Make The Existing Religions Irrelevant For A Better World

From: "Sebastian Thomas Cherukanam" sebastianthomas@rediffmail.com
Sent: Tue, 03 Apr 2007 21:07:52 +0530
To: inquiries@un.org, ecu@un.org
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Subject: Make The Existing Religions Irrelevant For A Better World

Dear Ban Ki-moon,

Please refer to my mails dated 30 Mar and 02 Apr 2007 addressed to you below.

Sorry to disturb you time and again. I have added some more points in the article with the title 'Make The Existing Religions Irrelevant For A Better World' I sent earlier. Please find attached the same. I have added more addresses in the list.

My first plan was to write a book but that demands detailed study, full mastery over English language and more time. I will do that later.

Ideas are coming like waves and therefore, in future, more and more points may be added to it. I don't know whether you find it as good, bad or waste. I see all those ideas relevant in the present world and that is the reason why I am trying to share them with you all. I expect responses and actions from you all.

Thanking you.

With Love,
Sebastian Thomas

Present Address (till 4 May 2007):

Room No: 131,
Hotel Braun,
Wiesbaden, Germany
Mobile: 0049 (0) 1744350479

Permanent Address:

Cherukanam House,
Cherupara, Thimiri PO,
Chapparapadave,
Kannur, Kerala,
India - 670 581.
Phone: 0091 (0) 460 2284 880

Email: sebastianthomas@rediffmail.com

On Mon, 02 Apr 2007 Sebastian Thomas Cherukanam wrote :
>Dear Ban Ki-moon,
>
>Please refer to my mail dated 30 Mar 2007 addressed to you below.
>
>I have added some more points in the article with the title 'Make The Existing Religions Irrelevant For A Better World' I sent last time. Please find attached the same.
>
>Thanking you.
>
>With Love,
>Sebastian Thomas
>
>Present Address (till 4 May 2007):
>
>Room No: 131,
>Hotel Braun,
>Wiesbaden, Germany
>Mobile: 0049 (0) 1744350479
>
>Permanent Address:
>
>Cherukanam House,
>Cherupara, Thimiri PO,
>Chapparapadave,
>Kannur, Kerala,
>India - 670 581.
>Phone: 0091 (0) 460 2284 880
>
>Email: sebastianthomas@rediffmail.com
>
>On Fri, 30 Mar 2007 Sebastian Thomas Cherukanam wrote :
> >Dear Ban Ki-moon,
> >
> >Please find attached an article with the title 'Make The Existing Religions Irrelevant For A Better World' prepared by me.
> >
> >I can do this much at the moment for making this world a better place to live in. I strongly believe it is time for those who are in power and those who influence people to introspect and to correct if they find mistakes in whatever they are doing. I don't know what others are thinking but I strongly believe that it is you who should lead the world from the front and I want to see him doing that without fear.
> >
> >With Love,
> >Sebastian Thomas
> >
> >Present Address (till 4 May 2007):
> >
> >Room No: 131,
> >Hotel Braun,
> >Wiesbaden, Germany
> >Mobile: 0049 (0) 1744350479
> >
> >Permanent Address:
> >
> >Cherukanam House,
> >Cherupara, Thimiri PO,
> >Chapparapadave,
> >Kannur, Kerala,
> >India - 670 581.
> >Phone: 0091 (0) 460 2284 880
> >
> >Email: sebastianthomas@rediffmail.com

MAKE THE EXISTING RELIGIONS IRRELEVANT FOR A BETTER WORLD

By Sebastian Thomas

Unfortunately, the religions currently existing in this world are not acceptable to everyone and that is one of the main reasons for the unrest we see here. What we require now is a religion that everyone can easily understand what it says, is acceptable to all, can be practised without any difficulty, does not impose any complex rules on anyone and most importantly, brings smile on everybody’s face. I am just putting an effort in that direction. I am neither a scholar nor a genius but an average person and therefore, my thoughts may have limitations and may require corrections. Please correct because the new religion gives everyone the freedom to do that and to bring more smiles on faces.

First of all, I want to ask a question to Bush Senior. What did you teach your son when he was a child? I am sorry to say that you are not a good father. I know that you love your son but all fathers do. Even animals do that. However, you did not tell him what qualities he possesses, what he lacks and what he can do to be a good human being. Instead, you made your son, a below average person who doesn’t even know how to speak two meaningful sentences on his own without fumbling, literally a pig that spreads filth wherever it goes. And completely against the proverb ‘Don’t keep pearls in front of a pig’, the Republicans kept them near to it and the US electorate endorsed it. I emphatically say that it is you who are answerable to the terrible crimes he has done so far because it was you who transformed your son from a human being to a pig at the first place. I strongly believe that it was not he but you who really master planned the Iraq invasion. You triggered by keeping the rifle on his shoulder and the result, I tell you, for justice to be prevailed; he is the one to be executed next. Now you tell me, are you a good father?

My second question is directed to Bush Junior. Will you fight till the end or will try to hide in a hole just the same way what Saddam did in case you are in a same situation? Showing heroism by standing under tight security is not what is called courage Bush. You brought Democracy in Iraq. And I want to see your courage now. Walk for a minute in the street of Bagdad without the security around you. That is a must, you valiant Bush, because then only you will realize what the Iraqi people feel now each an every moment of their stay in your proclaimed democratic country. We see what Ban Ki-moon, the UN Secretary General, did even under tight security when an explosion took place near to where he was standing. I tell you and you must understand that neither you are superior to the thousands of Iraqis died, the Iraqis now staying there in utter fear and the US soldiers sacrificed their lives before enjoying it fully all due to your stupid actions, for that matter anyone in this world nor your life is precious than anyone else. You are almost at the end of your life. Ask yourself one question. What sacrifice did you do so far for your country?

Interestingly (I will not say ‘shockingly’ because what I am going to say is a fashion in the democratic world), I heard Benazir Bhuto talking about bringing Democracy in Iraq in a BBC program and in fact the angry that program generated in me is the immediate reason for this letter. She was in a way speaking in favour of US invasion in Iraq and thereby justifying it. How simple it was for her to suggest leaving the past behind and to look towards the future while sitting in an air conditioned room where the BBC program took place. I want to ask her what she was doing when she was in power in Pakistan. She and the other Prime Minister Nawas Sheriff, as per reports, plundered that nation and deposited the loot in Swiss banks. Now she is enjoying her life in another country with that money. Or is she doing any job in the UK? Does she have the right to speak about Democracy? And how can she support the USA and talk about Democracy keeping in mind the support the USA is giving to the military ruler, Parvez Musharaff who had earlier toppled a democratically elected government in her own country, Pakistan? Or is she trying to please the USA so that they will overthrow Musharaff once and will give the power back to her again? Here, I have to tell what I think about Musharaff and that is he is a person with character and dignity and he believes in peace and is ready to take bold steps in that direction and luckily we have leaders like AB Bajpayee and Manmohan Singh on Indian side with the same passion towards peace in mind. If both Indian and Pakistan leaders were taking such initiatives in the past, many soldiers and the civilians, from both India and Pakistan, who had died on the border all these years would have been enjoying life with their family now. World leaders must have positive visions towards future and the capability to take the people with them in that direction and then the nations will prosper and the people there will be happy. However, here I warn Musharaff to bring back Democracy in Pakistan immediately.

Many say that those who are fighting in Iraq against the invaders are terrorists. I will call them patriots and the ones who are doing sycophancy to the USA and talking of Democracy are traitors. Don’t mix fundamentalism and terrorism with patriotism. I have a lot to say on that and I will say later. For now, if the USA invades India tomorrow, I will prefer doing the same what they are doing now, though I doubt whether I have that much courage in me. I ask the US citizens what they will do in case any other country invades them. Don’t think that such a scenario will never come instead, study history and you will see the fate of many mighty dynasties who flexed their muzzles during their prime time. I know very well that they are killing many innocent civilians along with the invaders. I want to ask many questions here. What the US invaders then did initially? Did they not kill thousands of innocent Iraqis just to catch one man, their only enemy, Saddam?  My next question is; can you suggest any other option here?  You must remember that the people who are trying their level best to chase the invaders away from their country have no right to keep weapons with them and also they don’t have the power for a direct fight with US soldiers. What should they do then? Should they request the US soldiers to stand in a line so that they can kill them one by one? If the US soldiers are ready for that, I am damn sure; they will stop killing innocent people. It is a joke. Isn’t it? I say it is the invaders who are fully responsible for all these killings. It is ridiculous asking the patriots to come to sit and talk with the invaders.

Have you ever noticed the regions where terrorist activities are rampant? Have you ever studied history of those countries which are mostly affected by terrorism? Is there anything in common there which leads to terrorist activities flourish there? Yes, I can see one thing in common. Please don’t connect Islam with terrorism. That is not true. You can see many insurgent groups in various parts of India having no connection with Islam. There are Tamil militants in Sri Lanka. You can see such groups in those countries where a section of the people were/are oppressed, discriminated and/or exploited and as a result of all these, are dissatisfied with the existing political system there. In India, farmers and the working class are somewhat slaves. Indian Government and its policies are for the business tycoons and the elite class only. You will see leaders including even the Prime Minister shaking hands with these tycoons, attending the extravagant parties thrown by them with only business in mind and visiting foreign countries together every now and then. Politicians are corrupt. If the people defeat one corrupt politician, another corrupt politician will automatically get elected. Double standard and discrimination are terribly visible even in the education system. When the elite class send their children to English medium schools with world class facilities and a motive to make profit, others have to satisfy with Government schools where even basic infrastructure and equipments are not available. The ones who study in high standard schools then will consider themselves superior to others. The worst condition comes when applying for jobs because the difference in standards will then be popped up. Even after scoring 92% in maths, that was a big achievement at that time in my remote village, in matriculation, I am still a victim of that discrimination. I am a victim of that corrupt system. I am a victim of the unjust Indian Judiciary. It is a vicious circle. What a Democracy! Even the prices of agricultural products are set by the business tycoons sitting in cities like Bombay. When they are calculating their profits in millions and billions, my father, a farmer, earns well below rupees 100 ($2) per day that too after having own land to cultivate and better not to say anything about the worker class especially in rural areas. And remember, they represent 60-70% of the total population and they are the backbone of India. In states like Bihar, you can see the upper class treating the lower class just like slaves. I feel shame to reveal their wage. They are tortured cruelly. They are all unhappy. If they become terrorists tomorrow, nobody can blame them. In India, most of them are Hindus. When they stand up against the injustice meted out on them, you are using your military power to suppress them. They are then called terrorists. Don’t forget what Subhash Chandra Bose, the founder of the Indian Army once said that is; ‘Not injustice but suffering injustice silently is a greater crime’. If so, by suppressing them, aren’t you forcing them to commit crimes?

And when taking the Kashmir issue and the terrorist activities there, I must say that in the past there were some political blunders from India’s side. Before going to that further, I must say that Kashmir was annexed to India forcefully through military action and the person, Sardar Vallabhai Patel who did it for India is being called ‘Iron Man’ since then. On the other hand, the Kashmiris have been suffering because of the excess military activities there all these years. The result, people there are not happy with the political system in India. Unfortunately most of them are Muslims. Then India made another historical blunder by interfering in the internal matters of Pakistan and thereby helping in dividing Pakistan which paved the way for the creation of Bangladesh. Indian military considers it as their biggest achievement. Ridiculous! What they have to say about the failure in the war between India and China? Where were their valiant soldiers then? Don’t connect terrorism with Islam. Terrorist activities are the outcome of the mistakes the people in power did in the past. Unfortunately most of the affected and dissatisfied people are Muslims and therefore, now it looks as though all the terrorist activities are the result of Islam Fundamentalism.

Now take the case of the USA and the 9/11 attack. I will not blame Islam or Islamist groups for that. Full responsibility goes to the USA. What the hell the USA was/is doing in all the nook and corners of the world? Your country is situated in the North American continent. You stay there. I repeat: You stay there. What business do you have in the Middle East?  Now you say that you are trying to spread Democracy. You liars, your intentions were/are not good. I was shocked when I heard that there is a US military base in Wiesbaden, Germany from where I am writing this mail. Why do you want military bases in every parts of the world? And now you are blaming Islam, Islam fundamentalism and Islam terrorism! I say if what I know about the meaning of the word terrorist is correct, I have no doubt to say that you are the terrorists. You are creating terror in everybody’s mind. You are using your force openly for that. The people who are suffering because of your actions have neither power nor the permission to stop you and therefore, they are finding other means to fight against you and when they are doing so, you are calling them terrorists and making them the real enemies in the eyes of the world. And you are finding an excuse in that and attacking sovereign nations at your will and creating more terror in this world. Do you think that the Iraqis who are supporting you are your friends? If they were powerful enough, they would have been the first to kick you out. Just remember that.

When did Britain start facing the terrorist attacks? It was only after they unnecessarily helped the US to invade Iraq. Don’t forget Britain had once indirectly supported terrorism in India by demanding release of Peter Bleach, a British citizen, who dropped arms, meant to terrorists, from a plane on Indian soil. Why are countries like China, Russia, Germany and many such countries not the victims of this Islam terrorism? Simply because they know what they have to do, they know the limit and they are not trying to cross that limit. I was considering Tony Blair as a great leader, a visionary, who had many a times showed his greatness through his initiatives. But after the Iraq invasion, I have seen in him a man filled with dejection, a man who lacks confidence, a man who has no other way but to tell lies and for a man of his calibre, it is a shocking situation especially at the end of his career. I felt sorry when I saw him justifying the British Navy personnel, who are in Iran’s custody, and demanding their release with zero confidence on his face. Were they in Iran water, far away from their own country, to catch fishes? Are you all kids to play hide and seek? Tony Blair has already done irrecoverable damage to not only his but also his country’s reputation. I suggest him to say sorry for the mistakes he had done in the recent past. He can consult with Vladimir Putin, one of the genuine leaders the world have at the moment. I had seen one such great leader in India, AB Bajpayee but he too was made himself a laughing stock at the end of his career just because of the compromises he had done for power through coalitions in India.

If you really want to spread Democracy, first make the UN a democratic organization and let that organization take the initiative. Kofi Annan was not happy at all over Iraq invasion but he couldn’t even rebuke the USA because he had neither the power nor the confidence in him to do that. Even Condolezza Rice, the US Secretary of State, is more powerful than the Secretary General of the UN. I was shocked when I saw the excitement seen on Ban Ki-moon’s face when he shook hands with her after being elected as the Secretary General of the UN. That is a shame. His position should be high above even Bush, I mean high above any Head of the State. He should understand that first and that will help him to realize what he can do for a better world. It is not Bush but Ban Ki-moon who should speak and take the initiative to spread Democracy everywhere and the democratic world should render their full support to him.

Now I want to ask the most important question and I want answers from all the nations. Is it right one country attacking another country based on a false intelligence report? In the BBC program, one had raised somewhat a similar question and Bolton diverted the main question with a counter question. His question was like this, “Would you like to live again under the Saddam regime?” Bolton, first you say YES or NO to the first question. All other questions are secondary. In another question, he responded like, “I prefer not to respond to that question.”  Here I want to tell, “Bolton, you are not in a position to answer that question.” That is the truth. I don’t want answer even from Bush because he is a pig. I am asking this question to Bush Senior. Who gave your son the permission to invade a sovereign country? Bolton was saying that the invasion was approved by the US congress. Rubbish. US congress and Senate are for the US and the US citizens only and certainly not for the entire world, you understand Bolton? And I tell you, even if the Intelligence report was correct, US as a nation has no right to invade another nation. I am not saying that Saddam was correct. He was not the only ruler who was incorrect in this world. Your friend, Saudi Arabia is there. You can see Islam fundamentalism ‘at its best’ there. I know how they are imposing their religion on other believers. Iran, which ‘ordered’ the Muslims all over the world to kill Salman Rushdie against one of his very fundamental rights that is freedom of expression, is there. Your coalition partner Britain is not fully democratic. Even the elected Prime Minister has to bow his head before the kings and queens there. You are talking about human right violations in China. Many African countries are there. You are talking about oppression of women in many other countries. Why is a woman’s name not there in your Presidents’ list? Then you are connecting the invasion with 9/11. Putting blame on Taliban, your son first invaded Afghanistan. I never heard Saddam’s name in connection with 9/11 at that time. Now, when you couldn’t find any WMD in Iraq and therefore unable to give a valid reason for the invasion, you are bringing many other issues to justify your crime. Now Saddam was executed based on crimes committed many decades ago. Why did you not raise that and not executed him then? Wasn’t that because you had some other interests in the Middle East at that time? Bush Senior, tell the world why your son should not be executed?

The world did not condemn the US Invasion and that is a terrible mistake. It is shocking to see the United Nation and the world nations’ inaction even after Bush admitted that the intelligence report was false and thereby admitting his terrible crimes, against a sovereign nation, indirectly. You have broad consensus against Iran now. But will you protect that nation in case the USA or Britain, with thousands of nuclear weapons, invades her? (Here I want to tell Iran that you don’t want to listen to the USA but should listen to what the UN and the International Community are saying otherwise even nuclear weapons will not be sufficient enough to protect you in future). I tell you, the US Intelligence will generate false intelligence reports again and you already see now how the British Navy personnel are intimidating Iran by entering in their water. It is even more shocking when looking at the fact that Britain and Iran have no border in common instead, both the countries are hundreds of miles away from each other. Musharaff once told that the border between India and Pakistan should be made irrelevant. I fully agree with that. I had/have an even broader suggestion and that is the re-unification of Bangladesh, India and Pakistan and I say that is the only way for a permanent solution to the Kashmir dispute. Now I suggest that all the borders in this world should be made irrelevant. Don’t say that it is impossible. Did you not see the re-unification of East and West Germany even when both had entirely different political lines? If someone were suggesting this a couple of decades ago, people would have laughed at that saying that idea as ridiculous. We have European Union now. These are all proven possibilities and you can see the invaluable advantages it brings in those nations. However, to make such things possible, there are certain unavoidable things that should be in place like an atmosphere conducive enough to sow the seed, a mature generation, a broad consensus and above all, a clear vision understood and accepted by all of a bright future where all the parties involved will be at the beneficiaries end. That is indeed a very long and gradual process. If we sow the seed now, we may not be reaping but the generations to come. I will explain how all these can be achieved at a later stage. Now I want to tell Britain and British Navy personnel that the borders are relevant now and you must respect that till those borders are made irrelevant based on mutual understanding and as a result of a collective decision, I mean you cannot take such decisions unilaterally. At least now, the world should condemn the US invasion on Iraq. And if the UN and world nations have genuine concern towards the Iraqi people, you should ask the US to withdraw the forces from Iraq immediately, because their presence there is the main reason for the violence there, and International Force under UN supervision should be deployed there and the US should be asked to take complete burden of that deployment in addition to the complete expense that will be incurred on the reconstruction of Iraq.

It is time to the world nations, including the ones already having nuclear weapons in their arsenal and the ones who are hysterically trying to acquire it, to look at the present Japan to get the inspiration. Against all the odds, they decided not to develop nuclear weapons but to use their skills and the advancement in science and technology for making their own people and the people all over the world happier.  In fact, Japan is the most eligible nation to go for nuclear weapons because:

(a)     Japan is the only nation which experienced the horrible impact of nuclear weapons and many still suffer there. If they decide to develop nuclear weapons, no one can question them.

(b)     Her neighbour, China has hundreds of nuclear weapons. North Korea is trying to develop one.

(c)     They are rich enough to invest billions on that.

(d)     Above all, they have the best technology to develop it without any external help.

But still, they decided not to go for it. I ask everyone a question. Isn’t Japan one of the safest places to live on earth, if we ignore the natural calamities like earth quake which shake that nation on regular intervals?  Have you ever heard of terrorists attacks in Japan? I remember the caption written below the logo of Panasonic, a Japanese company that is ‘Ideas for Life’. This caption is rightly suited to Japan. They have the best ideas and they are, instead of using that for destructive means, using them for better life and for bringing more smiles on faces.  Look around and you will see such smiles in almost everywhere. If a tiny country like Japan can bring this much smiles on faces, the so-called mighty countries like the USA can make this earth a heaven, if they change their course a bit in the positive direction. Just do that. Respect cannot be earned by using force; instead just concentrate on your deeds and let it come on its own and don’t doubt, the respect you gain in that way will be real.

Once I tried to compare the Democracy in India with the Communism in China. When I was working in a Denmark based company in Delhi, the Vice President of that company, a Danish citizen, came to our development centre in Delhi and during his speech, he told that when they want goods and commodities, they used to approach China and when they want human power or brain, they used to come to India. I am sure he told that mainly to please us because I know that there is no dearth of skilled labour in China. Very recently, they destroyed a satellite in the outer space itself with a missile (I don’t remember whether it was a missile or something else), I am sure its purpose was to show their capability to the world especially the USA, which clearly proves their capability and advancement in that area. India has miles to go to achieve that. But his comment clearly shows the wise decisions that China takes with a clear and farsighted vision for their future and the short-sighted vision India has. By keeping the human resource in their own country and using that to produce products to be sold in the world market, they are ensuring that their growth is in the right direction. At the same time, India is earning foreign currency by selling their best brains available there. Many who leave India in that way will never come back. India will be losing that brain for ever. I know that many things I am going to say below are India specific only but I address these issues here because in the present world where globalization is the watchword it is relevant in many nations. Many companies, many of them are software companies, are making billions by selling the best brain in India. Government is supporting brain drain for some visible immediate gains. How simple it is. Recruit the brilliant students from the college campus itself, give some training to them and then sent to any developed nation. Infosys’ head, who sells maximum brain and produced many millionaires, is the hero to all the elite class in India now and many recommending his name for the post of the President of India. I wonder what he did except expanding his business. Does he know the terrible fact that his as well as the entire software industry’s vision only help to create a new class, based on intelligence, that has no knowledge of the true value of money and the struggle in life (I am sure he knows that very well), that has no responsibility towards the society but interested in investing the unrealistic income they earn in shares and monitoring the share market behaviour even during working hours? They don’t know how to respect fellow Indians. Then they all have brought only the night club and five star hotel parties and life style from the western countries and ignored the hundreds of virtues they have seen in those countries. I have seen unethical business practices in those so-called multi national software companies. What do they know about the adverse impact such a vertical growth making on the society?  Banks are running after these high income earners to forcefully give loans but when a person who really needs it approaches them, he is chased away. The pedestrians and the auto rickshaws are a disturbance to them all including their foreign clients who regularly visit their office and the new class created by them because they have to drive their imported cars smoothly to Air Ports and back. Indians don’t have the right to live in India! History is getting repeated. Earlier it was the British and Portuguese sailors via ocean and now it is the business tycoons from the USA by air. Earlier it was the kings who did sycophancy to the sailors for some immediate gain without knowing the danger concealed in that and now it is the business tycoons. I wonder what will he say when he address the nation as the President of India. Will he tell them that he will give software products at a lower price and will give technical support by providing skilled engineers so that they can calculate the two dollars they earn daily after working 10-12 hours in the summer heat? Come with me and I will show you the heart of India, a heart from blood is oozing out because of the adverse impact the vertical growth seen now in India. It is terrible to see the Governments’ inaction even when farmers are committing suicide in many parts of India. At the same time, the total number of billionaires and millionaires are increasing. Indian Economy is certainly growing and India is shining!

I have not heard anyone speaking about the discrimination based on intelligence. This is the one I identified and this is clearly visible in India. It is shocking to say that even the nursing jobs, it was the only hope to average female students earlier, are accessible to highly intelligent students only. And countries like the USA and the UK are demanding the best brains in India to work as nurses in those countries. And the result, even highly intelligent students who are capable of becoming doctors and engineers are opting nursing as their profession and the result; all in India including the public, the average and below average students who represent more than 60% of the total student community and various organizations where highly skilled employees are mandatory will be suffering. The family planning issues come next. China has strict policy on this. India is not compelling the public to limit total number of children to two. The result is even worse. People who are literate and who has awareness will have only two children. On the other hand, the remaining section that represents more than 50% even now have no control over it and the result of all these, India will be filled with irresponsible and less intelligent people and when looking at the high class friendly policies that India is taking, they will be the next head ache that the authorities will face in future.  Another horrible situation is the multi national hospitals there swallowing many small hospitals, those were the only solace to the average and below average income earners there, one by one and making maximum profit with no social responsibility. These hospitals are accessible to a small section which represents the high income earners there. If Indian Government is not preventing this immediately, that will be a tragedy.  No doubt, India will be in real trouble in the very near future. I have heard that even in China, people in rural areas are suffering whereas in the urban areas, fast growth that too vertical is taking place due to globalization and all. If that is true, I suggest China to review its policies immediately or to jump into the sea along with its Communism. Why are you running away from the basic communist principles? Or do you think that your responsibility towards the people ended and you are strong enough to flex your muzzles just the same way what the USA is doing now?  I don’t want to live in a communist country where I will be stopped by the state from writing something like what I am doing now but at the same time, I will be happy if people there are happy. Again I am not happy when looking at what a democratic country like India is doing. India has to change its policies so as to have a horizontal growth that too not for a short period but for many centuries to come. It is not allocating funds, even a child or an illiterate can do that, that is the real challenge but to ensure that the funds meant to the common man is reaching in his hands and not swallowed by the corrupt leaders, bureaucrats and the middle men. This will be possible only if corrupt leaders like Sukh Ram are executed which will send a clear message to all those who are indulged in corruption and other malpractices.  At the same time, China should, though it is a very tough task for a largely populated country, gradually move away from its state controlled political system and should give freedom to the citizens because after all it is the freedom that people will enjoy most. When they are deprived of that, there is not much difference if they are living under Saddam’s regime, in a Communist State or in a kingdom like Saudi Arabia. I will not suggest you to get inspiration from India but to look at countries like Germany where Democracy is practised at its best. Wherever I go, I can see the smiles on Germans here. After all the ultimate goal of both Democracy and Communism is maximum and equal welfare to all the people there, though the approaches are different. But when the same can be achieved even after giving freedom to the citizens through Democracy, it is comparatively better.   

I want to address the poverty that is widespread in many parts of the world especially in many African countries. Here I would like to quote what my father once told me, ‘Pavangal ellavarum pavangal akanamennilla’. The Malayalam word ‘pavam’ has two meanings. First meaning is ‘poor’ and the other meaning is somewhat ‘good’. What he said then was ‘all poor people are not necessarily good’. He told me this when I had told him my plan to marry a poor woman and he then advised me that that should not be the only criteria for selection. We can simply prove what he said by giving all the luxuries in life to some poor people and then watching their activities. However, this theory cannot be taken as an excuse to go back from our responsibilities. Again, I know that the political systems in many African countries are not good but again we cannot find it as an excuse for not doing what we should do. There are many other reasons like the geography there, the extreme hot climate, lack of enough rain and proper irrigation etc. behind their backwardness and these are all beyond anyone’s control. I don’t suggest to fully sacrificing once enjoyment to address this issue. What I suggest is, instead of spending the whole night for drinking and partying in night clubs, do that for six hours and sleep well for the remaining six hours and use the savings to feed those who are dying in utter starvation. It will in fact make you physically more fit and will increase your life span. I would like to quote from Gita and that is somewhat like, ‘You have brought nothing that is here and you will carry nothing that is here with you. Whatever that is here was here and will remain here for ever.’ (Interestingly even you were here and will remain here forever!)  It is one of the fundamental theories in science now that is, 'Energy cannot be created or destroyed; in can only be converted from one form to another'.  I would like to interpret this in a different way to establish one’s, irrespective of one’s nationality, fundamental right that is the right to fulfil the basic needs like food and shelter to survive on earth. Since no one among us has brought anything that is here, we all have equal right, if we have that right at all, to use what is here till we are here. This fundamental right cannot be denied to anyone based on region, nationality, financial status, sex, caste, intelligence, colour or anything like that. What I am trying to say is very simple. If people who are living in Africa have not enough food to survive, I prefer using the verb enjoy, they have the right to get it from where it is available at least in excess. If it is available in a country like India, Brazil, Germany or the USA, they have the right to acquire it. Here I am not saying that the people from Africa should invade these nations to acquire it, instead, understanding that fundamental right to live, the countries who have in excess should give that to them without fail. First of all, keep in mind that it is not a favour. It is their fundamental right because all have equal right on what is here. Growth should not be vertical, unfortunately that is the growth seen everywhere especially now in India, but horizontal. Smiles should not be centred in some limited faces instead it should be there on everybody’s face.

I have been thinking for a long time about a way to come out of the problems that the world is currently facing. When studied the problems in India, I was thinking first that integration is the best way to achieve that. I have no doubt even now that this is the ultimate solution which will bring peace not just in India but in the entire world. However, I have an even more acceptable approach and that I will explain later. Here I will compare the present India with a dormant volcano which can be erupted at any point of time. Secularism and Religious tolerance are only on paper. In reality, India is filled with people having fundamentalisms based on Hindu, Islam, Christian and other religions prevailing there deeply rooted in their mind. We have already seen its, though not so severe, eruptions in places like Gujrat, Ayodhya and various other parts of India. However, that is not the only problem of this kind. You can see fighting among different sections in all these religions. Some Christian factions are fighting even over the shape of the cross! I have nothing to say about the caste systems in Hindu religion and the infighting among them even now. Conflicts and killings between Shias and Sunnis in Iraq are the main news these days. Though Pakistan is a Muslim country, if reports can be believed, the Muslims who had migrated to Pakistan from India during partition have since been treated differently. Ridiculous! It all shows the ignorance and hollowness of these so-called believers. They all quote some lines every now and then from their Holy books and then interpret them according to their convenience and ignore the sum and substance of all these religions that is to love one another. All are hypocrites. They make Ram, Mohammed Nabi, Jesus and all laughing stocks.

Sorry, I diverted a bit from the point that is integration. When I studied that further, one question aroused.  What is there to integrate? There is nothing to integrate, though it looks otherwise outwardly. One section of the Christian religion believes that their blood is pure without any mix and they are very strict on preserving that. If anyone from that section marries from any other section or religion, he/she will be thrown out of that group. I wonder when I see the trust they have in their mothers! But at the same time, I feel sorry for them for their ignorance and false pretension. I emphatically say, and I am happy with that, no one in this world can now say that his/her blood is pure. Please go through Old Testament in Bible to read about Judah and Tamar where Judah making sexual intercourse with Tamar, his daughter-in-Law who waited for Judah on his way covering her face, by mistaking her as a prostitute (when he realized it later, he made one of the worst judgements that is to punish her without looking into himself to realize his sin against his wife and against Tamar whose protection was his responsibility. His sin is even worse because he had misused his authority. And the men of all times, irrespective of their region and religion, have been imposing such judgements on women and it is the same even now). I am not a fool to think that all my great grandmas were courageous and strong enough not to succumb to the temptation or not to succumb to the force applied on them by men, on this subject men of all times are equal, whether he was a Muslim, Hindu or Christian, or a king, soldier or a common man. Many dynasties ruled India and the entire world. I have nothing in my hand to prove that not even a single one among my great grandmas had not done adultery during their times. When I was just five or six years old, one of my neighbours used me to satisfy his sexual needs and I had learnt the art of masturbation at that age. I saw one of the parish priests embracing a woman from the parish room itself when I was a child and I can still see the shock I saw on his face when I entered the room and caught him red handed. Now I see many, both men and women, doing adultery around me. One interesting thing I noticed is that when comes to sex, no one is looking whether the other person is from the same caste or religion, white or black, American, African or Indian, married or bachelor. In many cases, even one’s gender is not a concern. I must say that I enjoyed it even when my neighbour used me and that is the reason why I did not say misused, and am enjoying it even now. Suppression of this very natural feeling will be a reason for its eruption in a worse form at a later stage and the impact of that will be severe. Almost all the sexual related crimes in India have direct link with suppression (here I must say that by preventing a parish priest from marriage thereby deprived him of his basic need of having sex, the Church forces him to commit sin and the Church itself commits a terrible mistake because that becomes a cause for the end of generations and since all priests and nuns are believed to be good, the world is short of good people now. If AB Bajpayee and the Pope himself had children, they would have, though not necessarily, brought more happiness in this world). Such crimes are rare in countries like Germany now because there people are free to enjoy it. However, one must realize that in excess, even elixir is poisonous. That is one of the reasons why this world is now filled with diseases like AIDS. What my experience is that in both cases, that in suppression and in excess, a person’s over all performance will be diminished. I cannot see any reason not to believe Jesus’ last temptation that the Churches prefer not to discuss. A decade back, I had gone on hunger strike for 10 days and during that period, if I ignore the appetite I had in me towards food, it was sex feeling that dominated my thoughts. If a person has no such feelings, I will say that he has some problem. When looking at these facts and naked truths, I have no hesitation to say that we are all, in one way or the other, bastards. When that is the truth, what is there to integrate? Integration has already taken place (in fact, such issues were not there at the first place instead those were all man-made believes). I say there is no need to feel ashamed by looking at these realities. It will in fact help us to come out of the cocoons, to look beyond our religions and false pretensions and to unite.

Have you ever thought of the fate of Iraq once the US troops are out of that country? I tell you it is not Saddam that is the problem in that country but fundamentalism. In future, US will hand over the power to the so-called leaders there and the moment they leave that country, the Iraqi people will have to face many Saddams who will terrorize them and people around the world. This fundamentalism is not limited in Iraq but present wherever people follow belief systems. Did you not see the way how they treated Saddam and others who were executed recently? I will not blame them because this is the way how they are taught in their childhood like what Bush senior taught you, what your religion taught you. Toppling Saddam will not eliminate that deeply rooted problem. That can be achieved not in a couple of years or through a bloody war but through step by step, well planned, carefully crafted and gradual processes and means. Here is the first step in that direction and I tell you, without this step, you cannot bring peace in this world. The step is: ALL EXISTING RELIGIONS SHOULD BE MADE IRRELEVANT.

Secularism and Religious Tolerance are sweet terms to hear but in reality these are in no way the roads to peace in this religious filled world. These are temporary adjustments. If a person who believes in a particular religion says that he is religiously tolerant, I say, either he is not a true believer or he is a liar. If he is a true believer, instead of being religiously tolerant, he will preach what he knows about his religion and salvation to the other believers so that they will also be the chosen ones. I will explain this in a different way. If what Christian religion says is correct, all those who believe in other religions are fools. If what Islam says is correct, all those who believe in all other religions are fools. If it goes like this, I can conclude that all believers are fools! But I don’t want to say that because this is how we were taught or mislead. The present world doesn’t require such teachings. Accept that we don’t know what is after death and the mysteries of the universe. Science may later give answers to such questions. I must say here that whenever NASA made giant leap in that direction, I rejoiced the same way a US citizen rejoiced and the respect I had towards the US scientists and the US as a nation then was real. But still there are questions unanswered. We must accept our ignorance. Existing religions are the products of that ignorance. Once we accept it, we are free and therefore, ALL EXISTING RELIGIONS SHOULD BE MADE IRRELEVANT. WE NEED A NEW RELIGION THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO AND CAN BE EASILY PRACTISED BY ALL.

But NO, please don’t do that all of a sudden because this world is still not mature enough to understand that new religion fully and therefore, if we act in a hurry, nobody in this world will be able to control the consequences of that act. And if you are trying to apply that on this generation, it will somewhat be equal to putting manure on the branches of a tree. Instead, the new generations should be taught that new religion the same way our generation as well as the previous generations were taught the existing religions. This process should start from the family itself and mothers are the best option here to bestow this responsibility. It is mothers who can mould a generation in that way. Governments' responsibility is to first give enough power and freedom to them, then prepare them and finally give full support to them. I am writing this from Germany and I can without doubt say that almost all the people in this country already embraced that new religion but not exactly the same way I think it would work all over the world. I could see the same in Denmark as well.  But again not exactly the same way I think it would work all over the world. After assessing what I have experienced from three different countries, I can now connect the terrorism, violence, unrest and other menaces like that with poverty, unemployment, political blunders, oppression, isolation and above all, inequality easily. India is the largest Democracy in this world. But I will say now that Germany is one of the countries where Democracy rightly practised and flourished at its best. All are equally treated here. Poverty and unemployment is almost non existent. All are taught to be socially responsible and it is practiced in a way so that no one feels all these as impositions on them. And the result, there will have no unrest even in the absence of a government. I have heard that there is no need of a government or state when communism practiced at its best. No communist country could reach to that level so far. But now Germany is almost near to that status. Expenditure on internal security is the minimum and as a result more and more can be invested in other areas and the end result is more and more welfare. If Germany had no external threats (unfortunately all countries faces it in the present world), the welfare would have been the maximum. People are enjoying life here and I say that is exactly people in any country will love to do and my new religion is based on that theory only. ALL EXISTING RELIGIONS SHOULD BE MADE IRRELEVANT. WE NEED A NEW RELIGION THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO AND CAN BE EASILY PRACTISED BY ALL. THERE IS NO HOLY BOOK OR WRITTEN DOCUMENT FOR THIS NEW RELIGION. ENJOY LIFE. THAT IS WHAT THE NEW RELIGION SAYS.

                                                                                                 

What is the responsibility of a government then? Religions teach us that those who are following the truth and choosing the right path will suffer in this world. Jesus chose the right path and taught the world to love one another. What I believe is that Jesus was a noble man who after seeing the unjust system and the practices prevailed then, tried to correct that like what Gandhi did in his life. He was just another human being. He did not do any miracle as mentioned in Bible; instead miracles were later imposed on him just like the way Vatican is now trying to impose miracles on Mother Teresa. He tried to change the existing rules which were not suitable during that period. But he was crucified. That was the kind of punishment given during that period. Christian believers are glorifying that. That is not acceptable in my new religion. They, Jesus, Mother Teresa and Gandhi, did not do anything in their lives that we cannot do. We all can do that. I repeat we all can do that. We are reluctant to do that because of the consequences of doing so. We will do that if the end result is good. We all will do that if we are sure that we will not be crucified but will be rewarded with more and more enjoyment and happiness in life. Jesus did not advise anyone to blindly follow what Moses told during his time. Instead, he made amendments to what Moses said earlier so as to be relevant to his period. He told about suffering because that generation and the system prevailed then compelled him to say so. He suffered as he told. Whatever Moses said was correct during his time and that is one of the reasons for why many among us are here now.  If Jesus were not amending what Moses said, I being a Hindu-converted-Christian would not have been here to write this because the people, who came to India to spread Christian religion here, were practising what Moses had commanded them to do, they would have killed all the Indians then. Going through Old Testament in Bible will reveal the unbelievable, to this generation, but at the same time the horrible truth that is the God’s own people then were the most dangerous terrorists and war mongers this world had ever seen. I say sorry if my Islam brothers disagree with this saying that they were the most dangerous ones because since I didn’t get an English or Malayalam version of Koran, I couldn’t go through that.    Therefore, the amendments Jesus made and what he said were correct in his era. But when we, instead of making the necessary amendments to what he said so as to make it relevant in this democratic era, blindly follow that, it is wrong. Now if someone says that it is not suffering but more happiness and enjoyment are the results of being righteous, our generation and the democratic systems here are, if we prepare them, mature enough to understand that.  According to the new religion, people who are righteous are the most eligible persons to live and enjoy life on earth. Now we should not glorify Jesus’ death or make him God because then people will not try to emulate what he did by thinking that he could do that because he was God and that will only help to increase the selfishness in us.  We should feel sorry for him because even after being the most righteous person, he was denied his right of enjoying life on earth. The government’s only responsibility is to ensure maximum enjoyment and happiness to those who are righteous. The idea of being righteous must be inculcated in the minds of everyone since childhood. For that, first we need introspection. ALL EXISTING RELIGIONS SHOULD BE MADE IRRELEVANT. WE NEED A NEW RELIGION THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO AND CAN BE EASILY PRACTISED BY ALL. THERE IS NO HOLY BOOK OR WRITTEN DOCUMENT FOR THIS NEW RELIGION. ENJOY LIFE. THAT IS WHAT THE NEW RELIGION SAYS. WE HAVE NO NEED TO DO ANY CRIME IN LIFE TO ENJOY LIFE. BE RIGHTEOUS. ENJOYMENT AND HAPPINESS WILL BE ASSURED TO US BY THE GOVERNMENT.

We are the luckiest generation of all. We have thousands of ways to enjoy life. Even an average person of today has hundreds of times more enjoyment than the most powerful king of the past. We have to just switch on AC or a fan to escape from the severity of the summer heat. I used to wonder what Alexander the Great was doing in India on those days when the temperature there was 46-47°C! Though our ancestors fought each other, destroyed many civilizations, waged war every now and then, fortunately they, knowingly or unknowingly, did not make any harm to the nature. They made many discoveries and inventions those were beneficial to all mankind. They left the earth, its surroundings and the climate as they are and that is the reason why we are here and enjoying life. We too have the responsibility to keep this earth a safe place for the coming generations. It is not just for the human beings but for all the living beings on earth. Maximum 100 years that is what our life span is. But this earth and nature have been here for millions of years and we must let these be here as they are for millions of years to come. We should not do anything which will unset the equilibrium but should try to set it by taking advantage of the science and technology if we find anything goes wrong. For example, if we can avoid an imminent asteroid or comet’s collision with earth, like the one which caused extinction of dinosaurs from earth, by diverting its path, that will be beneficial not only for us but also for the generations to come. Our enjoyment in life should not be a cause for worry to some other living at present or to those who come later. Enjoying life is not just ours but everybody’s right. The coming generations have the right to enjoy life the same way we have that now and therefore, we must leave this place as it is without making any harm to it. If our life style is a cause for climate change and global warming, we must change that style. When handling such matters, our planning should not be for a decade or for a century but for millions of years. The earth has been here for millions of years and that is the reason why we are here now. You should not destroy that using the destructive means like nuclear weapons. Even nuclear weapon tests are not acceptable. Don’t be so silly or so irresponsible. If a person like Saddam or Bush, a country like Iraq or the USA or a religion like Islam or Christian is not here tomorrow, that will not make much difference. But if the earth itself in its current shape is not here, that is of course a cause to worry mainly because we couldn’t discover living beings on any other planet in this universe so far. At least to us, this earth is unique and let it be there. Therefore, ALL EXISTING RELIGIONS SHOULD BE MADE IRRELEVANT. WE NEED A NEW RELIGION THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO AND CAN BE EASILY PRACTISED BY ALL. THERE IS NO HOLY BOOK OR WRITTEN DOCUMENT FOR THIS NEW RELIGION. ENJOY LIFE. THAT IS WHAT THE NEW RELIGION SAYS. WE HAVE NO NEED TO DO ANY CRIME IN LIFE TO ENJOY LIFE. BE RIGHTEOUS. ENJOYMENT AND HAPPINESS WILL BE ASSURED TO US BY THE GOVERNMENT. SINCE THE COMING GENERATIONS HAVE NOT DONE ANYTHING THAT IS UNRIGHTEOUS, GOVERNMENT HAS THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ALSO ENJOYING LIFE ONCE THEY ARE HERE AND THEREFORE, STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO ENSURE THAT THE EARTH, ITS SURROUNDINGS INCLUDING THE CLIMATE AND ALL WILL NOT BE DISTURBED DUE TO OUR ACTIONS. LET THE COMING GENERATIONS ENJOY AND PRAISE US BECAUSE OF OUR WISE AND FARSIGHTED DECISIONS AND ACTIONS. ALSO LET US REJOICE BY THINKING ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS THE NEW GENERATIONS WILL MAKE ON THIS NEW RELIGION. THEY MAY EVEN IGNORE RELIGION. THAT IS A MUST BECAUSE IN A PERFECT WORLD, BORDERS WILL BE IRRELEVANT, RELIGION AND EVEN GOVERNMENT WILL HAVE NO ROLES TO PLAY INSTEAD PEOPLE WILL HAVE ENOUGH WISDOM TO GOVERN THEMSELVES AND THEREFORE, THEY WILL BE COMPLETELY FREE  AND HAPPINESS WILL BE THE MAXIMUM.

Present Address (till 4 May 2007):

Sebastian Thomas,

Room No: 131, Hotel Braun, Wiesbaden, Germany

Mobile: 0049 (0) 1744350479

Permanent Address:

Cherukanam House, Thimiri PO, Chapparapadave, Kannur, Kerala, India - 670 581

Phone: 0091 (0) 460 2284 880 Email: sebastianthomas@rediffmail.com

Addressed To:

(a)    Ban Ki-moon, The UN Secretary General (inquiries@un.org) - Please realize your power and act.

(b)   Bush Senior, George Bush’s Father, New York, USA (via CNN) – If you, being a father, were rebuking your son at least once, Iraq’s fate would have been different.

(c)    AB Bajpayee, New Delhi, India (via bjp.org bjpco@del3.vsnl.net.in)

(d)   Benedict XVI, The Pope, Vatican City (benedictxvi@vatican.va, av@pccs.va) - Was Galileo wrong? Am I wrong?

(e)    Thomas Cherukanam, My Father, Kannur, Kerala, India – 670 581 - You have been doing only small but good things in life. I am proud of being your son and am thankful for all the wisdom and happiness you gave me even when you have been going through the difficulties of life.

(f)    APJ Abdul Kalam, President of India (via info@defenceindia.com)

(g)   Pervez Mushraff, Pakistan President (via PTV, Pakistan, osama@ptv.com.pk) - Go back to Democracy immediately.

(h)   Angela Merkel, German Chancellor, Berlin, Germany (via ARD, zured@daserste.de) - My salute to German Democracy.

(i)     Vladimir Putin, Russian President, Moscow, Russia (via Russia Today, press@rttv.ru) - Please be more active in international affairs.

(j)     Hu Jintao, President, China (via China Daily)

(k)   John Howard, Prime Minister, Australiy (via The Sydney Morning Herald, letters@smh.com.au , newsdesk@smh.com.au)

(l)     Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister, Japan (via The Japan Times, jtsales@japantimes.co.jp)

(m) Thabo Mbeki, President, South Africa (via The Star)

(n)   Roh Moo-hyun, President, South Korea (via The Korea Times, webmaster@koreatimes.co.kr)

(o)   Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian President (via Tehran Times, saki@tehrantimes.com) - Listen to what the UN and the International Community say.

(p)   Tony Blair, British Prime Minister, London, Britain (via BBC News) - Repent yourself.

(q)   George Bush, The US President (via CNN) - I wonder how one can forgive you.

(r)     King Abdullah, Saudi Arabia (via Arab News, almaeena@arabnews.com) - Don’t impose Islam on those who are coming and working in your country. Islam is not the only religion at present in our world. Moreover, kings have no place in this 21^st century world. Bring Democracy in your country immediately. It is not a request but an order.

(s)    Other Heads of States – It will take time to get the contact details and to send this mail to everyone.

(t)     VS Achutanandan, Chief Minister, Kerala State, India (via Malayala Manorama editorial@mm.co.in) - For your information.

(u)   Bishop George Valiyamattam, Thalassery, Kerala (via orathel01@rediffmail.com)

(v)   Parish Priest, St. Sebastian's Church, Cherupara, Kannur, Kerala, India – 670 581 - For your information.

(w) BBC News - If possible, please forward this mail to the British Prime Minister.

(x)   CNN - If possible, please forward this mail to Bush Senior and the US President.

(y)   Tehelka, Times of India, Hintustan Times, Surya TV, Asianet, Malayala Manorama - Please forward this mail to Kerala Chief Minister.

Note: My pocket is not rich enough at the moment to send it by post to everyone and therefore, I will use the internet service for this purpose. Since I don't have the exact addresses of many in the address list, I will send it to the addresses available with me. I request the receiver of this mail to forward this mail to the persons concerned.