Are we heading to a cage of death?

First of all, my heart goes out with sympathy to the family and friends of James Peter, who was stabbed to death on the sea wall on the Diwali motorcade night. The Vatican message for Diwali called everyone to foster together “a culture of inclusion for a just and peaceful society.” Let me begin with two perturbing questions; is there truly a just and peaceful society in this existing age? How can we have a culture of inclusion, when some heartless people involve in crime?

The death of my friend James Peter has left me thinking, are we heading towards a cage of death, waiting to be devoured by the evil people? Of course, I have been confronted with the question, why does James Peter have to be on the sea wall late night? But are we not in a free and fair country, where one can go to hangout with friends on a holiday? I think we should be free but unfortunately we are not; for the fear is ruling our nation; fear of bandits who are looking for their prey.

Don’t those bandits have a heart with feelings? If they had a heart with feelings, they would not have stabbed the nurse just for a cellular phone. If they can take one strong and fantastic human person’s life for a gadget, where are we going? We are probably heading towards cage of death that will see our demise one day if we don’t act upon it now.

Who has to act upon it now? Of course, the police force has to be on their toes in cleaning our streets and making them bandit-free so that every common person can walk those streets without fear. The police force needs to have proper infrastructure to track these perpetrators and bring to justice, not let them go out walking freely. In fact they walk freely then a common person.

Our families are the first schools for our children. Our children have to be taught some good values and morals in our families. When I visit a family, I make sure I meet the young people and children of the family, in order to know where they stand in their moral lives.

Having said that, I wish and pray that justice will be done sooner for the bereaving family and friends of James Peter sooner. Let us head towards life and not towards a cage of death.

We held a memorial service at the Ursuline Convent on Sunday were James Peter worshipped. It was heart throbbing to see so many people at the service; this showed how much Peter was loved by the people. Many expressed that he was very calm and caring person. The nurses and patients who came across to Peter had a very positive experience of love and care. As the Gospel reading proposed that Mary, the sister of Lazarus felt the absence of Jesus whilst Lazarus was dying, James Peter has left a vacuum in the lives of his loved ones. God seems to have been absent at this terrible tragedy but as Jesus comforted Mary and Martha, ‘I am the resurrection’, we pray that God comforts and consoles the family of Peter.