Santhosh's ramblings

I had some hands on classes yesterday. Classes on “Anarchy”, “Survival of the fittest”, “Comradeship and Community”, and “Living in the present”. All these over a period of 3 hours during a shopping trip to Raxaul market, the first one in 4 months. Anarchy was evident all around. The rickshaw trip to the market and back, was one of negotiating space between cycles, potholes, puddles, Tongas (Horse driven carriages) trucks, bikes, people, cows and many other moving things. Everything was everywhere and every one was moving into wherever there was space. On return, the railway crossing was closed and both sides of the road was blocked off. The moment the gates opened, two full roads (the incoming and outgoing) has to create space to accommodate movement, which is four times more than what the road was expected to have – and it all was managed with ease. Who said Anarchy was difficult! Even in the shop, (the local mall {small m} we go to) the queue for check out, was broken umpteen ti...

A culture change is quite evident these days, if you are following the print media and the tele media discussions. There is a culture of reactively responding with abusive voices and violence at will, if any one acts or against a promoted ideology or a perceived human idol even! Many of these ideologies and idols created out a certain perception, relevant not to the larger community, but to a section. There is a culture of promoting and positioning oneself as the best and the answer to all ills and problems, - whether it is Nation, religion, language, organization, or individual. There is a culture of intentionally polarizing and dividing, even to extend of hate campaigns if there is no alignment to the agenda of the so called promoted ideology or answers which are being promoted. There is a culture which encourages sacrificing of others for the sake of the greater ideology, culture or nation itself. And there is a culture of silently closing eyes, ears and mouth (like the three mon...

Two days back a Medical student from Pokra came visiting. We asked him how are things at his college. He said, the hospital 750 bedded is almost empty. Most of the hotels and other establishments are closed. There is no food available. The cost of transport to the hospital from nearby town which was 300/- now costs 2000/-. People cannot afford the same and so they do not come. Another patient who came shared, LPG is going at 2000/-, if at all in black available. Patients who come to us, cross the porous borders at their own risk, come in bikes, tongas etc. after spending quite bit of time and resources. We living at the border on the “Big Bro” side, has been observing this deteriorating situation for last one month. Whatever the “Big bro” and “Small bro” country leaders may say or may not say, or the Media decide to ignore in the midst of more colourful stories of Mukherjee’s etc, the fact is that a Nation is struggling. Rather common people of the country is suffering. For the Big...