You are better people, docs!

So, I understand the doctors are unhappy. They have been wronged by the insensitive media (Read Gopinath - from the famous neeya naana show). I did not see the show myself, but from whatever I have read about the show so far written by the docs,the docs think, they have been wrongly portrayed by the media to increase its TRP ratings.

I agree, the media is a shame. And it has to be put in its place. They can't do everything for the stupid TRP ratings. The media may also have had hidden interests behind shows like these. They can go to any extent,these media guys. After all, they are show men, with the primary aim to entertain.

But hold on docs; hold on! So if you are gonna show the black flag and claim innocence do you think the public will regain its confidence in you?

My last few encounters with the docs are here, and tell me why I should believe the medical community! I have had a hospital keep a dead body of a patient, a friend of mine, for almost 12 hours without informing us and tried to get money; The same week when the controversial show "neeya naana" was played, some docs were caught on camera being bribed by the pharmaceutical company impersonations and a young medical graduate defended getting cuts from the pharmaceutical companies;  Last week my mom's insurance money from IMA(Indian Medical Association) came with a request for a cut; A few months ago, I heard one physician say how a doctor has placed a stent in the heart without a block (pardon, if my technical details are wrong, I'm a non medico). And all this happened within the last year.

Now, don't get me wrong! I'm not here to bash you docs. My parents (both of them),fiancee, brother, sister and lot of close friends are doctors. And I have huge regards for them. I worked under a man, who has sacrificed the comforts of a huge pay and city life to work among the neglected community in an interior village in Assam. I know how hard some of my friends work, and how much they sacrifice for the sake of the patients. I really understand, that life for you is very difficult with the demanding patients, and the more educated people. 

But, why the big hue and a cry now? For all its worth, it has made you lesser people. You were and still are better than fighting a moron, who is selling news for money. If you want to win back the trust, look inside. There is rot in your system, as it is everywhere. By taking a high moral ground and shouting hoax, you are losing your respect.

People need you, and for that they respect you. Live honest, clean lives and you will be treated as God's. I saw my mom was almost deified when she died, for just being simple and honest. 

And don't throw stones in the gutter, it will splash all over you!

The true fragrance of independence!

So amidst the euphoria of 'Happy Independence day' wishes, keeping the national flag as the profile picture, singing vande maataram, hoisting the national flag, seeing actors and actresses showing their patriotism and of course listening to the PM speak from the red fort, my voice will be meek. Yet I dare to write; since this is what I know to express my patriotism.

So, after the euphoria settles down, and life catches up, our patriotism often is reserved for another day! May be Jan 26th! May be August 15th again next year. So why do they come out only on special days? And where were they hiding till then? May be it was just there, deep inside, and the society has just shown only these as the ways to celebrate the our independence.

So what now? I can hear you getting irritated! Why can't we try some thing different? Something long lasting? Which really shows what independence really is; Can we just think aloud of some activity, some method to show our patriotism, which will have long lasting impacts? Here are a few which came to my mind....

May be we can support a girl child's education for a year; There are brilliant organisations which do superb work. This will be petty for the amount of money most of us make. May be we can promise ourselves to visit a school for the blind, a children's orphanage, a mentally retarded home or an oldage home! Just be there whenever we could on a sustained basis and see how much change the mere presence can make. May be we can promise ourselves, that we will follow traffic rules for a year; or will not pay bribe till next independence day; May be we can just go to our old school and see what we can do there; or May be we can just follow one more sport other than cricket and support the Indian's fighting it out there; May be we can promise ourselves not to get toddy from government run shops or not to buy products from corrupt organisations.

I understand, I'm getting preachy! I could not help it. Can we just try; try to make a solemn, sustained effort for one year and see how the very definition of our independence day changes.

Well, using national flags as profile pictures are patriotic. I have done that too. But just doing that once every year does not reflect the true fragrance of independence. True, we got independence from the britishers. Still there are hundreds of unwarranted things we are dependent on. Only after getting independence from them we will realize that there is a different fragrance to independence. True fragrance!

Mom's last major decision!

Mom's last major decision happened on her death bed. When she was in pain and on morphine. When the cancer cells were slowly writhing through her body.

It was about 'me' of course. It had to be! And that ended up as the biggest decision and obviously the best decision she has taken on my life.

When she said the 'yes' with her famous smile; I knew this was the girl, who will be my wife and best friend in the years to come!

Yes people, Jessie Daniel became my fiancee officially in a grand engagement ceremony in Karigiri, Vellore.

Mom was not there; Though the dates were fixed for her,with the hope that may be she will make it, she could not make it. But then, I could see her everywhere. All over the place. Running around. Greeting people. Making arrangements. And kissing me, and her new found daughter. She would have been an awesome mother in law, believe me. Then, life is such!

Jessie, became the Darling of the family yesterday. And will always be.

It sure was a major decision! It had to be her decision. And as usual it was a brilliant one.

Jessie, is a beautiful soul!

A life so beautifully lived!

They all thronged the church like never before. The rich, the poor, people from every community, and caste, to have one final look at her. One final look at the person whom they loved so much! Some shops were closed. Some were half mast. They were all paying homage, to the soul which made their lives better in this painful world.

I was among those given the privilege of seats, to be seated next to her when she went on her final voyage, even as people cried and shouted and threw flowers. In fact, I was given the privilege of calling her "amma" first. Though, she was "Amma" to everybody by the time she called it quits. And so I say, she is one incredible woman. And that final journey proved that.

The day after the final journey as the extended family and friends sat together reminiscing on her life, everybody had nice things to say about her. She was the darling of the family, the friend whom many wanted to be a part of, the extraordinary mother, the incredible nurse of the aged, the amazing cook, a dream aunt, an excellent co-sister, a brilliant wife, a superb doctor and so the words flowed.

I always knew her as an intensely private person, close to her family! But yesterday, showed me her family was big. Indeed huge! Everybody in that small town and the neighboring villages knew her. Everybody owned her. Everybody wanted her.

So, she was not old enough to die! She easily had another good 10-15 years; Yet, that was not to be. She had lived her last. And lived it well. In fact lived her best!

She did not earn billions of dollars, in fact did not want to. All she wanted was a simple, happy, beautiful life; and that she had; In plenty. She showered love, and in turn got showered by love. She showed grace, and the people reciprocated. She radiated happiness and God was gracious enough to keep her happy.

RIP ma! You showed love and grace still exist in the purest form; and reaped happiness.

Your's indeed was a beautiful life!

Some times it is better to just 'Shut up'!

I understand, Silence has a sound. And sometimes it is deafening. When the former prime minister kept mum on so many things, I hoped he came out and talked. I really wished he was more communicative. May be that cost him and his party the elections. His silence was indeed deafening and some times was irritating too.

And the present is the eternal loud mouth. He had a way with words, and everybody seemed to like it. Personally though I wished he talked less, I also appreciated his ability to attract the masses. They all loved him and his ability to talk.

When the present HRD minister kept mum on one of the biggest controversies to have affected Indian higher education system, I thought she was being foolish! I wanted her to open out. Then the unassuming law minister kept his mouth shut when the storm over the appointment of the supreme court Judge was raging. Again, my mind said "Talk please!" That is why we voted for you.

And then, the health minister decided to talk. On anything and everything, including sex education (Is it taboo to even write about it?) and yoga. Only after he started to talk I realize the value of being silent. Being mum! or as the famous American TV series 'To shut up and sit down'!

I mean, why on hell do one has to talk so much on things which he has no idea on? Like Alia Bhatt talking on FIFA? Or my gynecologist mom talking about steel manufacturing? Baba Ramdev talking about good governance? I mean, why can't we just keep quite and watch the world? Just watching the world is an art! Believe me.

Silence definitely had an irritation attached to it! But, some times, No! Most of the times, I am increasingly beginning to realize that silence is indeed golden. Much better than the noisy rubbish which comes from the loud mouths. I only hope the people who has the micro phones understand. The less said, the better. And nothing said, is the best.

Am I audible?

P.S : That is why I blog! It does not produce a sound.

The breaking news!

Priety Zinta has just landed in the international airport, said the "breaking news" in one of the well known news channel. I am serious! She did land in the airport. It is not an important news, it is a "Breaking news". It is supposed to break you; if you have not broken the TV by then.

"Annnddddd........ Priety is heading straight to home!" yells the TV anchor, with the camera zoning in on a car leaving the airport. So breaking it is, I decided by then to take a break! To have my sanity in tact, else I would have surely broken the TV and I'm already broke!

Alright, I understand! It is boring and confusing and totally useless reading me. That is exactly how I feel watching these news channels. Absolutely useless! I mean, what if Priety lands in the airport? I don't even care if she lands directly at her home and lands head first.

This is the quality of intellect thrown at us by the media, the so called fourth pillar of democracy! Not that the other three are strong enough but that is for another day.

I know most of the media is paid and run by the corporates; I understand they are meant to give NEWS the way their bosses want and not what happened in reality. Yes, TRP ratings are important for the survival of the channels. Yet, Preity landing in the airport can't be breaking news in this country.

There are more important stuffs happening. A new government has taken over. A new political party is trying things differently. There are 40 Indians abducted in another country. The world's largest sporting event is happening. IIT results have just come out and there are thousand other better things happening all over the place.

For sanity's sake let not the Preity's home comings become the "Breaking news"; Else, there will soon be a generation, which will only know the SRK's and the Zinta's.

And I doubt that time is not very far!

It is a complex world!

Well, I have an exam tomorrow and I don't really know what I'm doing here. Anyways that is how I'm wired. To do stupid things! at the stupidest of places

So because there was this exam I was reading when that call came; A very close friend 'M' called and said another friend 'J' cleared the civil services exams and has got a top ten rank in the country. Now, that is an insanely insane good news for me. For a friend to become an IAS, that too with a single digit rank is so good a news, I ve not heard such good news in a looooong time.

And then immediately I called one of my best friends, my ex-roomie 'N', whom I was very sure of getting a rank and the answer was in the negative. I called my dad next and he informed me that mom has to be taken to the hospital tomorrow, for obvious reasons.

Now,It is a complex world! It wants me to concentrate on my exam, celebrate the humongous success of a friend or share the grief of a sad failure of a close friend and be with my sick mom, all at the same time!

Is it not complex enough?