The Congress, the Grand Old Party of India, has never been pushed to a corner and subjected to total disgrace and ignominy such as now ever since its worst-ever performance in a general election, in 2014 (“ >Debating the Congress’s future ”, Nov.20). If the party thinks that by invoking the legacy of Jawaharlal Nehru it can rebuild its lost pride and sullied image, it is sadly mistaken. Its leadership lacks charisma even though it is a party with abundant talent. Its failure to tackle ingrained corruption and the lack of a long-term vision are what have derailed the party. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, hailed as a major figure of economics, was reduced to puppet-like status especially by errant allies during UPA-I and –II. With the BJP government doing very well under the able and committed leadership of Narendra Modi, the Congress can forget about ever reclaiming power, unless it addresses these issues and is able to project a leader who is capable and who can lead from the front.
R. Sivakumar,
Chennai
Claim on Jesus
The new claim by two “scholars” about Jesus’ family life is nothing new (“Jesus was married, had kids, claims The Lost Gospel ,” Nov. 12). In the days of Jesus, he was accused by the powerful and abused for his redemptive association with the marginalised, called “sinners”. The canonicity (validation) of the New Testament, which contains accounts of the life and teachings of Jesus, stands on over 5,300 early manuscripts found either in full or in fragments. All of them are in harmony with one another. In contrast, Plato stands on seven copies of manuscripts. The divinity of Jesus stands on his teachings as well as on predictions (prophesies) made over 1,500 years, on his name, place, year, descent, birth, death, celibacy and especially his propitiatory self-sacrifice ( prayashchit swyam balidan ) as detailed by many seers, from the Jewish prophet Isaiah to the Vedic Purusa Sukta. The statistical chance for any human fulfilling these 50 predictions is less than one in a billion.
Ebe Sunder Raj,
Chennai
The news report raises a few questions. The original document made its way from a monastery in Egypt to the British Library on November 11, 1847. Why was there no talk about this document for 167 years? Why now? Is there an agenda? It was written in the third century. Obviously, the writer did not live when Jesus walked the earth. It is unlikely that he knew the Apostles or close acquaintances of Jesus, who died in the first and second centuries. The Gospels, as we know, were written, in the first century. What was the source for the writer? Is it authentic? It was written in Syriac, most likely by someone outside Palestine. Jesus was a common name at that time. Is it possible this is a case of mistaken identity? Finally, all great personalities have their detractors. As examples, one can think of the Buddha, Socrates, Abraham Lincoln, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and even Mother Teresa.
Ignatius Fernandez,
Hyderabad
