The Ashram

Dedicated to Rev Father Dr.Santhanasamy, PhD, DHMS

Baang...the blast shook my nerves, partially tearing my ear drums, I got up violently, forcibly coming to life from the deep sleep, my perception intuited it was a explosion, I tried to sharpen my sense to gather what happened, where the sound came, I doubted if it was a night mare, it was all dark, I reached to switch on the lights, if its a blast of my gas cylinder in my kitchen its not safe to switch on the lights, and if there is a short circuit too it would be a disaster, I sneaked inside the kitchen treading in the dark, cylinder is safe, I was curious to know what went wrong, Baang......the next blast visibly threw me away, window panes fell broken in pieces, I felt the building tremble with vibrations...this time I felt strongly the bang is from outside my house but very near, may be in my neighborhood.

People started to wake up at the wee hours, one by one lights getting switched on, the blast is from the LPT station(Low power transmission for television owned by the central government), it was two country made bombs which exploded, one out of three did not explode, no causalities, its just a reminder, signaling the government we are here, never force us to take the hardliner stand is the message, it was a radical group it was said, I did not think so, the journalists, politicians mark as read saying the hardliners as radicals, ethnic group striving for identity and political right if considered as radicals then how they would categorize Hitler & Mussolini, rulers want people to be masses with no respect, dignity, savoring them, whatever policy they impose upon.

By the time everyone woke up witnessing the scene, I went to bed to continue the remaining sleep.

Morning dawned with the chirrups of birds as if nothing happened last night, I could see few police officials still on the spot, I bathed and got ready to take Kaja to Ashram. Kaja my dearest pal has a peculiar but a common disease to get attended by specialist, he suffers from Epilepsy, a neurological disorder caused by temporary block in blood vessels in the brain. Couple of days ago when we were traveling to a nearby location he had a stroke which caused me panic and distress, I swore to get him out of the dreadful disease, I heard Rev Father of the Ashram attends even chronic neurological patients and cure them. 

Father came straight from the church to the main hall which was used as clinic to attend patients, he was in his white robe which hung below his knees, taking his seat he asked the patients to come one by one to him, his way of diagnosis is very strange and even surprised me, patients knelt before him lending their right and left arm resting on the table for his convenience, he carefully studied the pulse with one hand and with other read the beats in the joints of all the fingers, while reading the beats he started saying the ailment, its symptoms and effects of the disease. When our turn came, he held Kaja's palm, read the pulse and the beats in the joints, started telling he suffers from Epilepsy, I frowned, it was amazing, I never thought one can say the disease by holding on the palm, reading the pulse and the beats in the joints of fingers, he suggested a medicine made out of Opium, its a homeopathy medicine, I surprised how a narcotic can be a medicine for Epilepsy, Father assured me with lot of surprise for the days came ahead !!.

I am an atheist, I never believe in God, I respect all religions, I respect peoples faith, I never trouble or intrude in one's faith, provided it does not breach or deny anyone's right or dignity, when patients knelt before him they were blessed by him, Kaja too knelt and was blessed before undergoing diagnosis and observation, practicing and preaching one's religion is a basic right, Kaja is a Mohammedan, Father a Roman catholic, me a atheist, we three made a peculiar combination, we all the three respect each others belief, respect their dignity not intercepting with others individuality. 

Kaja's health began to improve, initially he slept long hours, I assumed it was due to the effect of medicine, then I witnessed significant improvement in his health, it was said the drug should not be kept by the side of fragrance or strong perfumes, homeopathy drugs get neutralized in the presence of strong perfumes, consumption of coffee or tea is strictly restricted, coffee and tea, breaks the effects of the drug consumed. Kaja's health significance did not surprise Father, he seemed to be expecting the change over, for me it was a surprise, after seeing the suffering of Kaja on that night, I never thought it can be so easily cured, my respect for Father grew to the height of getting consent of important decisions I took. 

Father did his doctorate in theology in Rome, he was well with French, Latin & Greek, he had well command over English, a Belgian doctor while visiting Kadinavayal a village in Tamilnadu met Father amazed of his qualities taught him how to read pulse and beats in fingers, Belgian doctor was a Allopathic, later Father did a diploma in Homeopathy. 

Father's accolades and credentials were not welcomed in the diocese, to stay close he has to disprove or should approve the difference prevailed in the setup. He wrote letter to Rome stating his willingness to function independently, his request was granted, he built his own Ashram with a church, a prayer hall, a clinic to attend patients, rooms to stay, he believed service to mankind is service to God. 

Father hail from the nearby village of my native town, being born and brought up from a typical traditional farmer family, his fore fathers converted to Christianity few decades before, remnants of feudal society, effects of castes reigns in diocese, Father too is not an exception, the only difference is at last he is a human, belief in humanity, brotherhood.

Years rolled like months, most of my friends got treated by Father, I too had some nightmarish dreams which spoiled my sleep for years, Father diagnosed me reading my pulse and beats in my fingers, he prophesied like a seer, I got well in a week, even some of the well known physicians got treated by him, they were thankful to him, I have witnessed patients from foreign countries come and stay there for his treatment. 

The only thing which worried us most is finding a person to get trained in the art of pulse and beats reading as a professional heir to Father,  we spoke to him, he was very much agonized of finding a person who fits to his expectation, ideal person should be a doctor by profession, shrewd, patience enough to learn, to be sharp to feel the beats of the fingers, to feel the subtle difference, to understand the nature's five states, water, fire, air, space and earth. 

We were very eager, very curious to find the appropriate person, primarily we aspired Father's art of diagnosis should be transferred to a person for the benefit of society, Father adopted a little boy whom was too little to understand medicine, our search of an ideal person was a passion towards not letting down the traditional diagnosis combined with modern Homeopathy medicine. 

Due to professional needs I relocated to a near by city, for about two years I never met him, I spoke to him over the phone, I sent him a mail expressing how much I miss him, even there I was worrying about getting a disciple to get him trained on the art of diagnosis, we felt the need of a specialist to serve people in his absence. After two years I met him again, that was the last I saw him, as I was packing up to a newer location for my profession, I asked him a portrait from the church, its a real amazing painting of Jesus having a lamb unto his arms, with sheep surrounded, its a good shepherd portrait, an year later, I had a call from my native in the morning, it said Father is no more, I looked at the good shepherd portrait in my living room, tears rolled over my cheeks, we lost a man, a human, who believed service to mankind is service to God, even then we can't pass on the art he owned dedicating his life time for the sake of downtrodden.