It is hard to believe that in a land where women are routinely victimised, tortured, raped, burnt to death and made victims of social injustice, its people have chosen a woman, Mother Teresa, as the greatest Indian since our country’s independence in 1947. What makes Mother Teresa so special? Is it because she lived and died for the poorest of the poor? There may be many answers to this question and yet when I look back and reflect on the several personal meetings, which I had with this saint of our times, I realise that Mother Teresa was one of the simplest of human beings that I ever met in life, radiating love and compassion for the most neglected section of our society. As a pastor of the Catholic Church for the last 24 years, I have discovered a role model for myself. While nursing the poorest of the poor, Mother did not make any distinction between people of any religion or nationality. She has proved wrong those who allege that missionaries convert simple people through social work. She never intended to convert anybody to Christianity. If she wanted she could have, but rather she said, ‘‘I convert you to become a better Hindu, a better Muslim, a better Buddhist and Christian. When you have found God, it is up to you to do with him what you wish.’’ My personal encounter with Mother Teresa makes me feel proud to have spent a few yet enriching moments of my life with her. She, in her simplicity, prompted me to be more simple and humble myself. The radiance of light shining from her wrinkled face told the untold stories of millions of poor people for whom she dedicated her whole life. There was a great zeal in her to serve those whom people had left on the street to die lonely deaths. Now when she is no more with us, she continues to win the hearts of the young and the old, who have voted her as the greatest human of our country. This is indeed a great tribute to Mother Teresa but it would be a greater tribute to her, if the people of this land learnt from the Mother’s charisma of respecting all human beings irrespective of their origin, background, religion, class or caste, especially in the women, who are so vulnerable in the present-day society. (The writer is the deputy secretary general of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India)
