Santhosh's ramblings

What are you doing here, a question asked by God to Elijah. This question was asked a couple of times. I do not think it was a “geographical” question, but more of a “philosophical” one. God wanted to know, what he was doing in the current context, how he reached there. A question I need to ask regularly! What am I doing here…? If someone had asked Elijah, where are you now, he would have replied – Tired and exhausted – had a tough whole day work and then forty day’s journey. But the full day work was the turnaround of the century! By one day’s work, the whole nation had turned around. Of course he developed a few enemies through this action, but what was that when compared to the turnaround of a whole nation? That is when God asked this question – what ARE you doing here….But along with this question, God provided a good sleep and some home delivery food…That was the concern of God! He would have also said, depressed, down and out. He was in deep self-pity – I am the only...

There is a new world emerging. The new world has various characteristics. A few which I observe are.... One – it is a globalized world. A world where things which happen in one part of the globe will affect the other part. A world where events of every part of the globe is well known to other parts of the globe. A world where every aspect of life in one part of the globe is open for people in other parts of the globe to see and aspire for or reject. This is true for economy, religion, culture, life style and travel and communication. Connect and be part of it, or lose out. Social media, instant communication, instant travel, international investment, international work, Mall walking, all are part of this new world. Testing out the changing values, the new “religions” and “life styles” is the hep thing to do, if not, one is seen as a regressive. Two – it is a young world. The young are emerging as the new world order. The young with their massive numbers are changing political ...

Every other day a 12 to 13 year old boy walks in, mostly alone, but sometimes accompanied by his younger brother, who is about 7 -8, visiting many of the families in our campus, taking orders for chicken. He is our chicken supplier! He was walking in and my first reaction was – how can this boy, who is less than 14 be doing the work of an adult. My last few years of experience with “right based responses”, “advocacy” on “Child labour” and such related issues, which I had opportunity to be part of  was rekindled and I was asking around – how can we allow this to happen! How can we even allow this boy to come into the campus? We should put an end to this! Till 2 days back when I took a walk outside the campus and saw his “shop”. His shop was – a trolley (Tela Gadi) on which a middle aged man was cleaning and cutting chicken. And he and his brother, was the home delivery system. Possibly the person who was cutting and cleaning was his father – I am yet to talk to him. And for him...

One of our doctors from the ANC clinic called yesterday in the middle of the OPD. She had an HIV positive lady at the clinic in 39 th week of pregnancy, who needed to be admitted for elective LSCS. A decision had to be taken regarding treatment. Over next few minutes we discussed the plans and decided to meet with the lady and her relatives in the afternoon. At about four, she came to us, and we stood away from the crowd and started talking to her. She had come alone, which was unusual for a 39 week pregnant woman in this part of the country. You would have the mother-in-law, sister-in-law and the brother-in-law with them even if the husband is not! When we asked her about people who have come with her, she said she has come alone. Husband – she told he is working in a place about 4 to 5 hours away. Then the story tumbled out. She knew she was Positive, her husband also is positive. No one else in the family knows. The only way to keep this within them two was to come alone to the ho...

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...