A Jesuit theologian and former teacher of mathematics at St Xavier's College, Father Poulose Mangai, passed away in Delhi on Saturday. He was 64.
Father Poulose taught mathematics at the Park Street institution in 1991-92 before moving to Vidyajyoti, Jesuit Theologate, in Delhi, where he taught theology for 20 years.
The funeral of Father Poulose, who belonged to the Kolkata Jesuit Province, will take place at St Xavier's College Chapel at 10.30am on Tuesday.
His remains will be interred at Dhyan Ashram cemetery, Diamond Harbour Road, the same afternoon.
As a priest he was a friend of all, especially the poor and the street children who called him “Dadabhai”.
“In his death the Jesuits lost a true companion and spiritual guide and the marginalised and downtrodden lost a great friend who always supported their struggle,” said Father Domninic Savio, principal of St Xavier's College, Kolkata.
For dignity of women
A group of women, most of whom went on stage for the first time, put up a play on Sunday that spoke of the rights and dignity of sex workers. Swarnamaram (The Golden Tree), an initiative of Keraleeya Mahila Samaj, Kolkata, a Malayalee organisation that had started 80 years ago, was enacted by an all-women cast at Sarat Sadan in Behala in southwest Kolkata.
The writer and director, Ravi Thykkat, the only male associated with the play, traces the story of Sonagachhi, a red-light district in Kolkata. The play was performed before a packed house of about 400 people.“The character that I played was that of a brothel head and I could see how the audience was scared of me. As actors we could sense the huge impact the play had on the audience,” said Krishna P. Nair, general secretary of Keraleeya Mahila Samaj.
The objective was to send across a message that women should be treated equally and with dignity.
Jhinuk Mazumdar
