www.dbbulletin.

com
Editor
Glorious Steve sdb
Associate Editor
Stafford Mantel
Editorial Team

18
A. Raj sdb
Joe Andrew sdb
Prof. Victor Louis
Joe Mannath sdb
Francis Karackatt sdb
George Plathottam sdb
cover story

It is a world of scandal
Ralin Desouza sdb
Savio Silveira sdb
Advisory Council
K. Maria Arokiam sdb Scandals are the real attacks on the deeper
Stanislaus Swamikannu sdb aspirations and the well - built meaning system of
K.J. Louis sdb
man. Men and women are shattered by the continous
Financial Advisor portrayals of scandals everyday. Depending on the
Philominathan Sagayaraj sdb
seriousness of the scandals people suffer shock
Design and Layout
proportionately.
M. Remo Reegan Raj

22 Ten biggest scandal

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Editor : Glorious Stephen

Don bosco october - 2009 3

 RECTOR MAJOR

S peaking about the “Salesian
Family” today is to describe a
certain “sense of citizenship.” The
expression is not found in Don Bosco’s
“terminology,” but it is present in his
heart and in the spirit of everything he
did. There can be no doubt that for
our Father the centre and purpose of
his whole life was the mission received
from God which he saw taking shape
more and more clearly following his
dream at nine years of age, without that
dispensing him from the obligation,
which at times was difficult and painful,
of discerning the path it was to take
and discovering the means to put it into
practice. The various activities and work
A VAST MOVEMENT FOR THE YOUNG
with a double rhythm, the systolic and
the diastolic, the two alternatives which
cannot be separated without losing
their identity. Two documents point
the way: the Common Identity Card
and the Common Mission Statement.
Communion points us towards an
affective relationship, an appreciation of
individuals and of groups, it speaks of
doing things together and conviviality. the aim of every Christian. Don Bosco
The mission reminds us that it is not a puts the emphasis on the right/duty of
question of just “being together” as on collaborating in the Church according to
mount Tabor, but of working in harmony the Salesian charism. The Second Vatican
for the education and the evangelisation Council highlights the apostolate of the
of the young. The clearest example of laity and the vocation to holiness. Indeed
this dialectic union is to be found in the “Every Christian is either an apostle or
Past Pupils’ belonging to the Salesian an apostate!” (Leon Bloy). The GC241
reflected on the common mission, in the
face of the danger of a “monopolising of

THE MARCH OF THE LAITY

the mission” by the consecrated religious,
while re-affirming their indispensable role
as the “animating nucleus”. We Salesians
Solidarity is shown through… the civil, social and missionary form part of this nucleus, though not in
volunteer movement…It constitutes for the individual a possible an exclusive manner. The lay people who
significant vocation of commitment. Understood as willingness share with us the Salesian mission and
to devote time to the advancement of promotional, educative and spirit are not merely collaborators but
pastoral initiatives, it leads persons to the sharing of responsibility. people who are co-responsible even if on
(CMS 20) different levels. Nowadays a great variety
of groups and associations for voluntary
Don Bosco undertook, including the Family. The Salesian Constitutions say service have developed; the GC24 saw
founding of his Congregation, and with that thy “are also members [of the SF] in this situation a new way of being
Mary Mazzarello, that of the Daughters by reason of the education they have aware of others, a challenge to confront
of Mary Help of Christians were not an received” (SDB.C. 5). No one who has the dominant injustices and selfishness,
end in themselves, but a way of carrying been in one of our houses or centres a significant vocational option and the
out the mission. Describing the charism can be “rejected”, something unthinkable complement of the educational process2.
as “Salesian” rather than suggesting any in a family. “The bonds are closer when Voluntary service continues to expand
sense of direct descent indicates a spirit they commit themselves to take an active in some Regions. Local and national
and a style of action inspired by the part in the Salesian mission in the world” service, missionary, social and vocational
loving kindness of Saint Francis of Sales. (ibidem): in a family the collaboration service is developing especially in
It is possible to think of a movement of everyone in the common mission America; in others international and
as formed by concentric circles at is no small matter. Speaking about a missionary voluntary service has
the centre of which is the “animating “movement” underlines the dynamism developed (Europe); while others are
nucleus” which is the FMA and the SDB of the mission and recalls the passage in welcoming volunteers (Africa and Asia).
consecrated religious. Certainly the tiny the gospel which describes Jesus walking Salesian voluntary service is a well-
seed has become a large tree and this a towards Emmaus with two disciples; the worthwhile opportunity for young people
wood. In the 2009 Strenna I expressed disciples for us are the young: we are who have been involved in pursuing the
the very practical form of our mission called to accompany them to Jesus, the youth ministry process as it helps them
in this way: “Let us commit ourselves only one who can give meaning to their to make mature decisions about their
to making the Salesian Family a vast lives. option for a committed Christian life and
movement of persons for the salvation All of this we are doing in the much wider it often becomes the occasion to make
of the young”. perspective of the universal Church, and contact with and provides evangelisation
We are then a “family”, not a “work in more practical terms within the local opportunities for young people outside
group”; a family which lives in communion Church. Francis of Sales is considered an our own centres. In the end, what counts
and has a mission, like a heart that beats innovator when he presents holiness as is the salvation of youth.
Pascual Chavez Villanueva sdb
4 Don bosco october - 2009

Private sins and public scandals
“A
nd there’s a lust in man
no charm can tame,
Of loudly publishing
our neighbour’s shame; On eagles’
wings immortal scandals fly, While
virtuous actions are but borne to
die…
And though you duck them ne’er so
long, Not one salt drop e’er wets their
tongue; On eagles’ wings immortal
scandals fly, While virtuous actions
are but borne to die.”
Juvenal wrote these lines about
scandals, about the private sins of
others which are generally blown
up as scandals for the society. That
is why people say that a lie has no
leg, but a scandal has wings. The
news of a scandal spreads faster
than any other news.
A scandal is a disgrace, discredit
or shame caused by report or
knowledge of a wrongdoing. When
the reporting is done wrongly it is
a defamation or gossip, especially
malicious or idle; which causes
public offence or disrepute. Scandal
is a kind of gossip made tedious by
morality.
This general tendency to make the
private sins of people into public
scandals, is prevalent in almost all
cultures. When it is concerning
a public personality, it is all the
more evident and that becomes the
hot topic for discussion among the
ordinary people. Media do their part
to amplify these, both as guardian
of the people and most often, as a
way of marketing their products
and for branding themselves.
“Old maids sweeten their tea with
scandal,” said Josh Billings. Generally
human mind is only too willing to
accept them as true whether it is right
or wrong, . Seldom does it despise
them as false reports. For great people
both honour and hate comes in high
proportions. William Shakespeare too
wrote, “For greatest scandal waits on
greatest state.”
There is so much good in the worst
of us, and so much bad in the best of
us. All the same, only the negative
aspects in people seem to attract the
attention of people in general. All the
good things of a person disappear
the moment one is caught in a public
scandal. This truth about human beings
made Paul Chatfield say, “ Scandal
is what one half of the world takes
pleasure inventing, and the other half
in believing.” Scandalous behaviour
of people who have gone before us,
helps to formulate the private sins
of the future generation. In the case
of scandal as in that of robbery, the
receiver is always thought as bad as
the thief.
The word scandal, skandala in Greek,
means things that induce somebody to
sin; Jesus pronounces Himself against
those who scandalize; Jesus says:
Whoever causes one of these little
ones who believe in Me to stumble, it
would be better for him if a millstone
were hung around his neck, and he
were thrown in the sea (Mark 9:42;
Matthew 18:6; Luke 17:1-2). Whoever
tries to separate anybody from his
faithfulness to Jesus Christ, is guilty
of scandal.
Don bosco october - 2009
E d i tor i a l
Jesus took very seriously anything
that lead to sin, and therefore, after
talking about scandal, He came to
the point of saying that it would be
better for you to cut off your hand or
cast out your eye, rather than to be
an occasion of sin; that is what we
read in Mark 9:43-47 and in Matthew
18:8-9.
French Actor, Playwright and Writer,
Moliere, the greatest of all writers of
French comedy mockingly wrote, “It
is a public scandal that offends; to sin
in secret is no sin at all.” As long as
people can hide them from the eye of
the public, an event is not considered
as a scandal. But, the sin remains the
same. Somehow by hiding them we
are rest assured.
There have been people who have
escaped the drudgery of getting
caught in public. There is still another
truth about people who cannot escape
from scandals. The inexplicable
irony is, the more you try to hide
your sins, the blatant they become.
The virtuous men do not falter and
fail. As a result there is no place in
their life for a scandal. While there
are people who are careless make
the most number of mistakes in life.
The more they try to cover them, the
more scandalous they become.
It isn’t the original scandal that gets
people in the most trouble - it’s the
attempted cover-up. That is why we
say scandal and failures make news -
only success makes history.
Glorious Steve sdb
Editor
5
 Sprituality
Hidden Souls
Tour experience of happiness, joy and above all your experience of God
must lead you forward to help many. But before that you must get a
grip of God’s reality.
I
suppose it’s the nature of the
thing that you would feel that
you are alone and that nobody
else is going through what you are
going through. You have worked on
yourself, healing, changing, growing,
and becoming more enlightened as
to the way the game of
life is played.
The result
is that
you
6 Don bosco october - 2009
really don’t feel like playing anymore.
No, you aren’t suicidal, but rather you
just want to be left alone. You see the
Anger and pain
world as superficial and fake. You see
the people you love self-destructing
controls a lot of
right before your very eyes and you
have tried to help them only to find
people. It’s a sad
that your help is not wanted. You
have even wrestled with that until
fact.
you understand that you cannot force
others to accept your enlightenment souls who know exactly who they
and your wisdom. You cannot are, where they are in life, and have
force others to accept your a pretty good idea of where they
views of life, of peace, of are heading and what it will look
balance, of harmony, of like when they get there. These
personal reflection, and people have ambition, direction,
self-accountability. drive, and often some form of a
Eventually, like a spiritual calling, a higher ideal, or
hermit, you go off a humanitarian cause that motivates
to live your simple them to give of themselves to
perfectly balanced humanity in ways that others cannot
beautiful little life understand. These souls hear a
alone. small voice whispering to them
to go public with their peaceful
This is harmonious ways. But going public
not the is noisy, harsh, rude, prejudiced,
same and often dangerous for the gentle
as the calm souls. So they hide.
lost
souls Anger and pain controls a lot of
who do people. It’s a sad fact. We all know
not know someone who still allows their
who they childhood wounds to dictate and
are or where control their every decision. We
they are in all know of people who are afraid
life. This is to really open up and love someone
about those else for fear of being rejected and
hurt again. Anger is a passionate

motivator. People who are
really ticked off are seldom
docile and quiet about it. Take
an angry mob and see how
long you can keep them in a
peaceful calm quiet logical
state. Anger is overwhelming
and powerful. It controls and
threatens whatever looks like
the source of that rage, fear, or
pain.
Now look at love and inner
peace. By nature, love is not
controlling or dominating.
It is a light that shines and
warms, but it does not push
and shove. Take a crowd of
people who are all in a loving
openhearted peaceful state,
like a congregation after
listening to a beautiful uplifting
sermon, or an audience who
has just watched a musician
play something amazingly
spellbinding that touches
their deepest heart. For just a
moment, the crowd sits awash
in the joyful calm not wanting
to break the sacred silence.
The hidden souls are trying to live
their lives like that congregation and
the truth is, it is hard to hold onto our
warm cozy feelings while being cut
off in traffic, screamed at by irate
customers, and listening to a critic say
that we aren’t very good at whatever
gift we are trying to offer the world.
It’s so much easier for the musician
to play alone in his room, the writer
journals just for themselves, the artist
hides their work away, and the heart
does not reach out to new people
anymore. These people hide their
gentle souls because they want to
remain gentle in a world that is harsh
and often cruel.
Then that small voice of spirit calls
out from the inner sanctuary of
our minds telling us we must come
forward and share our gifts. “The
world needs your gift as much as you
need to share it.” Terrified, we wrestle
with that guiding voice telling it to
leave us alone in our hermit’s nest.
It is in that struggle to maintain our
loving hearts while confronted with
other people’s hatred that we find just
how sacred the love in our hearts is.
You were taught how to hold an inner
light while held safely away from the
small voice of spirit
calls out from the
inner sanctuary of
our minds telling
us we must come
forward and share
our gifts.
Don bosco october - 2009
Sprituality
chaos and ugliness of the “real
world.” You were spiritually
healed, taught, and enlightened
in your safe sanctuary, but that
is just a false world designed
for the beginner to learn.
Once you have mastered your
own heart and mind and have
learned how to be a truly
beautifully balanced loving
soul, then you will be kicked
out of the nest and told to go
spread that light. Yes, you are
different from what appears to
be the norm. You won’t know
how many others are out there
just like you until you come out
of your hiding spot and begin
to interact on a deep heartfelt
level with all of humanity.
You must step into the darkness
or nobody will know that you
are a shining light. You are
content to simply light up your
safe secret little corner of the
world. Yes, I know that you no
longer have an ego attachment
that needs for the world to see
you as shining and glorious.
You would be perfectly content
hiding away in your sanctuary,
working, singing, laughing, and
loving just the safest people that you
have met. However, it’s not for you
that you must shine your light into
the darkness. It’s for those lost souls
who are frightened, broken, and
alone. It is so seldom that a Gandhi
or a Mother Theresa appears on
the scene, that the lost souls do not
believe that unconditional love really
exists on a day-to-day level. You do
not build lighthouses in safe sunny
places. You put them on the edge of
the shore where the storms are. You
are a beacon of light in the storm of
humanity. Deal with it, and get to
work doing what you were trained to
do.
Skye Thomas
7
 W E LL - B E I N G

goodness in his heart

Choose Goodness
produces good, but
an evil person out
of a store of evil
produces evil; for

I
t started with a piece of trash.
Matthew Emerzian, a successful
music industry executive in
Los Angeles, was walking back
to his office with a co-worker one
afternoon when he stopped to pick
up a plastic fountain drink cover
from the sidewalk and put it in a
nearby garbage bin. “My co-worker
quickly asked me what I was doing,”
Emerzian recalled. “I explained
what I thought to be the obvious,
but apparently I was wrong.” To the
co-worker, litter simply belonged to
the litterer, not to the population as a
whole. “I explained to him that litter
and pollution are everyone’s problem
not just the person who couldn’t find
the trash can for their cup lid. He
profoundly responded with ‘Dude,
you’re weird.’” Emerzian walked
back to his office both angry and
sad. “I couldn’t believe that someone
could remove themselves so far from
the greater good of our world.”
Matt began to think, ‘what if
everyone in the country picked up
one piece of litter on the same day.’
Or 10 pieces! The math was easy, yet
so powerful. He then began to think
of a few other easy things that 300
million Americans could do to make
a difference. From this, a great idea
was born. He called his friend, Kelly
Bozza, and told her that he wanted
to write a book about how all of us
can make a difference with our lives.
Within a week, they had over 100
items on their list and were ready to
start writing. Their book, titled Every
Monday Matters...52 Ways to Make a
Difference, has sold 120,000 copies.
The ideas are simple - small acts that
collectively add up to an enormous
impact for the greater good. Dr.
Martin Luther King said, “Everyone
has the power of greatness; not
for fame, but greatness, because
greatness is determined by service.”
Jesus said to his disciples: “A good
tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor
does a rotten tree bear good fruit.
A good person out of the store of
from the fullness of
the heart the mouth
speaks.” (Lk. 6:43-
44). Jesus likens goodness to a store
within. This store has to be built
up patiently. The foundation is laid
by our parents and the other adults
(teachers, guides, coaches etc.) who
act as mentors and educators. Friends
also can inspire us. But this store
has to be constantly replenished. At
times, we have to take stock of our
goodness. We need silence to reflect
whether our thoughts, our words
and our actions are pointing to the
goodness within us. In olden days we
were all taught to “think well of all,
speak well of all and do good to all.”
This is the foundation of goodness.
We need to observe whether the love
within us is blocked or whether we
are blind to the fact that we are not
building on our goodness store.

We need silence to
reflect whether our
thoughts, our words
and our actions
are pointing to the
goodness
within us.
8 Don bosco october - 2009

These wellbeing articles constantly
speak of choices. Our life is all about
choices. We can choose good or evil.
The normal human being is capable
of many deeds of goodness. There are
exceptions, namely, people who have
been brainwashed to believe that one
has to kill in the name of a particular
religion (or other forms of terrorism).
We are all capable of choosing
goodness. But the degree varies in
keeping with our formation and the
attitudes we have acquired along the
way. But through silence and prayer,
we can improve the store of goodness
within us. Mother Teresa was living
an ordinary life in a convent and
then she keenly observed the tragedy
of human poverty around her. She
began to reflect and pray and she
asked God for light. She was a good
person living an ordinary life but
then she made a courageous choice
to leave the comfort and security of
her convent and serve the poorest of
the poor on the streets of Calcutta.
She worked on the store of goodness
within her. She walked the extra
mile.
In the incident mentioned above,
we see the goodness of Matthew
Emerzian. All that he did was to
pick up a plastic cup and drop it in a
waste paper basket. But if all of us in
Chennai were to be inspired by this
small act of goodness we could make
Chennai a clean city. It is a very small
act but there is goodness hidden in that
act. It is a conscious act of goodness.
It is a conscious choice you make in
your life and then it becomes a habit.
Goodness slowly develops into a
habit. Goodness as a virtue comes
easily when we are surrounded by
our friends and family. It is easy to
be good to a family member because
we will receive something in return
and he or she is part of us. But Jesus
asks us to go the extra mile when it
is a question of goodness. He asks us
to be good to the stranger, the poor,
the widows and the orphans. The
story of the Good Samaritan that
Jesus narrated is a great example of
goodness.
...through silence
and prayer, we
can improve
the store of
goodness within
us.
Jesus also said, “Love your enemies,
do good to those who mistreat you.
Give to everyone who asks of you,
and from the one who takes what is
Don bosco october - 2009
W E LL - B E I N G
yours do not demand it back. Do to
others as you would have them do to
you.” The whole chapter six of Luke
speaks of goodness. All the Gospels
speak in fact of goodness.
The world is filled with stories of
goodness and there is no limit to
goodness. The following short stories
are just examples of little acts of
goodness. Raisin bread was always
at the top of Ruth’s grocery list
because that’s what her husband ate
for breakfast every morning. Toasted
with butter, it sent a warm, cinnamon
smell through the house. This elderly
couple (Ruth and her husband) lived
without a car in their neighborhood
in Buffalo, and it became difficult
for them to do their shopping. The
children were too far away to help,
so they took a taxi. One day Ruth
went to store after store in search of
raisin bread. They were with a cab
driver who had shuttled them around
before. He wouldn’t let them give
up their search. Finally they headed
home. No luck. The cab driver helped
them in with their groceries, and
Ruth was generous with his tip. Later
that afternoon, the doorbell rang.
Ruth opened the door. There stood
the cab driver holding two loaves of
raisin bread. “Your tip was so big,”
he said, “it was burning a hole in my
pocket. Enjoy!” Raisin bread was in
short supply in Ruth’s neighborhood,
but neighborliness and goodness sure
wasn’t. We can fill our life with such
acts of goodness.
Here is another funny incident
that took place in a third grade
classroom..... There is nine-year old
Johnny sitting at his desk and all of
a sudden, there is a puddle between
his feet and the front of his pants
is wet. He thinks his heart is going
to stop because he cannot possibly
imagine how this has happened. He
knows that when the boys find out he
will never hear the end of it. When
the girls find out, they’ll never speak
9
 W E LL - B E I N G
to him agains. Johnny believes his
heart is going to stop; he puts his
head down and prays this prayer,
“Dear God, this is an emergency! I
need help now! Five minutes from
now I’m dead meat.”
He looks up from his prayer and here
comes the teacher with a look in her
eyes that says he has been discovered.
As the teacher is walking toward
him, a classmate named Susie is
carrying a goldfish bowl that is filled
with water. Susie trips in front of the
teacher and inexplicably dumps the
bowl of water in the boy’s lap. Johnny
pretends to be angry, but all the
while is saying to himself, “Thank
you, Lord! Thank you, Lord!”
Now all of a sudden, instead of being
the object of ridicule, Johnny is the
object of sympathy. The teacher
rushes him downstairs and gives him
gym shorts to put on while his pants
dry out. All the other children are
on their hands and knees cleaning
10
up around his desk. The sympathy also do. This
is wonderful. But as life would have is in fact a
it, the ridicule that should have been goodness list.
his has been transferred to someone
May God help
else - Susie.
us see the
She tries to help, but they tell her to
get out. You’ve done enough, you
klutz!”
Finally, at the end of the day, as they
are waiting for the bus, Johnny walks
over to Susie and whispers, “You
did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
Susie whispers back, “I
wet my pants once too.”
There was so much of
goodness in this little
girl Susie. St. Paul says,
“Put on as God’s chosen
ones, holy and beloved,
heartfelt compassion,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and
opportunities that are always
patience, bearing with one another
and forgiving one another, if one has around us to do good!
a grievance against another; as the
Lord has forgiven you, so must you Joe Andrew sdb
joeandrewsdb@hotmail.com
Don bosco october - 2009

ELBaradei: listen to India’s Voice for total
disarmament
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee presents a set of coins on Homi Bhabha to IAEA Director-General Mohammad ELBaradei at the
International Conference on Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy-2009 in New Delhi on Tuesday. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Atomic
Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar look on. – PHOTO: V.V. KRISHNAN
“I
ndia called for elimination
of all nuclear weapons as far
back as 1948”
NEW DELHI: International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-
General Mohammad ElBaradei on
Tuesday acknowledged India as
a “leading advocate” for nuclear
disarmament and felt the world
must listen to its “voice” for the
elimination of nuclear weapons.
In the civil nuclear arena, he
described India as a “role model”
for developing countries and wanted
them to gain from its technological
expertise.
“India called for the elimination
of all nuclear weapons as far back
as 1948. It is important that India’s
voice should continue to be heard
as a leading advocate for nuclear
disarmament,” he observed, while
addressing the ‘International
Conference on Peaceful Uses of
Atomic Energy’ here.
“It has to be a system built on human
solidarity and equity; a system based
on cooperation and not confrontation;
on inclusion and not exclusion,” Dr.
ElBaradei suggested.
“Let me say a few words on India’s
current role in using nuclear energy
for peaceful purposes and lessons
it can teach other countries. India
undertakes a lot of research in
advanced fuel cycles based on
thorium fuel as it has abundant
reserves and a comparative shortage
of uranium. India continues to set the
agenda for research and development
in the field of sodium-cooled fast
breeder reactors,” he added.
However, he cautioned that countries
planning to build nuclear reactors
must understand the need to ensure
the highest safety standards and avoid
problems faced by some countries
which already have nuclear power.
These problems include ageing
reactors, poorly managed plants or
weak regulators. “A strong focus on
Don bosco october - 2009
CURRENT AFFAIRS
safety and security should be seen as
enablers for the further development
of nuclear energy rather than as
hindrances,” Dr. ElBaradei advised.
The prestigious Indira Gandhi
Prize for Peace, Disarmament and
Development will be conferred on
Dr. ElBaradei by President Pratibha
Patil at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on
Wednesday.
The jury, chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, had decided to
confer the award on him in November
last.
The IAEA chief is being recognized
for “his impassioned opposition to
the use of nuclear energy for military
purposes and his steadfast espousal
of the peaceful uses of nuclear
energy, sustained over many years.”
He had played an important role in
India being accepted in the civil
nuclear commerce mainstream.
Sandeep Dikshit
Courtesy: The Hindu,
11
 BIBLE
Personality for Imitation - 19
Elisha:
Wonder Worker
E
lisha was a prophet, the
disciple and successor
to Elijah. During his life
possessed a “double portion”
of Elijah’s spirit as he requested his
master on his earthly departure. In
fact, he performed sixteen miracles
while his master only eight. His
prophetical powers were realized,
when he brought back to life the dead
son of a Shunammite woman; cured
Naaman the general from leprosy;
multiplied loaves of barley and ears
of grain to feed a crowd of people;
caused a metal axe head to float on
water; caused an attacking Aramean
army to go blind and then returned
their sight; and filled large empty
vessels with oil.
The name means “God is salvation”.
Son of Shaphat, Elisha lived at Abel-
Meholah, a city in the Jordan River
valley, halfway between the Sea
12
of Galilee and the Dead Sea. He
lived in the northern Kingdom of
Israel during the reigns of Jehoram,
Jehu, Jehoahaz and Joash for about
fifty years and had influence over
them. Nothing is told except, that
apparently he was wealthy, had
personal servants, and cherished
social and community assemblies.
The first mention of his name
occurred in the command given to
Elijah to anoint him as his successor.
Elijah found him engaged in plouging
with 12 yoke of oxen and threw
his mantle over him. Immediately,
Elisha left the field, slaughtered
his oxen and gave to the people to
eat and came to remain with Elijah
as his close attendant. Later when
Elijah was taken up in a fiery chariot,
Elisha picked up Elijah’s mantle,
struck it on the waters of the Jordan
River. The water then parted and
Don bosco october - 2009
Elisha crossed over,
thus beginning his
service as a prophet
of God.
His ministry began
by cleansing a
spring of water near
Jericho by casting
salt into it as it was unfit for drinking
and injurious to the land. By this
healing, God gave life to an entire
city through His prophet and again
showed His sovereign control over
His creation. At Bethel the prophet
cursed the youths who made fun
of his baldness. He called on God’s
judgment, which at once took effect.
Two female bears came out of the
woods and ripped of 42 young men
to pieces. Next he predicted a fall of
rain when the army of Jehoram was
faint from thirst.
Elisha was always
ready to help the
poor and needy. He
felt sympathy for the
widow and wife of
prophet Obadiah who
was in debt.
Like his teacher, Elisha was always
ready to help the poor and needy. He
felt sympathy for the widow and wife
of prophet Obadiah who was in debt.
He multiplied the poor widow’s cruse
of oil, filled vessels upon vessels until
no vessel left to fill. By this were
helped out of difficulties, not only the
poor widow but also her descendants
and they never suffered want. In
Shumen to reward the rich lady for
her hospitality, the prophet promised
a child to the sister of Abishag and
wife of the prophet Iddo. The barren
woman was blessed with a child
within a year. After few years her
child died all of a sudden and so she

lamented before Elisha, saying better
to have lived without a child from the
beginning than to have one and lose
it. The prophet then sent his disciple
Gehazi with his staff to bring the
dead boy back to life, but he couldn’t
succeed due to his disbelief. Then
Elisha himself invoked the Lord and
restored the life of the child.
At the time of famine, one of the
sons of the prophet brought in a
pottage full of wild gourds as it was
the only available food to eat. The
cooked meal became poisonous and
so Elisha counteracted the effect into
wholesome food that nourished them
all. Then from Baal Shalisha a man
offered to the prophet twenty loaves
of bread and fresh ears of grain to
eat. Unselfishly Elisha instructed
his attendant to feed with these one
hundred men who were there. As
foretold by the prophet multiplication
took place, all ate sufficiently and had
some left over as well.
During the military attacks of Syria
into Israel, the extraordinary cure
of Naaman, the Syrian general from
Damascus, of his leprosy with seven
dips in the river Jordan and his
expression of his deep conviction in
one true God in Israel was another
evidence of God’s power through the
prophet. Since Gehazi’s covetousness
of Naaman’s goods stood in contrast
to Elisha’s disinterestedness, the
prophet punished his servant for his
falsehood and greed by passing on the
disease of Naaman to him and to his
family forever. On another occasion,
group of sons of the prophets while
removing the dense trees on the
banks of the river Jordan, left the
iron axe-head fall into the water. By
a stick cast in, the prophet recovered
and raised the iron to float.
At Dothan, half-way between
Samaria and Jezreel, Elisha saved
the king Jehoram of Israel from the
ambushes planned by Benhadad and
BIBLE
by his prayers bewildered with a
strange blindness the soldiers of the
Syrian king. He also foretold the end
of the siege of Samaria by the king of
Syria over the terrible sufferings. He
helped to overthrow Jezebel and her
son who ruled Israel and worshiped
Baal. He journey to Damascus and
anointed Hazael to be king over
Syria and Jehu, son of Jehoshaphat,
to be king over Israel. These leaders
defeated Jezebel and her son and had
them killed.
When Elisha was on his deathbed,
he prophesied to Joash, the King of
Israel, that Israel will win the next
three battles with Aram. After an
year of his death, the body of another appointed prophet of the one true
man was placed in the same grave. God, whose knowledge, tenderness,
When the dead man’s body touched grace, mercy and power he was
Elisha’s remains, the dead man came privileged to share. He finished the
to life and stood on his feet. great work of putting down Baal
Thus, Elisha is remembered as a man worship begun by Elijah. His work
of wisdom and a wonder worker both was not so much to add anything to
on behalf of his nation in times of religion, as to cleanse the religion
already possessed.
Elisha’s personal influence among
Elisha is remembered as
kings was widespread and beneficial
a man of wisdom and than his religious contribution. His
a wonder worker both advice or command seemed to be
always taken unhesitatingly. He
on behalf of his nation possessed the confidence of kings
in times of crisis and in so fully that they addressed him as
father and themselves as sons. He
the lives of individuals in
accompanied an army of invasion
time of need. and three kings consulted him
in extremity. The king of Syria
consulted him in sickness. He was
crisis and in the lives of individuals
something of a military strategist
in time of need. In many respects
and many times saved the king’s
he stands out in contrast to his great
army. The king of Israel went to him
predecessor. He turned out more to be
for his parting counsel. Thus under
a pastor, large-hearted and generous,
Jehu he secured the destruction of the
tolerant to a remarkable degree,
Baal worship in its organized form.
courageous and shrewd when the
Under Hazael the nation was trodden
occasion required, a diplomat as well
down and almost annihilated for its
as a statesman, severe and stern only
in the presence of evil and when the apostasy.
occasion demanded. Though some
of his miracles resemble Elijah’s, Victor Antonyraj sdb
he proved himself as the divinely victoraraj@yahoo.com
Don bosco october - 2009 13
 st u d ents p l u s

IMPROVING MEMORY – 3
System 2 – Number shapes

D
ear readers ,you will learn about number shapes which will help you to improve your memory. A number has
a shape all of its own, but needs a little interpretation. The graphics in this section will help you.

0 is an orange
1 is a Paint brush
2 is a Swan
3 is a Camel
4 is the sail of a yacht
5 is a hook on a fishing line
6 is the trunk of an elephant
7 is a cliff
8 is a snowman
9 is a golf club
10 bat and ball

Using the guidelines for number rhymes, this time memorize a new list of 10 items, but this time link the pictures of
the SHAPES system to the objects. l.e. Link your first item with a paintbrush ( for 1) the second with a swan, the third
with a camel etc. So a car at position 5 might be imagining pulling a car from a river using a hook and line.

How to turn 10 into100!

Firstly, you will need to decide which system you like best, rhymes or shapes. If it is rhymes, then that is the Bank, and
the shapes become the PATCH. Vice versa if you preference the other.

It works like this.

Lets assume that you prefer rhymes. 1-10 is the same as a simple list. 11 upwards you create COMBINATION IMAGES.
Each image will always have a ‘bun’ in it, but the bun interacts with the 10 shapes lists. So for example number 11
Bank 1.brush 2.swan 3.camel 4.yacht 5.hook 6.elephant 7.cliff 8.snow man 9. club 10.bat & ball
See note 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1:bun 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
2:shoe 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
3:tree 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
4:door 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
5:hive 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
6:sticks 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
7:heaven 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
8:gate 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
9:wine 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100
14 Don bosco october - 2009
 st u d ents p l u s

would be a paint brush painting a bun a colour. Number what would the image be for a car at number 73? Work
15 would be a bun on a fishing line. All the numbers from out which system you prefer and then stick to it!
11 to 19 are the shapes, but the bun means it is HAS A How and why does it work?
1 AT THE FRONT. In the THIRD 10 (21-30) then each
‘shape’ will interact with a shoe! So number 28, would be We can retain separate images in our minds quite easily,
Bank 1.bun 2.shoe 3.tree 4.door 5.hive 6.sticks 7.heaven 8.gate 9.wine 10.hen
0:orange 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1:brush 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
2:swan 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
3:camel 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40
4:yacht 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
5:hook 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
6:elephant 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70
7:cliff 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80
8:snow man 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90
9:club 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100

a snowman wearing a pair of shoes. See the table over and by using this kind of system of
for further clarity. combining different
elements
For the first bank it is not
the images
necessary to have a number, as
remain
the first 10 will stand on their
quite
own. However if wished you
distinct from
could have NIL = HILL. If you
one another.
decide that your Bank should be
Because they
the shapes system, and the patch
are sequence
should be the rhyme system then use
based with a system
the following table.
we are already use to
The way to use this system obviously is – that of counting –
to introduce the object to be remembered we are sure that we
into this new composite image. So if you have not missed
wanted to remember a clock at number anything vital.
86 (IN THE FIRST TABLE), then you
would have an elephant stood knocking
(movement and sound) on a gate, and on But there is
his back is a giant clock. The reason for one more
needing the idea of a BANK and PATCH system thing
is that an image is just that, an image. So when you
DECODE the image you will need to know which came
first. Otherwise you would be asking yourself if your
placement of the clock was at number 86, or 68. This
confusion would create an unstable memory image that
might be forgotten. In fact, in this version number 68 is
sticks and a snowman. Look now at the second table –

Don bosco october - 2009 15

 st u d ents p l u s

In fact the amazing thing is that once

process to be
that memory has been firmly fixed
efficient, which
in the mind, you will no longer need
will be covered
the system to recall the information
later. But for
as it will become part of your normal
now it is worth
thinking, so do not be concerned that
realizing that
you are going to end up with 1000’s
using a systematic
of elephants running around in your
approach you will
head because the systems covered
be able to recall far
here are simply a tool to help you
more information
to retain the information in the first
without the need
place and to get it into long term
to recourse to the
memory.
quick glance to
remind yourself if
you have forgotten What about erasing
anything. Such information?
glances keep
memories in the Now that is the really clever bit.
short term area You can either let your mind lose
of your mind, the information over time (around 4
and true power days!) or you can erase it ‘manually’.
memory is All you have to do is to go through
information which the images without their attached
goes into long items and you are ready to start over
term memory. – a bit like erasing a tape recording
or recordable cd which has just been
reformatted.
which I will touch on now, but will One last thing as we move on.
be dealt with a little more later on, Hopefully you will be realizing that
and that is the process of recall and The systems covered your memory is very impressive – in
long term memory. here are simply a tool fact why not start impressing others
now by doing a demonstration? It’s
The act of remembering creates the to help you to retain a strange feeling the first time you
effect of strengthening the chemical
bonds of a memory – or in the the information in the manage it because somewhere inside
of you probably didn’t think that it
analogy of the stream, it widens it to first place and to get it would work without all the strain and
a river. If you simply look again at the
information to remind yourself then into long term memory effort that you used to, or still do, put
in at school. In fact because it is all
you are not actually remembering. are simply. just about remembering pictures you
There are optimum times for this
probably quite enjoyed it!

FACT: When Albert Einstein died they opened up his head to look at
Merlyn Ross
his brain – it was smaller than the average size! However, he used much
more than most people. Doing memory stunts will enable you to retain merlyns@rediffmail.com
larger amounts of information and genius is not so much about being Dear students, write to merlyns@redif-
clever, but seeing how one part of life fits with another part of life. The fmail.com about the problems and anxiet-
more you know, the more you can link them together. So start thinking ies you face in your studies. They will be
addressed in the forthcoming issues.
like a genius!
16 Don bosco october - 2009

Guwahati Province gears up for
Jubilee 2009
The year 2009 is a year of grace
for the Province of Guwahati.
Fifty years ago in 1959, the North
India Province was bifurcated and
Guwahati Province of Mary Help of
Christians was created.
Fr. A. Alessi became the first
provincial of the newly created
province. Since then, many important
events have taken place in the history
of the province. The province has
seen the miracle of multiplication of
centres, communities, personnel
etc. In 1982 the province
gave birth to the
province of
Dimapur,a
true sign of the growth and
maturity of the province. Many
able provincials came up who took
the province further ahead. Many
capable, creative and committed
confreres came into the scene and
they have added strength, beauty,
name and fame to the province.
Today we can boast of having
given great missionaries like SOG
Fr. Vendrame, Fr. Piasecki, Fr.
Ravalico, Fr. Balawan, Fr. Albizuri,
Fr. Tome, Br. CID, Br. Frasson etc.
The province has also given to the
Church great pastors like Bp. Louis
Mathias, Bp. Ferrando, Bp. Marengo,
Bp. Hubert D`Rosario, Bp. T. Resto.
The Salesians have done a yeoman
service to the society through
education, health care and social
developmental work.
We have
come
a long way to
empower the tribal
communities of North-east
India. Today many political
stalwarts have emerged from
these communities.
Thousands of poor youth have been
able to make a difference in their
lives through our technical and non-
formal educational institutions. Our
Salesians are also in the forefront of
Don bosco october - 2009
S a l es i ans
culture preservation and promotion.
Many books on tribal cultures and
customs have been written by our
Salesians and today in Mawlai,
stands the greatest monument of our
homage to the cultures of North-
east people. This year we have gone
ahead to excel in our educational
contribution by starting the Don
Bosco University.
Looking back to these past fifty
years, we realize that God has
blessed us abundantly and
Mary Help of
Christians
has been
guiding us
through
the
vicissitudes
of life. Therefore,
it is right that we set this
year apart in order to praise and
thank God and our Blessed Mother
for these great achievements and to
pray that we continue to do much
more good to our people.
(BIS)
17
 COVER STORY

It is a world of SCANDALS
Scandals are the real attacks on the deeper in power have been susceptible to
political, sexual and finance related
aspirations and the well - built meaning system scandals and misconduct. Many
such scandals have rocked the world.
of man. Men and women are shattered by the Clinton, Bush, Nixon, Kennedy and
continuous portrayals of Scandals everyday. many other American presidents
were charged for their corrupt
Depending on the seriousness of the scandals behaviour. In India too, we had the
Tehelka issue, the Bofors case and
people suffer shock proportionately. many others.

J
ust weeks before the hosting
of a G8 summit 72-year-old
Italian Prime Minister Silvio
Berlusconi was facing a new sex
scandal. The new revelations focused
on escort girl Patrizia D’Addario who
said she had sex with Mr. Berlusconi.
Another woman alleged she was paid
10,000 euros as a present. A man who
brought the women to dinner with
Berlusconi was being investigated by
magistrates in Bari on suspicion of
abetting prostitution.
18
Numerous such instances in history
Apart from the pressure it creates on
proved that many high commands
the person involved in this scandal, we
are concerned about the crisis it brings
The Vohra Report to the millions of people who come to
studied the problem know about this scandal. Thousands
of such scandals have rocked thes
of the criminalisation world in different proportions. They
of politics and of have either made a deep mark on the
the nexus among people and their meaning system or
on their spirituality. While it has
criminals, politicians its repercussions on the voting of
and bureaucrats in the people of Italy, it has a deeper
India. impression of mistrust in politicians
Don
Donbosco
boscoSeptember
october - -2009
2009
 COVER STORY COVER STORY

and leaders in general. This can be be allocated within the economy,

more dangerous for the people who and decisions could get made. These Officials often
are good willed or who are taught to were largely distortions created by
be good willed. the politico-economic regime. While steal state
a sea change has occurred in the
The economy of India was under
socialist-inspired policies for an
years following 1991, some of the property. In Bihar,
distorted cultural norms that took
entire generation from the 1950s
until the 1980s. The economy was
hold during the earlier period are more than 80%
slowly being repaired by the sheer
subject to extensive regulation,
protectionism, and public ownership,
forces of competition. The process of the subsidized
will be long and slow, however. It
leading to pervasive corruption and
slow growth. License Raj was often
will not change overnight. food aid to poor is
at the core of corruption. Politics
stolen.
The Vohra Report was submitted As with many developing nations,
by the former Indian Union Home corruption is widespread in human trafficking, immigration
Secretary, N.N. Vohra, in October India. India is ranked 85 out of rackets, embezzlement, rape and
1993. It studied the problem of the a 179 countries in Transparency even murder”. At state level, things
criminalisation of politics and of the International’s Corruption are often worse. In Uttar Pradesh
nexus among criminals, politicians Perceptions Index, although its score Assembly elections 2002, candidates
and bureaucrats in India. has improved consistently from 2.7 in with criminal records won the
2002 to 3.4 in 2008. Corruption has majority of seats.
The report contained several
taken the role of a pervasive aspect
observations made by official Bureaucracy
of Indian politics and bureaucracy.
agencies on the criminal network
Criminalization of Indian politics is A 2005 study done by Transparency
which was virtually running a
a problem. International (TI) in India found that
parallel government. It also discussed
more than 50% of the people had
criminal gangs who enjoyed the In July 2008 Washington Times
firsthand experience of paying bribe
patronage of politicians, of all parties, reported that nearly a fourth of the
or peddling influence to get a job done
and the protection of government 540 Indian Parliament members
in a public office. Taxes and bribes
functionaries. It revealed that faced criminal charges, “including
are common between state borders;
political leaders had become
the leaders of gangs. They were
connected to the military. Over
the years criminals had been
elected to local bodies, State
Assemblies and Parliament.
The unpublished annexures to
the Vohra Report were believed
to contain highly explosive
material.
According to Jitendra Singh, “in
the bad old days, particularly
pre-1991, when the License Raj
held sway, and by design, all
kinds of free market mechanisms
were hobbled or stymied, and
corruption emerged almost as an
illegitimate price mechanism,
a shadowy quasi-market, such
that scarce resources could still

Don bosco october - 2009 19

 COVER STORY COVER STORY

Transparency International estimates In Government Hospitals, corruption corruption in India is attributable

that truckers pay annually $5 billion is associated with non availability of to factors such as “delays in the
in bribes. A 2009 survey of the medicines (or duplicate medicines), disposal of cases, shortage of judges
leading economies of Asia, revealed getting admission, consultations and complex procedures, all of which
Indian bureaucracy to be not just with doctors and availing diagnostic are exacerbated by a preponderance
least efficient out of Singapore, Hong services. of new laws”.
Kong, Thailand, South Korea, Japan,
Judiciary Police
Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, China,
Philippines and Indonesia; further it Corruption is rampant in the judicial Despite state prohibitions against
was also found that working with the system of India. According to torture and custodial misconduct
India’s civil servants was a “slow and Transparency International, judicial by the police, torture is widespread
painful” process.
Officials often steal state property.
In Bihar, more than 80% of the
subsidized food aid to poor is stolen.
In cities and villages throughout
India, Mafia Raj consisting of
municipal and other government
officials, elected politicians, judicial
officers, real estate developers
and law enforcement officials,
acquire, develop and sell land in
illegal ways. Many state-funded
construction activities in India, such
as road building, are dominated
by construction mafias, which
are groupings of corrupt public
works officials, materials suppliers,
politicians and construction
contractors. Shoddy construction
and material substitution (e.g. mixing
sand in cement while submitting
expenses for cement) result in roads
and highways being dangerous, and
sometimes simply washed away
when India’s heavy monsoon season
arrives.

Despite state
prohibitions against
torture and custodial
misconduct by the
police, torture is
widespread in police
custody

20 Don bosco october - 2009


in police custody, which is a major
reason behind deaths in custody. The
police often torture innocent people
until a ‘confession’ is obtained
to save influential and wealthy
offenders. G.P. Joshi, the programme
coordinator of the Indian branch of
the Commonwealth Human Rights
Initiative in New Delhi comments
that the main issue at hand
COVER STORY
“Bihar [had] become a
byword for the worst of
India, of widespread and
inescapable poverty, of
corrupt politicians, mafia-
dons they patronise, caste-
ridden social order that has
retained the worst feudal
cruelties”.
estimates the monetary value of
petty corruption in 11 basic services
provided by the government, like
education, healthcare, judiciary,
concerning police violence is a lack police, etc., to be around Rs.21,068
of accountability of the police. crores. India still ranks in the bottom
quartile of developing nations in
Religious institutions terms of the ease of doing business,
In India, the corruption has also crept and compared to China and other
into religious institutions. Some lower developed Asian nations, the
members of the Church are making average time taken to secure the
money using the church. A group clearances for a startup or to invoke
of church leaders and activists have bankruptcy is much greater.
launched a campaign to combat the According to Transparency
corruption within churches. Among International, Bihar is the most
Indian Muslims, corrupt state in India. The Economist
the recent “cash for magazine said in 2004 that “Bihar
fatwas scandal” was [had] become a byword for the
a major affair that worst of India, of widespread and
exposed the Imams inescapable poverty, of corrupt
of the Islamic ulama politicians indistinguishable from
accepting bribes for mafia-dons they patronise, caste-
issuing random, often ridden social order that has retained
nonsensical fatwas. the worst feudal cruelties”.
Effects The deep scar each scandal creates
The chief economic does not allow the people to be
consequences of scandal proofs anymore. There are
corruption are the other concerns in the social norms
loss to the exchequer, and morality which are in question.
an unhealthy climate How long can the people take these
for investment and scandals in the public life of those in
an increase in the limelight? Their behaviour and styles
cost of government- of life become the way of life for the
subsidised services. simple and ordinary people. That is a
The TI India study much bigger threat to the society.
Nirmal shekar
Don bosco october - 2009 21
 COVER STORY
Merlin manroe
TEN BIGGEST SCANDALS
V
arious political scaandals
have always attracted
the press and the public`s
curiosity, however, nothing has
shaken the media like sex-scandals.
An affair nearly cost Clinton his
position. It is still rumoured that the
Kennedys killed Marilyn and that
Thorpe wanted to kill his lover.
These scandals affected the careers
of the parties involved, while some
even had to leave their duties.
We bring you ten biggest sex-scandals
according to the Independent.
22
The Kennedys killed Marilyn
Monroe?
Even though it is still not certain
what went on between assassinated
American president John F. Kennedy
and film icon Marilyn Monroe,
rumours regarding the Hollywood
bomb shell`s death are still going on
strong today. It was speculated that
Marilyn was having an affair with
John, as well as his brother Robert
and that the Kennedy family ordered
the assassination.
The younger audience found
Bill Clinton`s affair with Monica
Lewinsky more interesting. The
Don bosco october - 2009
Clinton denied
all allegations,
but was forced
to admit to
them later on.
former American president was
nearly forced to leave his post due
to accusations that he was having an
affair with 22-year-old White House
intern Monica Lewinsky. Clinton
denied all allegations, but was forced
to admit to them later on.
John Prescott, former deputy British
PM, who was having an affair with
his secretary Tracey Temple, is surely
one of the greatest penitents. On
several occasions, he told reporters
that he was sorry about everything
and called his love affair the biggest
mistake of his life. He tried to win
back his wife Pauline`s trust through
the media.
Paddy Pantsdown owns up
Paddy Ashdown, former high
representative for Bosnia-
Herzegovina and acting head of
the Liberal Democrats from 1988
until 1999, could also not resist his
secretary. His affair with Tricia
Howard came out in 1992 when
The News Of The World ran a story
on the attachment. The same year,
Ashdown held a press conference at
the Westminster and openly admitted
to the five-month affair. The media
nicknamed his Paddy Pantsdown
because of the scandal.
 COVER STORY

Another Liberal Democrat leader,

who performed this duty from 1967
until 1976, was in the centre of a sex-
scandal. Jeremy Thorpe was married
twice and a father of one. His political
career went downhill when media
rumours claimed he was having a
homosexual affair with former model
Norman Scott. Interestingly enough,
homosexual relationships were illegal
in Great Britain at the time.
Thorpe ordered his lover`s
murder?
However, this was not the end of Joh
it. A man called Newton appeared,
claiming that Thorpe had hired him
e
to kill his lover. The politician was
Bill Clinton
con
never charged for attack of threats,
but his career was dead and buried. be
Petronelle Wyatt revealed the affair John Profumo was forced to resign
Boris Johnson was involved in to the media. Johnson, who denied over a stripper affa
a sex-scandal just a few years everything, can consider himself
lucky because the alleged affair did David Mellor, also a member of the
before becoming London Mayor.
Conservative Party, could not keep
The mother of Johnson`s mistress not affect his political career.
his affair with actress Antonia De
Former British Sancha secret either. His mistress
PM, Conservative spilled the beans to The News
John Major was Of The World in 1992 for 30,000
left untouched by a pounds. Also, the actress recorded
sex-scandal as well. many incriminating conversations
He was having an with the politician, which made it
affair with a Tory impossible for the politician to deny
colleague, Edwina the attachment.
Currie, who claimed
Finally, we have the biggest sex-
that they broke up in
scandal in history, according to the
1988.
British website. John Profumo and
Cecil Parkinson, Christine Keeler were its pivotal
former British Trade figures, who had an affair during the
Minister during Cold War. Profumo was the State
Margaret Thatcher`s War Secretary and Christine was a
cabinet, in 1983, stripper.
was in a pickle when
All of this may not have caused such
he was forced to
a ruckus if suspicions had not risen
resign: his secretary
that the stripper was also involved
admitted that she
with a Soviet spy. The consequences
and Parkinson had
of the scandal were not only harmful
been having an affair
for Profumo, whose career went
for 12 years and that
downhill afterwards, but for the
she was pregnant.
British government as well, as its
reputation was tarnished.
Coutrtesy : Javno.com

Don bosco october - 2009 23

Christine Keeler
 COVER STORY
With Indian Politics, the Bad Gets Worse
T
here were backroom deals.
There were wads of cash
waved about as alleged
evidence of bribery. There were six
lawmakers on hand who had just
been sprung from jail so they could
cast their ballots.
So it went on the floor of India’s
Parliament on July 23, 2008 during
a historic vote on whether to back
the government and its controversial
nuclear deal with the United States.
Even by Indian standards, it was
bad. Members of Parliament were
throwing money on the floor, asserting
they had been paid off by the ruling
Congress party to support a measure
of confidence in the government…
This is one of many incidents of
political scandals in India. Starting
from 1962 during Indo China war,
resignation of Krishna Menon
, it was alleged that soldiers
had no foot wear. In 1966
Circuimstances of the Death
of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur
Shastri in Tashkent in the then
Soviet Union brought a lot of
suspicion. Later on Murder/Death
of Dr R K Chugh the accompanying
physician to Lal Bahadur Shastri in
Tashkent. And a little later Murder/
Death of whole family of Dr R
K Chugh. Thus the list of
political scandals goes on with
innumerable instances of
scandals, mysterious death,
bribery, sexual misconduct,
desecration of the sacred
places, communal violence
etc.
“It’s stupefying. And as an
Indian, it’s shameful,” said
24
Jagdeep Chhokar, a founding member by donors and corporations that
of the Association for Democratic expect favors in return. It’s a self-
perpetuating cycle of corruption that
Nearly a fourth of the has carried over since the days of
540 Parliament members the British Raj, when politicians and
face criminal charges, bureaucrats expected under-the-table
including human trafficking, payments.
immigration rackets,
Today, Indians complain that the
embezzlement, rape and culture of corruption exists at all
even murder, according to levels of government. It’s certainly
Chhokar’s group. the case in high office. Nearly a fourth
Reforms, a New Delhi watchdog of the 540 Parliament members face
group that tracks criminality in criminal charges, including human
trafficking, immigration rackets,
India’s Parliament. “We have been
embezzlement, rape and even murder,
fighting criminals ruling the roost for
according to Chhokar’s group.
a long time. This just happened to be
a stark display for the world to see.” To many Indians, recruiting
It was also a reminder to the rest convicted lawmakers for vote
of the world that Indian politics -- seemed particularly egregious. Such
seen here as the fast track to wealth
-- is a no- holds-barred
affair.
The
problems
are many.
India’s
public
campaign-
finance
laws are not
enforced, and
candidates are
regularly backed
Don bosco october - 2009
 COVER STORY

public scrutiny is more common than
ever in India, given the proliferation
of newspapers and television news
shows across the country. Despite
the attention, though, public outrage
with malfeasance has been relatively
mild.
On 23,July 2008, under a headline
screaming “Shame,” the Hindustan
Times published a survey that found
that 63 percent of those interviewed
did not think the recent allegations
of corruption would worsen the
reputation of politicians.
Few dispute that corruption has
stalled development in India. Bribery
has made it all the more difficult to
bolster a flagging infrastructure
and feed a country with more
malnourished children than any other
in the world. Reports surfaced this
week that politicians had allegedly
siphoned off hundreds of thousands
of dollars from a $2 billion program
to feed schoolchildren.
Many ordinary Indians feel forced
to follow suit with small-scale
corruption of their own: paying bribes
to guarantee their children admission
to elite private schools, paying off
traffic police to avoid fines, paying
government officials to get a job.
A 2007 survey by Transparency
International India found that the
nation’s poor had paid about $206
million for public services.
In New Delhi cafes, Indians gathered
around televisions said in interviews
that they enjoyed the political
spectacle -- it was sheer soap opera,
after all. Still, they were starting to
notice that, with inflation at record
highs here, all the political bickering
may well be a poor use of time.
People keep leading a good life in
spite of all our corrupt system is the
hard fact that one must understand.

List of Indian political scandals

An Indian political scandal commonly refers to some action by a politician deemed unacceptable
in law or by custom, or which is held to be morally unacceptable to the politician’s peers or the
electorate. In almost all Indian political scandals, the politicians are not prosecuted.
1900s 1990s 2000s
• Telecom scam (Sukh Ram) • Bofors Scandal (1990) • Ketan Parekh Scandal, Barak
• HDW Submarine Missile Deal Scandal, Tehelka
• Animal Husbandry Case
Scandal (2001)
• Bitumen scam (1990)
• Army-Coffins Scandal, MIG-
• Tansi land deal • Bombay Stock Exchange
Fighter Jets
Manipulation & Fraud by
• JMM Bribery Scandal Harshad Mehta (1992) • Taj corridor case (2002-2003)
• St Kitts case • Hawala scandal (1993) • Telgi scandal (2003)
• Urea scam • Bangalore - Mysore • Nitish Katara Murder Case
• Anantnag transport subsidy Infrastructure Corridor (1995) (2004)
scam • Sukh Ram (1996) • Oil-for-food programme scam
• 1971 Nagarwala scandal (Natwar Singh) (2005)
• Fodder Scam in Bihar (1996)
• Fodder scam • Jessica Lal case (2006)
• Kerala SNC Lavalin power
• 1975: Declaration of scandal (1997) • Human Trafficking Scam
Emergency involving Babubhai Katara.

• Churhat lottery scam • Gujarat Fake Encounter

Controversy (2007)
Few dispute that corruption has stalled development • Cash-for-votes scandal in the
in India. Bribery has made it all the more difficult to federal parliament (2008)

bolster a flagging infrastructure and feed a country • Satyam scandal.

with more malnourished children than any other in
the world.
Don bosco october - 2009 25
 sa l es i an news
B R I E F L Y
A display of passion
for God and Don Bosco
It was an exhibition of
youthful creativity, and a
demonstration of passion
for God and Don Bosco,
in the Annual Bible
Skit and Bosco Singout
competitions organized by
the youth department of
Salesian college, Dimapur,
on 30 August. 500 youth
came from the various
centres to be challenged
by the persons of Christ
and Don Bosco, 24 groups
presented their skits
and songs in different
languages
(BIS)
Creativity of the teacher
trainees displayed
The annual exhibition of
Bosco College of Teacher
Education (BCTE),
Dimapur, was held on 31
August, with Fr. Solomon
Vizo, Rector of Good
Shepherd Seminary of the
diocese of Kohima as the
chief guest. Neighbouring
educational institutions
were invited.
The exhibition consisted
of a variety of items
- cane work, paper
cutting, herbal soap, toys,
embroidery items, charts,
candles, envelopes, flower
of all types.
(BIS)
26
NASA Astronaut at St. Anthony`s College Shillong,
India
Col. Edward Michael Fincke, who was the Commander for Expedition 18 and spent six
months (Oct 12, 2008- April8, 2009) aboard the ISS. Col. Fincke has a total of 365 days, 21
hours and 32 minutes in space, and logged a total of 26 hours and 12 minutes of EVA time
on six spacewalks. Michael Fincke has been
selected by NASA to go to space again for the
third time in 2010 as a mission specialist of
International Space Station (ISS), visited St.
Anthony`s College on the 9th September, 2009.
The programme was organized by the College and
was coordinated by FASS (Friends of Assam and
Seven Sisters) under aegis of the Department of
Education, Govt. of Meghalaya. The programme
was held in the College Auditorium, amidst a group
of dignitaries of the state, including the honorable
Minister of Education: Mrs. A.M. Lyngdoh.
The most interesting part of the day was the real time video shot by Micke while he was on
board Expedition 18 in the ISS. The video gave every participant a feel of Zero gravity and an
Outer Space experience. This was followed by the live interaction by students of the various
institutions with the Astronaut. There were about 45 questions to the Astronaut and Micke
had a clear and direct answer for every question. (BIS)
INM Rectors meet together to scale up their
planning mentality - 12th September, 2009
As part of the periodical animation
for the INM Rectors & Leaders of
the communities, a meeting was held on
12th September at their Provincial House,
Citadel, Chennai. The whole meeting was
aimed at enhancing the power of planning
among the Rectors who are the CEOs of
Salesian mission centres.
The meeting began with the prayer, during which we paid our rich homage to our Beloved
former provincial Rev.Fr.Benjamin Puthota Sdb.
``A scientific planning mentality coupled with a process of discernment arising out of faith
perspective is the only way to make the Salesian Mission flourish`` was the invitatory note
from Fr.Provincial that led us to the theme `Planning for our mission with a vision`. Fr.Joe
Andrew, the vice provincial gave the talk on the theme of the day.
Hel eventually led us through a fruitful discussion in smaller groups as well in common
towards drawing up of OPP (Organic Provincial Plan for the coming 6 years period) which is
an essential document of PC 2010.
The afternoon session was handled by Fr.Jeyapalan Sdb, the Moderator of PC 2010, during
which the Moderator put all the Rectors & Leaders in the perspective of PC 2010 with an
emphasis on the themes of the chapter. The calendar of PC 2010 consisting of important dates
and moments was also informed to all the leaders.
The day of animation came to an end with the sharing of some information by Fr.Vice
Provincial with regard to the celebration of 150th Year of the Founding of our Congregation
and the Salesian Family day at Regional level.
(BIS)
Don bosco october - 2009
 sa l es i an news

B R I E F L Y
With skilled hands and confident hearts...
LAUNCH OF ADMA IN
The fifth batch of skill training students had the MUMBAI
valedictory function at Auxilium Convent, Ongole
on Monday, September 07, 2009. The twenty-three
students who completed their course successfully
in Ongole were accompanied by their parents who
shared the joy of their daughters and tangibly felt the
confidence they showed having undergone the six-
month training programme at the centre.The success
The Association of Mary
rate of those students who underwent the six months of Help of Christians(ADMA)
course learning tailoring, embroidery, and dress-making was launched on September
besides of course, mannerisms that they imbibed from 8, 2009, the feast day of
the religious sisters during their course of stay is immense. the Nativity of our Blessed
Mother, at the Provincial
Skill training is one of the components of the Tsunami Education Programme which had
House, Matunga. The
taken-off way back in October 2005. As months passed by, each of the components of the meeting was led by Fr.
programme took shape, one of which was the skill training programme which was begun Wilfred D`souza and Fr.
simultaneously in Tanuku and Ongole (small time towns in Andhra Pradesh) and entrusted Elias Dias.
the organization of these programmes to the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Fr. Wilfred welcomed the
Immaculate (MSI) and Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco (FMA) respectively. participants and said that
as members of ADMA
The valedictory function was organized at the Auxilium Convent of the Salesian Sisters of
they now become a part of
Don Bosco in Ongole which was well-attended by about 75 persons including the students. the Salesian Family. The
(BIS)
meeting planned to focus
mainly on two aspects:
Memoirs of the Oratory... refreshed! what ADMA entails as an
association and a look at
the Marian feasts in the
The first copies of the Memoirs of the
month of September.
Oratory, originally written by Don Bosco Fr. Elias, the Provincial
himself and lately abridged by Fr John Delegate of the Salesian
Lens, the senior- most confrere in the Family mentioned that
Salesian Province of Hyderabad were starting off ADMA in
made available to the confreres on September Mumbai was his dream.
9, 2009 at Hyderabad. In the 150th year of ``Devotion to Mary Help
of Christians and to the
the founding of the Salesian congregation
Blessed Sacrament is a
and especially in preparation for gift. He added. Fr. Wilfred
the bicentenary celebrations of the birth explained the origin, nature
of Don Bosco (2015) this book comes as a and aim of the Association.
handy reference in having a first glimpse Later he discussed the
of what went on in the oratory and the mind of Don Bosco, especially in those initial years. various Marian feasts in
the month of September.
This book would provide that first step in knowing the heart, mind and times of the one whom The enthusiastic house
we fondly call the `Father of Youth`. Written primarily in Italian by Don Bosco, the translation came up with various
suggestions of carrying
was made available by Fr Daniel Lyons sdb. The book has three parts, comprehensively
out the membership of the
covering the years from 1815 to 1856. Association on a day to day
basis. The 23 members
The book is published by Kristu Jyoti Publications Publications after obtaining the copyrights who attended the first
from Don Bosco Publications, New Rochelle, New York. Priced at Rs 120/- the 226 pages meeting have set the sails
book is an Indian edition primarily meant for the South Asia region. Sincere thanks to Fr John going for the ADMA in
Lens whose passionate zeal for Don Bosco and the congregation urges him on to make `Don Mumbai.
Bosco` known to as many as possible in India. photo caption : Fr. Wilfred
(BIS) speaks to the ADMA
Pioneers (BIS)
Don bosco october - 2009 27
 c h u rc h news
B R I E F L Y RELIGIOUS CHALLENGED TO BECOME MORE RELEVANT
INDIA ‘Religious hope AS AGENTS OF SOCIAL CHANGE
Church institutions will become irrelevant and continue to rot as “islands of
to create new identity in excellence” in India if Religious fail to become agents of social change, warns a
changing India’ prominent Indian Religious.
India’s Catholic Religious are trying
to forge a new role for themselves
by getting more involved in national
issues, says the national secretary of
the Conference of Religious India
(CRI).
According to Montfort Brother Mani
Mekkunnel, how Religious can be
active participants in India’s socio-
economic life is on the agenda for
Religious major superiors to discuss at
the upcoming CRI national assembly,
held once every three years.
CRI represents more than 125,000
Catholic Religious brothers, priests
and nuns in India. More than 500 major
superiors from around the country are
expected for the scheduled Sept. 26-
Oct. 2 meeting in New Delhi.
(CNS)
Major Superiors Urge Change
In Church’s Patriarchal Mindset
About Women
India’s major Religious superiors
ended their five-day national
assembly of the Conference of
Religious India (CRI) on Feb. 1, with
a call for the Church to abandon its
“patriarchal mindset” for a gender-
sensitive culture of collaboration.
Some 575 superiors representing
125,000 Catholic men and women
Religious in the country unanimously
endorsed the “vision for gender
justice and collaborative action” in the
Church that the meeting produced.
The assembly outlined a plan to
ensure gender justice at all levels
of Church life. It wants competent
women, Religious and lay, appointed
to positions of responsibility in
ministries at national and local
levels.
In another recommendation, the
assembly appealed to superiors of
women’s communities to encourage
members to develop themselves
through theological, biblical and
canonical studies. This, it added,
would help the women develop “a
holistic approach” to spirituality that
respects “the feminine and masculine
elements of human growth and faith.”
(CNS)
28
During the CRI conference, which was held Dec. 29-Jan 3 at Barrackpore, near
Calcutta, some 250 major superiors from throughout India, as well as delegates
from Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, discussed the theme “The Indian Situation
Today and the Church’s Social Teaching.”
Brother Mekkunnel said socio-political and economic changes are a “concrete
opportunity” for dedicated men and women to become a “prophetic voice.” He
also alerted that “the new scenario calls on us to start ourselves anew and be an
agent of change.”
He stated that the CRI should act on the various issues of electoral malpractices
such as bribery, intimidation, manipulation of electoral lists, elimination of
candidates and their supporters, and tampering with vote-counting. The poor
will need “greater support,” he stressed, as the country faces “drastic economic
transformations and a movement toward economic equity.”
He also urged the superiors to direct their “men and women ... (to) a time-bound
mission so that we may turn the millenium with a greater sense of hope.”
(CNS)
Future Of Church-run Leprosarium Hangs in
Balance as Govt. Plans Land Takeover
The fate of the decades-old Summanahalli Leprosarium, a Church-run
rehabilitation centre for leprosy and HIV-affected patients in northern Bangalore,
now hangs in the balance, as the Bharatiya Janata Party government is considering
vacating the only such facility in the city from the prime land.
The sixty-three acre land had been leased out to the then Archbishop Arokiaswamy
of Bangalore by the Government to start a leprosarium in 1977. The thirty-year
lease expired two years ago. The government now seems to be in no mood to
renew the lease and is fact looking at taking back the entire land.
The Summanahalli Society over the years has established centres for leprosy
programme projects, including homes for the patients, destitute and HIV/AIDS-
affected patients. There is also an orphanage for the HIV-affected children, a
home for the differently abled; orphans, street boys and juvenile delinquents. The
Society also conducts training in various skills such as leather goods-making,
candle-making, garments, footwear and printing.
“We have won seven awards from the Karnataka state, including the best
organisation award for working for the disabled persons in 2007. Now, the
government’s dilly-dallying on renewing the lease has left the Summanahalli
Society in suspense and hope. The future of the inmates of the leprosarium
depends heavily on the government’s positive response,” says Sister Mascarenhas,
recipient of a state award for social service.
Archbishop Bernard Moras of Bangalore, also the chairman of Summanahalli
Society, has written to the government requesting for an extension of the lease
period. (CNS)
Don bosco october - 2009
 c h u rc h news

Amarnath Dinesh Roy. C B R I E BRIEFLY

F L Y
Pastoral Communications Programme Held
Women Religious Asked To
A four-day Pastoral Communication Course was organised by the CBCI
Commission for Social Communications, New Delhi at the Social Development Develop Mystical Dimension
Centre, Ranchi, 2 – 5 September. 49 religious sisters and priests attended the To Connect More Strongly
programme.
The program covered issues like integrating social communications in the pastoral With Society
ministry in the parish, school, social and medical work. The participants were The 45th annual assembly of women
made aware of using various low cost and alternative as well as mass media such Religious in India began on Dec.
as poster making, street drama, parish or school newsletter. 29 with their leader urging them to
They were taught how to understand and interpret movies, television programmes, become “both prophetic and mystic.”
advertisements from a pastoral perspective. The participants were taught how
to integrate media in evangelization, catechesis, liturgy and parish and school The gathering of 345 major superiors
administration. There were group sharing and discussion on problems and was animated into the theme
challenges and opportunities for communication and media ministry. “Prophetic mysticism: the call of
(CNS) empowered religious women” for
four days in Mangalore.
Pope Mourns Missionary Slain in Brazil
India has 91,677 professed
Pope Benedict XVI expressed his condolences at the death of Father Ruggero women Religious, including 808
Ruvoletto, an Italian missionary killed Saturday in Brazil. contemplative nuns, according to
The Pope sent his the 2007 CRI directory. They belong
sympathies in a to 251 congregations, nine of them
telegram signed contemplative, and live in 12,062
by his secretary
communities across India, mostly in
of state, Cardinal
villages.
Tarcisio Bertone,
and addressed to Sister Yeruva, who heads the
Archbishop Luiz Hyderabad province of the JMJ Sisters,
Soares Vieira of said nuns should be “in touch with the
Manaus. experiences of people’s lives” but at
In the message, the same time have “an experience of
the Holy Father God.”
strongly condemns
this “vile and Referring to the numerous attacks
cruel act against a on Christians in India, she said such
peaceful servant of violence should motivate “each of
the Gospel,” and us to be more active, courageous,
transmits his spiritual closeness in prayer. committed and convinced about our
Father Ruvoletto was murdered on Saturday in his parish of St. Evelina, on the prophetic roles.”
outskirts of Manaus, in northeastern Brazil.
Such violence “calls for a renewed
Police initially said the homicide was associated with a robbery. However the
Italian episcopate’s SIR news agency reported today that there is growing certainty outlook on our ministries, our vision,
that the slaying is part of a series of “acts of intimidation against the Church in the lifestyle, formation and vocation” that
Manaus region because for a long time it has denounced criminal activities, drug puts more emphasis on the experience
trafficking and the traffic of human beings.” of God, Sister Yeruva stressed. She
There are documents and interviews dating back to 2006 that show how Father called for a “paradigm shift” in
Ruvoletto was vocal in denouncing “drugs and prostitution as social plagues.” mission training by “striking a balance
Father Ruggero Ruvoletto was born March 23, 1957, in Galta di Vigonovo, near between prophecy and mysticism.”
Venice. He was ordained a priest in 1982. He left for Brazil six years ago as a
“fidei donum” missionary. (CNS)

Zenit.org
Don bosco october - 2009 29
 va l u es

STORIES FOR RADIANT LIVING

Cycle of Evil
There was once a king who was so cruel and unjust and his One day his guru, a venerable old man,
subjects yearned for his death or dethronement. However, asked the youth to accompany him on a trip across the
one day he surprised them all by announcing that he had hills. The journey was ordinary until they came to a deep
decided to turn over a new leaf. “No more cruelty, no chasm.
more injustice,” he promised, and he was as good as his
A single log spanned the chasm. The guru walked down
word. He became known as the ‘Gentle King’.
to the centre of the log, took his bow and an arrow shot
Months after his transformation one of his ministers it into a tree on the other side. His next shot cut the first
plucked up enough courage to ask him what had brought arrow into two.
about his change of heart. And the king answered,
“Now it’s your turn,” he said, walking back to where his
student was standing.
The youth stepped gingerly on the log and very slowly
and carefully made his way to the middle. But his heart
was in his mouth. He knew that if he lost his footing,
he would plunge to his death. His hands trembled as
he strung an arrow into his bow. Preoccupied with the
danger he was in, he found it hard to focus on the
target. Consequently when he let
go of the arrow,
“As I was galloping through the forests I it missed the
caught sight of a fox being chased by a hound. The fox tree altogether.
escaped into his hole but not before the hound had bitten
into its leg and lamed it for life. Later I rode into a village
and saw the same hound there. It was barking at a man.
Even as I watched, the man picked up a huge stone and
flung it at the dog, breaking its leg. The man had not
gone far when he was kicked by a horse. His knee was
shattered and he fell to the ground, disabled for life. The
horse began to run but it fell into a hole and broke its
leg. Reflecting on all that had happened, I thought: ‘Evil
begets evil. If I continue in my evil ways, I will surely be
overtaken by evil’. So I decided to change”. The minister
went away convinced that the time was ripe to overthrow
the king and seize the throne. Immersed in thought, he
did not see the steps in front of him and fell, breaking
his neck.
Moaning, he turned around.
Control the Mind “Help me!” he shouted to his guru. “I’ll fall”

There was a young student-archer who reached such The old man walked up to him, took his hand and stepping
proficiency in his art that he could shoot an arrow into a backwards led him to safety. Neither of them said a word
tree and then cut that arrow into two with the next shot. on the return journey but the boy had much to think about.
He had realized that to be a master of his art it was not
He began to boast that he was a greater archer than his enough to know how to control the bow, he had to learn
guru. how to control his mind too.
30 Don bosco october - 2009

Where is God
“Where is God?” asked the disciple.
“Everywhere, in everyone and
everything,” said his Guru.
Later, as the disciple was going
home, he saw an elephant
charging towards him.
“Get out of the way,
get out of the
way,” shouted the elephant-driver. “He has gone mad!”
But the disciple thought: “He is everywhere. He is in the
elephant and he is in me.
Would he attack himself? No, therefore the elephant will
not attack me.”
He stood where he was. The elephant picked him up in
his trunk and flung him aside. Fortunately, he landed in a
haystack and was not too badly hurt. But he was terribly
shaken and confused.
When the Guru and the other disciples came to help him
and take him home, he said, “You said He is in everything,
but see what the elephant did to me!”
“It is true that He is in everything,” said his Guru. “He
is in the elephant, but he is also in the mahout who kept
telling you to get out of the way. Why didn’t you listen
to him?”
— A Bengali Folktale
Prince Charming
There was a prince who was obsessed with his own
beauty. If any traveler came to the palace he would ask
him: “Have you ever seen anyone as handsome as me?
“No one ever had. One day a flattering traveler said to
him: “I don’t think there could be anyone in the whole
world as good-looking as you. I don’t think even a god
could be as handsome.”
Don bosco october - 2009
va l u es
This made the prince very happy and he went around
telling everyone that he was more handsome than any
god.
One day he had two visitors who identified themselves
as gods.
“We have come to see if you are as handsome as you
claim,” they explained.
“Aren’t I?” he asked.
“We visited you earlier in the day when you were asleep,”
said one of the gods. “You were more handsome then.”
“How could my looks decline within a few hours?” said
the prince. He turned to his servants.
“Did I look better in the morning?” he enquired.
“You looked the same,” said his servants.
“We are gods,” said one of the visitors. “We can see what
your servants cannot. Their vision is imperfect and we’ll
prove it to you. Bring a bowl of water.”
A bowl of water was brought. The god asked the servants
to study it closely and then leave the room. When
they were gone, he removed half a spoonful
of water from the
bowl. Then the
servants were
called back
in.
“Is there any
change in
the bowl of
water?” asked
the god.
“None,” said
the servants.
“They cannot see that the water has diminished,” said
the god, “just as they cannot see that your beauty has
declined.”
The prince was shaken. He thought: “My beauty is
diminishing by the day. It is short-lived. Why am I
obsessed by something so short-lived? I should concern
myself with that which is eternal.”
He never again looked into a mirror and in course of time
renounced his throne and became a monk.
A.J. Frank sdb
ajfrankie@gmail.com
31
 h u mo u r

Humour
Eating Fish
Teacher: If you eat fish?
Student: It’s good for my
eyes.
Teacher: If you don’t eat fish?
Taking no chance Student: It’s good for the fish!
A man and his nagging wife were on holiday in Jerusalem,
the wife suddenly died. The funeral company Lifting a curse
told the man that it
would cost $45000 A man goes to see a wizard and says ‘can you lift a curse
to ship her that was put on me years ago?’ ‘Maybe,’ says the wizard,
home or $500 ‘if you can remember the exact words of the curse ?’ The
to bury her in man replies without hesitation ‘I pronounce you man and
Jerusalem. The wife ...’
husband said ‘ship
her home’. Shocked, School Bell
the undertaker asked ‘but sir,
Q : Doctor, Doctor I keep
why don’t you bury her in the Holy Land and save the
thinking I’m the school bell
money ?’ The husband replied ‘a long time ago, a man
A : Take These tablets, and if
was buried here and 3 days later, he rose from the dead ...
they don’t work give me a
I can’t take the chance !’
ring in the morning

Origin of Human race

A little girl asked her mother, “How did
the human race appear?” School Jokes
The mother answered, “God made Adam Teacher: Did your father help you with your
and Eve and they had children, and so homework?
was all mankind made.” Student: No, he did it all by himself.
Two days later the girl asked her father Teacher: Could you please pay a little
the same question. The father answered, attention?
“Many years ago there were monkeys from which the Student: I’m paying as little
human race evolved.” attention as I can.
The confused girl returned to her mother and said, Teacher: Tell me a sentence that
“Mom, how is it possible that you told me the human starts with an “I”.
race was created by God, and Dad said they evolved from Student: I is the...
monkeys?” Teacher: Stop! Never put ‘is’ after
The mother answered, “Well, dear, it is very simple. I told an “I”. Always put ‘am’ after an “I”.
you about my side of the family and your father told you Student: OK. I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.
about his.”
Revenge Medical term
Husband: Every time I hit you,you never A man told his doctor he wasn’t able to do all the things
fight back. How do you around the house like he used to.
manage your anger? When the examination was complete, he said “Now Doc,
Wife : I clean the tell me in plain English what is wrong with me.”
toilet seat. “Well in plain English,” the doctor replied, “you’re just
Husband: How does it help? lazy.”
Wife : I use your “Okay,” said the man. “Now give me the medical term so
toothbrush!!!! I can tell my wife.”
Joseph
32 Don bosco october - 2009
c h i l d ren ’ s p age

1 Word Jumbles

ON A DESK
3 SUDOKU
C L I P E N
6 x 6 SUDOKU FOR KIDS
R E P P A

S U M O E

TESON

Notes,
JUMBLE ANSWERS: Pencil, Paper, Mouse,

2 FIGURE SKATING MAZE

4 Dot-to-Dot
Help the skater to find the partner
Join these Dots to find a
beautiful princess

Don bosco october - 2009 33

 c h i l d ren ’ s p age

5 SOLAR SYSTEM WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

Find the words about the Solar System, listed below, in the word search grid. Circle each letter one by one.
Each letter of the solar system word search grid may be used in more than one word. When the word search
puzzle is complete, read the remaining letters left to right, top to bottom, to learn an interesting fact about
the solar system.

M M A S O L E N U T P E N A N
R E S Y S T E R M L C O N R S
I T R S T S A S U O F A U S U
N E A C J N N T D H O T B J E
C O T S U B O E O U A N D M T
O R I S P R T N B S Y U O G R
S S A V I I Y A T Y M O M I C
D N C L T U D L I N N A G E P
I S U N E V L P A S K N R E A
O T S M R O O F N E T E S S D
R W A R H F P R M L S E A N E
E I G H T P L A N E T S M T S
T A S T R E K W R U I O I O D
S S M E A E T D E R S O R O C
A I D S E C O M E E T S E T C

SOLAR SYSTEM WORD LIST

ASTEROIDS MARS
CERES MERCURY
COMETS METEORS
DWARF PLANETS MOONS
EARTH NEPTUNE
EIGHT PLANETS PLUTO
ERIS SATURN
HAUMEA SUN
JUPITER URANUS
MAKEMAKE VENUS

Printed and Published by Glorious Stephen on behalf of The South India Salesian Society Society 45, landons Road, Chennai 600 010
and Printed at SIGA Press, 49,Taylors Road, Chennai - 600 010.
Editor, Glorious Stephen
34 Don bosco october - 2009