Santhosh's ramblings

A man, who had a safe and secure, culturally acclaimed government job, who threw this away at his middle age, not knowing what the future will hold. Joining a small mission organization, with no surety of the future, but a great vision and compassionate heart . A step in faith because of a heart and a vision he had. His heart was for – the then, most marginalized and rejected people of his and neighbouring states, who were dying of an incurable illness, rejected because of their behaviour, marginalized because of their illness, the Injecting drug users in Manipur and neighbouring states. His vision – a kingdom, where such rejection and pain will not be there, where the most marginalized can find comfort and care, a nation which will be free from such stigmatizing illness, and context where people in the margins can find unconditional acceptance which can lead to potential life transformation. Compassion, passion and vision together with a big picture vision on one hand bu...

The last few months, we have been bombarded with many discussions in print, and visual media on a series of issues that are affecting our nation. If you are like me, detached physically from all these but engaged mentally and emotionally, one gets caught in the visible and the audible – what is seen and heard. The voices are loud, the writings are prolific, the visual images are powerful and one allows himself or herself to be caught in the “profoundness” of these media circuses! And lose ability to “look beyond what you see”, or “listen beyond what you hear”.  But it is important at times to fast from these loud and impacting media cacophony, to reflect and ask, what is beyond the visible and audible. Nationalism is one such discussion. The words “Nationalism” and “Patriotism” and other similar words have been dissected so much that one is not any more sure who a Nationalist or Patriot is. Each power group decides on the definition which suits them and then label the rest as ...

A 30 plus year old man was brought to us in a moribund stage. Examination in the emergency revealed a semi-conscious man with signs of multiple infections in his lungs and brain. The disease was quite evident – HIV infection (Late stage AIDS) with multiple infections. His CD4 count was just 6. The relatives (2 brothers – one elder and the other younger) seemed to be surprised at the diagnosis and wanted this diagnosis to be kept confidential. Being from a reasonably well off family, they were talking about keeping confidentiality by moving patient from the ICU to a private room once he was stable. Some of us spend quite a bit of time, explaining the illness, the potential of full recovery etc. and they seemed to be convinced. But after 48 hours as time came to move the patient out of ICU they seemed to be confused, and wanted to shift to a general ward. Finances which was not an issue prior to this was highlighted as the issue at hand. Though not convinced, we agreed that he could be ...

Last evening a friend of many of us, Dr George Ani, a young professor of ENT passed away following a cycling accident. He has 2 young daughters. Annie his wife the 2 daughters will have to face life for the next many years without their loved one with them. This news came at a time, when I have been actively following events which are unfolding in India and USA. India, where the arrogance and pride of power is reaching a level, which brings back memories of previous such events in history, both in our nation and other nations. Words being spoken by elected members of our parliament, has been arrogant and at times even abusive. Power has been used to suppress alternative ideologies and thinking. And one gets the feeling that things are not going to be easy for us as a nation. At the same time, with the election fever in the so called “most powerful nation” the words used by many of the candidates portray again arrogance and pride. Some words are even abusive. And if some of those c...

The reason why alternative powers are costly is because, they are expected by the popular power to follow certain expectations and patterns. Being alternate, they usually do not follow these patterns or expectations, and this leads to conflict. The way alternate power, ideologies and expressions emerge, is expected to align to the way the popular power emerged. With visibility, with the support of the known and “respected” of the society. It never or hardly ever follows that pattern or expectation. It usually emerges unknown and slowly picks up momentum, till it reaches a “tipping point” when it becomes visible. By then this becomes unacceptable. The other expectation is that, whatever the ideology may be, one should show allegiance to the popular power and expectations of the same. As long as one shows open and public allegiance to popular power and ideology, whatever may be the initial alignment, one is left without being objected to. And this allegiance if is at an acceptab...

The recent happenings in our country, has become a stand-off between the so called Nationalists and Anti- Nationalist’s. One is made to believe that there are a group who are anti nationalists and the nationalists responsibility is to see that these are nipped off in the bud! But if one goes into details of what is happening, one realizes that, all are nation loving people. The only problem is the understanding of how each group sees and understands this complex and divergent nation of ours, which I love and I am part of. But the issues underlying all these cries of Nationalism and Patriotism, are not evident to the common public. They are forced and encouraged to believe that all these are about nation loving and nation hating. The underlying deeper issues seems to be “power” and “Self”. Power is self-perpetuating and self-preserving. History shows us that, popular power tries to suppress the alternate centres of power to preserve and consolidate the power which is already given ...

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 ...