July 17, 2022

Mind blowing scientific discoveries, technological breakthroughs, expansive changes in all sectors of the economy (agriculture, industry and services) are visible signs of progress in many parts of the world. Increasing number of people across all geographies are reaping the benefits of riches, comforts and even luxuries more than ever before. However many profound thinkers / philosophers have argued with facts that the survival of contemporary humans, especially the younger generations, is at stake. One can dismiss such forecasts as doomsday theories but do the current realities around the world present signs of hope?

Multiple challenges endanger the survival of contemporary humans. Historically rooted and newly emerging inequalities and the resultant discrimination in both traditional and modern forms as well as covert and overt forms based on caste, race, religion, sect, gender, class, language educational achievement and physical disabilities, place of origin and nationality which leads to persistence of violence inclusive of gruesome crimes on individuals and groups is a major challenge that makes the claims of progressive civilization questionable. Devastating effects of human activities on nature bodies (i.e. air, water, land, forests inclusive of biodiversity) is another major threat to human survival. Mental illness is emerging as a major issue of crises (Please see box).

It is in this scenario that we need to value the great contributions that individuals, organizations and collectives have made and continue to make across geographies to address these challenges. These attempts seek to uphold human dignity and human rights, facilitate inner (self) healing and contribute to the preservation and conservation of nature. Some may individually and collectively resort to questioning discrimination/ injustice through street action (protests), some others may use the medium of writings, theatre, songs, slogans, films and many other forms of cultural expression to do so. Yet others may focus on research to find facts and disseminate the same through educational events. Some engage in grass-root level interventions to evolve emulation worthy models in various spheres of human development by focusing on specific localities (villages, wards in cities or wider regions). Yet others may focus on groups who share common interests such as labourers, migrants, adivasis, Dalits, women, children, adolescents and other marginalized communities). Some others may focus on specific issues associated with education, physical or mental health, employment, agriculture, water, soil conservation or air quality improvement, evolving innovative models that are more or less replicable. There are those who focus on campaigns for a cause they consider important, whereas others engage in facilitating more active participation of citizens to strengthen democracy.

It is thanks to such interventions that human societies all over live with hope for a better tomorrow. Some such efforts may touch the lives of some, yet others may result in changing state policies and laws with a much wider impact. Some of those who initiate life sustainable, human rights assertive actions acquire visibility and public recognition. There are many others from different walks of life working silently behind the scene.

It is in this context that we need to remember persons like Prof Clement who have worked quietly behind the scene to promote human wellness. His interest led him to acquire competencies on the subject of self healing therapies after his retirement, although his area of specialization and teaching in St Agnes College, Mangaluru was Economics. During the last decade of his life, he worked hard to build his competencies in this field and sought to judiciously combine both modern and traditional therapeutic practices such as Neuro Linguistic Programming, Yoga, Vipasana, Mudra, Regression therapy just to mention a few. These therapies were being further refined by master - practitioners from respective fields. He sought to update his knowledge and integrate these therapies in workshops and healing sessions, when necessary inviting experts from fields such as Pranic healing and NLP to share their expertise and facilitate healing. It was an eye opener for all of us who took part in his workshop/s to know that a judicious integration of evidence based and effective healing therapies both traditional and modern could contribute to the promotion of mind body health and prevention of illness. Students who faced difficulties in their studies were able to excel in exams, individuals suffering from one or the other phobias or fears could overcome the same and couples could attain more harmony in their relations. The outcomes depended on the extent to which the persons involved responded to and participated in the required number of healing sessions and workshops. Women and men irrespective of their caste and religion participated in the healing sessions. Prof Clement’s healing sessions and workshops at CEDSE engaging women and men from the needy communities were done without charging any fees. So were the initiatives such as rain water harvesting, bore well and open well rejuvenation and forestation that he was able to facilitate in educational and other institutions and households.

Training manuals on NLP brought out by Prof Clement through months of work by utilizing the available literature created by NLP scholars cum practitioners, simplified the subject and made it easily understandable for those who had no previous knowledge of psychology. He was invited to conduct sessions by higher and professional educational institutions and non government organizations not only from Karnataka but also other parts of the country for doctors, staff, social workers, faculty and students, thus making NLP better known as a self transformation center and a highly effective therapeutic praxis.

During these rapidly changing times which are moving in the direction of creating Artificial Intelligence (AI) to manage human affairs and forces of nature, we need more persons like Prof. Clement to drive home the often repeated messages of gurus, prophets, saints of yore and profound thinkers, innovators and facilitators of the healing process. Our narrow self limiting, discriminatory and uncritical social identities capture us in prisons of anger, hatred, envy, pride and greed. We demonstrate pretention of superiority in our discriminatory treatment or inhumanity to others. We cannot become life affirming persons unless we alter our life destructive, socially discriminatory negative perceptions, emotions and actions. As persons created in the image of God, we have the potential to be who we are, when we do not allow ourselves to be constricted by constructed social identities over time and space. Socially Sensitize and Humanize yourself first is the call that we need to heed to first, during these challenging times.

This write-up is in memory of Prof Clement D Souza who has been our collaborator at CEDSE (Centre for Development Studies and Education ®) for more than a decade and whose second death anniversary is on July 17, 2020.