PRAYERS Pope Francis not too long ago ask for us to pray for the farmers.   They need prayers the drought in India is horrible and in some places going on for over two years.   Many farmers do not have the money for insurance to protect them from the effects of a drought.   It is so bad in some places families can only get 10 liters twice a week to do everything requiring the use of water.   This is NOT drinking water but desperation dictates otherwise.   Bottle water which normally goes for 30 rupees for a 20-liter bottle cost the suffering 30+ rupees for a liter bottle a big chunk out of their bleeding income. Suicides are up among farmers in some places up to 40% a tragedy ignored or missed by the government.   The people and children walk down dangerous passages to get to wells that still have some water.   It was reported to allow men to have several wives whose sole job is to fetch water.  The government has awakened fro...

KICKING THE COMMON MAN TO THE CURB On November 25 th , at 11:30am on the command of SHRI SP RANNA MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) of the BJP (ruling party), the Forest Department, two bulldozers, and 40 policeman demolition 900 jhuggis (huts) leaving THOUSANDS homeless; 2,000 of which are CHILDREN.  They were given 10 minutes’ notice to collect their belongings and vacate before the demolition.  Needless to say this was not enough time making the loss of home and property devastating.   Many of the residence (COMMON MAN)) had been living there for decades, are working people such as carpenters, auto drivers and taxis, housemaids, gardeners, construction workers, private security guards, and street vendors.  They migrated from  neighboring  states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.  They had electric hook ups, voter cards and an Aadhaar card (equivalent to a Social Security card) with the address of the jhuggis on it.  The COM...

THE VULNERABLE This elderly man of poor health has been coming to ME A SERVANT OF CHRIST MISSION every Sunday for the last two years needing twenty rupees to buy half a pound of rice.  He never asks for more and blesses us every time for the money.  Other than the blessing he rarely says anything else. Approximately a little more than a month ago the elderly man did not stop by to get his rice money and we noted this but since we did not know where he lived we thought he might be sick.  The following week he stopped by to tell us he had been beaten up and the goons stole his property papers and took his land.  He went to the police but since it was Diwali (Hindu Festival) the police refused to register his complaint or look into the fact he had been beaten until the festival was over making the elderly man return once more to them.  The police took the complaint and placed it into the hands of an arbitrator, which in essence told the elderly m...