Posts

I wonder.....

This 20 years old young lady came to show herself a few weeks ago. She had a skin lesion on her left hand, which was clearly a pauci-bacillary Hansen’s Disease. (Leprosy). We initiated her on treatment and asked her to be on follow up for 6 months. Yesterday was a busy OPD. In the midst of the crowd, this girl and her mother walked in. I did a quick 30 seconds examination, and told her you can pick up medicines for a month and come back. The mother hesitated, and asked me a question. Does the patient need to come back, or can she (Mother) come and collect medicines every month? I casually replied, no issues, anyone can. Then something in her facial expression caused me to wonder, why is she asking this. I asked, why cannot the patient come. Then the story poured out. She is being send back to her husband’s house and in laws. They do not know that she has this illness. She has been married for more than a year. She started getting this lesion a few months back. And we brought her home

WADD

The discussion around in the media is all about democracy and dissent. How much dissent is allowable in a democracy and what should the dissent look like. What is acceptable dissent and unacceptable dissent. And if dissent happens, how should the main stream groups, and the governance structures respond. As we were growing up, we were brought up with this principle “ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. ” A current translation of the same reads like this “Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.” The teaching then was “WAAA”….Learn to be WAAA people. People Who Agree to Agree Agreeably. This was reasonably easy in a mono cultural, mono religious traditional family where we were brought up. And one really did not have any other choice. You were expected to agree and keep quiet about it. And not even show much discomfort, even if you felt uncomfortable. And so life went on in the WAAA mode

Swimming

There are many kinds of people around us. One kind, who goes along with the flow. Where the current takes them, they move. They follow the current fads and flows. Where the popular opinion is, along with that they move. Where the Nation, the community, tribe, nationalism, economy, pluralism or any of the current “isms” move, they move along. It is an easy ride since the flow has been set by the dominant powers that be, and it is not too tough to flow along. And these people, I am not sure if they are in majority or minority, but are the most visible and respected by the powers. The Media and those voices “that matter”, talk much about them and they move up in the social ladder pretty fast. Because of that, they are in the limelight, whether they are majority or minority, they are the most visible. Then there are those who stand in the shores and watch the flow. A group, who though are silent spectators of the flow, but in total agreement with the flow. The issue with them is that

Thinking aloud multiple things...

I was in another country for a week, visiting some Medical professionals and students. I am putting down some random observations from this country, which has been a learning experience for me. The city where I stayed most of the time, has the highest population density in the world. In the midst of the mostly crowded roads and rows of old buildings, and dirt and waste products lying all around (like any other city, in this region of the world including our own,) one would see large, new buildings heavily guarded and protected. These stood out in stark contrast from other buildings around, both in terms of their architecture, size, walls of protections around, security and other aspects of appearance. These were specially set up as 100% export factories, where garments and other consumables are being produced to be exported to the developed nations in the northern continent.  As one drove through these roads, you would find, early in the morning, ordinary looking people, (Aam Aadm

Losing it....

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The question I am asking my self is, “Have I lost it” or “Am I losing it”?  All around we are finding situations where people, countries, communities are losing it. Losing the Meta Narrative the Momentum the Looking out the Looking Ahead etc. From being a world, community and people who were slowly moving from Tribal to Global, Local to Glocal, Narrow life perspectives to a greater perspective, regional to national, national to world as the platform, things seems to be changing fast. We are being forced to think again back to our tribe, our family, our lives, our faith community, our Nation etc. Slowly boundaries are being redrawn, lines are being put down, limits are being clarified, and attitudes are changing. This is visible at all levels, whether it be National or individual lives! Some of us are at ages, having been or broader platforms, find it easier to wind down to a more limited and narrower sphere of engagement. The context has much to do with this. There is the pr

Three conversations...

These are summaries of a day long conversations which I had yesterday as some of us travelled into Hitauda, Nepal, a small town 60 km from the border. Conversations with people whom I met, the vehicle drivers, friends, myself and with God (I presume He was listening into my un-uttered conversations too)! We left the campus at about 7:15 AM and walked over the border – closed to vehicles because of the blockade by the Madeshi’s or Indian immigrants in Nepal. At the border – on the bridge which is the so called “No man’s land” – (both countries say it is not in their jurisdiction ad so they cannot do anything,) there were tents which are supposed to be occupied by the protestors. But it was empty. There were a few young men, trying to make people who were walking across donate to their cause. No vehicles are allowed by the Indian side to cross, saying that border is closed. Other than Bikes and Ambulances! Tongas, Rickshaws, and Tuktuks, wait on either side of the bridge to pick up

ABCDs of Failure

As one looks around and reflect on nations, kingdoms, corporations, leaders and powerful people and families, and even faith based communities, one starts seeing a trend of behaviour. They – (we) come into a position of power or influence and soon start thinking that we have “earned” it. Though it is evident for all to see that this was not an earned identity but a bestowed one, we start believing that we have earned it by our own ability and might. And this leads to an A rrogance. Whether it is based on position, knowledge or even character it does not matter. But an arrogance derived out of sense of having earned it by our effort. This A rrogance if untamed, leads to B elittling others. All the others are seen as insignificant and only seen as instruments to be used for their own good, or at best, an irritation. This comes out of a feeling of we are the “ B est”, and all the others are far below our standards. If faith based, we look at from Holy vs Unholy, sinner Vs Saint perspect