If the name of Satyajit Ray came to be inextricably linked
to Calcutta, then there is also one other person whose persona
is synonymous with that of the city-Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu,
famous all over the world as Mother Teresa, was born in Skopje
in Yugoslavia and came to Calcutta as a sister of Loreto Convent
in 1929 to begin life as a teacher. The horrors of the 1943
famine and Partition, which left such scars on the city, convinced
Mother Teresa to leave the convent to pursue her personal
mission to work for the poor of Calcutta. Sensing this mission
as an inner command, since that time she has made the easing
of the plight of the poor of Calcutta lifelong devotion and
commitment. The work of the Sisters of Mercy among the poor,
the lepers and the terminally ill has made her someone who
is respected worldwide. The love and respect she inspires
at times transcends boundaries of religion, community and
class. In a city known for its debate, dissension and polemic,
she commands a great deal of consensus. In a city where cynicism
can be paramount, she represents hope and the virtues of self-abnegation. |
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