Twists and turns

“I will certainly not join politics. I would like to be remembered as a clean businessman who has not partaken in any twists and turns beneath the surface, and one who has been reasonably successful” - Ratan Tata

Why this quotation, you may well ask. Several reasons is this feline’s answer. There are separate bits in that one sentence that is apt to what Menika has in mind when sitting down to write her catty column. I’ll move from the least significant to the most relevant part of that sentence.

Aptness of quote

First, the originator of the quote is Ratan Tata (born 1937 -), businessman, investor, philanthropist and Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, one of the largest and most successful of conglomerates in India.

He is a product of Cornell University and Harvard Business School. To this cat what is most significant is that the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai was a Tata business and it was told her first hand that when those Pakistani terrorists attacked the hotel and set fire to the famous dome, not one single employee left the hotel.

They knew all the doors and outlets, but their sense of duty prevailed. Those who were off duty but on the premises came into the terrible confusion and fear that was within – trapped guests and a fire almost impossible to put out.

But it was doused and the guests all safeguarded, even though the terrorists held them hostage at the start of the fearful drama.

The point is that loyalty and dedication, even at the sacrifice of life, was because the workers were grateful to Ratan Tata. Maybe he knew each one personally and he looked to their welfare. That was told Menika.

Do we have such millionaires or billionaires now in this land of ours? Yes, perhaps we do: those who really earned their millions and billions. The new breed loyal only unto themselves and theirs, stole it within the last ten years, and we are sure do not enjoy real loyalty but get only self-seeking sycophancy.

Tata is modest in the quote “ …reasonably successful”. That is such an understatement. Stand him against some of our powerful persons who strutted around filled to overcapacity with hubris and self importance and the man shines forth like a nugget of gold among bits and pieces of rough iron.

Money

Ratan Tata emphatically says he will not take to politics. Knows, this cat presumes, the dirt of the arena where dog-eats-dog and money is the most important consideration. India is so full of politicians and pooja is paid so very fervently and generously to them. The giddy limit is the move to deify Jayalalitha J. Ratan Tata, the ultimate gentleman does not want to come anywhere near political shit.

‘Twists and turns’ is what interests Menika the most. She has been twisted and turned this way and that as persons such as Uduwe Dhammaloka have tied others in knots by the twisted things said recently.

Menika was surprised at the twists and turns, her thoughts and reactions had to circumnavigate with regard to the incident involving this bhikkhu. He said he suspects Ven Maduluwawe Sobitha Thera was done to death; not dying a natural death in a hospital bed in Singapore after treatment. So Menika thought that the bhikkhu suspects the followers of the previous regime or the high-ups themselves since Sobitha Thera led the silent revolt against them which ended in them being voted out of power.

The bhikkhu had feared for his life having been so outspoken about lawlessness and corruption during the second term of the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa when white vans roamed the streets sucking in dissident voices, even legitimate critics.

There was a doubt expressed as to why the bhikkhu was transferred to a nursing home run by a certain doctor without leaving him to be in the hospital where he underwent surgery. So naturally Menika suspected foul play, if it did occur.

Thus the shock Menika got, electric in its force, when she realised the fair and lovely bhikkhu in designer robes was meaning that yahapalana high-ups were to be suspected of the contrived demise of Sobitha Thera. They say, ‘the moving finger writ and moved on’. This time it’s a moving tongue that held its peace; did a complete twist and turn; and pronounced the meant-to-be-highly patriotic, religious, right-thinking and right-acting, sacrificial verdict: “Sobitha Thera was killed and I am ready to give evidence to prove my point.” And the reason for his being done away with? Expressing disappointment at the way yahapalanaya was going; very different from what Sobitha Thera envisaged and planned and almost directed.

He said it direct and even a lunatic will not accept his criticism as a cause for doing him to death.

Sacrilegious

According to writers to newspapers this last Sunday, what Dhammaloka was going to reveal as evidence to a Commission that should be set up to inquire into the death of the great monk was that the Most Ven Sobitha Thera betook himself off his very sick bed and visited this bhikkhu – Dhammaloka – and whispered in his ear that he was to be murdered and he, Dhammaloka had to avenge the murderers.

Menika for one, would not have mistrusted Dhammaloka Thera so fully if he said that he experienced a visitation a la Hamlet where the ghost of Ven Sobitha Thera appeared to him and made his accusation. And the spot of the mystic visitation: Abayarama Temple of course! This cat feels strongly that Dhammaloka Thera is being sacrilegious. Instead of letting matters be, he is casting aspersions, strong ones against the present leaders and desecrating the ashes laid to rest of the most venerable bhikkhu who saved our country from tyranny and dictatorship. And it is so patently obvious, the twist and turn is due to a couple of days spent in remand jail.

If an unlawful act is committed, punishment is due to anyone – yellow-robed or otherwise. Keeping an unlicensed elephant, even if the creature stealthily stole into his temple premises and begged for sanctuary and was taken in through metta, is classified as unlawful.

So Dhammaloka Thera had better swallow his own medicine and keep his twisted evidence to himself without creating unnecessary trouble for the government that is attempting to set things right.

Of course, we know this is an additional string to the meeting at Hyde Park and all the shouting of ‘bring Mahinda back.’ We shout we don’t want that. We also want bhikkhus in unrest-creating politics to stop their chaos churning and to at least observe the five basic precepts, we Buddhists are advised to live by.

- Menika