Brother Brendan MacCarthaigh, 84-year-old Irish educator after pouring 62 years of devoted service and love in India had to leave.
Former students and associates all called his decision to leave a “big loss” as he was a man who inspired thousands of children, activists, and educators in India. The 84-year-old Irish educator Brother Brendan MacCarthaigh’s parting message eloquently spotlighted the values of spreading love without the pulls and pressures of one’s faith.
He leaves for his home country, Ireland, on Sunday. “Getting old is a profound experience. I find myself asking about my purpose. I find that life has only one purpose. Love. Hold onto love as your value system whatever your religion may be,” he said at a farewell organized Saturday by the alumni of St Joseph’s College, in Kolkata’s Bowbazar.
MacCarthaigh reminisced about growing up in Ireland when Protestants and Catholics during the battles waged between the two communities, and his homeland was doing poorly at that time. He said, “I got no love… I was one of 11 children. We were quite poor. My family would have been better off with two or three children. As with most people, one’s childhood becomes the primary source of one’s inspiration to become the person they are going to be.”
He came to Kolkata in 1960, aged 22, after being selected by the Irish Christian Brothers to teach in India. He arrived at St Joseph’s College, the first of the 23 schools of the Christian Brothers in India, and made the city his home for the next six decades, teaching not only school children but also kids on railway platforms and street corners. His rough childhood allowed him to empathize with troubled children, leading him to found SERVE (Student Empowerment Rights and Vision through Education) in 1996 alongside Rajesh Arora and Abbas Bengali, representing the goal of religious unity to solve social problems.
“Brother MacCarthaigh found that India was the suicide capital of the world, with very depressed school-going children. SERVE worked to relieve the pressure of these students and to help them view education with enthusiasm,” said former student Imran Zaki, who implements the Irishman’s teaching methods in his school for the underprivileged. “He is too large a person to describe in a few words. He was gentle but stern. He never believed in mincing words. His heart always beat for the students who suffered due to the pressure of exams and he spent many years fighting for them,” said Lata Bhatia, an activist.
People are upset with MacCarthaigh’s “removal” from India because they say his visa could have easily been “fixed” and renewed and it is a disgrace after serving the nation for so long to have to leave on such a lone note.
Anindita @hatefreeworldX tweeted “One Nation Sick Nation” in reaction to the suggestion and fear that the “New India” is opting for one religion under the slogan of “One Nation” thus harassing an old educator who gave his life for the country.
One Nation
Sick Nationhttps://t.co/CMUtwIJa55 pic.twitter.com/pWUVR73Zlj— Anindita (@hatefreeworldX) October 30, 2022