Monday, June 6, 2011

Myth and Reality of Mother Teresa

Myth and reality of Mother Teresa

All saints are manufactured by religious organizations. Mother Teresa is no exception.

Remember Bhopal tragedy? ( city in Madhya Pradesh state of India). It happened on 3rd December 1984 in the early hours. 3,800 workers in Union carbides factory died in their sleep due to leakage of methyl  isocyanate gas. It was total shock to the civilized world.  At that juncture Mother Teresa flew from Kolkata city to Bhopal. She had not gone there to console  the families  of the victims but to plead that the management of Union Carbide be forgiven. That is Mother Teresa! The factory was closed and management paid compensation after 20 years.

             Sushan Sheilds who worked with Mother Teresa for 9 years  dealing with her accounts of donations  revealed that there  was $ 50 million in New York Bank .The amount was received by various donors. That amount was supposed to be spent for poor, destitute children in her charity homes. She never bothered about the ethics of donors.
      
       Robert Maxwell, the mega publisher who embezzled the employes funds to the tune of 450 million pounds, donated $ 1.25 million to Mother Teresa. And she was aware of  the facts about Robert Maxwell.

        The inhuman dictator of Haiti Jean Claude Duvalier  honored  Mother Teresa .She flew  all the way to Haiti to receive the honors. She praised him as kind person who helped poor people while the fact was that  he tortured Haitians. He fled the country in 1986 and returned in 2011.He was arrested . He tortured people and killed several persons during his regime. At that time Mother Teresa received honors! Jean Claude escaped from the country to return in 2011 and he was promptly arrested.

                  Mother Teresa received $ 1.25million from Charles Keating  in California, USA. He floated a company  called Keating Savings and Loans during 1980.He cheated the public to the tune of  $250 million .He was arrested  and imprisoned.  During his trial  Mother Teresa appealed  to the judge , requesting him to pardon Keating. Then Paul Turley, deputy attorney of Los Angeles   asked Mother Teresa to return the amount so that it could be distributed to the victims of Keating . Mother Teresa observed stoic silence !

         Mother Teresa visited the grave site of  Albanian dictator and nobody knew why she did that.

When  Indira Gandhi, the prime minister of India imposed  emergency during 1975 and suspended constitutional fundamental rights of citizens, Mother Teresa praised her saying that the people were happy, and the unemployment problem of India was solved! Later Mother Teresa received Bharat Ratna , the highest honor from government of India.

        Dr Robert Fox, editor of Lancet , medical science magazine from UK visited the charity homes of Mother Teresa in Kolkata, India during 1990s. He found that  volunteers without any medical knowledge attend sick patients and the treatment was hazardous. No medicines were administered to sick children in homes including analgesics. The syringes were not sterilized. He pointed out these things to Mother Teresa but she coolly replied that children need no medicines since prayers would cure them.

           During Bangla  Desh war with Pakistan in 1970s scores of women refugees flew to India. Among them several were rape victims. Mother Teresa opposed termination of pregnancies in the name of divine grace.

                   Walter Weber , after thorough research about the funds received by Mother Teresa published articles in Stern magazine in Germany in 1998. Germany alone donated $ 3 million annually to Mother Teresa charity homes. There was absolute secrecy about the donations received by Mother Teresa.

      In 1975 Indira Gandhi, prime minister of India  imposed draconian measures to suppress fundamental rights of the constitution and put several leaders in prison. Mother Teresa praised Indira Gandhi saying the prople were happy with that measure and employment was better.
Later Mother Teresa got Bharat Ratna, the highest honor in India, but it may not be related to her praise of Indira Gandhi.

         Robert Fox, editor of Lancet, medical journal from UK visited Kolkata and observed the homes of Mother Teresa. He found that syringes were not washed in hot water and even minimum medicines like analgesics were not administered to children when they fell sick. Volunteers without any medical knowledge administered medical aid to children. When he brought these things to the notice of Mother Teresa she coolly replied that Jesus will take care of them and prayer will cure their diseases.

Treatment to Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa was sick and had to be admitted several times into hospitals. Those are corporate nursing homes which were very expensive.
She was in Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai which is highly expensive.
Twice she suffered heart attacks and treated in hospitals. During 1989 she received cardiac pacemaker.
During 1996 she was in intensive care after suffering heart failure.
Earlier she suffered with pneumonia during 1991.She broke her color bone in 1997.
Catholics, Pope and Mother Teresa should be thankful to doctors and medical science for curing her  and discharged from corporate hospitals. Of course, she deserves such treat just as any other human being.
But Mother Teresa did not extend similar treatment nor facilities to children in her charity homes. There were advised to pray. When one patient in her charity homes was suffering and dying with cancer, Mother Teresa told him that Jesus must be kissing him. The patient immediately asked Mother Teresa to recommend to Jesus not to kiss him any more!
No body objected when Mother Teresa got corporate hospital treatements instead of prayers. But she did not realize that the lives of children are equally important, and no prayer would cure their disease.
               Sister Paulen in Germany refused to answer any questions about the money of Mother Teresa charities.
            Dhiru Shah of India  mentioned that Mother Teresa aimed to convert as many people as possible to Catholicism.
           Arup Chatterjee (Kolkatta)in his book “ The Final Verdict” narrated several facts with first hand experience and documented the evidence.
             Sunanda Datta Ray, reputed journalist published articles exposing the behavior of Mother Teresa.
             
             Christopher Hitchens in collaboration with Tariq Ali produced documentary evidence entitled: Hell`s angel.It was telecasted from channel 4 in UK ( Nov 8, 1994)
Christopher Hitchens published a book entitled: Missionary position , which has become eye opener .He wrote this book after visiting Mother Teresa`s charity homes and also after interviewing her.

    Of course on the other side Catholics worldwide and Pope , particulary promoted her activities .She received Templeton prize in 1973.
        Above all, Mother Teresa received Nobel Prize for peace in 1986.

Mother Teresa was born in 1910 in  Uskante, a small town in Macedonia. Her original  name was : Agnes Gonxa  Bojaxhiu.She joined in Sisters of Lorita and later came to India. Just as Hindu Sanyasis change their original name, just so catholic nuns change their original names. Mother Teresa emerged like that.

Drama after the death:

As usual catholic institution commenced to concoct miracles in the name of Mother Teresa so that she can be canonized as saint. Then big business starts. It is necessary to show two miracles for that purpose.
The story starts!
Monica Basra, a poor tribal woman in west Bengal was suffering from tuberclosis and a cyst was found in her womb. Dr Ranjan Mustafa of Belurghat hospital treated her and acute cyst disappeared after administering medicines for 9 months.She was poor lady and had 5 children. They could not raise them.Catholic nuns took that opportunity , offered her help and free education to her children.They also offered her some land. But she had to say that her disease was cured due to Mother Teresa. How? When Monica saw a hanging locket she found a picture of Mother Teresa in it. That cured her cancer disease. But doctors clarified that she had no cancer and she suffered with tuberclosis .The husband of Monica and the doctor who treated her gave interviews to New York Times correspondent where they told the truth. Later the catholic nuns started concocting stories. Surprisingly the medical records of Monica Basra disappeared from the hospital !
Yet, Pope determined to make her saint which they could not do. But to start with they beatified her and called blessed.  Of course, in due course , it is no wonder if they concote  another miracle and finally make her saint. That is the regular business of Catholic institution.
I met Mother Teresa in Hyderbad, India during 1975-76 and had brief interview. I did not find any intellectual spark or brilliant point to report in Andhra Jyothi daily ( for which I was bureau chief at that time and Narla Venkateswararao was the editor)
Christopher Hitchens was called to Vatican to give evidence and he promptly went and gave. It all went against Mother Teresa.

By Innaiah Narisetti


   References:

1. Mother Teresa: The Final Verdict


2. The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice


3. Fox, Robin (1994). "Mother Theresa's care for the dying". The Lancet 344 (8925): 807

4.      "Less than Miraculous" by Christopher Hitchens, Free Inquiry 24(2), February/March 2004.

 written by
Innaiah Narisetti

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