protect the interests of the minorities was felt even from the pre-independence era onwards. The vulnerability of the minorities was recognized. In the draft constitution of 1928 by Motilal Nehru, religious and cultural rights of the minorities and their protection were recognized. Emphasizing the importance of protecting the minorities, Jawaharlal Nehru stated the following;

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Sr Tresa Paul SCSC

KEVIN

I still remember some of my first impressions when Crystal passed along Father Joe’s invitation to write a column for a new magazine he was seeking to publish in India. While I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the intellect and spirituality of my dear bride, I have to admit feeling insecure about our ability to write something that might be relevant and relatable to an audience centered half a world away. Even in our short, two week stay in India I was able to identify some significant differences in the cultures of our two countries. I can only imagine how much I have not experienced and the differences that I can’t fully comprehend. All of those doubts came rushing back to me as I contemplated what we might offer on the subject of minority rights, a subject which has once again catapulted itself into forefront of cultural consciousness in the United Sates. As our politics have become ever more divisive and our appetite for identifying and sometimes self-identifying new minorities seeming to be insatiable, it is difficult to create a context to discuss minority rights these days. Life wasn’t always quite so complicated.

The American Experience

Perhaps the simplest and clearest way to express the context for a discussion on minority rights in the U.S. can be found in the Declaration of Independence authored in 1776 by a group of American revolutionaries seeking to become independent of British rule. In this document the colonists declared: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” In this context human rights were clearly focused as universal, God given rights to pursue a life free…

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Crystal and Kevin Sullivan

This article explains the meaning and implications of “fundamental rights”—a basic and crucial concept which all of us need to understand correctly. They are more basic than any man-made laws and restrictions.

The cover-story of this issue is “Minority Rights” – one of the fundamental rights enshrined in articles 29 and 30 of Constitution of India (CoI).  This column will provide you a general understanding of fundamental rights.

As I narrated in earlier issues, the constitutional values mentioned in the Preamble flow further in every Article of the CoI. Part I – articles 1 to 5 – enumerates the name and the territory of the Union; describes the formation of new states; alteration of areas, boundaries or names of the existing states.  Part II – articles 6 to 11 – recognizes the citizenship, not only at the time of the commencement of the Constitution, but also citizenship issues in the years to come.  This month, we focus our attention on another important segment of the CoI, namely, the fundamental rights enshrined in the Part III, in articles 12 to 35.  These fundamental rights are human rights.

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Fr Ravi Sagar SJ

“I’m blessed and I thank God for every day for everything that happens to me.” (Lil Wayne)

There is deep pain and heart-felt joy in what I am going to write.

For me, God is not just a wonderful creator of the universe, but above all a special and intimate God who cares for me and loves me beyond comprehension. He exists everywhere. However long my life may be, I will never be able to fathom the depth of His love. God has done so many wonderful things in my life that it is hard for me to recount every detail of it. I am happy that MAGNET Magazine has asked me to write about it. It means a lot to me.

My personal experience of God was, is, and will always be, the best experience in my life. In my home, we all pray to God everyday, personally asking for his blessing upon each and every one of us. I am close to God and go to him in ways convenient to me and speak to him as I would  my mother. He takes the first place in my life. As for my mother, I always give her a place next to God, for she is like a god to me. My first experience of God is through her in my life. What Rudyard Kipling says, “God could not be everywhere, and therefore He made mothers,” comes alive in my unique and memorable experiences of Him through my mother.  When you read what comes next, you will understand why.

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Kamnipaia Suja

During my 8^th and 9^th grades, Thérèse was my mathematics and faith formation teacher. She belonged to the Holy Cross Congregation. I knew she was a Sister, but we did not have to call her “Sister.” She just related with all as a sister, without any air of piety, or ‘holier than thou’ attitude. Apart from the fact that she did not wear any fancy dress, make up or jewelry, Thérèse looked absolutely ‘normal.’ She was completely ‘one among u.’ It took me years to be able to realize the generosity and distinctiveness of her commitment to God and to people.

Thérèse was a vivacious and cheerful woman. The problem was: I really loathed maths, her main subject. Thérèse thought a lot about how to help students learn and improve not only in her subject but as human beings.

One day, she came up with a new idea. She paired us, an academically strong student with a struggling one. I still remember being a bit annoyed with her plan, but she did not give us any choice. On the whole it proved a very ‘bearable experiment.’ My companion was a kind, soft-spoken boy with whom it was impossible not to get along.

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Sr Marie Gabrielle Riopel SCSM

For a woman, midlife is the period when her sexual drive and the demands for sexual pleasure are at their highest point. Her sexual drive (arousals, urges) is awakened in the late twenties or even later and reaches its peak in the late 30’s or early 40’s. Midlife can be for a woman a time of sexual self-discovery, greater sexual enjoyment and adventurism, and, sexually speaking, one of the richest and most fulfilling periods in her life. It is quite common for women at this stage to seek outlets for this increased sexual drive and longing for pleasure.

EXPERIENCE OF WOMEN RELIGIOUS

“Any man will do!” Anne Marie said during discussions at a workshop on Psychosexual and Celibate Integration at Midlife. What she meant was that her sexual urges were so intense that she would have been happy to have had a sexual experience with any man to satisfy those urges. Not everyone might experience such intense urges, or dare to admit it in public if they do, but almost everyone experiences some form of sexual awakening or reawakening at midlife.

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Fr Jose Parappully SDB

This article explains the pros and cons of registering a religious order, province or diocese as one single legal body or as multiple entities.

Some religious congregations and dioceses have a single registered body for the entire congregation, province or diocese.  Some others have multiple registered bodies.  In the case of the latter, almost every institution in the province or diocese is registered as a trust or society.  There are also individual institutions having more than one registered legal entity.

The question for us now is: Which is better – to have one registered body for the entire set up or multiple bodies?  There are both advantages and disadvantages in both.  This article discusses the pros and cons of both sides and proposes what may be better in the present context.

 ONE SOCIETY?

Advantages

There are some advantages of having only one registered society:

1. If we have only one registered society, it is easy to administer the society. We can concentrate our energy, focus and personnel on that one society. All the statutory and legal compliances will be paid attention to.  It is much easier to find the required personnel and train them to take up the role of the officials of the society, such as the Chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Members, etc.
2. The quality of the running of the society will be much better. Meetings can be regular and documents can be preserved properly.

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Fr Alex Gnanapragasam SJ