One may wonder what these two individuals have in common! Those from Malluland may have inkling though….
Ever since I watched an interview on TV on Abdulla Kutty and after reading about Sister Jesmi, I realized that they do have something in common. Both of them showed the courage to speak out. And many including the institutions /media dodge both of them. They just don’t know what to say!
As for Abdulla Kutty, he spoke from a political party that is supposed to be the strictest and spares none, while Sister Jesmi did the unthinkable.
After listening to A. P. Abdulla Kutty, I continue to wish we had more of his kind in the Kerala politics. You can read more about him here. He gave full marks to Narendra Modi and faced suspension from the Communist party. All he wanted to do was to invite discussion on development and like everyone else even he ended up seeing Modi’s Gujarat!
Dr. Sister Jesmi, soon after she retired as the Principal from a reputed college in Trichur, decided to publish her autobiography named “Amen”. Maybe it is the sexual exploits that caught the attention, but she has also written about the corruption and the politicisation of religion prevalent in the Church (While she writes about the Catholic Church, I would like to say that every Church now faces the issue of politicization) She was not springing a surprise. She had spoken out earlier and was “punished” for doing so. I listened as she said with all sincerity “ I have just opened a window, only one window, and through that window if they see dust or dirt inside the convent, at least in a corner, and if one sister cleans the corner of the convent, then my book has been rewarded.” She has written the book partly for herself. She needed the healing first. As for the question as to why she did not denounce the Church earlier, I guess for some woman, courage comes only with age. The society is such that it is not easy to come out of its shackles when one is younger.
It is now up to the Church to label her as a “heretic” or admit that this lady is to be listened to. But the majority in Kerala, have taken her seriously.
Ever since I watched an interview on TV on Abdulla Kutty and after reading about Sister Jesmi, I realized that they do have something in common. Both of them showed the courage to speak out. And many including the institutions /media dodge both of them. They just don’t know what to say!
As for Abdulla Kutty, he spoke from a political party that is supposed to be the strictest and spares none, while Sister Jesmi did the unthinkable.
After listening to A. P. Abdulla Kutty, I continue to wish we had more of his kind in the Kerala politics. You can read more about him here. He gave full marks to Narendra Modi and faced suspension from the Communist party. All he wanted to do was to invite discussion on development and like everyone else even he ended up seeing Modi’s Gujarat!
Dr. Sister Jesmi, soon after she retired as the Principal from a reputed college in Trichur, decided to publish her autobiography named “Amen”. Maybe it is the sexual exploits that caught the attention, but she has also written about the corruption and the politicisation of religion prevalent in the Church (While she writes about the Catholic Church, I would like to say that every Church now faces the issue of politicization) She was not springing a surprise. She had spoken out earlier and was “punished” for doing so. I listened as she said with all sincerity “ I have just opened a window, only one window, and through that window if they see dust or dirt inside the convent, at least in a corner, and if one sister cleans the corner of the convent, then my book has been rewarded.” She has written the book partly for herself. She needed the healing first. As for the question as to why she did not denounce the Church earlier, I guess for some woman, courage comes only with age. The society is such that it is not easy to come out of its shackles when one is younger.
It is now up to the Church to label her as a “heretic” or admit that this lady is to be listened to. But the majority in Kerala, have taken her seriously.
