Power corrupts!

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely was Lord Acton's famous Dictum! And Aam Aadmi party, the party with the so called difference, is proving Acton right.

Let me confess this first. I was a firm believer in the party. I sensed hope when a lot of friends around me were cynical. I thought when the good people come together, they can change the way political activity is being conducted in this country. And when the good people came together to fight the morons of politics last year, I was happy. I saw light at the end of the tunnel.

But then, power, that word 'power' does stupid things to a lot of people. And AK and other partymen do not look like exceptions.

I really don't know the inner happenings of the party. Even now I hope that sense prevails in the end and everybody who joined together in creating the party will come together again in changing a rotten system. But things does not look rosy. There is too much secrecy for comfort. Too much mud slinging in public view. And the future looks hazy.

Sirs, you were all brave in taking on a system. You had fought the corrupt and corruption even before the party was created, each in your own sphere. Many of you were hero's in your own right. You had all defeated the urge to be corrupt for a long time.But sadly when it came to fighting the lust of power you were all defeated. Each one of you. Power has won again, and that sadly is the curse of this nation.

Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Reflecting on a life that deserved more!

I saw her on TV laughing away her sorrows.Graceful her face was and quite rightly she was called Grace!

I somehow found her number out and called her and the voice on the other side was cheerful and friendly. "Sam, buy me some 'oorugaai' from Delhi" she said. Only when I asked her to come to our youth group to give a speech, she said she is on chemo. She came after her chemo, and made us all cry listening to her, though she smiled through that hour.

She had been cheated at every step of life. By everybody. Dare I say even God was not kind to her. The parents left her, the dad pretty early and the mom later. The family was broke from day one. The orphanage could only give her schooling and refused a college education. And finally when things were falling in place, life played the cruel game of cancer on her. Oh, I forgot the hospital which cheated her in the end.There was even a man who called her to lie down with her to pay her medical bills. Life!

Of course, There were the good souls which helped her pay the medical bills. The blind man who travelled a lot to give her blood. The friends who paid her household bills. But they were few and far between.

Yet, through it all she smiled. Helped everybody around. Everybody!. Called me so many times to check on my mom. Drove a bike two days after her chemo to help another friend of mine in the hospital. And shared the little pittance the good people gave her with another orphan who stayed with her.

Reflecting on that life the world was not worthy of, makes me thankful for mine; for she always was thankful for every crumb of bread life threw at her.

Where do we get such parliamentarians?

"Believe me, the cow's urine cures cancer", says a ruling party MP in the parliament nonchalantly; And here am I, having to see the dear mother suffer immeasurably for almost a year in one of the leading medical college hospitals in the country and then die because of that dreaded disease.

I should have just given her cow's urine, and 'bimbo' she is cured of cancer! how easy, isn't it?

Where were you sir, the whole of last year? Where were you? Why did you not give us this simple solution before? Had you told this last year, I would not have lost her. We do not even need hospitals for cancer patients sir. Such a waste of money.  And of course absolutely no need of the doctors. Oh! that explains why the budget for health care has been reduced this year.

What next sir? Say something like, "The 'cow dung' can cure malaria or Jaundice". No, no sir! Looks way too simple. Why not AIDS? That should get the whole world interested as well. Like, the entire world will be in India waiting for cow dung. That can make the world look at us with envy. With cow slaughter ban applicable only in India, all other countries has to come here to get 'cow dung' sooner than later.

Already with the latest announcement the cow's urine will be in great demand. Why waste cow's dung?

And by the way sir, why were you discussing the cow's urine in the parliament? Or were you discussing the cure for cancer there? So why do we even have research center's? I mean, if you can find the cure for such a disease in the parliament itself, why waste so much money in stupid things called research.

So much for the parliament, and its discussions. Ah country! Where do you get such parliamentarians?

The lost romance!

I sure was looking forward to 2015. Of course, marriage and the wife were attractions; Even otherwise 2015 was special. It is the world cup year! and we are the reigning world champs.

All the excitement apart, the major disappointment of this world cup is the absence of the little man, "Sachin Tendulkar". For us, growing up Sachin defined cricket. And who else can define world cups?

India won and lost with Sachin those days; The 1996 world cup, my first, showed the reality of our generation. The stumping of  Mark waugh when he was lighting up the Mumbai sky, and the hundred in Delhi against Sri lanka going in vain are fresh in our minds. And who can forget that fateful day when a sachin misjudged run led us to the catastrophe in the world cup semifinal. We cried too!

1999, England was a lost cause just because Sachin did not play one day after the loss of his father. The century against Kenya and showing his raised arms to the dead dad, were embedded in our memories.

2003 world cup! how can we forget what happened then? Those ten days were scintillating. The majestic six of Andrew Caddick, that sparkling cover drive of Wasim Akram of the first ball of the chase and that huge six of Shoaib Akthar. And then the disastrous pull shot of Mcgrath! Life was cruel I said.

The less said the better of 2007. And then came 2011. The Dhoni era had started by then! Yet, it was Sachin for us. A hundred in Bangalore, a hundred in Nagpur, that heart wrenching fifty where we suffered palpitations in Mohali and then the eruption in Mumbai. Virat Kohli reflecting what we thought. Of course, it was the Sachin Tendulkar world cup. Wasn't it?

So, 2015 here. The kohli's, Devilliers and the Sangakkara's have taken over. Cricket has increased by leaps and bounds. The big bats, and the hugely improved fielding has added attraction. Yet, it is not the same anymore. Not that romantic. It cannot be!

The romance which the bride in Sachin Tendulkar and the groom in the 90's Indian cricket fan is lost forever!

Underestimating our stupidity!

I know I sound snobbish. I am here to tell you exactly what the title says. Our society often ends up surprising me with the level of its stupidity. I really do mean it.

What do you say when a bride in UP walk out of the marriage podium because the groom answered "15+7 as 17";Oh! she did it. Believe me, I did my math perfectly. And I'm married!

Or you wake up in the morning to the news that a lady Member of the Legislative Assembly bit her colleague in Kerala ?Hope it was not as bad as a dog bite! Women's bites should be included in the medical books soon. Yes, men's as well

And what do you say when a member of parliament asks a community to dig up dead bodies of the women of another community and rape them? or when the government decides that killing a buffalo is better than killing a cow; or when the censor board suddenly decides using the word "Bombay" is derogatory? You call 'Bombay', 'Bombay' you are gonna be censored. It is 'Mumbai' you see!

So what if the prime minister once had said that the reason for malnourished children in Gujarat is because they are beauty conscious? Oh yes, beauty conscious children are malnourished and both are related; or what about a society which considers loving somebody from a different caste deserves death? honour killing they call it. Yes, killing is honourable!

Yes, many times I have been stupid myself. Been called useless umpteen times. I have often made the stupidest of mistakes and have a lot of times been the butt of jokes.

I'm a product of this stupid society after all. How else will I be!

Bowing down before her genius!

Yesterday, me and the wife got down talking about her duty and the timings. It is becoming difficult for her with long workdays and the once a week night duties. I really did pity the doctors yesterday, with their hectic workload!

That got us talking about the mother, and suddenly we realized her genius. I mean, we always knew her greatness, but yesterday, she looked taller. Familiarity does that to you, no?

What was her greatness?

She used to get up early in the morning, and cook breakfast and lunch for both me and the brother. And after we flew the nest, for the cousins who stayed at home. And also she cooked for all the old people, the guests who stayed with us all along. After that was done, she went for her morning rounds and OPD by 9:00 am. And her usual OPD would have averaged around 75-100 people per day. By the time she finished her work it would be around 3:00 Pm. She would have also completed some C-Sections and conducted some normal deliveries in between.(During her peak, she was delivering 10 babies a day). Then after having lunch at 4:00 Pm, she got the dinner and the evening snacks for everybody around ready and went back for her work at 6:00 Pm. By the time she finished her work and came back for dinner, it would be 9:30-10:00 Pm.

And guess what? She was the only night call doctor on all days. That is, she would have to go if called in the night on all 365 days. And calls came in plenty every night!

Through it all, she had time for everybody. Me, my brother, dad (she always called him her youngest son), her sisters and brother, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles and the inlaws too! Everybody! And with that infectious smile!

Phew! Just to think of 16 hour long work hours with night calls every day! And for 25 years!

Wasn't she something? Genius, is the word. I bow down!