Saturday, December 19, 2009

stillness speaks: Just another day.

stillness speaks: Just another day.

Just another day.

Four and a half years ago a group of 65 students all eager, thrilled, filled with hopes, dreams and anticipation, began  a Journey together, as we walked down the road to the medical school on the First day of our MBBS course, The Journey of our professional medical life....me being one of them.
                                                 The person who walked down to the college that first day, was a child, bubbling with enthusiasm and bursting with energy, to be finally able to make a Dream come true. Unaware of What the world would hurl at me? Unaware of What life would teach me? and Where my little steps would take me? All I wanted was to become a Doctor, and heal the pain and disease, I saw around me.To make a difference into the life of someone who was suffering, by Turning their pain into a smile.
                                                Today is that day (almost, since I have good chances of clearing my final Prof), with the dream of which We had all set out. But, It's not the end. In fact it's just the beginning of a longer and tougher Journey that will last our Lifetime. The start of being a "Doctor"...a Journey to serve Human Life, with the best of our abilities. It's one of the most Pious, most satisfying jobs .Those of you who are reading this Post, can't even imagine, What your Doctors go through to be there for you, and fairly so, because after all we have in our hands, The fate of a "Human life".....
                                                  These past, Four and a half years, have been the toughest, harshest and the cruelest years of my life...I have paid a price to live my dream...I do not know, if it was a price too high..but I do know that, I am no more the same child who had begun this Journey. The child is still there, the dream is still intact, but that child has been chiseled by the strokes of life. The innocence has been tutored by the harsh touch of this World. The child though still laughs and plays, but, it mostly stays hidden from the eyes of the world.
                                                I had three incidents today.
The first was when I got up and walked out of my room to greet the day, and saw the sun slowly coming out from behind the clouds, illuminating the sky with it's shy bright smile and, A bird flying towards the sky to embrace the heights. In that moment, I felt the same thrill that I'd felt on the First day of my college life....and my heart told me, That today is the end of one phase of my Medical life and the beginning of another, though my heart is filled with fear, uncertainties and challenges unknown, Just as it had on the First day, It's raring to go out and meet them all, just as the bird which had spread it's wings fearlessly and flown into the arms of the sky, To meet the unknown with the best I can give.
                                             The second incident was, The Zeal, to live that my Patient of today, A child of 10yrs who suffers from Nephrotic Syndrome and gets admitted to the Hospital about four times a year shows and is all smiles with anticipation of what life has to offer, and in the same Ward I saw a patient die an hour later. And I realized that I have gone through 4 years of this hell and I would go through a life time of it and that I would willingly go through that hell, for the faith that, the little child had in me and in Life, to give that Life a chance against death.

                                             The third incident involved a beautiful bunch of flowers that I saw, set in a vase in between the patient I mentioned above and the dead child. Those flowers, some how caught my attention, they gave me sense of calm, hope and assurance with their sweet colorful presence in midst of all the rush, chaos and tension, as if they were telling me "This is what you are in the life of these patient, your calm, expert assurance as a Doctor, brings the same relief in their troubled life...."

                                            And, then it was over the last practical exam of Final MBBS for me, I have pictured this day countless times, I had always pictured it as a very special milestone in my Life, a feeling of exultant achievement and happiness of finally enjoying the fruit of years of hard work, but I was never prepared for this feeling of, nothingness that has engulfed me ever since I got over with the practical...and then I remembered all these three incidents I'd today and reminded myself of what they'd meant to me.

                                              Thus, Even though I do not know, Whether I am capable enough to shoulder the responsibility that I have on my shoulders now as a budding Doctor, though I am feeling lost in this vast Ocean of Uncertainty and my own doubts...I'll always remember these three incidents and this one - Once on a Daily round with my Unit, An Old lady, who was the patient of our Unit had held my hand, and told every Doctor present there "She is my Doctor", when I told her that I was just a student Right now and others were Senior Doctors, She had firmly held my hand and said "I know, But one day you will be one of them and then you'll be my Doctor"...  So, I am going to hold on to my dream, keep believing in myself , the faith on myself, that the Old woman had and I shall try to be the Doctor I started out to become.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

stillness speaks: Being me

stillness speaks: Being me

Being me

If someone who knows me and has met would have seen me an hour ago...they would have wondered what was it that was making me so distraught..'cuz it's takes something massive to make sit around quietly sulking!!!! (the chatterbox that I am)....I was very upset because I was feeling disappointed at the total failure of a few plans I'd made.
                   And Then, just out of the blue, I heard one of my friends mention " The Lion King"...and I remembered those two immortal words "Hakuna Matata" meaning " No worries for the rest of your days"...and I was laughing again lost in the world of "Timon, Pumba and Simba" .....when just 5 mins back I'd no intentions to smile for the next couple of days!!!!
                 After this I started listening to the song " Yuhin chala chal rahi ~ Swades" and, While I was humming along with the beats, all I wanted to do was to own a Caravan Traveler and get on the road and start travelling...and there again I was dreaming about a trip, When just a minutes ago I had decided not to even think of the word travel.....and I was laughing on myself !!!!!
                                       It was then that I realized this....I end up with so many disappointments everyday, and they all mostly happen because I am such an impulsive dreamer....I dream about so many things, just in the spur of a moment, and start pursuing those dreams trying to make them come true, forgetting that they are just dreams....My Dad used to say this to me when I was small " The reason you get hurt so much is because you spend so much time chasing your dreams ".....all this time I'av always remembered his words but I have also remembered not to heed them (trust me :D)..it's just tonight, I have realized, why I have never paid heed to his words (even after staring into the face of disappointment so often), The Reason is ~
                                                  That, It is these Dreams, which bring a thrill into my life, a new Hope, hope of watching something happen or doing something new everyday, that would bring a new Joy in my life.It's these dreams that make my life so full, so rich in the first place. These are what make my life such a fun- filled experience....If I would not have these dreams...I would not have the laughter that rings around me, the happiness that surrounds me everyday... I would not have my strength which help me Fight back the disappointments, the failures that life throws my way even without dreaming.
                                             It is these little dreams, and the hope they bring with them, that if Today was not just as good a day I wanted it to be, Never mind, tomorrow Might be a better day, because I can dream of What it might bring for me and forget about all the rest.....It's this excitement of expecting something unexpected, which I get while pursung  these dreams, that makes Life such a magical and beautiful Journey for me....
                                            And, So I am going to remain silly and continue dreaming and just enjoy being me :-)

Friday, November 6, 2009

stillness speaks: A lesson from Death.

stillness speaks: A lesson from Death.

A lesson from Death

Life teaches us every moment...but today I am talking about another teacher....
"Death". It's is not the first time I have come across it, but every time death crosses my life it teaches me a few subtle lessons about life that even life itself could not.
                                            I lost one of my college Professors and his wife today (may their souls RIP) in a road traffic accident, which killed them instantaneously. Though I'd no personal acquaintance with them, still as I watched the shocked expressions of their family members, the disbelief and denial on their faces, I felt a great sadness inside me. I heard one of his relatives tell someone " It can't be....I had so much to tell him, I was waiting for him to get back..It can't be" and I pondered what their thoughts had been in their last moments.
                                           It was that statement which reminded of something I had forgotten, about how fragile this bubble of our life is, how momentary it is....every moment u are filled with so many emotions, joy, hope,anger, hatred, jealousy, sorrow, regret...making so many plans....and then in a moment the bubble bursts...and there's nothing left.
                                          Still we spend so much time hurting people we love, so much time hating others, so much time cribbing about life being unfair, so much time waiting for tomorrow, so that we could do this, do that. So much time feeling sorry about the past, about what we could have done all the while forgetting to live in this moment..forgetting that we can do all that right now.
                                           life is a moment...don't let it go by unattended. You never know whether u will get another. So, If you love someone..go hug them and tell them now, If you want to talk to a friend, Just pick up the phone and call them up...If u want to say sorry, don't hesitate, don't wait thinking how, Just go and say it. We all make mistakes in our lives, but living those mistakes forever is a bit gross.... and forgive as well. None of these actions are going to matter to us in death, But they will make life a beautiful Journey for each of us to look at, when Death finally comes to meet us and we turn around and look back.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

stillness speaks: A lonely moment

stillness speaks: A lonely moment

A lonely moment













As I find myself  standing alone,
In this sea of people known and unknown,
A sadness grips my heart,
To know that it’s still alone.
A tear falls across my face,
As I stand looking into the crowd,
waiting, For a warm embrace,
looking, for a familiar face,
Searching, for a friendly glance,
Anything that would drive my loneliness away,
But all that my eyes find,
Are cold and unwelcome stares,
In this vast sea of human faces,
Where i stand alone.

Saturday, October 17, 2009

stillness speaks: A journey through the sky

stillness speaks: A journey through the sky

A journey through the sky

I sat wondering how to put into words
What my eyes had seen,
As we flew across the evening sky,
Like a bird flying to get back home,
After the end of a very long day,
While the day changes into the night.


As we floated away in the sea of dark clouds,
While they came to embrace us wave after wave,
I felt a purely childish glee,
Glee I used to feel as wave after wave, Washed over me,
while I lay on the sandy beach.
The delight I used to feel being tossed into the arms of the beckoning sea.
I could feel the same delight that the waves and the sea felt,
In the dark cloudy forms as we flew ,
 scattering them far far away.


As I glanced afar, and the clouds broke away,
I was mesmerized watching the colorful symphony,
That, the evening sky, the setting sun & the young night played.
I watched the orange flames rise to engulf the blue sky,
Till the young night caught up with them,
And brought down it’s dark curtains,
To begin the show again….
With the moon and stars.


But before the night could begin,
I glanced down upon an ocean of, Glittering golden lights,
As Not be left behind, human hand joined the play,
To set the night’s stage on fire ,
With it’s electrical display……
And thus I watched,
The perfect symphony of man and nature,
Being displayed, stroke after stroke,
While I wandered through the evening sky


(i tried to put into words a phenomenon for which words are not enough, rather there are no words....but if u could not understand what i was trying to describe above..it's something that u get to watch while flying at the time where the day meets the dusk and turns into the night..if u ever fly during this time do look out of your window and i am sure u will feel what i my words have faled to describe)

Friday, October 9, 2009

stillness speaks: Lessons of life!!!!

stillness speaks: Lessons of life!!!!

Lessons of life!!!!

I came to the Med-school to learn  how to become a good doctor, how to be able to help my patients have a better life.More Importantly I wanted to be a different doctor than the apathetic one's who were responsible for my misdiagnosed medical illness, which could have turned fatal...it was to bring about a change in this attitude of doctor's that put the final seal on my career path.To make a difference by being not just a doctor but a human being who could empathize with others.
                                       But, Four years in college though have taught me medicine (which i would have learnt even by reading books any day) , they didn't teach me to become the professional I wanted to be...but These years, The harsh life here, The rotten experiences & The people I came across, taught me something more important...They taught me valuable lessons of life....lessons I am going to remember for the rest of my life & use 'em to shape my attitude for times ahead.

So, here's a list of 10 important lessons I'av learnt from my College experiences :


  • Never let your personal and professional lives mix ( i knew this one even before i entered the med-school, but now it is imprinted in stone in my mind)...'cuz whenever They both mix, both are affected adversely.
  • When you are dealing with Dogs...always remember that every Dog has it's day, If it's not your day today, wait patiently for yours & when it comes, treat all those Dog's the way they treated you and other's when it was their day ('cuz there are some people who only understand when they'r kicked face down into mud by a kick on their butts).
  • But, When you are not dealing with Dogs and rather decent humans....remember to treat them in the same way you would expect yourself to be treated if you were in their place, treat them with same dignity as you would expect for yourself if you were in their place. ('cuz it's the only thing that would save you from being labelled as Dog in other people's book, always remember other's are as human as you are)
  • Respect a person who's doing his work with honesty and dedication, whatever and how soever trivial it maybe..'cuz by doing his part sincerely he's making life easier for you, even if it's teeniest bit. (Judge a person on his efficiency in work not his efficiency to get credit without doing the work)
  • The Golden rule to Judge a person's character is by wether he realizes the importance of  the time of others..not just his equals but that of his subordinates. (If a person respects the value of your time, respect them remember this yourself as well while dealing with people)
  • Every professional has a shelf life, acknowledge yours when your time comes and bow out with grace at your professional Zenith ( it's better than watching your glory turn into dust right before your own eyes)
  • If you love your profession and you cannot tolerate babudom, nepotism & flattery then either work hard on developing your patience, controlling your anger and facing disappointments or else work for the sake of your love (forget about the rest)
  • If you love your profession and you are surrounded with brick idiots use the following ass saving precaution...keep your reason and common sense on a burner & forget about it till the time's right ('cuz if u'll use 'em you'll find your own ass on the burner instead) or else find a new job!!!
  • Never trust people especially who love to call themselves your friends ( and you can't remember one friendly act of their's)..they are jackals and hyenas wearing human skin..ready to pounce on you at the first chance.
  • Don't let your success and your position go to your ahead 'cuz they turn you blind and the higher you rise the harder you fall, and Don' let your conscience die...no one but you can allow it to be killed & the day it dies, you'll be dead as a Human being..what would be left of you would be an animal. ('cuz Both humans and animals are living beings, the thing that makes us human is our conscience)

Monday, September 28, 2009

stillness speaks: Burning Ravana

stillness speaks: Burning Ravana

Burning Ravana


It's Dusshera today...a Hindu festival that signifies victory of good over evil which ends when Ram conquers the evil demon Ravana.....I'am not a religious person, so these Hindu mythology stories of Ram & Krishna only seem to as the epics of Homer like Iliad to me,  they are a piece of literature, that give me an insight into the society, people & times they were written in....1 read them to have a better understanding of the evolution of Hindu & Indian society & the Hindu mindset.
                                           So, When i woke up today & checked my twitter & other social networking sites, I was expecting to see a lot of Happy Dusseherra wishes & status messages...but as i was going through my Public timeline on twitter i saw a lot of people discussing about the relevance of burning Ravana as a symbol of evil in modern times....when the devil is so commonly rampant...I read questions like" Ravana has been damned to be burnt at the stake of evil for eternity....but rapists & terrorists & murderers in our times just spend 10-20 yrs in prisons or maybe a lifetime..so is our system of justice flawed?"....the questions were many as I saw people dissecting the events & characters of Ramayana.
                                          This happens every year....The new generation India questions the age old traditions that they grow up with without questioning the significance behind them, to find the relevance of these practices in their present day lives...As read through & pondered....this thought came into my mind:


                                  Our ancestors believed strongly in Symbolism...all these ancient texts are filled with characters & acts that stand for some symbolic meaning..So, What was the symbolism behind burning of Ravana year after year on Dusshera at the hands of Ram...my answer is  " That the purpose behind throwing Ravana (considering the great scholar he was) to this eternal damnation of being burnt as a symbol of evil, was to set an example for people that would act as a deterrent to prevent them from doing wrong, it was meant ,so that every year when they looked at the effigy of the man burning & realized who he had been, they would also realize that one wrong act could subject them to such an eternal hell, Who would want such a fate???"
                                                Thus even in our times, the symbolism of this day has not diminished, it's just that we have lost the meaning behind the symbol!!!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

stillness speaks: Austerity

stillness speaks: Austerity

Austerity

Here's a scenario- due to some unforeseen circumstances, your monthly household budget goes rocking. So What do u do to mitigate this crisis?....take a few measures to curb unneeded expenses, Instead of eating out every weekend u would dine at home, Instead ,of watching a movie in theaters every weekend, u would watch TV at home, till the crisis bays off & all's well (am sure all those who have to run their households would understand this & those who can't go ask your mom & dad about it).
                                                   The above practices are nothing but practical & sensible steps (at times sacrifices) to mitigate crisis by toning down undue extravagances of our lifestyle.This is nothing but Austerity which literally means a markedly simple or unadorned act/attitude. We all practice Austerity in our homes, in our lives, as & when need arises, both individually & collectively as a family (including our dear national leaders, MP's). 
                  So...What's the big deal if we practice the same at national level collectively as indians, & let the leaders be the torch bearers, this is what Pranab Mukherjee might have had in mind when he suggested Austerity measures to his colleagues in the government (a commendable thought)......................but, then what went Wrong, When & How did this Austerity drive change into Hypocrisy drive????


                                 Let us begin with, Mr Krishna & Mr Tharoor being asked to vacate their 5-star hotel suits,which both said , were being paid for from their own accounts. Fair enough, they are both individuals entitled to live their life in their own manner. Austerity does not mean a person has to be forced into living a hermits lifestyle. Moving on, Sonia Gandhi Pranab Mukherjee & Rahul Gandhi began their Austerity drive by travelling economy class &  in trains (rather than jet planes).......& all hell broke loose, the rest of the party members joined the band-wagon (mind you most only with statements) not to be undone & media went berserk...from discussing the motivations behind the Austerity drive, to dissecting & analysing steps being undertaken, suggestions & last but not the least Panel discussions on Our beloved "Netajis & their Austerity".


                                          But what made me write down this blogpost was the reply to "cattle-class" tweet (for those who'r still pouting about being called cows & bulls, plz refer to some phrase search online) by Mr. Tharoor on twitter & the following uproar which has now become a pain in my eyes & ears!!...To begin with I request our beloved politicians & news channels & Panel discussion hosts to please practice a little Austerity with their tongues & unchecked emotions!!...& Then let's discuss the rationale behind the so called Austerity measures.Our big honchos (Sonia G, Rahul G, Pranab da......) travelling by Y-class/chair- cars....No Sweat, only if u realize the amount of discomfort & uproar it creates for the rest of the co-passengers & the managment & the poor security personnel (to add to it media hounds gnawing for coverage..making situation worse)-- Pranab Da Austerity does not mean you put common sense on the back-burner & let it burn.
                             Our leaders want to begin Austerity, Let them begin it by putting more effort in ,Doing their job sincerely than in theatrics to get their 5 mins of fame. 
                             Let  them ask the media to let'em be in peace (when they travel humbly), ask their Security Staff & managers to coordinate their travelling schedules with airlines/railways managment ensuring less discomfort to the common-man. 
                             Let them ask their party-workers to spend less money in making flourishing welcoming arrangments & display advertisments (with thankyou's, happy birthdays, happy this & that).
                            Let them do it by instead of spending crores on statues, & instead using those crores for the hungry, the poor, the uneducated & by checking rampant corruption around them.
                           Let them do it by asking their party spokesperson to keep their useless traps shut, rather than uselessly fueling media controversies (& also by telling people like Anand Sharma that they DIDNOT do us a big favor by donating a part of their salaries during Kargil war...the brave soldiers who fought & died there would haev done so even if he'd not donated those odd bucks)
                           Let them do it by doing the job they have at their hand well & the JOB is - To efficiently Govern this Nation.(nobody gives a damn if they do it by travelling in X-class,Y-class,Chair-cars or bullock carts, as long as they do it)


Austerity my dear Friends is not something that can be forced down your throats (or should be for that matter), it is a responsible & sincere attitude we need to adopt to pull through times of crisis as a collective nation.So instead of all those Happy-I DAY, Happy R-day & I love India SMS's..join hands & do what ever little you can to make this nation a better place.

stillness speaks: काश

stillness speaks: काश

काश

काश,
ना केवल एक शब्द, अपितु एक एहसास.
जो लाता ह, अपने साथ,
वो भूलीं बीसृं याद, वो दिल में बासी हुईं आस.
काश,
ना केवल एक शब्द, अपितु एक प्रतिबिम्ब,
जो दिखाता ह हमे, वो अनगिनत शामें,
जो सूरज के ढलने से और चाँद निकालने  के बाद,
बन गयीं सूनी सूनी सी रातें .


काश,
जो अब याद दिलाता है,
वो अनकही बातें,
जो दिल से निकल कर, टहर गयीं, हूठों पे आते आते
वो गुज़रे हुए पल,
जब किसी को सहलाने के लिए रुक गए, हाथ उठते उठते


काश,
के हम, कह पाते वो, अनकहीं बातें,
जी पाते, वो बीत गयीं रातें,
पूरे कर पाते, वो अरमान,
जो केवल बन के रह गए, अब भूली बिसरी यादें


इसलिए,
कह दो, आज, जो दिल कहना चाहता ह,
कर लो, आज, जो मन कहता ह,
कौन जाने, अगले पल में क्या रखा ह?
इसलिए जी लो इस पल को,
और भर लो, जीवन को, उन यादों से,
जो कभी न चुनें दें तुम्हें,
काश, के एहसास को .


(my second poem in hindi, thanks to all the encouragement i got from my friends..which i'm sure they'll contain once they see my response....but really i'am amazed at myself, that even with the my limited hindi, i can manage to churn up something near about to verses!!!!!!! )

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

stillness speaks: हे मानव !!

stillness speaks: हे मानव !!

हे मानव !!

मानव, का आधार ह क्या?
क्यों कहलाता मानव,  मानव?
क्यों कहलाता प्राणिमात्र में,  सर्वश्रेठ प्राणी, यह मानव ?
क्यों कहलाता मानव,  मानव??


मानव, का आधार ह क्या?
क्यों कहलाता मानव,  मानव??
उठता प्रशन विचलित चित में यह, जब दीखता  संहार  मानव का, मानव के ही हाथों,
जाती, धर्म, धन, संपदा, धरती के कारण
क्यों कहलाता  प्राणिमात्र  में, श्रेठ्तम प्राणी, यह मानव?
क्यों कहलाता मानव,  मानव?


मानव, का आधार ह क्या?
क्यों कहलाता मानव,  मानव??
क्या मानवता, धर्म, नहीं ह केवल एक हमारा ??
क्या मानव, जाती,  केवल एक नहीं हमारी ??
क्या धरा नहीं यह स्रोत, जीवन,  का एकमात्र भ्रमांड  में ??
क्या मानवप्रेम नहीं ह, संपदा, सबसे बड़ी हमारी ??


फिर,
क्या हुआ ह, हे मानव ??
क्यों नहीं रहा, मानव,  मानव??
क्यों बन गया ह, सर्वश्रेठ प्राणी, यह, एक हीन  जानवर ??
क्यों बन रहा ह, सर्वश्रेठ प्राणी, यह, अपने ही विनाश  का कारण ??
मानव, का आधार ह क्या ??
क्यों कहलाता मानव,  मानव??


( My acknowledgments to my twitter buddies @pallaviade @sakthidharan who suggested me to ask @khushikiduniya, who finally helped me to post this poem in hindi & also @viveksingh thank you all very much.


This is my first & only poem in Hindi, i wrote it quite some time back, just publishing it now, & since my hindi is not very good kindly forgive me and point out if i have made some grammatical mistakes)

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Quotes

"As a well-spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death." ~ Leonardo da Vinci
True words... u want to enjoy a sound sleep, u need to keep your conscious quiet & the only way to do that is through right.Death's the final sleep so the amount of right needed for it is also enormous...so live a righteous life.....& the key for that is " never do to any person what u would never do to yourself!!!"
GUDNYT..sleep o this & wake up a new person :)

(My acknowledgement to @artimpress on twitter for tweeting this quote, where it caught my eye)

Friday, August 28, 2009

stillness speaks: They were your parents, just like you will be one day!!!

stillness speaks: They were your parents, just like you will be one day!!!

They were your parents, just like you will be one day!!!

From your first cry, they cradled you in their warm embrace,
Nurturing you with their tender loving care,as you grew,till you walked away,
Do you remember,their arms catching you,as you faltered in your little steps,while you learnt to walk holding on to them?
Do you remember those unwavering shoulders always there to support you, when you needed them the most?
Do you remember those eyes, which laughed when u smiled & cried when you cried?
Did you see the fear wrenching their hearts apart, as they let you walk into the cold cruel world without them at your side?
Did you feel the anguish of their hearts as they saw you stumble along your way??

You saw and you felt, but you forgot all that,
And as time passed and you grew stronger, while they began to falter away,
You forgot their hard years of toil,
You forgot that their blood, their sweat & tears were your nurturing soil.

And then,
You turned away shirking those groping hands & faltering eyes.
You gave them a stone face and cold eyes, while they looked at you for a little warmth & smile.
You broke their hearts, gave them tears & grief in the twilight of their life.
You gave them your back, when they wanted your embrace in the winter of their life.


You walked away, while they held out their hands, not to beg, but give their blessing away.
You ran away from them, while all they wanted was,Your little time,Your tender touch & your loving smile,
Still,
Still You were their treasure, their most precious gift, the center of their dreams, the center of their prayers, the universe of their small lives.
Still you were the lights of their searching eyes even as the darkness of Death's dark night veiled their eyes.

stillness speaks: Silent Tears

stillness speaks: Silent Tears

Sunday, August 23, 2009

stillness speaks: The Irony of Ganesh Chaturthi

stillness speaks: The Irony of Ganesh Chaturthi

The Irony of Ganesh Chaturthi

The Majestic Ganpati Himself


Ganesha or Gajanan or Ganpati or Vinayak- The Lord o’ beginnings, is a pivotal figure in Hindu mythology, the God with the head of an elephant is perhaps the most worshipped God across the length and breadth of India and enjoys a special place in the hearts of Indians. Ganesha attracts one and all irrespective of being a believer or non-believer by his sheer charm and beauty.


Ganesh chaturthi or the birthday of Ganpati is celebrated all over the India with much ado. Idols of Ganpati in various shapes, styles and rainbow colors are bought home or kept in decorated pandals and worshipped with great pomp and show, In some states these festivities continue for a week or 10 days, followed by “Visarjan” or drowning of the Idols in water bodies (for the environment lovers who are already doing eeshh..Yeah it does create a mess, but of late bio-degradable Idols are gaining popularity)

But, this post is not about the religious significance of Ganesh Chaturthi, rather it’s about the socio-economic aspects. This thought crossed my mind as I saw a photo assay on “artisans working on Ganpati idols across India” on the website of The Hindu, a prominent Indian newspaper( http://bit.ly/FfHqG ) . Every year countless Ganpati idols are made all over India by unknown artisans. Some of these artisans come from skilled families present in this trade since years, some semi-skilled or even unskilled working for a source of livelihood. These Idols made in the obscure nooks and corners of India are bought and worshipped by devotes all over the country….but no one gives a thought about who created these idols?, how they were transported?, through which and how many hands did these idols pass before you lovingly and with all pious devotion gave them the hot seat in your celebrations and served them with devotion for a week or so?…………..

What I want to say here is…. Does the petty thought of caste, religion, and region of all those hands through which your precious idol passed, ever come to your minds…When you’re dancing with joy shouting “ Ganpati bappa morya” “Jai dev Jai dev” or “Jai Ganesh Jai Ganesh deva” or When you look at the awesome face of Ganpati and your heart fills with peace and joy! No, it Doesn’t…or When you are line up together drawn simply by the grandeur and love for the deity for Visarjan .The only thing that fills your mind then, is the beauty of the effort that makes the Idol look as beautiful as it does and you Judge it simply by that.. Don’t you??...you don’ give a damn about whether the sculptor or decorators were from a low caste or whether they were from Bihar, UP or Maharashtra or where ever….

You might even be feeling repulsed right now thinking..that I could I think of something like this…..I can think like this, because, I can also see people fighting with each other in the name of caste, region and religion every other day. ‘Cuz I can see discrimination being done in the name of caste, religion and region every where I turn around and see. We meet out inhuman treatment to some of these very people whose creations we worship and carry on our heads……….Then ….WHY??..Why do we have these double standards??...Why can’t we remember the very same thing when we are being rude or discriminating some one??, that the only thing that matters in the world is “How good you are at what you do”

Friday, August 14, 2009

Darkness to Light - A journey

Eye Don Photo Assay

Ever wondered what makes life beautiful and enriching? What is it that makes every day with all it's toils so bearable and gives us the strength to keep going?

For some it is watching their children grow, for some it see to enjoy the beauty of nature, for some it is to see their loved one's smile. The list is endless. These are the moments that make life such a beautiful and seemingly unending journey. But to enjoy all these precious moments we need our 5 senses- Vision, Hearing, Smell, Touch and Taste....

but out of these it is the gift of sight that defines our lives, our actions, our feelings, just imagine, living a life imprisoned in a dark room without a single window and listening to sounds winds, rainfall, of children laughing, people talking, life passing by beyond those walls, but without you being able to see them, frustrating wouldn't it be?  You would want to tear down those walls, won't you?

But there are some people, who are imprisoned in this darkness, not by some walls, but rather by the absence of the gift of sight, by BLINDNESS.

There are many causes for blindness. In all these cases some or the other part of eye stops functioning, tossing these people into the dark world of blindness.

Some of these causes like cataract, corneal blindness, glaucoma can be treated and these lucky people can enjoy the beautiful journey of life. Out of these next to cataracts, corneal blindness has the highest chances of successful treatment, all that is needed is a donor's cornea.

In India we have about 10 million blind people,
                           out of which 2 million suffer from corneal blindness, which is easily treatable by corneal transplants
                           among these 2 million, a massive 60% are children and the number, is increasing every year, 
                           as against an annual corneal donation of a mere 40000.

What is a Cornea?

When you look at your eyes in the mirror, you see the white portion, which is Sclera, in the middle of which u see a colored round structure called Iris, in the center of Iris is a small round dark structure Pupil, covering these two is a transparent layer of cells called "CORNEA".

How does Cornea function?

Light has to pass through all the above structures to reach inside the eyeball and touch the retina and then the brain for us to see. If, the cornea gets hazy, opaque or scarred, the light entering the eye is either distorted or blocked depending upon the damage. Just imagine a smear on the lens of your camera while clicking a photo. What happens to the photo, happens to how we would see, if the cornea gets damaged.

How does the cornea get damaged?

Sometimes by accidents, burns, injuries by sharp objects, chemical injuries, some infections like herpes, uncontrolled diabetes etc. are some of the causes

How can we treat Cornea and bring the sight back?

Simple , by removing the scarred cornea (like you would wipe your stained camera lens) and replacing it with a new one, by a process called " CORNEAL TRANSPLANT". Easy as it may sound., it takes an exquisite amount of expertise to perform the operation,  but the toughest part of the entire process is to get a "DONOR CORNEA" i.e a cornea from somebody who has donated it to the blind for transplant.

The process of corneal transplantation begins with :

"DONOR" who fills a Eye donation form, either, at a "EYE BANK" or a hospital which performs corneal extraction and transplantation, In this form a person gives consent, that after their death their eyes can be removed and used for transplantation.

A donor card is issued to the person, which should be provided to the hospital, eyebank or the doctor at the time of the death of the donor, so that corneas can be retrieved within the stipulated time, but even a pledged cornea cannot be extracted without the consent of the relatives of the deceased ( a major hurdle..'cuz in their grief or due to their beliefs the relatives refuse to comply).

Another way of cornea donation is that some Hospitals have a "Hospital Corneal Retrieval Programme" wherein a terminally ill person and his relatives are counselled by counselors to donate eyes after death.

Cornea needs to be procured within 6-8 hrs of the death of the donor to be useful for transplantation after that they undergo degradation, so timely information to the concerned doctors is very essential. Also nearly 4 patients can be helped by a single cornea.

The procedure of corneal extraction need not take place in a hospital. Eye banking teams come to the home of donor for extraction and the process is absolutely non-mutilating and takes just 20 minutes, so there are no hindrances or delays in the last rites of the dead person, the extracted cornea is replaced by an artificial cornea transplant, so that their are no harms to the physical appearance of the deceased .

After extraction the corneas are examined for any infections like HIV, Hepatitis B , herpes etc and are graded according to their condition over a spectrum of excellent to poor.The high grade corneas are used for transplant purposes and low grade for therapeutic purposes.They are stored in a preservative medium till they are transplanted.

WHO can donate?


  • any person above the age of 18 (those below 18 need the consent of their parents or guardian's)
  • not suffering from HIV, Hepatitis B, HSV or metastatic cancer, or anyother infectious eye disease can donate. 


To donate :


  • you can contact your nearest eye bank (please check the Internet for eye banks located near you) or any Hospital or Doctor around you and you can get information about the process from them.
  • Once you become a donor kindly inform and explain your decision to your relatives and request them to carry out your wishes.


This way one may continue the unending journey of life by seeing the world through another person's eyes and by this small act you can make a person's life beautiful even after death . It doesn't cost anything to donate a cornea except a little act of empathy.

We all love getting gifts we want, don't we?

Why not gift a blind person the gift they covets most out of life by pledging your eyes for donation - The Gift of SIGHT.



(P.S. 25 Aug- 5 Sep is the eye donation fortnight, wherein multiple camps are held for eye donation all over India.)

stillness speaks: Being a Woman......

stillness speaks: Being a Woman......

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Being a Woman......

A hand frantically groped around in darkness,
trying to find an escape.
A cry shattered the silent night,
followed by an uncontrolled wail.

making my way across, the dark street
I stopped to look around,
As i heard the muffled sobbing,

of an unknown in pain...
who lay, veiled in the dark cover of night.


groping along the cold walls,
I saw finally a huddled, shivering ,tiny figure,

Oblivious to me,
Oblivious to darkness all around,
lying all alone, In the oblivion of her own pain.

NOOoooooooooo............
She cried, at my gentle touch,
shattering my soul, shaking me to the core.


holding her tight,to let her , overcome her fear,
I watched her grappling with an unseen monster, only she could hear.
I felt her flinching at every touch, as pain through her raw wounds seared.
As i brought her, from darkness to light,

I saw, in her eyes an unseen fear,
flowing unchecked in the stream of unwashed tears.

My heart bled for her broken little body and shattered soul,
As ,with trembling lips, she asked me this dreaded question
" How could he??..

  Wasn't he human??...
  Or Was it 'cuz I am a Woman?? "
  But am i not also, someone's sister,
                               somebody's daughter,
                               somebody's a wife,

                               a mother???? "

And we both sat down,Speecless

numbed by the irony of "Being a Women."

Monday, July 27, 2009

Indian Parliament - Why we can't do without it.

I just realized how Indian Parliament's being in action affects the various aspects of our lives...i realized this while browsing through newspapers yesterday.here's how
Over the WEEKEND hibernation of Parliament in session affects us:

NEWSPAPERS- 'cuz of the lack of so many dramatic walk in's & walk out's and disruptions
and the usual business titbits have newspace in excess due to which you
find more advertisments in the newspapers than the news.

NEWS-CHANNELS- have u ever wondered why r we forced to up with so many extra pointless
live discussions and dramatic antics of the anchors or for that matter
wierd news stories over the weekend 'cuz our poor NEWS people do not
have the dramatic action coverage from the workings of parliament.

BLOGGERS,TWITTERS- poor us!!! with our spoof sources enjoying their weekends we are
so lamentably left to bear with the stale old updates and
political humor and sattire...'cuz our dear MP's are such a
promising and never ending source of inspiration for our
imaginations.

COMMON-MAN- gets away with a mixed bag 'cuz parliament being not in action leaves a
slightly lesser hole in his hard earned taxable income (which is the
fuel of our parliament and which is so clumsily consumed) but he
obviously misses the massive chunk of entertainment that parliament
being in action provides.

Last but not the least-------

PARLIAMENTARIANS- our MP's themselves are st such a massive disadvantage 'cuz
probably the only amount of exercise their body (apart from their
mouths) gets is through their regular WALK OUT of parliament
routine..thus having serious drawbacks on their fitness regimes and
also on the pockets of their fitness trainers.

Conclusion---- Parliament's being in session is crucial for the social, mental ,
economic and physical health of our nation and it's people so while in
session our parliament should be in session even on weekends (this may
also help in covering up all the time lost in b/w walk out's walk in's
and minor and major tussels that take place on the floor)

Monday, June 22, 2009

sound of music

the wind gushes around me,
playfully ruffling through my hairs,
mocking me, as it's flows by...
teasing me to try and decipher the music that it makes....
of the sounds from unknown places and unkown people,
it whispers into my ears,
their dreams,

 their wishes,
 their strives,
 their fears....
just as it would whisper to another,
my dreams,

 my wishes, 
my strives,
 my fears.

O' it makes me sing with joy, as it goes passing by,
warming my heart with it's caressing touch,
lightening my cares...

as i whisper to it my lilttle prayer.

it whispers back..

" you are not alone my child,
there are many just like you,
making their way through the current of time,
with the same hopes, same fears and
there were countless before you and shall follow you,
along the same road hither.
 i have seen them all 

and  i have been with them all
through the suns and the rains......."


stick to your path, follow your heart,
and when you are low...

how so ever lonely the road may seem,
come to me, 

i will always be there,
to bless u..
with blessings unheard,
to raise..your spirits with my song,
to hold your hands and help u tarry along"

Sunday, May 17, 2009

At a Glance---" 17.05.09- results o' india's 15th parliamentary polls"

Heylo readers............i will dedicate today's " At a Glance" solely to the one and only thing i can see or hear wherever i turn around................." The Poll results"---chunav parinam ( in hindi)
So lemme tell u the results first----after abt 20 decades, the Indian electorate for once hav given a clean and clear majority to a single political party---- The Indian National Congress, so finally we have got rid of the political potpourrie, which has become the bane of our national development and have a stable governmet to look forward to..................
my feelings abt the result are a mixture of relief, happiness and terror.........u might think that's paradoxical.........no allow me to explain------- relief from the fact, that we
hav been saved from the results of a terrible political concotion ( of mayawati,jayalalitha, mamta, mulayam,lalu, chandrababu,third front, fourth front n what not, with the common
denominator of their own selfish interets and nothin beyond).......Phewww!!!...we have been saved by the Great Indian Electorate.
Happiness---i wasn't intially happy when i realized that Congress

had been voted back ( and no i am not a supporter o' the BJP) because it means another 5 years o' dealing with a family driven, person oriented government comprised of pet boys who are predominantly

brainless maverick's (the reason for my terror imagine having Arjun Singh for another 5 yrs as HRD minister...ARGHHHHHHH,lord mecry).......................but as i sat thinking and analysing the results, A question rose in my

mind....Why???.....Why this time the indian electorate instead of doling out a fragmented verdict ( as expected by even the parties themselves, predicted by the exit polls, media and analysts) flumoxed everyone with this

verdict..........'cuz all the parties as usual were talking their usual crap and the electorate see's through it and congress esp. Due it's disastrous policies and choice of
coalition parterners was more in the dock

than anyone else.....then why????
It was the answer to this question that struck me as joy...........the answer is that finally people in india have started looking beyond religion, caste , region

etc....over the broader picture, that is, of performance against promises ( that are at times unreasonable, unfathomable! and spurious)...............These results are not a victory of Congress (plz also those party


loyalists who are in that euophoria, may come out o' it)......neither it was the magic of youth, or charisma of a person.............This verdict is a victory of a man's integirity, of his uncompromising determination of not letting

any person or any party , for any reason to hold at ransome his integrity , his determination not to compromise his far sightedness for the near term benefits, his un
bending professionalism and political ethics-------and that man is none other the highest ranking public servant o' this country-- Our Prime Minister ---Dr. Manmohan

Singh...............this result is a tribute by the indian electorate to this man and his integirity.......this is the payement of the electorate to this man for his unbending determination through their faith .....which they
have put in this man ( mind you not his party
nor anyother person).......but only in this calm,
quiet, determined,intelligent,diligent,hard working and honest common man.
Dr Singh i donot know wether

u have understood this salute or wether anybody else has realise this or have the guts to accept it, but i would like to say this to u sir...................U have a chance, the greatest that life or a country can offer to a man.....to be a leader and make a difference and to deliver
your country out of the clutches of these
political demons who survive by petty castism, regionalism, religious fundamentalism, without any moral code........................You Mr. Singh are people's choice (choice of every man
whose integrity has been held at ransome like yours and who fought for it) to end this evil........i sincerly hope that you will not let it go by.
with best wishes.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

At a Glance---14.05.09

Heylo......m bck with " At a Glance"..........ummm did'nt find anything intresting enough to get me started writing.........but i was watching a movie today and i heard very intriguing dialogue:
The movie was " Meet Joe Black"........Anthony Hopkins says this to his on screen daughter " Love is passion, obsession....sumthing you can't live without.....find someone you fall head over heels in love, love him wildly and let him love you wildly.....to find that love keep yourself open......donot think with your mind,think with your heart........there's no sense living life without it...to make the journey and not fall deeply in love, you have not lived a life....but you hav to try it,'cuz if u havn' tried, you havn' lived"...............

these words speak everything themselves nd true enough, life is nothing without life, even if you havn' found someone if you keep trying....you always have a feeling o' expectation, of sumthin that might happen...u knw o' hope.

Thought i had share it.....c u all....nd wish you enough....:)

Sunday, May 10, 2009

At a Glance 10.5.09

Bck again with " At a Glance".........ummm actually people eventhough i went through, 3 of the india's top circulating newspapers........could not find anything stimulating enough to write about........
The papers were harping about the usual political jargon, the Nepal situation, Lanka-tamil standoff.........i don' think anything more needs to be written about these issues...we have enough material to read through in between all the newspapers and editorials.............oh now that i remember i did come across 2 intresting bits o' news pieces.....
* One about synthetic gourmet, which in common jargon implies food prepared purely with the help o' artifical ingridients ( no vegies, no fruits, no spices, no meat)...jst chemicals, which contain the adequate proteins, carbs, fats and use of artificial flavors to bring about the desired taste..............the creator is a french chef ( i forgot the name..m srry) in Japan.....................though the chef claims this is the trend of coming future, sumthing like food capsules, the event has started a debate ( i would hav been surprised if it hadn't)..............personally speaking i m fine with my good ol' food, though it's cumbersum when we have to cook it, but still nothin like it....but once in a while i can even try the synthetic stuff ( u knw if m not feelin like cooking and neither is the cook deelin like it ;)...)
* Second bit o' news is about a TPS, sumthin called as Toxic politician syndrome......i read about it in an editorial in The Hindustan Times, describing a syndrome which mainly affects the disgusting politicans of ours and it's effects on tthe general population as well.....it made a very enlightning nd hilarious read...intrested readers may read it on the e-paper.

Oh yeah before i end, i forgot to mention a piece o' news yesterday.......it was about the intervention that our Hon' Supreme Court has done to save the delicate Aravali ecosytem, from the clutches of rampant miners and unconcerned Haryana state government........kudos to the court for their efforts ( i sincerely hope that their intervention is implemented, otherwise we are on the verge o' an eco-disaster).....
So long people ( i may have to neglect this coloumn for a couple o' days ahead...'cuz of inevitable clg schedule).....hope that some one apart from me reads this...CHOW.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

At a Glance--9.5.09

Hello guys....my second day o' " At a Glance"..........today again i quickly leafed through a couple o' e-papers (taxing college schedule)........and leaving apart all the political bullshit (both at the national and international levels) which includes, politicians (mind you not leaders, very few exist in our times...jst cheap ol' politicians) calling each other filthy names and pulling eachother's legs in a manner even kindergarten students would not and the american politicans trying to strong holding their Big Daddy role in SE-Asia (though i do respect president Obama for atleast trying to change the traditional American foreign policy with regard to Indo
-Pak scenario, using the role o' Big Daddy to correct the mistakes o'his predecessors is dissapointing, i thought he had the makings o' a leader, but then it's too early to pass that judgement)......................
these and other issues o' world politics here nd there.....we hav so many expert writer's to do those news headlines the justice so i'll keep today's thread to the only news bit i found worth while:

* I read this in the delhi edition of Times of India e-paper........a world bank project found that indian stand on needing a greater chunk o' carbon space for the development o' there masses credible against allegations that India was simply using this as an excuse to cover up their non-chalant and irresponsible attitude..................ummm being an Indian citizen i would like to tell anyone who's reading that though it is true that we do need more carbon sapce than those o' the developed european and americans, the basic reason is that we incorporate allmost equal to their population in the subcontinent nd half of which is illiterate and unaware and unconcerned with any of the global enviornment issues...............

BUT But but and but our government is using this as an excuse to evade their responsibility and the headache of action............the situation is easily managable and the only effort needed ont he part of the government is to have people who are qualified enough to understand the situation and capable of discion making in the right place ( which is the problem...'cuz leaving apart a few, all our netaji's are a part o' the large mass o' uninformed nd unconcerned people i mentioned above)

An example to this statement is published in the same paper as an article called " go green"......which states that one o' the Industrial giants o' India---the Tata's have taken intiative to curb down carbon emission at their 8 industrial units (which are steel production units) and are using expert help for this purpose.............my kudos to Mr Tata and his team for their intiative and leadership skills.............and i would like everyone to imagine that if these intiatives were also taken up by all our industrial leaders, and even half our countires literate population individually we could easily curb down our carbon emissions and use less carbon space even while sustaining our development...................the only intiative required by the government would then be just supporting these industrial efforts, undertaking stringent implement of Green Norms and spread of mass awareness i seriously don't think that's too much to ask, considering the amount o' effort we waste on lesser important issues.

* P.S:- this was also the issue which i had wanted to address yesterday but could not do so due to lack of time.....And i wish all the mother's o' d worl' A very happy " MOTHER'S DAY", sumthing i missed yesterday, though i do not believe that one single day is enough to celebrate a phenmenon called being a mother but still.

Friday, May 8, 2009

At a Glance- 8.5.09

'cuz i was pressed for time today ( due to an inborn error of my laptop, which is constantly crashing and the hardships of being a medical student )......jst caught a peek at a copule o' e-papers...nd my pick o' the day include:

* Just 57 per cent electoral turn out in India's capital Delhi for the third phase of our parliamentary elections.............which according to some is a very good improvement over previous trend.....but according to my personal opinion---SHAME CAPITAL nd SHAME PEOPLE....after the amount of harping about our rights nd previlges nd democracy....waste of newsprint about dance of democracy, mass and electronic media awarness, if we cannot even vote for our rights...we have no reason to crib....'cuz " WE ELECT THE TREATMENT WE GET".

* Finally scientists in Canada have managed to crack the genetic code of the swine flu virus, which has of lately got the whole world on it's toes....and even though mass production of vaccine have started, still according to predicted reports more than one third of the world will have to face the virus (and as a medico, based on my theory, the rest of one third of the world will also experince it if it becomes a pandemic, which is very likely in our global village world).............well my kudos to the efforts of all the scientists and to put their feelings into words---there's a saying every dog has it's day, in all probablity the speaker was unaware of the term avian influenza.....otherwise the saying would be every pig, chick, geese, cat and poultry has it's day...........which leads to sleepless nights of the above mentioned kind researchers.

I have to more bits which i wanna share but 'cuz am running outta time atd mo' i'll post them tomorrow......till then chow.

HAPPY READING.