Letters: Humbling experience

On the occasion of Mother Teresa's canonisation, I recall a phone call back in 1977 from the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata seeking an urgent appointment for the Mother. Within less than an hour, the Mother accompanied by a sister was before me for the release of a station wagon surrendered before the customs authorities by a foreign tourist wishing to donate the same to the Missionaries of Charity. Under the law, a tourist availing of such duty-free import was required to take the car out of the country within a time frame. This was not complied with.

The Mother showed me a copy of the finance ministry order granting exemption from customs duty on the car. I explained the vehicle could not still be released for want of permission from the ministry of commerce. With childlike simplicity, she pleaded for its release to fulfill a promise made to her "children" to take them on a picnic in a new car and for which she was prepared to sign any document. Well before the day she was to take her "children" on a joyride, the station wagon was on the premises of her institution. I was rewarded with a warm "thank you" over phone from her, followed by a postcard bearing her signature. It was quite a humbling experience.

S K Choudhury Bengaluru

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