Goethals Indian Library and Research Society, Kolkata.
Vol.
IX No.
1 Bulletin
January-March - 2006
The inaugural ceremony commenced
at 9:30am on 22nd. Fr. George Pattery, SJ.
Jesuit Provincial, Fr. J. Maliyekal, SJ, Rector SXC, Fr.
Ruy Cordeiro, SJ, Fr. Felix Raj, SJ, Director of GILRS, and the
senior most delegate Prof. Biswanath Ghosh lit the inaugural lamp. Prof.
Lobwo then led his choir into a Bengali Hymn. Thereafter, Fr. Felix Raj made
the welcome address. In his address he welcomed all the 21 delegates who were to
present their papers at the seminar. He also briefed us about the history and
credentials of the Goethals Library. He emphasised the importance of such
seminars to take stock of achievements, activities and problems so that
Christian contributions would improve with renewed efforts.
Then Fr. Provincial made the
presidential address. He gave an over-view of the theme of the seminar based on
the papers to be presented. He raised some relevant questions for discussion
during the seminar. He proposed an approach of hermeneutics of appreciation
suspicion. “From a hermeneutics of appreciation, secular humanism” is
perhaps the prominent positive contribution of Christian engagement,
particularly in Bengal…… From a hermeneutics of suspicion, the Christian
contributions especially before and during the colonial rule led to a false
identification of the West with Christianity, so much so, Christian religion
came to be regarded as colonial in nature.
Fr. J. Maliyekal, SJ, in his
address applauded the work carried out by the GILRS. The elaborate inaugural
ceremony also marked the releasing of the souvenir by Fr. Ruy Cordeiro, SJ. The
inauguration came to an end with a vote of thanks by Fr. Dominic Savio, SJ
Fr. Felix Raj, SJ felicitated all the delegates with a certificate of participation and a memento. All the delegates and others who were present appreciated the seminar. The seminar ended with a positive note and with the hope of future activities like this.
Researchers at the
Goethals
Ö Sr. Thresiamma V.G. on Constitution safeguards for the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes in North-East - A critical study, Nagaland.
Ö Sr. Anniamma Emmannel on Feminist Perspective of Rights of the S.C. and S.T. Women in Kerala, Nagaland.
Ö Mr. Christopher Taylor on Photography of Historical Buildings of Kolkata. France.
Ö Mrs. Ramzeeyer on Daniell’s Paintings, France.
Ö Fr. Sebastian Vazhapilly, SJ, on Brahmabandhab Upadhyay, Bangalore
Ö Ms. Shreosi Banerjee on Portuguese in India. Kolkata.
Ö Ms. Baljit Kaur on History of Early Childhood Education in India, New Zealand.
Ö Fr. Felix Ortiz, MC on Mother Teresa’s Cause, Meghalaya
|
Publication by Fr.
Felix Raj, SJ. “Kantilya
and Thiruvaluvar: Economic Ideas”
in Economics in Arthasastra by R.K Sen and R.L. Basu, Deep and Deep
Publications, New Delhi, 2006, pp116—141. |
|
Delegates
for the Seminar and the title of their Papers |
|
|
Abanti Adhikari |
The
Christian Contributions in Bengal |
|
Amitabha Singh |
Role of
A. G. Church and Hospital in Kolkata |
|
Arundhati
Ray |
Recasting
Mother Teresa in a Multicultural Society |
|
Biswanath
Ghosh |
Christian
Contribution to the development of Modern Bengal |
|
Charlotte
Simpson |
A
Case study on the ‘Rainbow School” at Loreto Sealdah. |
|
Elizabeth Susan Paul |
The
role of the CNI in social service & development of Women |
|
Felix Raj, SJ |
The
Jesuit Mission in the Moghul Empire |
|
Francis
A V |
The
Interaction between Catholic Missionaries and the inhabitants of Kalimpong,
in the field of health care programmes. |
|
Jayashree
Sarkar |
Christian
Contributions to Bengal: Women’s question in the 19th century
Bengal. Regeneration of Bengal |
|
Jose
Kalapura, SJ |
Jesuit
Hosten’s contribution to Indian Christian History |
|
Julian
S Das, SJ |
Remembering
the ‘Moulvi Saheb’: Contributions of Victor Courtois to
Islam-Christian dialogue |
|
Kanchana Mukhopadhya |
An
oblivious chapter in the eighteenth century history of Bengal |
|
Melvyn Brown |
Catholic
Unification and Minority |
|
John
Alexander |
William
Carey’s Contribution to Preservation |
|
Nikhiles
Guha |
Rev.
Lal Behari Day A Critic Ahead of His Time |
|
Reji
Mathai |
The
Pentecostal Mission’s Sunday School Ministry |
|
Sakti Sadhan Mukhopadhyay |
Teacher
Derozio who broke the System |
|
Shukla
Ray |
Christian
Contribution to the Evolution of Modern Education in India The Serampur
‘Trio’ A Case Study |
|
Sitansu Ray |
Western
Scholars on Indian Music |
|
Suranjan Midday |
Bengali
Folk Literature and Christian Missionaries |
|
V.
Sebastian, S.J. |
Constructions
of National Space: Brahmabandhab Upadhyay’s Contribution to Bengali
Nationalism and beyond |
“There are ten laws for
observing the world, and they are all useful. What are they?
The first way of observing the world
Is to notice how people grow old and sick. No one escapes this. It’s like being a traveler-
He will stay wherever he can lie down for a night. He doesn’t care too much whether the bed and food are the best. And so it is between us and our bodies. Once we go we leave all this behind—No one here gets out alive.
The second way of observing the world is to see
That the family we love we
will also have to leave, Just as the leaves of a tree fall in autumn. Nothing
can stop this, and no leaf survives. The wind takes them all in its swirling
breath.
The third way of observing the world is this: Some are great and powerful-for others, life is brief and glorious! And with both, nothing lasts forever. It’s like the magical light of the moon shining everywhere. All it takes is a cloud to drift across it
And the light is dimmed or
eclipsed altogether.
The fourth way of observing the world is this: Some are bullish provoking everyone they meet — While others exploit those who are weaker than they are. And in the end both can be killed in an instant: They are like moths drawn to the flame
They fly straight at thinking
this is it - And then they suffer.
The fifth way of observing the world is this: They are misers who do nothing but accumulate wealth. They wear themselves out with no end of pain. And they can’t take any of it with them. They are like little clay bottles filled with sea- water:
How can you hope to catch the
vastness of the sea -In something so tiny?
The sixth way is this: the sex obsessed, Fantasizing about having it all the time -
Even through they’re left frustrated and depressed.
They’re like a tree invaded by termites- being eaten away until the wood is so
rotten. It collapses, threatening any one in sight
The seventh way is to drink and party, Sleeping around in such a mixed-up state,
That you don’t know, what is real, and what is a dream.
You’re like a pool of water that has been churned up, once it has become so
unclear - It is impossible to see anything else in it.
The eighth way is this: people see life as a drama
as a game in which they are here to entertain themselves.
This wastes the body and depletes the spirit. It’s like an idiot climbing a
stem to see a flower- Or fighting to bend down a branch, exhausting himself for
no purpose.
The ninth way is this- to
wander from religion to religion, seeking enlightenment, but ending up in
confusion. It’s like someone who makes plaster casts of cattle: No matter how
life –like they seem, Take them out to the fields, and they cant’s do a
thing!
And the tenth way is
this: there are some who believe, they know it, and who appear to everyone as if
they do. But in reality they don’t share anything and the truth dies with
them. They are like oysters with pearls grown in them- The pearl is no use to
the oyster, and the oyster no use - Until it is caught and prized open.
Think about these ten ways and hold them in you, In your mind, your feeling and your body. This is one way of really understanding the Triumphant Law.”
From the Jesus Sutras – The Fruits of the
Church the Great Liturgical Sutras by Martin Palmer
|
Publications by Fr. Felix Raj, SJ "Kautilya and Thiruvalluvar: Economic Ideas" in Economics in Arthasastra by R K Sen and R L Basu, Deep and Deep Publications, New Delhi, 2006, pp116-141. "Budget 2006-7: An Educationist's View", Indian Currents, 12 March, 2006, Delhi. |
1. A Calamity Colossal by Shitangshu Kumar Chakrabarti, Shastra Dharma Prachar Sabha, Kolkata.
2. A Journey in Ladakh by Harvey, Andrew, Fontana Paperbacks, 1983.
3. Contempory Development Economics from Adam Smith to Amartya Sen by Felix Raj, Sampat Mukherjee, Mallinath Mukherjee, Amitava Ghose, Ranjanendra N. Nag, New Central Book Agency Pvt. Ltd. Kolkata, 2006.
4. History of English Press in Bengal 1780 to 1857 by Mrinal Kanti Chanda, K.P. Bagchi and Company, Kolkata, 1987.
5. India 2005 - A Reference Annual by Research, Reference and Training Division, Publication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, New Delhi.
6. INDICA – Journal of the Heras Institute of Indian History and Culture, Mumbai, 2005.
7.
Kurisumala Acharya,
Francis Mahieu
Publications de Scourmont, Cahiers Scourmontois 3, 2001.
8.
Quatre Gitanjalis
by Paramita Gangopadhay Das, Editions du Soleil, Kolkata, 2005.
9. Swami Nirmalananda by Swami Jagadiswaranda. Sri Ramakrishana Sarada Math, Bagbazar, Kolkata.
10. The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen, Penguin Books, 2005.
11. The Foundations of Indian Culture by Sri Aurobindo, Sri Arobindo Ashram, Pondicherry.1998.
12. The Invasion that Never Was - Song of Humanity by Michel Danino / Sujata Nahar, The Mother’s Institute of Research, Delhi and Mira Aditi, Mysore, 2001.
13. The Jesus Sutras by Martin Palmer, Judy Piatkus (publisher) Limited, Londan, 2001.
14. The Renascent Bengal At The Cross-Roads by Narendranath Qanungo, S.B. Enterprise, Kolkata, 2005
Mails
& Emails
I am grateful to you for
providing me an opportunity to present a paper at your conference on `Christian
Contributions in Bengal'. Abanti Adhikari, Kolkata
I take this opportunity of
thanking you heartily for your kindness to me. It is only because of you, it was
possible for me to come to Calcutta and present my Paper. John Alexander,
Nagpur
It has been my great pleasure to
have the chance to research at the Goethals Indian Library during December 2005.
Auspiciously I found much more than I originally came to research. The library
has such a splendid collection of books and rare material. Actually, there is no
exaggeration on saying that the library is itself a hidden treasure. Together
with it I must say that your staff did all the best to make my stay comfortable
and profitable. Mr. Dr. Claudio Costa Pibheiro, Brazil.
Many thanks to your staff for
sending the copies of writings of Fr. J. B. Hoffmann, SJ, the founder of our
Cooperative We are preparing a history of the cooperative and these writings are
valuable source material. Fr. P Jones, SJ, Jharkhand
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Goethals Indian Library & Research Society, St. Xavier’s, 30 Park Street, Kolkata-700 016, India.
Tel:
0091-33-22801919; Email: goethals@vsnl.com
and info@goethals.org
Web-Site: www.goethals.org
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