Writer-cum-tea-vendor

Writer-cum-tea-vendor Laxman in Delhi is serving books with a cup of tea Brewing steaming hot cups of tea by the roadside is what he does for a living. But writing books is the passion he lives for. This writer-cum-tea-vendor, 55-year old Laxman Rao, is a unique story in himself. A graduate from Delhi University, India, he pedals to his shop everyday carrying his professional and literary world together. He carries three bags. One contains copies of books penned by him and another bag contains a saucepan, tea leaves, sugar, milk and plastic cups. The third bag on the bicycle handle has his lunchbox. Everyday, 1pm is when he reaches Digambar road, near Income Tax Office in the heart of Delhi where some of India’s major English- language newspaper houses are located, and sets up his shop by the road side under the canopy of an old banyan tree. Until a few days ago, he would set up his makeshift stall just under the tree but now he has been shoved out to the margins of the road in the midst of piled-up debris as a new sewer line is being laid. The stall comprises a stove, a stone slate to sit on and a plastic sheet to spread his book titles on. For his customers, he would quickly make a bench to sit on by placing a wooden plank on two bricks each on either end. Rao is a multi-tasking man. While preparing tea, he engages his customers with his jovial talk and tells them about his books on display and the ones in the offing. He says he has written 21 books so far. But on display there are a few copies of eight titles which he himself published as no publisher agreed to take his work. His first title Nayi Duniya Ki Nayi Kahani(The New Story of a New World), written in 1979, narrates his struggle as a labourer or as a waiter in a tea stall. It took him two years to write this book. It was followed by a play Pradhanmantri (prime minister) in 1984. The book was an outcome of his meeting with the then prime minister, the late Indira Gandhi. “It’s one of the most memorable days of my life. I wanted to write a book on Indira Gandhi but she said many books had been written on her and he should rather write on administration. So Pradhanmantri came into being highlighting the corrupt administration surrounding a prime minister,” quips Rao. Soon other books, including Ramdas, Renu and Abhvyakti, came out. All his books are based on real life stories — what he sees around him. It was one such incident that shook the writer in him in his childhood. A young boy, Ramdas, was drowned while taking a bath. The shock was overpowering and could be dealt with only when he put to pen and paper. “My moving story on Ramdas was liked by everyone,” he says. It was his first brush with literary writing but reading literary works was not new to him. He was quite fond of reading while he was in school and had read at that age many books in Hindi literature though he had a Marathi language background. Born on July 22, 1954, in a family of farmers at a village in Amravati district of Maharashtra state, he had to drop out of school after 10th standard in 1973 and work in a local spinning mill. When the mill closed down, he switched to farming to help his father. But it did not last long. “This was not what I was inclined to do and perhaps destined to do. There was something more compelling to be done,” says Rao. So with just Rs40 in his pocket, he ran away from home at the age of 21 to explore the world. He boarded a train but with that money, could barely reach till Bhopal in central India. There he worked as a labourer with a sharp observation of his surroundings and people around him. It was his observation of a poor girl adopted by a rich family upon the death of her parents, which became the subject matter of his book Narmada, which has gone for a reprint. In three months, he had saved enough to continue his journey, this time to Delhi. Upon reaching the capital, he survived by cleaning dishes in restaurants. “After saving a decent amount, I started selling beetle nut leaves before I opened a tea stall in 1985,” recalls Rao. During this period, he passed his Class XII examination from Open School and graduated from Delhi University’s School of Correspondence. It’s been 25 years since he has been selling tea by the roadside during the day, writing books by night and promoting and distributing them to schools in the morning. Money earned through the sale of books (Rs300 each but sold at 50 per cent discount) goes into paying the cost of reprinting old books and publishing new ones through his own publishing house Bharatiya Sahitya Kala Prakashan. The sale of his books was not very encouraging earlier. But now everyday he is able to sell at least four copies of his books to school libraries and a-book-a-day at his roadside book ‘cafe’. Now, he has enough money to publish two more books, Ahankar and Gandhi. He may not be making big money like other successful writers, but he is getting enough recognition. The fact he is quite happy about. “All these years I was just struggling to keep my passion alive to establish myself as a writer. I think I have reached a milestone and can call myself a writer and just not a chaiwallah (tea vendor),” says Rao. After a day full of running around and work, he pedals back home to be with his wife and two doting sons—the elder one is doing Chartered Accountancy and the younger son is pursuing bachelor degree in commerce. With a happy family by his side, he has no worries in life. But he does occasionally dream of having a better life. He doesn’t miss the cushy life of successful writers but certainly wants an end to the uncertainty over the next meal if his tea shop is shut down. Until he strikes gold, he is determined to nurse his hobby by writing, publishing, promoting and distributing—all by himself and on his cycle. (Hemlata Aithani is a New Delhi-based freelance journalist.)

Ramchandra Saboo, O.P. Kathal & Madam - 7

They are wonderful people. Wonderful they are, because only a few people in India belong to such a community that feels sensitivity & responsibility of being a true citizen of this nation and they both, of course, are in this community.

On a fine day this year, during my stay at Bangalore for a few days with my nephew, I was destined to suffer an untoward incident that eventually caused me to meet Ramchandra Saboo, a sub-inspector of Railway Protection Force.

...My nephew had pulled the chain to stop the train through which I had to travel to Vellore (Katpadi) & , of course, he had done it with an extremely lawful purpose. It may be well-said that the purpose was definitely the one the law was made for. But who bothers in our country to bear the right job ! He was forced to be prosecuted before the magistrate for his alleged act of 'misusing' the chain. Naturally, we were ready to defend our case with strong arguments that we had.

It was Mr. Ramchandra Saboo at this stage who appeared on the scenario. It was surprisingly a new experience for me to see that a 'police-wala' could really talk like a common man with sweet words. He said he could not deny wide-spread corruption in his department & true, in a huge number of cases, misuse of chain-pulling is either deliberately ignored or is under 'pressure' not prosecuted. Yet, the circumstances were exceptionally under such compulsion that the steps of prosecution could not be taken back.
Defending the case was the only option before us. Mr. Saboo did not hesitate to accept the victory would be ours but he reminded us of our lethargic judicial system & suggested to analyse the pros & cons of the situation. If we donot protest what is the maximum in the hands of the court ? Is there anything more than imposing a fine, and that too, not exceeding a meagre amount of Rs. 500 ?

I decided, in the name of practicality, not to protest. An amount of Rs. 500 was imposed & after depositing the same the case was declared to have been settled. What more practical could have been for a sincere last-year student of an engineering college whose exams. were just at hand !! I think I did a right thing as compared to taking steps towards a legal battle and making all possible efforts to get the absolute justice. What do my readers think ?

Similar is my experience about O.P.Kathal. Mr. Kathal is the manager of a nationalised bank's branch office in Jamshedpur town. He gave certain very useful & practical suggestions in connection with the calculation of interest in a loan account. I agree he guided me like a true friend & very successfully brought me to understand my fault. It is rarely done by our bankers.

My experience about Madam-7, an ICICI Bank official, is however not the similar. This is my inability to remember the real name of the lady who was providing her services through counter no. 7 ( an MAY I HELP YOU counter) that day & this is why I am referring to her with this name. Believe me or not, while referring to her with this name I am doing this very very lovingly.

This lady though looks to be desirous of joining the referred community yet she is unable to leave features of her superiority complex. And this is the thing that keeps her away from it. A bulky personality has perhaps her own styles of justifying herself as a smart chap and in this way she loses to gain scores.

An afternoon when the net-services had gone out of function and she was pretending to watch something on the monitor of the computer it had become, for several reasons, easy to understand that her such watching was an useless act. I had to make some enquiry which she refused to answer on the very plea of failure of net-services. I tried to clarify it was not a task related with net but she would not even listen to. After a gap of around fifteen minutes I got burst & placed my case in rather harsh way. A common weak-point of such 'smart' personalities has been the "English" language in our nation. One who can speak in this language gets benefited from such people by way of being immediately attended. The case with me was having two specialities - the first I got burst (with a right cause) and the second I was speaking in English.

It was a magical effect. It happened to Madam-7 that she immediately understood what wrong she had done. She easily understood that a customer should be listened to.

She deserves appreciation. What for ? For her courage to say a clear "sorry". Discussions still have scopes to be organised on whether it is merely an outcome of "English" yet she deserves it.

How many people in India do have such courage ? So, kudos to Madam-7.

--- Savitree

CHRISTIAN MEDICAL COLLEGE VELLORE

........WHEN AUNT IDA BEGINS TO WEEP !!
(Part-III)

Transparency is a word that in its absolute & practical meaning brings about so many positive things. This author has already appreciated whole heartedly a transparent system of depositing cash. But what about the cash-officers' attitude towards their affixing a date for doctor's appointment ? It is understandable that they have been authorized to do so utilizing the best of their skills - synchronizing the need of patients and the availability of doctor's turn (for that they find the accurate position on computer's monitor). Of course, there remains opportunity of mutual exchange of views between the officer & the patient towards the suitability of appointment-date & finally it is reached with. And this is the stage where the policy-makers have failed in achieving their aim.

See, what is appearing on the computer's monitor is not at all visible to the patient. So, what the officer is saying about doctor's availability - observing on monitor- is the last resort before him to opt. He opts it & gets fooled --- staying a number of days in hotels or lodges or rented houses and spending his hard-earned money on things which ought not to have required had the real picture been presented before him.

Yes, this is what is really happening now-a-days in CMC Vellore. There are a number of such officers who deny the real availability to the needy ones & offer the same to the ones who can "make them happy" through their agents. These agents remain wandering within the hospital campus in search of their 'customers'. They are so expert in their business that they can well smell the whereabouts of such 'customers'. Suppose, someone is murmuring to have failed in getting a suitable appointment & is now apparently seen making plan to go back without treatment, there is every chance that he would be trapped by some such agent.

Maybe, this author is taken in the negative perspective. In that case she accepts the challenge to prove her proposition. But as this is not such a thing that could be done exposing her steps in public what she requires is a close-door secret strategy to be fully supported by the authorities concerned.

Let us now see the situation with a different angle - the angle of transparency. That is, apart from the scrutiny as to whether the picture so sketched is true or false, why can't there be a transparency of doctors' availability ? True, doctors too are human beings & there must be a limitation of their work as well - and this definitely requires a policy. Yet, within the ambit of this policy, doctors' availability on a particular date can't be displayed is not quite understandable.

There are certain departments that does not allow the officers to give appointments denoting the name of the concerned doctor rather to mention - " consultant I " or " consultant II " or likewise. Maybe, this is due to an apprehension of the desired doctor's sudden requirement on EMERGENCY DUTY. Even in such cases a policy can be well-settled that a doctor may fail to attend some patient, in spite of an appointment given to him in his name, under emergent circumstances. This author is not aware as to what the actual reason towards the prevailing system is. However she, in the apparent situation, is bound to think that it is they (the doctors) themselves who want to maintain a good distance from the patients & their needs. This is perhaps the one & only great difference between the vision of the doctors now & that of Dr. Ida along with a number of her companions belonging to this soil & abroad.

One can ask in this context, " Were it such things that were dreamt of by Dr. Ida or a number of her companions who got inspired from her before throwing themselves into the severe hardships of life ? And, that too, when there were no electricity, no roads, no electric-bulbs (or tubelights), no electric fans, no air-conditioners, no comfortable quarters to live in, no drinking-water availability, no transportation etc.,etc. ? To serve humanity was the only aim before them which they did for the cause of God. For achieving that aim they not only liked to interact with the common mass but also embraced them with full of their love, affection & regard regardless of caste, creed, sex or religion. This temple of love & service ( CMC ) was not erected overnight for the fulfillment of someone's luxury but is an outcome of Dr. Ida's (& a handful of her great companions') tireless efforts towards the call of Jesus Christ. It is needed to tell their stories to the generations to come. Prior to that, it is needed to tell them to our present generation. And foremost of all, it is needed to tell them to our doctors, our nurses, our medical record officers, our cash-officers, our secretaries, our compounders & all our other staff-members at CMC because if they are not knowing them they are missing something big in their life & nevertheless they are committing sin. I propose the authorities to make all the relevant publications available for everyone at a most-subsidized price as they would help build a strong character within them - a timely need indeed ! I rather propose to make them a compulsory reading somehow.

Before I conclude quoting below a beautiful song that aunt Ida ever liked, I wish to thank our P.R.O. at CMC without whose co-operation I would not have been able to get my copy of " BE THOU MY VISION " (By Dr. Carol E. Jameson - a former American doctor of CMC Vellore who accompanied Dr. Ida in her dreaming & nourishing of this institution) perhaps on a subsidized price.

BE THOU MY VISION,

O LORD OF MY HEART;

NAUGHT BE ALL ELSE TO ME,

SAVE THAT THOU ART,

THOU MY BEST THOUGHT,

BY DAY OR BY NIGHT,

WAKING OR SLEEPING,

THY PRESENCE MY LIGHT,

BE THOU MY WISDOM,

AND THOU MY TRUE WORD;

I EVER WITH THEE AND THOU WITH ME LORD;

THOU MY GREAT FATHER,

I THY TRUE SON;

THOU IN ME DWELLING,

AND I WITH THEE ONE.

BE THOU MY BATTLE SHIELD,

SWORD FOR THE FIGHT;

BE THOU MY DIGNITY,

THOU MY DELIGHT;

THOU MY SOUL'S SHELTER,

THOU MY HIGH TOWER;

RAISE THOU ME HEAVENWARD,

O POWER OF MY POWER.

RICHES I HEED NOT,

NOR MAN'S EMPTY PRAISE,

THOU MINE INHERITANCE,

NOW & ALWAYS:

THOU & THOU ONLY,

FIRST IN MY HEART,

HIGH KING OF HEAVEN,

MY TREASURE THOU ART.

HIGH KING OF HEAVEN,

MY VICTORY WON,

MAY I REACH HEAVEN'S JOYS,

O BRIGHT HEAVEN'S SUN !

HEART OF MY OWN HEART,

WHATEVER BEFALL,

STILL BE MY VISION,

O RULER OF ALL ."

...................... Savitree
(At Vellore on a study-tour)

CHRISTIAN MEDICAL COLLEGE VELLORE

……WHEN AUNT IDA BEGINS TO WEEP !!

( PART-II )

On the condition that his identity would not be disclosed (as some sort of bias might be developed among those concerned) Mr. Z who was once a neuro-patient here & has come this time with some fresh complaints declares that much of corruption has spread in CMC now-a- days at its various levels including the M.R.Os. (Medical Record Officers) to name the one. Being the member of staff of the same institution they also get, as a natural course, support from the concerned doctors. For this, they (M.R.Os.) tactfully craft their story & place them before the doctors - fabricating the illiterate & childish activities of the outpatients with which the doctors already remain annoyed. True, many of the patients are illiterate & there is substance in saying that their illiteracy brings a lot of childish cleverness. So, keeping in mind that they can’t be made literate overnight it is an ethical responsibility on the literate world to make them literate at one hand and to co-operate them genuinely at the other. Unfortunately this is not happening here now-a-days. Rather some M.R.Os. have become habitual in taking benefit from such situation & for that they successfully utilize the aforesaid psychology of the doctors. Using this, they become able to manipulate the original order of patients’ file. How & why ? The reply of HOW is very simple. They act to do it above board - presuming no one is either able to understand their act ( of manipulation ) or able to gather courage to protest. If somehow challenged they cunningly shift the onus onto the deprived patients - falsely accusing them of their remaining absent at the time of their call (or announcement through the speaker). Finding answer of WHY is also not difficult. This author knows everybody knows it & as it would amount to go beyond the decency & decorum of the literate and civilized world of CMC she finds it futile to use the bitter- cum-appropriate words.

TO PUT FORTH AN EXAMPLE:

* Mr. Z got an appointment in Neurology Department on 29.01.08. App. Type was Private & TIME OF REPORTING was at some early hours.

* He arrived at the M.R.O.’s counter exactly at 8:20 AM, a bit earlier than his normal REPORTING TIME, as he knew well through earlier experiences that irrespective of the REPORTING TIME he would be called as per his order in the queue . It is a general phenomenon that the M.R.O. prepares patients’ files (before bringing them to the doctor’s room) in order of patients’ presence in the queue.

* When he got his turn to face him at his counter’s window he forwarded his appointment-slip inside his cabin. The M.R.O. copied his registration number from the slip into the relative register & stamped a seal over the same.Two columns, what appeared inter alia on the slip through that seal, were obviously to be filled by him. He, however, left the column of “Serial No.” unfilled and filled “4 ” in the column of “ Room No.” before returning the slip to him. Then he advised him to wait (inside the hall before his counter) until his name was announced. He, however, made it a point that the doctor concerned had not arrived till then.

* Mr. Z continued to wait for the doctor. At considerable intervals he however asked many a times to the M.R.O. as to whether he had arrived. Every time his answer was in negative. With a view to sit & wait in the INTERNAL- HALL (where the doctors’ rooms situate and at the gate of which a security guard prevents the undesired entry) he approached the gate. But the security guard didn’t allow him to enter inside stating that the doctor (required for Room No. 4) had not arrived. He also advised him to sit in the EXTERNAL-HALL (the one described earlier) till his name was announced on the speaker.

* At about 1:00 PM when asked again about the doctor’s arrival, the M.R.O. abruptly lost his temper & replied rudely, “ Who told you that the doctor has not come ? ” He turned stunned & could not gather courage to retort. As he had not heard any announcement being made from Room No. 4 till then he simply wanted to be confirmed whether the doctor had arrived. Useless was this to start an arguable discussion with him or anybody else in such a distant province where nobody was his own, Mr. Z states.

* Time went on passing. Mr. Z, merely by chance, noticed that the gentleman (M.R.O.) was busy in some unethical activities. Had it not been so his replies (even if in negative) would have been in a normal tone. His exposures were such as if he was about to be caught red-handed committing some crime. And, while giving a reply to almost everybody he looked unnecessarily furious & irritated. Therefore Mr. Z started to observe the things very carefully. He now declares it was not at all a normal man’s busy exposures. And he can bet with anybody that the M.R.O. was behaving abnormally only because he was loaded with his own guilty-feelings on account of doing manipulations with the patients’ files.

* Also what happened next bears the significant substance. This, too, happened by chance. While observing his activities Mr. Z suddenly saw a glimpse of his own file bearing his registration number that was thrown in a corner of his cabin over some other files. Though he wanted to burst into anger he somehow controlled himself. Avoiding the direct accusation he strongly (but very carefully choosing the appropriate words) asked him, “Would you give me a patient hearing please? I have been regularly asking you the fate of my turn & every time your advice is to wait. I have repeatedly requested you to check my position but you are not even listening to me than to say “sit ahead & wait, your name will be announced.” See, I have been waiting here since 8:20 in the morning & have not moved anywhere even for a single minute remaining hungry & thirsty that long. So many people who joined later in the queue have already gone. I can say there is definitely something wrong & you need this be examined.”

* This time it worked. It worked, Mr. Z says, because the expertise (of dealing with the variety of people) in him cautioned him to immediately correct himself. He demanded the slip from him &, retaining the same, assured - this time politely - to look into the matter. He also advised Mr. Z to sit in the Internal - Hall. Fortunately, the security guard was not at the gate this time. He entered inside & started watching what was forthcoming.

* He knew well the M.R.O. would appear in few minutes with his file & would enter the doctor’s room (Room No. 4). Mr. Z remained silent and let the same happen. He saw his file was being carried by him. When he came out of the room & reported to him that his name would soon be called, Mr. Z could not stop asking, “May I ask you why had you held up my file till now ?”

* Interestingly, he did not reply & entered the room again.When he came back he replied, “I had told you to come at 11:00 & you did not turn up.”

“You know you are telling a lie.” Mr. Z retorted. He saw the M.R.O. was entering the room again. And when he came out finally he said rather firmly, “Go inside & see the doctor himself had called your name many a times.”

“I need not. I know what really happened. Everybody knows this.” There was a sort of murmuring, whispering, applaud & moral support from almost every corner of the hall - especially from those deprived of their normal turn but were helpless to do anything. Soon there was a call from the doctor’s room & the matter apparently ended. But the entire episode definitely left certain issues to be analysed.

Like before, without malice to anybody, once again this author wants to put some questions before the concerned authorities of CMC in order to cause their constructive considerations :

( A ) Why is there lack of uniformity in the parameters with which the respective M.R.Os. of different departments deal with the patients’ files ? For example, there is no event like stamping such kind of seal on the appointment slip (& acting in that accordance) in the departments of Medicine-3 & Opthalmology.

( B ) Why is there lack of such uniformity even within the different segments of the same department ? For example, there is a certain parameter in the PRIVATE segment of NU3 (Neurology Department) as per which the patients are called by the doctor concerned one after another. For that he (the doctor) picks up the files one after another in the arranged order & calls the patient’s name accordingly. Obviously, it is the duty of the M.R.O. to arrange the files in the order of patients’ presence in the queue & to present them before the concerned doctor. Remarkably, he doesn’t allot any serial number to any patient so as to establish his priority in the queue.

However, there is another parameter in the GENERAL segment of the same NU3 department where the patients are allotted a serial number (establishing their priority in the queue) added with the room number (of the concerned doctor) and the time (as to when he will be called by the doctor).

What the lack of such uniformity brings can be understood by the following example. Mr. Z had got an appointment, prior to the one on 29.01.08 referred above, in the same NU3 department but in its GENERAL segment on 21.01.08. For certain unavoidable reason he couldn’t present himself in time before the stipulated room. He was late hardly with half an hour. The doctor had left by that time. The M.R.O. rose his wrist-watch to him indicating that time allotted had already passed. Since a few of the working hours were still in stock of the day & a number of patients were waiting in the hall before different rooms, Mr. Z requested him (to M.R.O.) to postpone the appointment-date so as to save his money if not time. While refusing, the M.R.O. showed to him his wrist-watch once again but couldn’t satisfy him as to why different rooms were still having the doctors or why the patients in bulk were still waiting inside the hall for their turn of being attended. It was why, having gathered this unpleasant experience to his score, Mr. Z had appeared on 29.01.08 in front of M.R.O.’s office forming a part of the queue even before the reporting time. And, what he had to suffer there in spite of all his experienced anticipations has already been described in the foregoing paragraphs.

( C ) There is an excellent mechanical arrangement of entertaining the patients in the OPD building at its ground floor where the cash-counters are situated. An employee is deputed there to issue TOKEN to the patients. This TOKEN comprises a number written on it. The patients are now required to sit & wait for their turn inside the stipulated area. A commonly visible machine displays such TOKEN-NUMBER one after another indicating each time the number of the respective cash-counter. In tune with the same, there is an announcement-system as well which announces in clearly audible voice both the TOKEN-NUMBER and the number of the respective cash-counter. It makes the work easy & transparent. The patient gets completely satisfied even if he is required to wait for his turn for hours and hours long. Nevertheless, he finds it quite manageable to spend time over his other simple needs such as taking tea, breakfast or meal or to attend bathroom etc. Should the author not be surprised over why the similar transparent system is not enforced in the matter of examination of patients by the doctors ? Should she get convinced, as opposed to her belief, with a lot of views expressed by various corners that there is a powerful machinery working within the governing body of CMC who does not want such improvements for its vested interests ?

( D ) It appears that some kind of irregularity also lies in the calling or announcement system. Some rooms are eqipped with announcement-system & some perhaps not. Or, the doctors of some rooms do not like to use it rather prefer to call the patients verbally. Or maybe, their announcement-system has gone out of order or not working properly. The exact reason is required to be traced out & be corrected. The security guard is also required to be made known of this fact & be accordingly instructed not to restrict entry of the concerned patients.

(..........to be continued)

................ Savitree
( At Vellore on a study-tour )

CHRISTIAN MEDICAL COLLAGE VELLORE

...WHEN AUNT IDA BEGINS TO WEEP !!

( PART- I )

There is usually an additional nose with some people. This is not visible. But it works strongly. Its one of the several features is that the person who owes it cautiously feels, time & again, that it has been cut. Once it is so cut it automatically reappears for being cut the next time. And the process goes on. This author can’t raise any objection with the people having such kind of noses nor she has any say towards their being felt cut. What she concerns is that this 'feeling' should not be given birth to without some reasonable reason. This 'feeling' is seen in abundance now-a-days in a section of doctors belonging to CHRISTIAN MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL, VELLORE (TAMILNADU, INDIA) & has widely spread among other staff-members as well.

" Not to be ministered unto but to minister " is the biblical motto that was given to this institution by its founder Dr. Ida Sophia Scudder, a great soul of the last century. This author rigorously asked the meaning of this motto to many of the CMC-people (including doctors). Yet, to her utter surprise, nobody could give a satisfactory answer. She feels that CMC-people have started preferring their personal ego, ease, unjust & bias over their basic duty to serve the mankind --- contrary to the spirit of the said motto, the one for that Aunt Ida sacrificed whole of her life. She firmly believes that nothing but the lack of proper teaching / training about this motto in the special context of Dr. Ida's vision to mankind is the one & only reason behind this newly developing trend. It remains, however, a possibility that certain administrative-policies come in their way as hindrance. Even then, she opines, the lack of proper understanding about this motto among those of the policy-makers is the root cause of the same.

To put forth a symbolic example cited from many ones :

• Mrs. X got an appointment of Dr. Siddharth Dikshit towards her eye-examination on 21.01.08.
• Time fixed for this appointment was 10:20 AM & Mrs. X was ‘to report’ the concerned authority 1/2 an hour before the appointment time. She was also to note that a full eye examination may take 3 to 4 hours.
• Mr. Y (husband of Mrs. X) similarly got an appointment of the same doctor on similar guidelines simply with a difference in the appointment-time that was 11:00 AM.
• Mrs. X got another appointment the same day in the Dental Department (doctor's name not specified) & the reporting-time was 7:30 AM.
• Likewise Mr.Y got another appointment the same day in Urology Department (for Dr. Karthikeyan A) & the reporting-time was 10:30 AM.

In event of such a situation where no guidelines, through any of the sources, are provided to the outpatients (coming from distant places in & outside the country) that they should not get any appointment in any other department if they seek an appointment in the Opthalmology Depart- ment, can such acts of Mrs. X & Mr. Y be held wrong ?

Now, let us discuss what happened to them. As three to four hours were to be required in the Opthalmology Department they chose to get their work done first in other departments i.e. in the Dental Department & the Urology Department respectively. It was however the priority which they gave to the process of 'reporting' in the Opthalmology Department quite in time (through a representative) & anticipated they would be able to get their turn (of being examined by the doctor) in normal course - as there were a number of people already gathered in a long queue. And even in case of missing their normal turn they were sure to get an alternative turn before the queue came to an end. This was because they had earned similar experience during their several works in CMC (main hospital). So, after finishing their work at both the departments they arrived at the Opthalmology Deptt. The officer on duty with whom the 'reporting' was made was still discharging his duties (before Room No. 6) & had not packed up. Patients were still being examined one after another. The said officer took them to the doctor (sitting in Room No.6) who asked them why they had arrived late. They narrated the truth & regretted for their arriving late in the prevailing circumstances. The very next moment they got stunned as, beyond their expectation, the doctor bluntly refused to examine them. They made polite requests but all in vain. Ultimately, being disappointed, they requested him to postpone the appointment-date to his suitability. Again the doctor threw them the same refusal. What he was repeatedly uttering in anger, at short intervals, was in fact a kind of accusation, " Why did you go to CMC (the main hospital) ? Why did you take any other appointment there if you had an appointment here (at the eye-hospital) ? I am not responsible for your loss. Why should I postpone the date when I am not at fault ? However, I have no objection if the officer at the cash-counter postpones the same. You may contact him. " As advised, they requested the cash-officer (at counter no. 4) & were refused by him too. Then, they sought help from the secretary who contacted someone (perhaps the doctor concerned) on telephone. She (the secretary) then advised them to wait before Room No. 9. This consoled them & made them presume that some other doctor, belonging to Room No. 9, would call them for examination. It was only after sometime that they noticed the room was devoid of any doctor. On enquiry, someone present in the room responded that he was aware of their matter & that they should meet the doctor available in Room No. 10 instead. While following his advice they waited before Room No. 10 till all the patients in queue were duly examined. Then they entered the room & found, with a bit surprise, it was the same doctor – discharging his duty this time in another room. Nothing could have been expected from him afresh but the refusal. Notably, there was sufficient time in his hand towards examining them.

The author feels, even if he was not in good mood for certain human nature or was tired, he could have postponed the appointment- date at the least. But he would not do it. He would not do it because, as was apparent, he felt his 'ego' was hurt. Why his ego was so felt hurt is a matter of research & the patients in question could not give any explanation. They had not deliberately done anything which might hurt him. However, they conceded they had raised certain questions pertaining to their right. Keeping those in mind this author wants to put a few questions before the competent authorities of CMC :

• Is there any specification or advice or instruction meant for outpatients through any of the sources (particularly through the 'GUIDE' - a helping book sold at the RECEPTION -COUNTER) that they should not take any appointment in CMC (main hospital) if they take an appointment in its Eye-Hospital ?
• Why is there a trend among the doctors to behave with them as if they have committed some criminal offence by taking appointment the same day (yet at different times) in CMC (main hospital) ?
• Why is there a smell of jealousy among the people of this hospital with their counterparts of CMC (main hospital) ? Inferiority / Superiority Complex ?
• When the time allotted to some patient is duly utilised by allotting the same to some other patient (in the event of his absence at the allotted time) there is virtually no loss of time at the doctor's part. It is never that the doctors sit idle waiting for the patient till the full length of the allotted time. Can the doctor take a vow in the name of God that he really wasted the time that was allotted to those patients - waiting ? If not, was this not his moral obligation, at the least, to postpone their appointment-date ? Does everybody not know, apart from what the doctors usually say & take defence in such cases, what the reality is ?
• The call of natural justice is that one must not pay any cost for such services one has not received. In the cited case the service was neither received by the purchaser nor rendered by the service-provider. Nor even the service was frustrated i.e. the time wasted. And quite remarkably, the purchasers of the service were engaged in some other branches of the same parental institution. On this score too, was this not ethical on the doctor's part to examine the patients ? Or to postpone their appointment-date at the least ?
• Once a schoolgirl had decided to get trained in medical education with a view to render her services to the vast majority of illiterate women whose husbands would not allow the male doctor's services upon them. The significance of the said schoolgirl's vision was that she wanted to serve them on their own terms i.e. the male doctors would not serve upon them. Then she got herself educated & became a doctor so that she, being a female doctor, could treat the dying women. What a great vision indeed ! And she never aimed to earn money. Nor she ever wanted name or fame. What she wanted was purely the service to mankind. Had that schoolgirl, later known as our Aunt Ida, ever thought that one fine day the institution she established would start behaving as an usurer & use unjust arguments in order to refuse services to the needy ones even after receiving the proper (not subsidized) charges ?
• Being a doctor is definitely a big thing. Doctors are highly honoured in our society. Most of the people regard them next to God. What does it mean ? Does it mean that the remaining people are merely idiots or fools who do not (& can not) possess learned qualities ? And that they do not deserve to be treated in a respectful manner ? Some doctors, unfortunately, possess such mental pattern in this regard that can be held as negatively developed. And what behavior may be expected from such doctors if certain justifiable arguments from the side of patients are put before them ? ..... .......This is the very stage where a doctor's 'ego' seems to have been hurt. Is this not similar to possessing an additional unvisible nose which is unnecessarily felt, off & on, to have been cut ?
• Just because the doctors of CMC have huge vested powers or because this institution as a whole is of excellent repute, should this be at their liberty to forfeit the hard-earned money of common people ? Does this argument bear any substance that such forfeited amount will be utilised for the poorer people ? Did Aunt Ida ever want that the tears of a weeping man should be wiped off by making another man weep ?
• Why is it felt that as senior someone is (irrespective of gender or cadre), more generous & more humanitarian his attitude towards the common man is ?
• In this electronic-era when information technology has been reaching newer heights daily, can some electronic arrangement not be made which may enable the concerned officers not to give such appointment to anybody which may coincide with appointment in EYE-HOSPITAL ? (Say, through computers connected with INTRANET ?)

The patients in question are wonderfully satisfied with the quality of treatment, reasonability of charges and affectionate & co-operative attitude of almost every senior doctor & other senior working staff. There is no reason to believe that the patients had any kind of bias for anybody in the hospital.

The further details of the patients are reserved with the author for all practical purposes & the disclosed ones are with a view to give opportunity to the concerned authorities towards their introspection.

This author appeals the authorities to make more effective policies in order to bring this institution to newer heights on the world- map & do not let Aunt Ida weep upon the misdoings of her fellow-persons at any cost.

( ...to be continued.)

.................... Savitree
( at Vellore on a study-tour )

GREETINGS !

HAPPY NEW YEAR ( 2008 ) TO ALL !!!


------------- SAVITREE 01.01.2008

IS IT NOT INSPIRING ?

Our country has numerous evils. Many countries have. Ours is considered a bit different at least in a special & particular context. People of rest of the world had been holding this as a country of snakes and black magic. Many of them have started changing their outlook. Retaining, therefore, a mixture of opinion is not unfair in the present context.

Perkee Devi may be a name chosen out of numerous ones which is able to bring the truth - this country has not yet become so civilised that the older belief could be completely ignored of. It was Perkee Devi of Kherabera village under Hariharpur police station near Gomo, Dhanbad ( Jharkhand ) who was forcibly fed human faeces ( stool ) after having been declared a DAAYAN ( a lady magician who is believed to kill people using black magic - say, a kind of witch ) first. Her husband had died sometimes ago &, afterwards, her close relatives had been causing every possible harm to her in order to kick her out from her share of property.

And, what did Perkee Devi prefer to do ? She would not accept defeat. She, at that age of 45, started taking education. Some helping hands came forward to provide assistance in her way of struggle. She went on fighting her case bravely against her enemies to protect her rights. Ultimately she got justice.

Her story, that is not much old, has been given place on the pages of text-books published by one of the most honourable publishers of India, N.C.E.R.T.

Intake of faeces was compelled to Perkee Devi on 22nd April 1999. She was 45 years old that time, a mother of four children.

Is our country merely of snakes & black magic ?

------- Savitree 21 Dec' 07

BARKHA DUTT

Accepting defeat is not in her nature. Welcoming every new challange is fun for her. Going & going ahead steadily is her way of life. These things among many others make her a big name in spite of her small age. I am talking about Barkha who is only 36 this day ; twinkling sharp in the sky of journalism.

* Her coverage on Kargil War was declared the best coverage.
* She did her M.A. from St. Stephens College Delhi in English Literature.
* She did her M.A. in Mass Communication from Jamia Milia Islamia.
* She achieved her third master degree in Mass Communication from Columbia University New York.
* She was honoured in Athens for quality journalism.
* She was honoured by Indian Television Academy.
* She was honoured by Common Wealth.
* She was highly appreciated for her program " WE THE PEOPLE".
* She also earned fame for her excellent writtings in "OUTLOOK".

I wish her a long life with good health, prosperity & fame.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, MY DARLING BARKHA !!

------- Savitree, the 18th Dec'07

संतोष आनंद

बालीवुड के प्रख्यात गीतकार संतोष आनंद से एक मुलाक़ात की बात याद आती है । हमारे एक रिश्तेदार के नगर में 'गीत-संगीत' नामक संस्था की ओर से कवि-सम्मेलन का आयोजन किया गया था। आयोजन की समाप्ति पर हम कुछ बच्चे -बच्चियां उनसे आटोग्राफ लेने पहुंचे । जब मेरी बारी आयी तो मैंने उनसे ( यानी संतोष आनंद जी से ) कहा - अंकल, सिर्फ दस्तखत से काम नहीं चलेगा । प्लीज दो पंक्तियाँ कविता की भी हो जाये । वे मुस्कुराए , कुछ पल सोचने में बिताये और तब कलम उठाई। जो लिखा वह यह था :-

हाथों की रेखाएं किस्मत के धागे
करते तो करते क्या स्वप्न थे अभागे
दर्द थे हजारों और मैं अकेला था
गीत थे हजारों और मैं अकेला था ।

यह करीब-करीब ३० से ३५ साल पुरानी बात है ।

---- सावित्री १२.१२.२००७

PENETRATING OPINIONS

During last some days I observed certain opinions of different people / parties. My reaction on few of them are :

A. I agree to the views of Mahashweta Devi that India Government should provide permanent citizenship to Taslima Nasrin.

B. I also agree to the views of BJP that both UPA & Left Govt. (in West Bengal) have proved themselves as pseudo-secular entities in the matter of Taslima Nasrin.

C. I, however, hold this act of BJP as an act of taking political benefit. There is no reason to believe that BJP has turned secular overnight.

D. I smell a pinch of diplomacy while BJP demands status of only a political asylum for Taslima unlike Mahashweta Devi.

Her Ground : Rich heritage of West Bengal that affectionately hugs everyone who loves its soil as MOTHERLAND.

BJP 's Ground : Ask the party. Also (whatever the party's reply is), is this not a narrow outlook ?

E. I hold Musarraf a most cunning fellow. Yet I appreciate him for his style of loving his country. I hold his style better than that of all previous dictators & so-called democrats including Benazir & Nawaz Sharif. Governing a country like Pakistan, facing attacks from that many corners, could be possible only without so-called democratic ethics /decencies. By leaving uniform & by paving way for Benazir & Nawaz Sharif to take part in election Musarraf has proved that he, too, is interested in democracy atleast more than them with better governance in their comparison. Musarraf deserves appreciation also for his quantum of hippocracy that is far less than others . Less than even Hon'ble Mr. Choudhari.


............... Savitree

LIVING TOGETHER

Take into account any two persons out of this world. Compare their views on any of the topics. They may be alike or different from each other. Now, compare their views on all the topics of the world. It is impossible that all their views are alike or all are different from each other. Rather, alikenesses or differences will be mixed i.e. some will be alike & some different. The number of alike views or different ones , however, can not be determined.

Taking the vastness of difference of people's views what should be the standard way of living ? Should we not respect the contrary views of others ? And so far taking decision is concerned, should we not bind ourselves with a majority decision even if we differ with the view ? And that too, with a sense of great respect ?

Are our politicians habituated in that practice ? Even how many of us, from among the common people, habituated ? I get pained when I see there are many friends throwing mud on each others ( having a different view on a ceertain matter ) in spite of their claim to belong to ( they appear to act so ) an intellectual community on their respective blogs or on a common platform such as on मोहल्ला .

I must not dare to preach others but are we really destined to accept there is no way to correct our own internal mental set-up ?

---------- Savitree

Nandigram-2

Nandigram is burning. CPI(M) led government has lost its conscience. Trinamool Congress is equally responsible for what has been happening there. Rather, it deserves more criticism to some extent because it went on doing POLITICS even when the govt। took back its stand for land acquisition.

Nobody can deny that TR. Congress adopted violence for expelling CPI(M) cadres from Nandigram. It was virtually a 'capturing'of Nandigram in their hands. What thereafter happened is known to everybody. It was definitely a 're-capturing' of Nandigram as widely known. The underhand deal of POLITICS by the govt. in Centre with the govt. in W.B. is also widely known ---- with regard to the N-deal.

Regardless of individual association / inclination with / to any political party, is it not an appropriate time for the people in general to realise that the hunger of our politicians to achieve POWER has reached on climax ? This hunger is seen inter alia in the shape of frustration by those who failed to enjoy POWER . The most recent example can be cited from within the CPI(M) itself where the people like Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechuri have been creating nuisance on N-deal in spite of the supportive attitude of CPI(M) people in W.B. who are enjoying POWER .

Who are dying in all these non-sense activities ? The common poor people. They are bound to be played in the hands of politicians & to lose their dignity. I think it is a fit time for intellectuals to collectively consider & resolve.

----------- Savitree

जिन्दगी

प्रस्तुत है मेरी पसंद के एक गीत का एक चुभता - सा पैराग्राफ :

जो दिल को तसल्ली दे , वो साज उठा लाओ
दम घुटने से पहले ही , आवाज़ उठा लाओ

परछाइयां रह जातीं , रह जाती निशानी है
जिन्दगी और कुछ भी नहीं , तेरी मेरी कहानी है ।

इक प्यार का नगमा है , मौजों की रवानी है
जिन्दगी और कुछ भी नहीं , तेरी मेरी कहानी है ।


----- सावित्री

Nandigram

Today is the most appropriate time to express my views on what worse has been happening in Nandigram. I can not spare myself to utter that it is one of the biggest stigma on Indian democracy. What other intellectuals are doing in this regard than a handful of those protesting in their own ways in Kolkata is a matter of shame. I offer myself to do whatever Medha Patekar or Mahashweta Devi ( but strictly not Mamata Bannerjee ) think fit to endorse me with.

Shame, Shame, the ruling Left Front of West Bengal !!! My darling
Shabana Aapa(Azmi), why are you too keeping mum ? Hippocrisy ?

---------Savitree

नेता

आज मुझे एक छोटी-सी तुकबंदी सुनाने की इच्छा हो रही है । प्रस्तुत है :-

रुपया लेता हूँ , परमिट देता हूँ ;
क्योंकि
मैं नेताओं का चमचा और
चमचों का नेता हूँ ।

--- सावित्री

त्याग

आज पता नहीं क्यों मुझे एक बहुत पुरानी फिल्म का एक गाना याद आ रहा है , बल्कि ठीक-ठीक कहूं तो उस गाने का एक पैराग्राफ याद आ रहा है, जो अपने पाठकों के साथ शेयर करना चाहती हूँ । फिल्म थी 'भाभी' और संदर्भित पैराग्राफ की पंक्तियाँ यों हैं :

तूने तिनका - तिनका चुनकर नगरी एक बसाई
बारिश में तेरी भीगीं पाँखें, धुप में गर्मी खाई
गम ना कर जो तेरी मेहनत तेरे काम ना आई
अच्छा है कुछ ले जाने से, दे कर ही कुछ जाना

चल उड़ जा रे पंछी कि अब ये देश हुआ बेगाना....

----- सावित्री

Bravo !!

Technorati Profile

Kudos to Sant Sharan Awasthi for his nice article ( & my cent percent opinion in its favour ) which has appeared today in Dainik Jagran, a Hindi daily ( Ranchi edition ), about the firm determination of BABULAL MARANDI against violence of so-called Naxalites even after he ( Marandi ) suffered a sorrowful killing of his son including 18 persons by them.

I agree to find it is a slap to all those who had been uttering against Marandi that he had thrown the poor people in the angered fire of Naxalites by vomiting unnecessary bravery & enthusiasm against them i.e. against Naxalites

Marandi has presented a real example of bravery, courage and morality without which it is impossible to eradicate the problem of terrorism from this state i.e. Jharkhand.

___Savitree, October 28, 2007

AN EXPRESSION OF GRATEFULNESS

Before I proceed to write my next article on this blog I sincerely require to express my gratefulness to a stranger co-passanger some three to four days ago without whose co-operation I might have suffered serious consequences on my health front. Kudos to his sense of humanity that worked without any request of help from my side.

It was the auspicious afternoon of MAHA ASHTMEE ( DURGA POOJA ) when I started from Kolkata to Tatanagar by Geetanjali Express ( a superfast train) and it was when the train was approaching Tatanagar I started feeling sick. As I had to rush to Ranchi I booked a ticket in a luxary bus & occupied my seat. It was to take an hour & a half to start. My condition gradually deteriorated & I was compelled to drop my journey.

What next happened to me is not at all significant. Significant for me is to remember the young man, a co-passanger sitting by my side, and to thank him from the core of my heart who extended all his co-operation and help that was needed to me --- even without being asked for ! His physical body was also made of usual blood, muscles & bones like all of us. And it was only at the time of taking departure from me ( as the bus had started ) when, replying to my question, he replied, " I am Rizwan. "

For many of my friends, relatives & my own Mumma he was a Moselman. I want to ask you who he was. Who should he be ? A Moselman ? A Hindu ? A Christian ?

-----Savitree

WHO AM I ?

It is sometimes worrying me to think who I am. Why is there my existance ? How did I come in this world ? Why for I took birth ? Who needed to bring me on this earth ? Why even this world is here ? And all the goodness & the evils exist, why ? The sun rises & sets, the moon & stars appear & disappear on the sky, what is the reason ? Man lives & dies, weathers come & go, poverty & riches take their turn, why? Why ? Why ??

I get confused. I start thinking. I have been thinking. Appearing before me are a lot of theories to consider. Three major areas happen to crop up among them :

A. Existance of God
B. Non-existance of God
C. Failure or success of Science with regard to the existance or non-existance of God.

I go on thinking & find myself unable to reach a concrete result. Can anybody help me ?

--------Savitree