A new vision for India

Being true to herself is what motivates Dr Kiran Bedi in her unending fight against corruption

By JyOTI SHANKAR

Dr Kiran Bedi needs no introduction to Indians. Her action packed life has been covered by media through all its stages - National and Asian titles in lawn tennis, the first woman police officer in the IPS, ‘Crane’ Bedi, MSN’s Most Admired Icon of 2011, and now, alongside Anna Hazare, she has been at the forefront of the war against corruption in India.

That Kiran Bedi does not waste time to do things that need to be done was evident in the way she exhorted the people gathered for the charity dinner, recently organised by the Council of Indian Australians at Parramatta, to contribute their mite to social causes, join the fight against corruption and come together as Indians. Hearing about the 200 Indian associations operating in Sydney, she asked if “anyone was willing to put up their hand to bring them together”. When there was none forthcoming, she was happy to take up the mantle herself, if the database of people was made available. Kiran well understands the ability to leverage the power of social networking and tools like Twitter, which can reach thousands.

Fearlessly, all through her life, Kiran has sought to change systems wherever she went. When posted as the Inspector General Prisons of Tihar jail, India’s most notorious jail and home to over 10,000 inmates, many thought she herself had been condemned to the prison rows. But the irrepressible Kiran sought to change the world around her with simple ideas she implemented, that transformed Tihar from a den of evil to a place where inmates could meditate and ponder upon other possibilities in life, educate themselves and learn new skills.

Yes Madam, Sir a film by Australian filmmaker Megan Doneman documents Kiran Bedi’s life, and won the best documentary award at the 2009 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Kiran retired from the police service five years ago, but not from the work she is passionate about - prison reforms and bettering the life of those around her. It was this mission that brought her to Sydney – promoting her charity organisations – Navjyoti Foundation and India Vision Foundation, and garnering the support of non-resident Indians for the fight against corruption.

India Vision Foundation - started with seed money from the Ramon Magsaysay award Dr Bedi wonundertakes prison reform, works to empower women and care for children in prison. These children, whose only recreation was crushing ants in the jail, now attend pre-schools run inside the prison, providing education, nutrition and childcare. Navjyoti Foundation works towards empowering women in rural and urban settings. Sydneysiders can contribute by sponsoring a child, undertaking project-based internships, volunteering at events or teaching, and spreading the good word.

Speaking to the press at a conference before the charity dinner and others at the dinner, Dr Bedi freely and enthusiastically answered questions ranging from her views on politics, her inspiration (parents), Arvind Kejriwal, the non-independence of Indian vigilance bodies, and meditation. She narrated the story of the crane incident that made waves when Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s wrongly parked car was towed away, earning her the moniker ‘Crane’ Bedi.

“I believe that support from non-resident Indians could be a huge force,” says Kiran.

A website has been formed to rally NRIs to support the anti-corruption movement, www.nriac.org. This would provide a platform to gain direct information on the anti-corruption movement. Membership fees would support their activities such as leadership building in villages.

When asked about the volteface of Arvind Kejriwal and her decision to steer away from politics, she replied that each one of us has a core personality and we need to be true to ourselves. While she herself has no political bones, she bears no ill-will against Arvind Kejriwal who has left the anti-corruption core group to form his own party. But for her, the simplicity of an andolan is its strength.

“The moment one is a politician, one becomes suspect, howsoever credible and honest a politician he may be,” she comments.

The fall in the standards of bureaucracy and its nonaccountability, is her concern. None of the scams would have happened if civil servants had done their job. Having been one herself, she understands that every file speaks for itself and no actions could be possible without the backing of the bureaucracy.

“The frame of integrity and professionalism that the bureaucracy is supposed to provide to the country has weakened. The Anna Hazare movement is to create a movement of awareness among the population. India has no system of recall and politicians continue for their term in spite of scams,” she rues.

The Indian scenario could change with compulsory voting, but that has to come along with education of the voter. People should be able to question the politicians for whom they have voted.

“The next two elections will decide India’s fate – if we come together and act as a pressure group to bring about a clean democracy and change the system, we could become one of the finest countries of the world. The ageing populations of the world will need Indians,” she states.

On Nov 24/25, Anna Hazare has called a meeting where he has invited a host of social activists, writers, retired bureaucrats and stalwarts of different fields who have no political affiliations, to form a think-tank and expand his core committee. From January will begin the travels through India to raise awareness about these issues.

When asked what keeps her going and did the seemingly insurmountable problems facing people in India ever make her feel dejected, Kiran, a true Vipassana practitioner and Karmayogi, replies that there can be no dejection if one has no expectation and when one works for no reward. Being blessed with good health, resources, and the capability for work was itself a reward.

The programme was well organised and it is great credit to Council of Indian Australians President Subba Rao Varigonda and his team that they could put together an event of this magnitude.

Hearing about the 200 Indian associations operating in Sydney, she asked if “anyone was willing to put up their hand to bring them together”

By FRANKEy GERARD FERNANDES

Hundreds of Goanorigin Christians in Australia came out to welcome an ancient relic which was brought here this month from Rome.

The relic of St Francis Xavier – an arm – has been venerated at the Church of Gesu in Rome since it was detached from the body of the saint in 1614. Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, Peter Comensoli, who coordinated the Australian leg of the tour of the relic, was quoted as saying in The Southern Cross that is “very rare” for the relic of the arm to leave Rome. It is the one with which

St. Francis Xavier baptised many thousands of people.

St. Francis Xavier, despite spending only a few years of his missionary life in Goa, had great love for the land and its people.

After his death his body was brought to Goa to honour his wish to be buried in this land. Since then, Goans have reciprocated that love in abundance and his holy relics have been preserved in the mausoleum at the Bom Jesus Basilica at Old Goa. For the Catholic community of Goa, the Basilica has become a place of pilgrimage with a visit to the holy relics at Old Goa at least once a year, a must.

The Relic in Adelaide Christians in Adelaide rejoiced as they celebrated having the relic of St. Francis Xavier amidst them, at the Saint Francis Xavier Cathedral.

The relic of the famed Jesuit missionary was in Adelaide from October 14-19, and to mark the event, the Catholic, Goan and wider Indian community marked the occasion through a special Eucharistic celebration followed by a get together. The holy mass was organized by the Indian community with Fr Antony Adimai as the main celebrant, along with five con-celebrants, and was attended by around 700 people.

The homily spoke of the life of Saint Francis Xavier, the patron saint of Goa and Australia. Fr Antony’s sermon was a powerful talk on the five steps involved in the Christian journey of faith, drawing analogies from St. Francis’ life whilst on his missionary services across the globe.

The five steps in the Christian faith cycle are: Faith Received, Faith Personalised, Faith

Witnessed, Faith Celebrated and Faith Proclaimed.

And it was this faith that brought together people from all over Australia to pay homage to this special saint. Every person involved benefitted from knowing that they had contributed towards the making of a wonderful celebration – from the altar servers, readers, ushers, musicians and offertory bearers to every volunteer who gave freely of their time.

Families attended the service from far and wide, travelling to venerate the sacred relic of the blessing arm of Saint Francis Xavier.

People lined up in sombre reverence to touch the casket which housed the relic, seeking the Saint’s blessings and intercession. At the end of the service, the community congregated at the Cathedral Hall to partake in a Goan meal and witness a presentation on the life of the Jesuit saint, covering his history and spirituality. Children presented a drama based on the Saint’s lifeportrayed through Goan culture. The Goan community was particularly instrumental in raising awareness of the relic in Adelaide.

Bryan Fernandez of Goan origin who coordinated the event stated, “In this year of faith, may we come together as a united family in Christ and support each other through the cycle of our Christian faith, just like Saint Francis Xavier did all those years ago.”

Blaise Fernandes said, “The event is a reminder of St Francis’ life and how he left name, fame and wealth simply to serve the Lord.”

The relic next travelled to the Port Pirie Diocese in South Australia, as part of its Australia tour.