SHARING
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K V Dominic (India)
Ouseph and
Mariamma are old couples in their seventies. They live happily in a village
near to Kochi in Kerala. They have two sons who are married and settled in the
States. Though Ouseph is a graduate he did not try for any government job since
he had inherited four acres of fertile land from his parents. He got good
income from the cultivation of rubber, coconut, cocoa, nutmeg, etc. and could
give good education to his sons Jaison and Wilson who got high income jobs in
the USA.
Jaison is elder
to Wilson by two years. Both are IT engineers and their wives are also
engineers. They work in reputed multinational firms. Their children are
studying in schools there. Both the families visit the parents together once in
a year during Christmas season and spend one month very happily. Their children
are the ones who enjoy maximum in the presence of the grandpa and grandma.
Ouseph:
Mariamma, I received a phone call just now from Jaison informing that his
family and Wilson’s family are coming for Christmas on 15th
December. They will be with us for one month.
Mariamma: Very
glad news! We have been longing for their presence as it is one year since they
went back.
Ouseph: True.
When they come we have to take some decisions and prepare a will document.
Mariamma: What
decisions? Why should we write a will now?
Ouseph:
Mariamma, we have been blessed with all happiness and there is nothing to be
worried about. Our children are well settled and we have more than what we need
here. Just look at this luxury house our children have made for us. Have you
ever thought of the labourers who worked hard and sweated for the construction
of this house? When we are sleeping cosily here, those who made this large
house have no houses of their own to sleep. They are all in rented houses
struggling to make both ends meet.
Mariamma: True,
they are poor people and can’t afford to buy lands and build houses. It’s their
lot. What can we do to save them? Tell me, what’s your plan?
Ouseph: You may
be shocked to hear it. But, don’t say no to my wishes.
Mariamma: Have
I ever said no to your wishes and plans? Kindly tell me what is in your mind.
Ouseph:
Mariamma, we are old and any day we will depart from this world. We can’t take
these lands and house when we depart. What we need is only six feet land and
that too in the cemetery of our parish church. Why don’t we divide and
distribute our land to the houseless, particularly those labourers who served
us? Let us retain this house and some twenty cents around it. The rest of the land
we shall donate to the poor houseless. What do you say?
Mariamma: I
have no objection, but do you think our sons will agree to your proposal.
Ouseph: They
are our sons and they will surely have the humane compassionate heart as we
have. Moreover this four acre is our ancestral land and our sons’ families will
never wish to live here in this rural area. They are already settled in the
States and will never return to settle here. Their children are brought up in
the Western culture and can never adjust with our culture here.
Mariamma: In
that case we shall seek their permission and do as you like when they come.
Suppose we are finding the beneficiaries and donating our land to them how will
they find money to build houses in the plots?
Ouseph: If own
land is there they can get grant from the government under the housing schemes.
That grant won’t be sufficient to complete the structure and interior of the
buildings. They will have to amass some money. My plan is to divide our land
into 10 cents’ plots with approach road to each. 25 to 30 plots we can make
thus. Some twenty labourers had served us and they will be donated the plots
and the rest will be given to the deserving poor people of our locality.
Mariamma: That
would be a divine service and we can create heaven here.
Ouseph: I am
immensely happy that you like my plans and give full support to it. The Creator
has given us this wealth not for us alone to enjoy. After all, this planet is
for all the inhabitants on it. The resources are for all to enjoy. Look at the
animal world. There is no ownership, division or restriction. That’s what the
Creator expects from human beings as well.
Mariamma: How
philosophic you are! I have never heard such philosophy from your mouth
earlier. It is already late now. Let us go for sleep.
Ouseph: Oh! 10
o’clock. Let us sleep.
15th
December. Jaison and Wilson arrived with their families in two taxi cars by
evening. Ouseph and Mariamma welcomed them into house with great joy. The
grandchildren rushed to the grandpa and grandma to hug them. Special dinner was
cooked for the children. Since there is a maid in the house, cooking was not a
burden for Mariamma. Dinner was served on the dining table. While all were
eating delicious dishes Ouseph started speaking.
Ouseph: Dear
children, I have a surprising decision to share with you. Kindly promise me
that you will not say no to the decisions and plans I am going to present.
Being your father, you can assure that the decisions or plans I take will never
be detrimental to you and your families.
Jaison: I will
never say no to your decision, dear papa.
Wilson: I too
will not say no to you, dear papa.
Ouseph: Okay,
fine. Jaison, do you need any share of our landed property?
Jaison: No,
papa. We are settled in the States and we don’t need any share of this land.
Ouseph: What
about you, Wilson, do you need any share?
Wilson: No,
papa. We are well settled in the States and we don’t want to live here with a
house.
Ouseph: In that
case it is the will of your mother and me to donate this land to the houseless
poor, particularly those labourers who had served us. This house and some 20
cents around it will be here for us to live. Some 25 to 30 poor houseless
people can build their houses in the ten cents each plot we are donating. There
will be roads connecting all the plots. This is our dream plan. What do you
say?
Jaison:
Marvelous, papa! We will be ever be remembered for this humane act.
Wilson: This is
the best service we can do for the society, dear papa.
Ouseph: I
expected this positive response from you both and I am extremely happy. There
are more than five lakhs households in Kerala who are houseless. I deem it our
duty to help the poor maximum as we can. It is not because of our merit that we
are rich and not because of their fault that they are poor. It’s all fate. I
believe in the policy that the more we give, the more we get. Our salkarma
or nishkama karma will be rewarded. Might be the wealth and happiness we
enjoy is the result of our former births or that of our parents and
grandparents. If we are not sharing our wealth with others we will suffer in
our next births.
Jaison: You are
absolutely right, papa. What you have stated is there in the Hindu philosophy.
By giving land alone the poor can’t afford to build the houses. Have you any
plan about the house construction, papa?
Ouseph: The
beneficiaries can approach the government and they can get grant under the
housing schemes of the State and central governments. But that won’t be
sufficient. If you both can donate some amount the project can be accomplished.
Jaison: I will
donate a big amount, papa. In addition, I will request the firm where I work to
donate some amount under the charity scheme it has.
Wilson: I will
also give a good amount and request my firm to donate under the charity scheme.
Ouseph:
Excellent! Before you return we shall find out the beneficiaries and donate the
plots to them. As they are illiterate we will help them in getting grants from
the government as early as possible. Getting grants from the government is a
time consuming process and we will start the work immediately with the money
you both donate.
Jaison: Agreed,
papa. Tomorrow itself you call a land surveyor and we shall divide the land
into as many ten cents’ plots as possible.
Wilson: Yes
papa, we shall complete our project at the earliest.
Mariamma:
Heaven has descended on our house! What a glorious thing we are going to do!
Now complete your dinner. It is already 10 o’clock. You are all tired of
travelling. We shall go to bed after the dinner.
Ouseph phoned
to a land surveyor and he came the next day with his assistants. As per the
instructions given by Ouseph the land was divided into 26 plots of ten cents
each with roads of twelve feet width connecting them. The house of Ouseph
family and the land of twenty five cents around it were separated from the
plots to be donated. Ouseph contacted the beneficiaries over phone—his own
houseless labourers and dependents and a few other poor people who lived in
rented houses in his locality. He announced to them the glad news and requested
them to meet him. They were all thrilled by the surprising gift. Ouseph showed
each one his own plot and asked them to bring necessary documents for writing
the deeds and registering them in the Registrar office at the earliest.
The
registrations were done within a week and a good construction company of Kochi
city was given the task of building all houses in the same pattern with three
bed rooms, a drawing room, a dining hall, a kitchen, a sit out and a small car
porch. Total area is 1200 square feet. The construction of all houses should be
finished within a year. An agreement was made with the company
accordingly.
For the initial
expenses Jaison and Wilson contributed 50 lakhs rupees and it was given as
advance to the construction company. The
foundation works of the houses started within a few days.
The day has
come for Jaison and Wilson families to return to the States. Bidding them
farewell Ouseph said: When you come for next year’s Christmas vacation the
construction of all the houses will be complete and we will make a grand
inauguration of handing over the keys to the beneficiaries.
The
construction went very fast. Fortunately the beneficiaries’ applications for
the grant from the government housing scheme were approved within six months
and 50% of the allotment of three lakhs rupees per house was sanctioned. In
addition Jasion and Wilson could get large amounts from their firms’ charity
account. So money was not a problem and the construction of all the houses was
completed by the end of November. Jaison, Wilson families arrived for the
Christmas vacation and the date of handing over the keys of the houses to the
owners was fixed on 26th December.
The
inauguration of the ‘Paradise Villas’—the new housing colony was named so—was
done in a magnificent manner at the vast front yard of Ouseph’s house. The
Minister for Revenue and Housing of Kerala, District Collector, Panchayat
President and the Ward member were the dignitaries who attended. Some two
hundred people including the beneficiaries and the neighbours were present. The
minister in his presidential address praised the sublime service Ouseph and his
family have rendered to the poor houseless people. He reminded that if wealthy
people take Ouseph as a great model and do such service there will be no more
houseless people in the State. The minister insisted that Ouseph himself should
hand over the keys to the owners and there was a roar of applause when Ouseph
handed over each one his house’s keys. The meeting ended followed by tea and
snacks served to all. There came a gentle breeze, followed by a refreshing
shower and thus Nature too celebrated witnessing this divine service.
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