Joseph – the Soldier of God and helper

Srinivasan Nenmeli

Joseph Kuttackal was easily the brightest student in our class of thirty
boys studying physics in our small college in the provincial town of
Pattukottai near Trichy,South India. His parents hailed from the backwaters
of Kerala and were very poor coconut farmers. During the communist
sweep, his father, Paul Kuttackal, lost the two- acres plot from his ancestral
property.
Paul moved to Tamil Nadu and set up a small tea shop and then a lodge for
truck drivers on the main Chennai-Trichy highway, called in those days
Grand-Southern-Trunk [GST] road.
His father was keen that Joseph should get the best college education
possible and also learn the Christian theology and liturgy under well-
qualified clergy in Tamil Nadu. He chose Patukottai in the Trichy diocese,
known for strong, fundamental Christian values..…There were always two
or three Scottish missionaries of SJ [Society of Jesus] to teach young
novices.

Joseph exceeded the expectations of his father and soon was awarded a
scholarship to study in the local Christian college. He has ,by then, mastered
catechism, deuteronomy and hymns . He became a choir boy at the age of 8
and even played a large organ in the local church, built at the time of Lord
Robert Clive when he had a decisive victory in capturing the Trichy fort and
established an army cantonment there. Joseph was liked by all the young
brothers and fathers in the local church. They were expecting him to join the
church as a novice to study theology and even get DD [Doctor of Divinity]
degree. Joseph’s father also nursed this secret desire that his son should wear
the cassocks and become a pastor one day….

Joseph liked studies in science and was very good in math and physical
experiments.. He wanted to study science only—especially physics. At the
same time, he did not want to displease his father and to hurt his mother…he
completed his first degree {B Sc} in Physics of Madras University and also
joined the United Seminary for theology…The seminary course was of
three years duration…he completed both B Sc and DD before the tender age
of 22 years….
 Joseph’s father was justifiably proud of his brilliant son .He looked
forward to his son’s ministering to the sinning men and women after
ordination in a year or two…..
As luck could have it, Joseph was spotted by a visiting British scientist
from the University of Bristol--- Prof Forman. He tempted Joseph that he
could arrange for Joseph’s doctoral studies in a Catholic university in France
near Nice, with a famous physicist who had already earned Nobel prize the
previous year.The help from this British scientist was a shot in the arm of
Joseph…he got a formal permission from the authorities and also a hug from
his father and mother. Soon enough Joseph flew to Paris.

Joseph did brilliant work under the Nobel Laureate and obtained his
doctorate in a short span of four years. During his Paris years, Joseph was
exposed to the marvels and attractions of the great city. For a boy from a
conservative town in Tamil Nadu, the liberal and licentious atmosphere in
Paris was confusing and baffling. Joseph befriended several girls who were
attracted to the sheer brilliance of his talk and mild manners. He spent
several nights in the clubs like Moulein Rouge and other places….The
Christian notions of virtue was slowly forgotten.

After his work at Paris, Joseph renewed his friendship with his mentor,
Prof Forman. Joseph moved to Bristol for a Post-doctoral fellowship for a
year. Joseph had a few attractive British women as friends, especially
women in the older age group of 40 years….One woman, Sherry wanted
Joseph to settle in Britain and to marry her… Joseph told her gently that
that was not possible and that he would go back to Pattukottai and live with
his parents. Sherry understood and parted ways.
While in Bristol, Joseph wrote an excellent text book of physics , based on
his lecture notes there. He wanted to publish the book only in India and
signed up with a well-known Indian publisher in Delhi. Joseph was indeed
patriotic…..those were the years soon after Indian Independence…the year
was 1950.

Joseph became a Reader [ rank of Assistant Professor ] in the college in

Pattukottai.. He was quite popular as a lecturer. He also set up a modern
physics lab there. He was also equally popular among the devout Christians
in the diocese and his Hindu neighbors... He was respected because he had
two doctorates—one in Divinity and one in Physics from Paris University.
He was sought after for lecturing to elders on a favorite topic in those days:
“Science and Religion” ; many devout Christians used Joseph as a plank to
spread the Gospel among the pagan heathens…the Hindus.

Joseph ,however, made a costly slip. He published the text book on

physics holding the copyright in his name. The book was very popular
among thousands of undergraduate students throughout India. The royalty
from the sales was a fabulous sum in those days; that would attract jealousy
from other faculty members. This slip was quickly noticed by the Rector of
the college and he promptly reported the matter to the Dean and the local
bishop…As a member of the Church, Joseph should have offered the
copyright to the local mission ..…after all, Joseph was an ordained priest
with D D after his name. He had taken the vows of chastity and poverty as
every Christian clergyman does.. Chastity he had lost in Paris. The vow of
poverty he lost in Pattukottai after the publication of the book….

The dean requested Joseph to relinquish the copy-right of the book in favor
of the mission as a member of the clergy. Joseph was rather reluctant. The
heady wine of success and fame entered his head. He argued that the book
was written while he was in Bristol as a fellow and in fact, the University of
Bristol only can claim rights for the book.
The Trichy diocese promptly took the matter to local court with the help of
Ranghachari, a famous lawyer in Trichy ,He was my maternal uncle whom I
used to meet during summer vacations. Rangachari sent a legal notice to
Joseph.

Meanwhile Joseph was a celebrity of some sort in India in academic

circles .His papers with his guide in Paris came to be recognized now.
The book made Joseph famous since it also carried a foreword from his
guide, the Nobel Laureate. It was prescribed as a standard text in almost all
the major universities in India…

During his travels attending conferences , Joseph met a young bright

research student at University College in Mumbai, Sashi Patel. Sashi was
attracted to Joseph, in spite of his dark skin and short stature, by his
academic credentials and powers of conversation. Joseph was going through
mental turmoil because of the legal battle with the dean and the diocese. The
chances of his winning the case was slim, what with Rangachari arguing
for the diocese. When the case closed, most probably Joseph would have to
pack and leave..he wanted someone to lean on and pour out his anguish…
Sashi was very patient and a good listener.
 In the next trip to Mumbai, Joseph spent several days with Sashi. Sashi
advised him to move to Mumbai and take a job as physics lecturer in some
local college..Joseph took this suggestion seriously and applied to three
colleges—all Hindu colleges run by business houses in Mumbai. It was cake
walk for Joseph…all the three institutions offered assistant professorships
and Joseph had almost decided to join a college run by a textile magnate
who was distantly related to Sashi Patel.

There were only two hitches—firstly, he had to convince his parents about
the shift to Mumbai; it was obvious that his aged parents would not like to
move out of Pattukottai. Secondly, would his father approve of his teaching
in a Hindu college after receiving education and support from his diocese?…
Joseph battled in his mind over these ticklish problems….Sashi’s sweet
,encouraging words were like cool ointments to his troubled mind.

After returning to Pattukottai, Joseph told his father Paul Kuttackal about
his decision to move to Mumbai to teach there. He did not tell him about
joining a Hindu college. He did not tell him or his mother about Sashi Patel
either….That will come later.
Paul understood the situation pretty well; his son had transgressed the rules
of the church and earned the wrath of church fathers...It would be better he
moved to Mumbai, as it was a matter of a few months when the church
would win the case , defrock him and drive him out of the college. His
parents would , however, stay on in Pattukottai till their last days.

Joseph made the next move---he submitted his resignation from the
college, but not yet from the church. His resignation was not accepted.
Joseph, on the advice of his friends, moved the court for his relief from the
college. The Hindu magistrate who heard his case was sympathetic….Joseph
could leave the college and take up job elsewhere, but the matter of his
leaving the church would be decided by the Archbishop only….
This was a temporary reprieve for Joseph….
He left Pattukottai ---a few friends gathered at the railway station to bid
farewell. His parents shed copious tears. He rented out an apartment which
is always a big struggle in Mumbai. Sashi Patel arranged a temporary
accommodation in a flat owned by her cousin..Though a priest, Joseph
stopped wearing his clerical robe or cossack..He even started wearing a T
shirt ….He continued to pray at the local church on Sundays.
 As we all know, the legal procedures move very slow---at snails pace in
Indian courts. The copyright’s issue was still with the courts…. Meanwhile
the archbishop sought to negotiate some out-of-court settlement with
Joseph…By then, ‘ the Joseph case’ had attracted lot of newspaper
attention..There were close reports in the papers and in Tamil magazines…
The image of the Church could be tarnished…If Joseph could pay some
compensation to the church, the case would be dropped.
Joseph had to appear before high court in Chennai, as lower court favored
the church stating that the copy right should be transferred to the Church and
so on. Joseph was in a fix…
Meanwhile Joseph had made up his mind to marry Sashi. His parents would
approve of the marriage if Sashi would convert to Christian faith….Will she
agree for this? What about her parents’ approval?

Joseph became popular in his college in Mumbai and, though a devout

Christian, he was accepted by his students. He became a full professor in
about three years….but the woes of Joseph were not over.

Meanwhile Rangachari argued forcefully for the indictment of Joseph by

the court…..Joseph should relinquish his copyright of the book and also pay
for the support from the church for his early education in College and other
funds received while studying in Paris….in all he had to pay Rs 20 lakhs ---
a huge sum those days….Of course he would be defrocked…The judgment
along these lines came a rude shock to Joseph and his father. Joseph had
only about Rs 10 lakhs from the sale of his books…His father was
devastated that his son would not be a priest any more…
On hearing the judgment, Joseph sought the help of Sashi Patel again.
Sashi ,on her part ,had informed her parents about the whole affair. Her
parents ,very forward looking Gujarati merchants, were ready to give Rs 10
lakhs to the young professor…they felt that he had been wronged by the
church in South India….would they accept him as their son-in-law?----that is
another matter!….
Joseph paid the money to the church through the court , burnt his clerical
robes in a bon-fire in Chowpatty beach and felt free in several years…He
again came to Pattukottai to talk to his parents about marrying Sashi…His
father objected initially, but seeing the photograph of Sashi with her
charming face and rose-white complexion, he formally agreed for the
marriage without asking for conversion to Christian faith….Anyway Joseph
was not a priest anymore.
With the ‘good news’ , Joseph approached the Patels. They had known all
the developments .Sashi’s mother,Sneha Patel, was overjoyed that her son-
in-law is a Ph D from Paris University and author of a famous text book and
so on. Prafulla Patel ,Sashi’s father, was also happy that his son-in-law is a
professor in the college run by his distant cousin---a textile magnate. Sneha
Patel was only a bit unhappy that her son-in-law was of jet-black
complexion of a Dravidian stock…She asked her sister what would be the
color of her future grand-son!

------- The End-------------------