KOCHI: Sreemulanagaram Mohan, former secretary of the Kerala Lalithkala Akademi, was born in a Hindu family. Even then, he says he has visited the St Mary’s Church at Kanjoor quite often. According to a documentary, the annual feast at the church that honours St Sebastian sees over a hundred chenda players. It is believed that Goddess Bhagavathy of the nearby Puthiyedam Temple, situated to the south of the church, is St Sebastian’s sister. Naturally, the saint of this church has many Hindu followers.
A 20-member group, comprising participants of the Certificate Programme in Peace Studies jointly organised by the Xavier Labour Research Institute (XLRI) of Jamshedpur and Loyola Institute of Peace and International Relations (LIPI), seemed rapt after learning about the story behind the church. The three-month programme that conducts one session every fortnight with classes and projects, concluded a few days ago.
The participants included a mix of lawyers, teachers, college lecturers, social activists and artists. As for the faculty, the list included Dr K Babu Joseph, former vice-chancellor of Cochin University of Science and Technology, M P Mathai, an adjunct professor at Gujarat Vidyapeeth specialising in non-violence, Dr Jacob Thomas IAS, former chairman of the Cochin Port Trust, and noted social worker Daya Bhai.
Asked the reasons behind setting up the programme, Fr (Dr) Binoy Pichalakkattu SJ, director of LIPI says, “We live in a world filled with ethnic conflicts, violence against women, and religious fundamentalism. Hence, promoting peace and reconciliation is the need of the hour. We are training people to be skilful at conflict resolution and be ambassadors of peace.” It discussed various facets of sociology, including human rights and justice, conflict resolution, communal harmony, and science and technology for peace and art.
“Human beings have a paradoxical nature. Both good and bad reside in our hearts. While one part is all about violence and atrocities, the other promotes peace and justice. Unfortunately, today, the darkness is dominant. This is the result of overwhelming consumerism and the desire for power, prestige and popularity,” says Fr Benoy, elaborating on the endless wars and conflicts prevailing in the world despite all the talk about peace that has been going on for years now.
He is also worried about communalism that is creeping up in the country. “These days, the thinking pattern is binary; it has become the ‘I’m right and you are wrong’ perspective. We need to promote a counter-culture and give examples like that of Mahatma Gandhi. He was rooted in Hinduism, yet embraced the Quran and the Bible. There is an urgent need to encourage people to be more broad-minded.”
Fr Binoy also believes that peace studies should be introduced in schools and colleges. “This will enable youngsters to look beyond religion when they hold positions of responsibility,” he adds.
The participants of the programme also shared a unique experience. “The participants were from different segments of society and included an agriculturist. All of them shared their thoughts and experiences. It was enriching,” says Vinod Jabar, a lawyer.