A TRIBUTE TO M. ABRAHAAM, MY FATHER

Today marks the 23rd death anniversary of my father M. Abraham, advocate , He left for heavenly abode on 22/1/2002. If he was alive today, he would have been 106 years old.

I now thought in terms of writing about my father , a man of total dedication, values and principles. I am proud to be known as his son. There was a time when people instantaneously recognised me as the son of M Abraham. It was really great to be recognised like that. I had a memorable time with him during my childhood and the subsequent years till I became 47 years.

He was born in Chengannur on 26/1/1919 as the son of Mamman , Chengazathu and Sosamma as the last but one of the six siblings.

He father was a leading tobacco merchant at that time. He lost everything when a boat carrying tobacco worth more than Rs 17000 of his capsized in the river in early 1920s. Those days, insurance of goods was not much prevalent. He had total loss. One can imagine the value of that much money when one sovereign’s cost was around Rs 10.00 only.His thriving business collapsed due to this incident.

During his childhood and adolescent period, grave financial crunches were there in his family due to this total loss.

He passed BA Economics with first rank from Travancore university. He could successfully complete his law degree with the support extended by his elder sister Dr Sosamma Thomas. He passed BL from Trivandrum law college. He enrolled himself as an advocate in early 1940s. On the first day of his appearance in court at under senior advocate and former MLC Shri Ninan of Ooriyepadikal( his grand son is now high court judge Justice Sathish Ninan),he had 21 cases to argue.

But his career turned 360 degrees when he heeded to the request of late HG Gheevarghese Mar Philaxinose ( Puthencavu kochu Thirumeni ) and took the pledge to look after the famous Malankara Sabha case for the then Orthodox faction. The senior advocate of the Sabha Shri. E John Philipose was getting older and he required a good assistant to argue the complicated Sabha case. He took the reins of the Sabha case from him in the Travancore high court at Trivandrum.

He decided to work full time for the Sabha without any monetary remuneration. It was the time when Orthofox faction had lost the case. When Catholicos thought in terms of giving up the case, he said no to it. Without him, the present Indian Orthodox Sabha as what now it is would not have been in existence now.

Even most of the presents Synod members of the Sabha , let alone priests and laity, are not aware of his great contributions in making the Sabha independent. He remains as an unsung hero and never ever properly recognised by the Indian Orthodox Sabha as regretfully stated by Catholicos Mathews 11 Bava at his funeral speech.

There was no photostat machine or cyclostyling those days in early 1940s in order to get copy of the verdict to give appeal against the verdict of the case in favour of Patriarch side. He had to write copy of the whole judgement coming to hundreds of pages sitting there at the court. From 1943 onwards till 1995, he looked after the cases with total dedication from lower courts upto the Supreme Court.

In 1948 he married Kunjukunjama who was a teacher. Since no income was forthcoming from him, our family had to live with the small earnings of my mother which came to few hundred rupees. It was very difficult to meet both ends. He had not much worldly desires. Only aim was to win the Sabha case. He had just few white shirts and dhotis and was happy with it.

He was a man of principles. He belonged to the Gandhian era. He walked the talk and the values he taught us by his life is the greatest contribution he gave to me and my siblings.

Nobody could buy him. I remember him walking out from the sitting of a judicial commission ( which was looking into a corruption charge) stating stating that he had lost confidence in the commission which was headed by high court judge when the judge refused to take note of the contradictory answer given by the then Chief Minister on two different occasions. He was cross examining the CM.

He was perusing the matter without any fee on behalf of the workers of an estate whose union was affiliated to INTUC and they were a party to it. If the judge had noted the contradictory answer by CM, it must probably have resulted in the resignation of CM.

The next day, the judge called my father over the phone to ask him to come and continue the cross examination of the CM. It was I who took the phone. My father refused to attend the call even. He never ever went before that commission again.

His only aim in life was the success of the Sabha case- come what may, rain or sunshine. He was totally dedicated for it.

When he was barely 35 years old, he was offered the post of district judge with certain conditions to which he said he will never ever agree. That was a great shock to the officials concerned. If he had accepted it, he would have gone upto Supreme Court as judge.

Consequent to his refusal to abide by the condition, when the case was taken up in Kerala High Court, one high court judge , went on harassing and making fun of my father who was appearing in the case there. This went on for days together till Barrister Nambiar came to Cochin to argue the case after finishing one case at Supreme Court. ( Ref- Malankara Nazranikal Volume V by Z M Paret- page292). Late advocate T M Cherian once told me that my father was made fun of and harassed to such an extent that he even cried in the court room. So sad a state in the court. He faced all these without any objection for the sake of Sabha.

Rev. Fr. Jacob Manalil ( who subsequently became trustee of the Sabha and who refused the post of bishop subsequently), Rev Fr. Thomas Kuttikandathil ( later bishop HG Thomas Mar Makarios) and my father were instrumental in doing all the spade works for the ultimate final victory of Sabha case in 1958 at Supreme Court.
He also played his part very well in the subsequent cases on account of the second rift.

Most of the present day generations including clergy and bishops are not aware of the great sacrifices individuals like him made for the Sabha.

Catholicos HG Gheevarghese II used to call my father ‘Kochu Vakil’ and consult him on all legal matters. Catholicos insisted on him taking at least a token present of few thousand rupees after the final victory in 1958. He was handed over a medal with Catholicos’s name and my father’s names imprinted on that four sovereign gold medal. We still possess the great gift he got.

He was in the Sabha Managing Committee for over 55 years till his death. He was in the Working Committee and Tribunal for long. His whole life as an advocate from 1943 to 1995 was spent for Sabha case only.

He had political leanings to INC also and was instructed to stand as INC candidate at Chengannur constituency for the 1965 election( which did not result in government formation and was dissolved) by the then KPCC president KC Abraham master.

With not enough money in hand even for daily needs, we had to cajole and even beg him not to contest. Luckily, he heeded to our request and did not contest. He was fully immersed in election campaigns at various constituencies.But no government could be formed consequent to 1965 election and re-election was held in 1967.

He strongly stood by Congress (O) led by Nigalingappa when the famous 1969 split of INC happened. He was it’s state returning officer.

I remember him meticulously following the call given by PM Shashtri to observe fasting on all Mondays after the Indo Pakistan war of 1965. We children did follow him but with great difficulty sleeping hungry on all mondays.

Since he was into Sabha cases, he could not attend to any other case. When both factions joined together in late 1950s, he started arguing other cases step by step, for a living. But it went back to square one when Sabha rift started again in early 1970s. He went back to attend the Sabha cases again.

He led a simple life with not much desires and was the happiest true to the saying ‘ happiest person is the one with least desires’.

Snuff powder was his weakness and every day I had to buy it for him. He had a group of friends who would exchange their snuff powder whenever they meet particularly after the holy Qurbana at church. They would stand in a round shape and happily inhale friends’ snuff powder.

Most of the days there would not be even ten rupees in his pocket. Now a days we witness even those religious dignitaries getting money in thousands for doing their designated religious duties.

But on days, he would even skip his meals and give legal advices to these functionaries for hours together without getting even a single paisa. Those days I used to question him about this policy. But he was happy with that. Many of the church authorities made use of his service just thinking it as their right. With the passage of time, I understood that it was really right for him to do like that. But he was not there then when I realised it.

He worked along with luminaries like M C Chagla, K M Munshi, Sir Engineer, Nariman( Senior), former Chief Justice PN Bhagavathi , Barrister Nambiar and the like. They had great regard for him.

In 1977, he had the opportunity to meet the then Prime Minister Morarji Desai in his cabin. He was an ardent Congress ( O) follower to which Morarji belonged (before merging to Janatha Party). Cabinet ministers like H M Patel, George Fernandez were there. He had a letter from from KC Abraham master ( who was so close to PM on account of his deciding vote in the undivided Working Committee of the undivided Congress which took action against PM Indira for giving a call for vote according to conscience in Indian President’s election)in connection with an important matter.

PM Morarji Desai abruptly asked my father “ Mr. Abraham- shall I consider you in the list of advocates to be appointed as High Court judges?”. He politely refused that offer. It was an utter shock even to PM. He said with surprise “ What Mr Abraham, you do not want to be considered?” He said he is not interested in judge’s post. Such was his commitment to the Sabha.

When you are in the best days, all will be there. But once you become of no use due to old age and diseases, you are thrown out like curry leaves. That is a reality of the world. My mother used to serve all these religious leaders with food including lunch and dinner even by borrowing money when they regularly visit in connection with cases. There were days when even two or three bishops would be there at our home cum office.

But when he was bed ridden due to Parkinson’s disease for over two years , most of those who made use of him did not even show the courtesy of visiting him at least- not even a priest to pray for the first one and a half years of bed ridden stage. Not even a token financial support was given by Sabha during the period when he was fully laid up in bed.

Once the then Vicar of our church came in front of the house to give a paper from Kottayam Sabha office. I told him he is bed ridden due to parkinson and requested him to come to the house and pray. He said he had to go and will come later on which did not materialise. But after months, with no other choice , he had to come with the then Catholicos when HG visited my bed ridden father, as protocol stipulates local Vicar to accompany HG when he visits houses.

Seeing all the these types of attitudes, I had earlier told closed circle of the church so close to the Catholicos even that no priest or bishop need come when my father dies and that I will do by myself whatever is needed for the funeral. Within one week HG came after conducting a marriage. A rose while living is better than 1000 roses placed on the body or cemetery after one’s death.

I have seen my mother crying many a day since not even the Vicar came to visit or give Holy Communion. At last with the help of a relative, priest from a nearby church came and gave the Holy Communion. What a state of affairs!. What actually is the duty of a priest other than visiting at least even those who are bed ridden for years? No wonder, many Sabha members are leaving the church . Now who cares whether laity leaves or not!

I took retirement from bank in February 1999 at the prime age of 44 and my mother heaved a sign of great relief. From then onwards, I looked after my father for over two years and did his cleaning, daily shaving, hair cut , bathing and all other connected matters. My 16 year old son who was seeing all these used to do everything after coming from school even without asking for it when I was not in town. I was staying separately. He will not go home directly on days when I am out of station. Instead, he used to come and look after his grand father and then go home. Children follow not what we say. They follow what we do.

No service of home nurses was used till the last two or three months when I started having back pain lifting him every day and had to use belt. When he died, there was 25 priests and 4 bishops for the last ceremonies! ! Some came just because they heard Catholicos was coming! What solace does this give to the person who is no more and to the family when they were lonely during his last bed ridden years? If this be the case of a King maker, one can just imagine the plight of ordinary laity.

Even spirituality is turning to be something like a business. Money matters the most. As one friend of mine told me while at Mumbai and who is now occupying the post of CEO in a bank- he is not rich enough to go to church since every Sunday big collections are there on one pretext or the other. As the saying goes- first and the last Christian died on the cross and we are in search of a second Christian.

For most and for everything, money, money, money comes first. But where has spirituality gone? Where can I find it? Where is compassion and those who do justice to their ecclesiastical duty and do it? That is a dwindling tribe. Nobody cares if the people are leaving the Sabha due to all these. Scores of believers in our Cathedral even have left the Sabha. There is no introspection or an effort to put an end to this outflow.

I believe that just because of the sincere service without remuneration to the Sabha by my father and because I looked after my father well during two years when he was bed ridden and since we gave him a royal send off, true to what is said in the Holy Bible, I am subsequently being blessed by God in such a way which I never ever dreamt in the wildest of my dreams.

One great example my parents showed me was the fact that I have never ever seen them quarrelling or talking in a raised voice during my known period of their married life. Truly creditable achievement. It increased our self esteem and self confidence by leaps and bounds.

I reproduce below the last sentence in the will and final testament of my parents-“ It is our pious wish that our children will live in harmonious relationship, having due regard for one another and bring up our grand children in fear of God and with prayerful lives”.

Till date we three siblings could faithfully abide by their above desire and are having very cordial relations. We three have kept in our front rooms a brass plate with the last sentence of the will and testament printed on it and with their photos in it.

It is 23 years since my father left for eternal abode. True to their wish and with God’s blessings, we three are trying our level best to uphold what they desired. Till this date, with God’s grace, we were successful in fulfilling their desire.

I really really miss my father’s presence and his guidance. May his soul continue to rest in peace in heaven in the lap of Abraham, the Father of all believers.

Mamman Abraham ( Renji)
22/1/25