Mathews Jacob November 08, 2025 അടൂർ കണ്ണംകോട് സെന്റ് തോമസ് ഓർത്തഡോക്സ് കത്തീഡ്രൽ ധീരമായ ഒരു തീരുമാനത്തിൽ എത്തിച്ചേർന്നിരിക്കുന്നതായി അറിയുന്നു. എന്റെ ബാല്യകാലം മുതൽ ഞാൻ കണ്ടുവന്നിരുന്നതുപോലെ എല്ലാ വർഷവും ആഘോഷമായി നടത്തുന്ന പള്ളിപ്പെരുന്നാളിന്റെ ഭാഗമായുള്ള റാസ ഇത്തവണ തിരക്കേറിയ അടൂർ സെൻട്രലും കെ.എസ്.ആർ.ടി.സി ബസ് സ്റ്റേഷൻ വഴിയും പോകാതെ, ഇടവകാംഗങ്ങൾ കൂടുതൽ താമസിക്കുന്ന പന്നിവിഴ ഭാഗത്തേക്ക്‌ പോകുവാൻ തീരുമാനിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു. അടുത്ത വർഷം ഇത് കോട്ടമുകൾ ഭാഗത്തേക്കായിരിക്കും എന്ന ധാരണയും ഉണ്ടായിട്ടുണ്ട്. കാലം മാറുന്നതനുസരിച്ച് നാട്ടിലെ പൊതുജനങ്ങൾക്ക് ബുദ്ധിമുട്ടുണ്ടാകുന്ന രീതിയിലുള്ള നമ്മുടെ ആചാരാനുഷ്ടാനങ്ങൾക്കും മാറ്റമുണ്ടാവണമെന്നുള്ള തിരിച്ചറിവിലാണ് ഈ തീരുമാനം എടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നതെന്നാണ് ഞാൻ മനസ്സിലാക്കുന്നത്. എനിക്ക് ബാല്യം മുതൽ വലിയ ആൽമബന്ധമുള്ള ഒരു ദേവാലയമാണ് കണ്ണംകോട് പള്ളി. എന്റെ അമ്മയെ വിവാഹം കഴിക്കുന്നതു വരെ (1951) എന്റെ പിതാവ് ആ ഇടവകയിലെ അംഗമായിരുന്നു. പള്ളിയിലെ ട്രസ്‌റ്റിയും സണ്ടേസ്കൂൾ ഹെഡ്മാസ്റ്ററും ഒക്കെയായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം തന്നെ എന്നോട് പറഞ്ഞിട്ടുണ്ട്. പെരുന്നാൾ സമയങ്ങളിൽ വടക്കടത...
Returning Home to a Changed Narrative
After 44 years of living abroad (1971–2015), I returned home to Kerala to settle down. I quickly realized that a retired senior citizen looking to spend his twilight years here is received quite differently from a non-resident visiting on a short break.
Unfamiliar societal norms have taken root. There appears to be an unwritten code: you must not speak favorably of the Central Government, nor should you proudly say "our country" or "our Prime Minister." Referring to Kerala or South India is fine, but praising the administration or progress in Northern states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, or Gujarat is practically taboo. Criticisms are welcomed; praise is not—as if acknowledging any good work merely serves political interests.
Mainstream commentary often favors repeated grievances: claims about the Prime Minister’s personal life, accusations of extravagance, or political rhetoric about promised financial transfers. Sensational statements suggesting that Northern India is entirely hostile to minorities or that Christians live in constant insecurity draw immediate applause.At 62, having returned to Kerala to live a quiet life, I refuse to invite stress or high blood pressure over exaggerated grievances against an elected leadership. If being objective earns me political labels such as "Sanghi", so be it.
Separating Faith from Conversion Proselytization
To be fair, I recognize where some grievances originate. Christian missionaries, evangelists, and their followers traveling to other states solely for religious conversion may well face friction. When political dynamics shift, scrutiny over these activities naturally increases.
Historically, previous administrations often relaxed enforcement on anti-conversion laws to appease minority voters. Ironically, it was this prolonged strategy of appeasement that unified the majority community and paved the way for the current political landscape.
Though born into a Christian family, rigid dogmas never defined my worldview. From a young age, I was deeply influenced by Jawaharlal Nehru’s rational perspective on God and religion. Furthermore, Mahatma Gandhi’s firm stance—that proselytization is unnecessary and inherently creates social division—profoundly shaped my beliefs. I realized early on that religion has rarely solved humanity's core problems; often, it has been their very cause.What I observed upon arriving in Kerala in 2015 was a peculiar state of affairs: those who supported Jawaharlal Nehru's view that the conception of God and religion are entirely personal matters, while the process of nation-building and national interests deserve higher priority than these — and Mahatma Gandhi's observation that regardless of which religion a person is born into, that very religion is sufficient for him to grow to a higher spiritual level — such people were being branded as "communalists," while the proponents of religious extremism and religious conversion were labeling themselves "secularists" and reveling in self-satisfaction.
Graduating from Religion to Spirituality
Former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam profoundly influenced my understanding of faith. During a visit to Kerala, he remarked: "We must graduate from religion to spirituality." This captures the true purpose of faith. Every religion should serve as a stepping stone toward higher spiritual awareness. Where rigid religious boundaries fail, spirituality succeeds—it discards narrow biases and elevates human consciousness.
Yet, we hesitate to break out of the religious shell. Instead of cutting the ties that bind us to dogma, we tie ourselves in tighter knots. It is like a student who passes school, enrolls in college, but refuses to enter the classroom—preferring instead to wander the old school perimeter. Clerical hierarchies often encourage this dependence. By fostering superstitions and fear, they prevent individuals from transcending religion into true spirituality, turning faith into an enterprise designed for their own survival.
A Vision Beyond Boundaries
“We must rise from religion to spirituality” is a concept carved out of ancient Indian culture or Hindu philosophy. Having the works of Sri Aurobindo and Mirra Alfassa in our school and college libraries during my student days, along with the encouragement from parents and teachers to read them, was indeed a great fortune of that generation.
Inspired by teachings like those of Sree Narayana Guru, I have long envisioned a world without rigid religious walls—a society built on brotherhood and the shared religion of humanity. If our homes accepted diverse understandings of the Divine without conflict, our land would truly be "God's Own Country." It is pointless to envy nations like Finland, Sweden, or Denmark for their high Happiness Index if we cannot cultivate harmony within our own communities.
Most people simply inherit the faith they were born into. It is time to isolate those who insist that only their religion is right while all others are wrong.
Final Reflections
I respect all religions, and I hold deep gratitude for the broad-mindedness of the Hindu majority, whose historical openness allowed diverse faiths to flourish on this soil.
At the same time, I disagree with extremists on all sides—whether those who wish to exclude non-Hindus from the national identity, or those who view conversion as a mission to undermine India's cultural heritage.
A foundational truth remains: India continues to exist as a secular, pluralistic democracy primarily because its majority community values that ethos. Had any other rigid framework been the majority, the nation's democratic character might have looked vastly different.
18-Dec-2018
Mathews Jacob
www.mathewsjacob.in
www.mathewsjacob.in
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