Here is an e-mail that came among the junk mails, that ordinary people delete. However, this one makes sense.
Knanaya Media Team
From: Thomas Mathew <thomasmathew99@
Date: Sun, Jan 8, 2012 at 5:16 PM
Subject: Are We Winning the Battle, but losing the War?
To:
Dear friends,
"Are We Winning the Battle, but losing the War?" - was the headline used by Fr. Abraham Orapankal in "Snehasandesham" for an article addressed to the knanaya community in America few months ago. I don't know how many of us read that very interesting article which should be an "eye opener" to the knanaya community in America.
I am not here to take sides on the recent "email war" between two factions in the community. But I am really concerned about these "venom spitting" emails from some members of the community which has broken all barriers. Even when there is a war between countries, they still adhere to international laws. Even in "kurushetra" we know the "kauravas" and "pandavas" followed war rules. But we are not even "kauravas" and "pandavas", it is one united "knanaya community" which we are proud of. We are going forward brushing aside criticism from other community and our critics envy our "community spirit" and "unity" all the time. The latest development has taken such an ugly turn which requires someone to "re-classify" low standard because it is way below "low standard". I am pretty sure every sensible knanaya person will agree with me that it is high time we should end this cheap and dirty game. It is not a political party or group of parties like LDF and UDF, but one "PROUD KNANAYA COMMUNITY" known for our unity and togetherness.
Debates are good so long as it keeps certain standard. There is a "healthy" way of doing it. If two people have difference of opinion and if they both express their opinion in a decent way, everybody will be willing to listen to both and decide which opinion is good. That is the democratic norm and of course we can finally "agree to disagree" if that is done in a civil manner. You cannot hold the entire "Knanaya community" to ransom by declaring either "my way or high way". Earlier in the beginning of this "war" I had seen some appeal from couple of younger generation people objecting to it and it has fallen into "deaf ears".
That is when Fr.Orapankal"s article come to mind "are we winning the battle, but losing the war?". What are we achieving here? For whom are we fighting for? If we don't take the young generation into confidence, what are we going to achieve? If the younger generation, who are our future, does not stay with us, there is no knanaya community. You can do so many battles, you might be winning some too, but we will be losing the war if we lose them. Those who have learned some "hindu mythology", might know what happened to Lord Krishna's clan "the Yadava kulam". We don't want to be a "Yadava kulam" fighting to perish.
I would request the "elders" in the community to come forward and appeal to these warring factions to end this fight for the betterment of the community. People started getting so frustrated with these emails they start deleting them without reading it. I would appeal to all the elders in the community to come forward to condemn these fight. I would request all former Presidents of the KCCNA, the current President, Shiens Akasala, DKCC President George Nellamattom, the email moderators for American kna and Sonny Poozhikala to take a united stand against these "venom spitting" emails and stop forwarding these emails. The leaders are only leaders if you show your leadership skills and the moderators should show their moderating skills not to forward any emails showing no "dignity and respect". Don't watch in silence putting tape on your mouth.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Thomas Mathew Arackaparambil
Dallas
Knanaya Media Team
From: Thomas Mathew <thomasmathew99@
Date: Sun, Jan 8, 2012 at 5:16 PM
Subject: Are We Winning the Battle, but losing the War?
To:
Dear friends,
"Are We Winning the Battle, but losing the War?" - was the headline used by Fr. Abraham Orapankal in "Snehasandesham" for an article addressed to the knanaya community in America few months ago. I don't know how many of us read that very interesting article which should be an "eye opener" to the knanaya community in America.
I am not here to take sides on the recent "email war" between two factions in the community. But I am really concerned about these "venom spitting" emails from some members of the community which has broken all barriers. Even when there is a war between countries, they still adhere to international laws. Even in "kurushetra" we know the "kauravas" and "pandavas" followed war rules. But we are not even "kauravas" and "pandavas", it is one united "knanaya community" which we are proud of. We are going forward brushing aside criticism from other community and our critics envy our "community spirit" and "unity" all the time. The latest development has taken such an ugly turn which requires someone to "re-classify" low standard because it is way below "low standard". I am pretty sure every sensible knanaya person will agree with me that it is high time we should end this cheap and dirty game. It is not a political party or group of parties like LDF and UDF, but one "PROUD KNANAYA COMMUNITY" known for our unity and togetherness.
Debates are good so long as it keeps certain standard. There is a "healthy" way of doing it. If two people have difference of opinion and if they both express their opinion in a decent way, everybody will be willing to listen to both and decide which opinion is good. That is the democratic norm and of course we can finally "agree to disagree" if that is done in a civil manner. You cannot hold the entire "Knanaya community" to ransom by declaring either "my way or high way". Earlier in the beginning of this "war" I had seen some appeal from couple of younger generation people objecting to it and it has fallen into "deaf ears".
That is when Fr.Orapankal"s article come to mind "are we winning the battle, but losing the war?". What are we achieving here? For whom are we fighting for? If we don't take the young generation into confidence, what are we going to achieve? If the younger generation, who are our future, does not stay with us, there is no knanaya community. You can do so many battles, you might be winning some too, but we will be losing the war if we lose them. Those who have learned some "hindu mythology", might know what happened to Lord Krishna's clan "the Yadava kulam". We don't want to be a "Yadava kulam" fighting to perish.
I would request the "elders" in the community to come forward and appeal to these warring factions to end this fight for the betterment of the community. People started getting so frustrated with these emails they start deleting them without reading it. I would appeal to all the elders in the community to come forward to condemn these fight. I would request all former Presidents of the KCCNA, the current President, Shiens Akasala, DKCC President George Nellamattom, the email moderators for American kna and Sonny Poozhikala to take a united stand against these "venom spitting" emails and stop forwarding these emails. The leaders are only leaders if you show your leadership skills and the moderators should show their moderating skills not to forward any emails showing no "dignity and respect". Don't watch in silence putting tape on your mouth.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Thomas Mathew Arackaparambil
Dallas
