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Archive for the ‘A Vibrant Life!’ Category

An Ode to Our Elders

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 7, 2013| Leave a Comment »

You have wiped our tears with your gentle hands,

The core values of togetherness, love and sharing we understand;

You have been the catalyst of change in our lives day by day,

Ultimately enabling all of us to become what we are today.

 

Your understanding and compassion has made us brave,

Exploring new frontiers and facing situations grave;

Your tireless guidance has made us take an adventurous flight,

 Always propelling us like a beam from darkness to light.

 

As children safe within the warmth of your embrace,

Through all the trials and tribulations that we face;

Protected from the cold careless world outside,

We know that under your wings we could still run and hide.

 

God has taken care and reached us through you,

Nurturing, grooming and guiding us as and when due;

You are the angels, who have fallen from the sky,

To fix our wings whenever we cannot fly.

 

May the radiance of your thoughts and values never fade or go away,

Forever illuminating our paths like the millions of stars in the Milky Way;

Continuing to regale us like a beautiful and soothing rainbow in the sky,

So our coming generations shall always strive to make the things okay.

 

The sun-eyed children have already broken the caste-n-creed gloom,

Like morning stars the new buds have begun to bloom;

They shall wrestle with destiny and make their own way,

Their forceful tread shall make Earth pleasant and gay.

 

Feet echoing in the corridors of Time, no chance to excel shall they miss,

They shall be full of wisdom, sweetness, might and bliss;

Their lips shall chant new mantras to uplift the soul,

Aspiring for divinity, they shall realize a higher goal.

 

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THE AGE OF PROFANITIES AND INTERNET-IONAL VULGARITY

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

We appear to be living in an age of profanities and vulgarity. Be it our advertisements or movies, the content is becoming increasingly bold. If self-restraint does not get exercised soon, we could end up becoming a society of the most frustrated youth, forever on the lookout for an easy outlet for its innate urges and profane tendencies. The world-wide-web already has us in a thrall, leading to an exponential increase in the influence of these forms of entertainment.

Titillation and Commercial Success 

Cinematic content these days makes one rather immune to all the dare-and-bare acts. After an overdose of cleavages and thunder thighs, one only carries a feeling of contempt and disgust. Show of skin has become a necessary evil, the language has become expletive-laden and the lyrics somewhat soul-less. Titillation leading to commercial success is surely the name of the game today; social mores and cultural values appear to have taken a back seat.

From the days of delicate handling of romantic overtures (like Mughal-e-Azam, Guide and several others), we now have petite heroines mouthing profanities in movies like Who Killed Jessica, Ishqia et al.the-dirty-picture-02-s

In The Dirty Picture, in a particularly offensive shot, the heroine’s tummy is demonstrated to be effective in converting a raw egg into a half-fried version! Our hapless housewives who in the recent past were chasing a higher quota of subsidized cooking gas would surely approve of this environment friendly way of discharging their cooking responsibilities.

Lure, Offend and Succeed!

The advertising has become crude and offensive. In the 1980’s, Doordarshan used to beam the serial Ramayan into our drawing rooms. During breaks, it would also show a simple ad of Mala-D, a contraceptive pill for women. Once my daughter, all of four years then, was prompted to openly wonder if Sita-ji used Mala-D tablets to ensure that she conceived Luv and Kush only after a gap of more than fourteen years!

These days, we have enticing and naughty ads of condoms being promoted on some channels, depicting PYTs with hour-glass figures seductively disrobing themselves while sashaying down into a bedroom. One really pities today’s poor parents who have to answer a barrage of searching questions from curious children while keeping a straight face.

In the 1990’s, a Cadbury advertisement showed a comely nymph rushing into a cricket field and breaking into an impromptu jig, while another one promoting Liril soap was depicted dancing her way into our hearts under a waterfall. Now, we have a young Nokia user scaring an ‘aunty’ by displaying rash driving skills on his phone, while a Pepsi campaign keeps aside any pretensions of decorum and mocks the Indian cricket team!

Internet-ional Advertising

Entry of internet is proving to be a game changer. Marketing plans are increasingly being tweaked to use this platform, so as to reach the target segments more effectively. Despite the restricted availability of broadband in India, young and old alike are getting addicted to internet at a faster pace.

Increasingly, brands are getting wired to digital space. The creative juices of our advertising honchos now appear to be targeting social media platforms, and TV appears to be grudgingly yielding precious space and revenue to the web. Eventually, the two are getting together, offering a seamless experience to today’s highly connected generation.

According to YouTube sources, more than 70% of its viewers in India are less than 35 years of age. Also, 30% of its views in India are through mobile phones. This indicates the potential of penetration internet has in the marketing and advertising space.

Several prominent brands have faced the music over indecent content in their promos on the web. Smart ones have been quick to apologize and withdraw such content. Goes on to show that there is a limit to which sex and violence can help in selling products and services. The belief that higher ‘shock value’ results into higher sales in the long run is a doubtful proposition.

Is Audience Really The King?

Speak to either a movie maker or an advertising honcho, and the argument invariably is that they have a need to ‘connect’ with the younger audiences these days. But, can one really blame it all on the audience? For every “Rowdy Rathore”, a “Ferrari Ki Savaari” also hits the screens. There are several advertisements one can easily enjoy with the entire family.

According to Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), only around 121 million of 1.2 billion Indians are logged on to the web. Of these, only 2% 0r 2.2 million in rural India have access to the same. We are therefore talking of urban, young and tech-savvy audience which is said to be at the helm of defining what is popular in culture and content. One would rather admire today’s youth who have the courage of conviction to stand up for probity and justice for many of our social ills, much unlike their earlier generation.

In their relentless pursuit of higher visibility and better margins, most makers of movies and advertisements go for higher ‘shock value’ in their products. Our cultural values and a basic sense of decency appear to have gone into oblivion. Those who create content appear to be placing a higher premium on salaciousness and commerce rather than on civility and social mores.

Twenty Years Hence!

Twenty years down the road, when the babies brought up in present obscenity-ridden times become discerning adults, and when the youth of today assume the status of ‘uncles’ and ‘aunties’, the trend may well reverse itself. The need for our dream merchants and creative minds then would be to ‘connect’ with a different profile of target audience, possibly brining in products which are more sober and decent in their content. One does hope for the same!

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A Globe-Trotter’s Guide to Some Funny Laws!

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , , , on February 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

By nature, laws tend to be rather complicated. Try navigating through any law that interests you, and there are good chances that you would give up trying to make some sense of it within the first five pages.

The reason laws tend to be holistic and hence appear to be difficult is not only because they have to address issues which are themselves complex. They also need to take care of human ingenuity which knows no bounds. Make a law and you will notice how those impacted by it try to avoid as well as evade it, either taking advantage of some loophole or by a creative interpretation of some innocuous provision in the law. Governments all over the world grapple with this menace by trying to make laws stricter, thereby getting into a vicious cycle of sorts.   Cartoon Lawyer

Admittedly, our laws are drawn up by brainy birds who apparently consume quite a lot of fish in their lifetime. They have the mental stamina to keep churning out reams and reams of sections, sub-sections and sub-sub-sections. One is truly in awe of lawyers who possess an elephantine memory and quote various provisions of law verbatim at an appropriate time in any given context. Quite a few of the laws, even though designed to address a specific problem faced by society at a given point in time, fade from public memory; then there are some which are never seriously enforced.

But all laws need not always be serious. There are several laws all over the world which could appear to be amusing to a globe-trotter as long as he/she does not get caught on the wrong side of the same. To the local inhabitants, though, most have become a part of everyday life. Here is a random sample which could possibly be of interest to you.

  • In Victoria, Australia, you would need a licensed electrician to change a bulb. Technically qualified people from developing countries can perhaps increase their earnings manifold by migrating to Down Under.
  • In Singapore, you may be allowed to chew your gum, but are not expected to leave behind the gooey remains in a public place. To avoid getting penalized, you are expected to stick the remains to a trash can.
  • In Thailand, you are not allowed to leave your home without wearing your underwear. All the manufacturers of inner wear surely have sound marketing strategies for that territory, tapping its innate potential to the hilt.  Cartoon Traffic cop
  • In South Korea, traffic police are required by law to report all bribes that they receive from motorists. One can never be sure about the authenticity of reports getting filed there, but this should make the traffic police in some other countries sit up and take notice.
  • In India, under Section 497 of the Indian Penal Code, only males can be sent to jail for adultery. The females may continue with whatever liberties they wish to take. All feminists in India who are crying hoarse and seeking stricter laws to protect the gentler sex – whether at home or outside – would do well to also demand an equal treatment in this regard.
  • In South Africa, young people wearing bathing suits are prohibited from sitting less than 12 inches apart. If you are planning a honeymoon trip to South Africa, better watch out.Cartoon Teeth Brushing
  • Kids living in Russia are apparently much happier than their counterparts elsewhere on this planet. It is illegal there to brush one’s teeth more than two times a day. Surely, this dims the business prospects of MNCs dealing in global toothpaste brands and wishing to diversify into Russian markets.
  • If you happen to be in Sweden, and have amorous tendencies, do not think of availing the services of a prostitute; unless, of course, you wish to experience the environment in a Swedish prison.
  • In Germany, it is illegal to stop – as well as to run out of gas – on an autobahn. Filling up enough gas before hitting an autobahn is highly recommended.
  • Same restrictions apply in Switzerland as well. In addition, it is a country where you can truly relish your Sundays, lazing about in front of the TV. On Sundays, you can neither wash your car nor dispose off your garbage. Much to the discomfiture of spouses, you can neither mow a lawn nor vacuum the household! Also, if you decide to have a leisurely bath or happen to flush your toilet after 10 PM, you run the risk of being visited by the police.
  • In Portugal, it is illegal to pee in the ocean. On the contrary, in India, one may respond to nature’s call virtually anywhere without causing any eyebrows to be raised. May be that partially explains why the Portuguese decided to capture Goa in India in 1510 AD – perhaps to enjoy unbridled freedom from this law!Cartoon Hillary Clinton
  • France sprung a pleasant surprise this year by withdrawing a ban on women wearing trousers. It was a ban which came into force after the French Revolution to prevent women from masquerading as men. It is understood that it was partially rolled back in 1892 and also in 1909, allowing women to wear trousers when riding a bicycle or a horse. Of late, the fact that the former French First Lady Carla Bruni, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had displayed their unmistakable preference for wearing pantsuits might have prompted the policy makers in France to rethink on the issue, resulting into the ban being revoked.
  • If you are in the noble profession of teaching in Arkansas in USA and are a descendent of Eve, you better keep your hair long and plaited, so as to get an annual raise in your package. If you commit the blunder of going in for bobbed hair, local law ordains that you shall not get a raise.
  • In Idaho, USA, it is illegal to give your sweetheart a box of candy weighing smaller than 50 lbs. How all the sweethearts there manage to keep their body weight under control is an area which should concern all food and nutrition researchers.Cartoon beggingimages
  • If you happen to be a beggar by profession, you would do well to relocate to Washington DC in USA. Begging is recognized as a fundamental right out there, protected by the Constitution. So you do not risk facing the wrath of any law enforcing agencies.
  • In Mexico, any kind of nude artistic display is illegal. This would be music to the ears of the puritans who hounded M F Husain out of India, leaving the much acclaimed artist rooting for a dignified return to his homeland till the time he died in 2011.
  • We understand that you cannot plan your death. However, if you think you are anywhere close to kicking the bucket, make sure that you are not in the Houses of Parliament in England, where it is illegal to die. Some of the other places where the same rule applies are:Cartoon Grave
    • Biritiba-Mirim in Brazil,
    • Le Lavandou, Cugnaux and Sarpourenx in France,
    • Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbad in Norway, and
    • Lanjaron ìn Spain.

And in the following places, you may neither die nor deliver a baby:

    • Island of Delos in Greece,
    • Island of Itsukushima in Japan!

There is great merit in any country keeping a few ridiculous laws. For the common man, flouting them is an easy way to gain a celebrity status while not committing a heinous crime. In turn, this leaves the much burdened police force to take care of more serious matters. Also, such laws keep the collective sense of humour of a country alive, thereby improving public health in no uncertain terms!

Legal Disclaimers

1. The list of laws mentioned in the article is merely indicative.

2. The illustrations used in the article are drawn from diverse sources and are not owned by the author.

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OF NOMOPHOBIA AND NOCONNPHOBIA

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on February 9, 2013| 3 Comments »

We appear to be headed for two new challenges to our mental equipoise in this century – Nomophobia and Noconnphobia! The fear of being out of mobile contact, that is, No–Mobile-Phobia, is already well-recognized. The significance of the other, No–Connectivity-Phobia, is perhaps yet to dawn on most of us!

Our addiction to mobile phones and internet knows no bounds. Six years back, I was working with a company in a very senior position. A night before I was to be wheeled into an operation theatre for a cardiac surgery, I was furiously making calls to my team members to ensure that things were handled right when I was away from work for some time. My distressed daughter ended up confiscating the mobile phone, leading me to a feeling of utter loneliness and helplessness. It was as if my world had collapsed!

While recovering over the next four weeks, the ring tone of the mobile phone kept ringing in my ears, even though the equipment was nowhere around. My family ensured I could not lay my hands on it; otherwise, they felt, and rightly so, that I shall again get hooked on to it!

Surrounded by Gizmos!

Mobile phones are now everywhere. We go to a restaurant, and find that the friends who have met only to have a decent time together are instead glued to their individual mobile phones, chatting away merrily with those who are not physically present. On the roads, we find young and old alike walking absent-mindedly, talking on their mobile phone, quite oblivious to the traffic whizzing past and around them. Two-wheeler riders continue driving with an eye on the road while talking to someone far away, with a mobile phone wedged between their hunched up shoulder and an ear. With the arrival of blue tooth, the hunched shoulder has disappeared, but not the ingrained habit of using this all-pervasive gadget while driving.

Travel in a train and chances are that all the passengers are calling up their near and dear ones at the same time, prompting us to avoid the cacophony by taking a stroll down the crowded aisle. Visit a family and just as we start relishing a cup of tea with them, a shrill ring tone distracts one of the host’s party and we start wondering when the conversation in the drawing-room shall resume. Attend a management talk by an eminent expert, only to be interrupted by someone’s mobile ringing loud and clear, leaving the hapless expert clueless and the audience twiddling its thumbs. Even group meditation sessions are not free from this scourge.

When we call up a person on his mobile, we seldom bother if it is an appropriate time for him to have a conversation. If he does not pick up the phone in four or five rings, we conclude that he is being rude and arrogant; the poor guy might just be having a quiet candle-light Valentine Day dinner with his fiancée!

Internet is Fast Catching Up

Same is the case with internet accessibility. It appears to have assumed the same significance in our lives as oxygen which is vital to our survival. Withdraw it and the person withers away like a plant which has not been watered for quite some time. Ask any bleary-eyed child why he is looking tired and sleepy and the reason could well be that the only book he was working on the previous night was Facebook!  The realization that there is a real world out there – which is not the same as the virtual world – is difficult to come by.

According to a 2008 study in the UK, 53% of cell users there suffer from Nomophobia. It is not too different when compared to the stress we feel when we visit a dentist, start a new job or get jitters on our wedding day!

The day is not far off when some of us would be so lost in our technical gizmos that we may end up having to ‘Google’ ourselves to find who and where we are! With the convergence of voice and data services, we may soon end up getting mini-sim-cards planted in our skulls, much like the character of Neo played by Keanu Reeves in the ‘Matrix’ series of movies a decade back.

Just like the advent of the internal combustion engine changed our lifestyles forever, easy availability of connectivity is contributing towards making our civilization even more sedentary. The onslaught of lifestyle related diseases like diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular complications is getting further speeded up with our addiction to internet. Our transition time – from being a couch potato at home to becoming a patient in a psychiatrist’s couch – is possibly getting shorter.

Enjoying Freedom with Responsibility

It is not my case that newer technologies are bad. Thanks to social networking, distances have shrunk – physically as well as mentally. A virtual democracy of information has led to grouping of like-minded individuals. Regimes world over are waking up to the potential as well as the power of internet, as we have seen in the case of the ‘Arab Spring’ and also in the recent case of a brutal gang rape case in Delhi.

We have enviable options today to remain connected with the world, but there is an overload of information. We need a higher level of maturity and wisdom to be able to moderate its usage in our day-to-day lives. We need a higher degree of inner strength to be able to sift between what is relevant and truly beneficial for us, and whom we associate and network with. It is up to us to enjoy this new-found freedom with responsibility.

We have to take a conscious call whether we wish to use the technology to our advantage, or to become slaves to it, 24 x 7! Yes, it is not easy to switch off our smart phones, I-pads, tablets and laptops. But there is no other way but to do so at select times during the day. Let us give our gadgets some well deserved rest.  Overcoming Nomophobia and Noconnphobia is not as hard as it sounds!

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An Open Letter to Damini

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , , , , on January 2, 2013| Leave a Comment »

Dear Damini,

Sadly, you are gone. But don’t you worry. Each spark out of the fire which was lit to consign your mortal remains to flames carries a luminous glow which would keep us introspective and acting upon the deficiencies in our system for a long time to come.

The Accused Are Bound to Suffer

You are lucky to have escaped a tormented and difficult life. Had you survived, life would not have been hunky dory. Media would not have left you in peace. Your relatives would have repeatedly questioned you as to why you had to stay away from home so late at night, indirectly blaming you for the brutal ordeal you had to undergo. Repeated visits to hospitals would have become tortuous after some time.

Not so for the accused. For a few moments of vicarious pleasure and sadistic revenge, they would atone throughout their remaining lives. Given the pressure which has got built up, the system would ensure that they receive the harshest punishment possible, that too possibly within a fraction of the time it normally takes to get a conviction announced.

The Hope You Have Generated

You have left behind a definite hope that our system would change for the better. Once the initial anguish and revulsion has subsided, meaningful action will get taken to ensure that India becomes a safer place for women in the days to come. The judiciary is awake, and so is the legislature. There is a realization that tightening laws alone will not help. The primary challenge lies in their interpretation and delivery, in ensuring that justice is swift and is also perceived to be inevitable. This involves not only sensitizing all arms of our republic better but also ensuring that there are more women occupying senior positions in the hierarchy.

Changes We Can Expect

From a heavenly perch, your soul must be watching in amazement the kind of contradictions our multi-layered society keeps coming up with. Politicians of all hues have decided to use your case as another scoring point with their eyes firmly fixed on their vote banks. But that is precisely what will ensure that we get tougher laws in the days to come.

Those responsible for enforcing the laws are presently claiming that they are under-staffed, under-paid and over-worked. Sheer public pressure will ensure that suitable changes happen over a period of time. As to our abysmally poor conviction rates – close to 25% in rape cases – your case is set to raise the bar. Our leaders are also coming forward to forego a part of their security staff, which would mean better per capita availability of police personnel for the common citizen.

Our self-anointed guardians of religious values and the great Indian tradition have not so far thought it fit to make an appeal to reform the gender-bias inherent in our society. There is no call as yet to reinterpret our scriptures to make them more progressive in their thought, in tune with the times. Our spiritual masters are yet to react to the underlying malaise in our society which does not provide a level playing field to females – whether before or after birth. Slowly and steadily, these changes would also come about.

Our advertising honchos believe that they cannot survive without using sexual innuendo in the ads they create. But brands which persist with obnoxious campaigns will eventually suffer in the market place. Our movie makers think that they can get the box office registers tingling only by putting in raunchy item songs, lewd lyrics and coarse dialogues. Admittedly, movies that one can watch with the entire family at home can be counted on finger tips. But, come to think of it, there is no dearth of such movies as well. To quote only a few of recent origin: ‘Chak De, India’, ‘Well Done, Abba’, ‘Do Dooni Chaar’ and ‘Ferrari Ki Sawari’, besides a host of others which have steered clear of pandering to the front rows in a theater.

You can readily see through the argument that provocative dresses and influence of ads and movies are responsible for the gender bias prevalent in our society. If the males shed their chauvinism a wee bit, and instead develop an inner resilience, these external factors would hardly make a difference. This can only be done through a sustained campaign directed at parents and bringing in an education system which places greater emphasis on moral aspects of life.

Business, even though it sustains itself on resources pooled in from the society, is too busy to bother about ensuring an absence of harassment at work or even in transit to and from the place of work. Often one sees a makeshift crèche coming up only when a buyer’s inspection is to take place in a manufacturing establishment. But progressive companies which take care of gender issues do end up attracting better talent.

The Rising Female Power

Economies the world over may not be in the pink of health. But the pink collar brigade has already made its presence felt in so many spheres of our lives. Right from the armed forces to civil engineering, from banking to pharmaceuticals, from medicine to management, from space exploration to music and fine arts – look at any field of expertise and you would find the finer of our species leading the pack. Until two decades back, women were found only in the jobs of receptionists, stenographers and laboratory technicians. Now, they hold sway over executive and managerial positions as well.

According to Grant Thornton’s International Business Report, percentage of Indian women in senior management roles had gone up from 9% in 2011 to 14% in 2012. Globally, however, the percentage has remained unchanged at about 21%. Global average of women chief executives rose from 8% to 9%; in India, it has gone up from 1% in 2011 to 10% in 2012! As per the same report, globally, less than 10% of businesses have female CEOs, with women largely employed in HR and finance functions.

You may be aware that for some time now, EU has been planning to introduce a law that would impose penalties on companies that do not allocate 40% of the seats on their boards to women. It has met with opposition from Britain and other countries and stands blocked, as of now. But the day is not far off when this will eventually get done.

The Real Challenges

The most difficult change is going to be that of our patriarchy oriented value system. The next would be to ensure that delivery of justice is swift and inevitable. Above all, we need to ensure that the pressure of public opinion is sustained; that your case does not fade from the collective public memory for a long time to come.

Rest in Peace

Rest assured that positive changes will come about. The pace and the contours of the change may not exactly delight us. But your supreme sacrifice will not go in vain!

(Related Posts:

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2013/05/01/the-anguish-of-a-soul

https://ashokbhatia.wordpress.com/2015/03/11/to-nirbhaya-the-fearless-a-daughter-of-india)

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THE COUNTDOWN IS OVER!

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , on December 23, 2012| Leave a Comment »

If you are reading this on the 23rdof December, 2012, it is proof enough that the world has not come to an end on the 21st of this month!

Quite a few doomsday believers had interpreted an ancient Mayan calendar to indicate that on the fateful day of 21st of December, 2012, a 5,125-year cycle known as the Long Count would come to an end. So, they had predicted an end of the world on that day.

You may be aware that this prediction had come in handy for many glum faced entrepreneurs and marketing professionals in these hard-hit recessionary times. As a result, employment prospects had improved for many in several countries. In USA, sales of survival shelters had sky-rocketed. In France, China and Russia demand for candles and essential items had shot up sharply. Film producers had a field day cashing in on the fear psychosis.

Had the world really ended that day, you would have never known what eventually happened to President Obama’s difficulties. The manner in which the Euro-zone crisis had got resolved would have remained a mystery. The fate of Afghanistan would have remained unclear. The manner in which ties between Japan and China had shaped up after the elections in Japan would have never been known to you.

Closer home,Chief Minister of a big state which had just gone to the polls would have possibly lost a chance of fulfilling his prime ministerial ambitions in the 2014 general elections. Our legislative bodies would have been denied further luxury of delaying vital pieces of legislation through shadow-boxing. MNCs wanting to invest in India would no longer have been around twiddling their thumbs to figure out how to kick-start their businesses in India, weaving their way through the corruption-infested systems we have in place.

If you happen to be a public-spirited soul, you would have never known which VIPs are being targeted next by our self-anointed anti-corruption crusaders. The eventual fate of the Aam Aadmi Party would have been lost to posterity, thereby denying you some chance of cleaning up our political arena. For the poorest amongst you, there would have been no way of knowing if the ruling party’s plans of direct transfer of benefits to your bank account had indeed fructified. Benefits of economic growth trickling down to you would no longer have been possible.

Had the end come, your dreams of making a trip either to Moon or to Mars, or even settling down there, would have come to a naught. For the well-heeled amongst you who had planned to have an exciting vacation covering the Grand Canyon, the Niagara Falls, the fjords in Norway, Mount Titlis, or an overnight boat ride in the famous backwaters of Kerala, grave disappointment would have been in store.

Plans for lavish New Year parties or grand resolutions would have been mercilessly cut short. Just-married couples would have been denied the opportunity of raising bright-eyed kids who would have delighted their grandparents no end. Those with young children would have never known how their progeny fared in the competitive exams for acquiring professional degrees which would have improved their lot in life.

For the tech-savvy amongst you, the roll-out of 4G would have remained a pipe dream. You would have also lost the chance of fiddling with the latest i-Pads, tablets and smart phones due to hit the market pretty soon. The debate of freedom of speech over the internet would have been left inconclusive.

As to the artistically inclined, the remainder of the December music season in Chennai would have been sorely missed. Fans of Salman Khan and Kamal Hasan would have been severely disappointed if they had missed the first day shows of Dabangg-2 and Viswaroopam.

So while you enjoy your steaming cup of filter coffee while devouring the contents of today’s edition of your favourite newspaper, be grateful for the fact that the countdown is over for now, and the end is still far away. Catch up with a good night’s sleep, because today is winter solstice – the longest night in the year!

Celebrate the fact that the inexorable march of humanity towards the next step of its evolution continues uninterrupted!

 

 

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A FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE IN MEDICAL TOURISM!

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , on December 14, 2012| 2 Comments »

I recently had the uplifting experience of being confined to a public hospital of repute. I call the experience “uplifting” because of the simple reason that if I were to forget the medical problem and just concentrate on the overall experience, both the body and the soul were truly enriched by the time my confinement had ended.

I have stayed in private as well as in public hospitals. We often speak of the latter in deprecatory terms. The term “government hospital” invariably leads us to imagine dingy corridors, dust-covered wards, negligent and indifferent doctors and nurses, and equipment which is seldom found in working order. Well, a recent experience of mine has been rather different. The doctors have a richer exposure, and commercial considerations do not overtake health issues.

I found that staying in a public hospital eventually disperses the pall of gloom which envelopes one on knowing of a medical problem. Moreover, the experience has its funnier aspects which leave one convinced that a brief stay of ten days not only changes one’s outlook on life but also reveals its sunnier side!

In Safe Hands!

The pre-admission check-ups led me to various “speciality” departments of the hospital. Even though my problem pertained to the abdomen, my eyes, teeth, heart, lungs, kidney, liver as well as my feet were all subjected to a complex battery of tests. Surprisingly, the doctors did not think there was anything wrong with my grey matter, so the brain was – thankfully – let off the hook. All the brisk walking that I had to do within the hospital campus left me in a much fitter shape than I ever was.

Interspersed with social distractions, it took as many as ten visits spread over six weeks before I could secure the coveted admission slip. I confess this feat would not have been possible without a strong will-power. Of particular help were the juices of patience and perseverance sloshing about within us. The underlying spirit of perfection which permeated the whole pre-admission process left me in awe of the robust systems which are in place. The fact that an allopathic view of the body is highly segmented and organ-centric did lead to inconvenience. However, at the end of it all, I felt that I was in safe hands!

An Unjustified Feeling of Being Lucky

Once diagnosed and advised to get admitted, I needed the support of two able-bodied relatives for a week to get a room allotted. The endless running from pillar to post made me learn the value of team work. When entering the hospital with our bag and baggage, we had to negotiate our way through the over-crowded corridors. Our experience and skills in weaving our car through the arterial roads of the metropolis we live in came in handy. It took us some time for our nasal faculties to get adjusted to the all-pervading smell of disinfectants.

On the way to the room allotted to me, human suffering in various forms was clearly visible. As a result, my own ailment paled into insignificance. Suddenly, a realization dawned that I was luckier to have a sickness which was much more manageable. Looking at people of all shapes and sizes with hopelessness oozing out of their sullen eyes, I thanked the Almighty for having been kinder to me than to quite a few others.

Being in a Medical Zoo

Once I and my wife had settled down in the room, we had a feeling as if we were either in a fish bowl or in a zoo. Just like the hapless animals confined to their cages, much away from their natural habitat, we were in a room, temporarily uprooted by fate from our home and hearth. In a zoo, the poor animals get ogled at, teased and harassed by the visiting public. Likewise, it was pretty normal for us to be visited by a group of enthusiastic as well as not-so-enthusiastic doctors, nurses, paramedics and other staff.

I dare say that the animals in a zoo are much better off; they at least have fixed visiting hours. We had no such luck. Late in the night, when we had switched off the lights and believed ourselves to have earned a night’s reprieve, a group of interns walked in, asking all kinds of questions regarding my medical history and current predicaments.

Animals get fed at random by some naughty kids, egged on by their cheering parents. In the hospital, I was fed medicines from time to time by the visiting nurses. I dare not call them naughty, because some of them wore a stern look which would have put a Hitler to shame.

Suprabhatam

Early morning, we would get rudely woken up by the cleaning lady at some ungodly hour. Her concept of playing “Suprabhatam” was a loud and unending banging on the door. The rude banging, reminding me of the percussion beats of a broken tabla would continue till the time my wife gingerly got up and switched on the lights.

Throughout the day, at frequent intervals, nurses would waltz in, either drawing a blood sample, or taking body temperatures, or simply reminding us to arrange our things tidily since the doctors would be on their routine rounds soon. A single doctor would pop up, aiming to check my blood pressure and pulse rate. A gang of doctors would then troop in, shoot a couple of perfunctory questions, and leave us wondering what would happen next. Specialists from various disciplines like cardiology, orthopaedic and ophthalmology would keep turning up in an endless stream throughout the day.

A Delighted Better Half!

Cleaning ladies, maids serving three meals and milk, coffee etc. in the day, would make a beeline for our room, ensuring that we both were well fed. This kind of dietary pampering left my wife in high spirits after a very long time. She no longer had to worry about the cooking and household management issues that plague her at home.

Experiencing Medical Tourism

We had several Good Samaritans supporting our unique venture in medical tourism. Delicious home cooked meals were just a call away. Internet connectivity was never an issue, though we never got leisurely time to enjoy the same. Supplies like newspapers, fruits, snacks and biscuits kept pouring in automatically.

One afternoon, a charming friend walked in and we had a leisurely chat on spiritual matters. Another evening, a friend walked in with piping hot samosas. Wife volunteered to use her electric kettle to produce a few cups of tea. A senior acquaintance walked in, only to find a rather boisterous tea party in progress. Overcoming his surprise and amazement, he lost no time in joining in!

Absolute Surrender

On the day of the surgery, it was as if my physical body had been forced to surrender, albeit not to a higher force but to an angel doctor who played God at that point in time. Post-operative care was compassionate and even small complaints were promptly attended to. On our request, the nurse on duty ensured that we were not woken up very early, but only at a more decent hour when it was absolutely necessary. This speeded up my recovery.

Why Public Hospitals Score Over Private Ones

By the time my treatment got over, I was not only healthier but also wiser. Having dutifully paid my taxes all through my working life, I realized the good silent work the government was doing in running these institutions of excellence, where the best possible medical care was being made available to the public at a minimal cost. Due to a much better exposure to various kinds of ailments, the technical knowledge of the doctors was much better than in privately managed hospitals. Above all, the patient is only expected to fall in line with the system and be “patient”, rather than being viewed as yet another money-making apparatus for the hospital.

Home, Sweet Home!

At the end of the ordeal, I look outside the window of my bedroom and notice that the birds are chirping merrily, the sun is shining brightly on a lazy winter morning, flowers are in full bloom, colourful butterflies are flitting about seeking their daily dose of nectar and the bees and the ants are going about their daily chores with much zest and vigour. Sipping a cup of tea, I fondly remember the efficient doctors, caring nurses and empathic staff I had come across during this unique medical sojourn!

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THE MISTRESSES IN MY LIFE!

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, tagged , , , , , , , on November 24, 2012| 1 Comment »

Going by the caption, I guess you imagine me to be a Casanova of sorts, with a bevy of beauties chasing me, eager to swamp me with their irresistible charms. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I am a simpleton, in looks as well as in physique. If ever there was an Oscar awarded to people who excel in projecting a permanently-worried-and-constipated look on their not-so-handsome faces, I would have won it long time ago. God has not endowed me with the kind of exceptional grey matter that appeals to the fairer of our species. Even those with the most fertile imagination may not call me either bold or dashing. I am your average middle-class guy, leading an average life – a conformist to the core. Well, that about sums me up!

If so, which mistresses am I talking about? Well, my wife is of the firm belief that even if we both are tied in holy matrimony by virtue of having taken the seven sacred wows while rounding a ceremonial fire as per traditional Hindu rites, I do not pay her the kind of attention she deserves. She claims that I am always engaged in pursuing courtship with the other interests in my life, namely, my career, my profound love for books and my infatuation with such technical gizmos as laptops, smart-phones, internet-savvy television sets, et al. She claims that all these extra-marital affairs of mine deprive her of an exclusive access to my love and affection, increasing her sense of abandonment and isolation.

Career obviously takes the first priority for me, much to the exclusion of family and other interests. Having come up in life due to an excellent education provided for by my parents long time back, I am mortally afraid of jeopardizing my career growth prospects just because a Parent Teacher Meeting is scheduled for the very day on which an all important client meeting is due to take place. Or, taking leave for a day to show a movie to a bunch of giggly kids from my in-laws’ side who have suddenly decided to swoop down on us, taking our hospitality for granted.

If an assignment needs me to lead my team for up to 15 hours on most days, I feel I have to be physically present in office there to buck them up. But my better half could not disagree with me more. Invariably, I am held responsible for having “married” my job, as also the company I work for.

Another “marriage” I get blamed for is that of my fondness for reading and writing. Savoring my early morning cup of tea, accompanied by the latest edition of The Hindu, I often get lost in its thought-provoking editorials. This is a sight that makes her register a strong protest in no uncertain terms. I am supposed to help her instead in deciding the sari she is supposed to wear when some guests arrive for dinner that day, followed of course by a long list of provisions I have to shop for on my return from office.Bertie image

Late at night, if I curl up in bed with my Kindle e-book reader, enjoying the escapades of Bertie Wooster trying to wriggle out of an impending walk down the aisle with a goofy female like Madeline Bassett, subtly assisted by the inimitable Jeeves, her priority would be to update me either with the misdemeanors of the maid servant during the day, or some gossip about the neighbor’s daughter.

On a lazy Sunday forenoon, if I am found composing a new article while sitting in front of my laptop, all hell would break loose. I shall either receive a sermon on the sacrosanct duties and responsibilities of a householder, or simply get asked if I can help her in locating her spectacles. My tenuous thought process having got disrupted thus, the creative juices would stop flowing, leading me to sigh in exasperation and grudgingly get back to the mundane affairs of life.

For a nationally acclaimed couch potato like me, it is easy for me to empathize with my wife when she thinks that the television set in the house is yet another mistress whose charms I find more alluring. When it comes to attracting my attention, it is definitely her arch-rival, especially if Amitabh Bacchhan’s baritone voice is wafting in the air, posing the next question to a participant in the quiz show “Kaun Banega Crorepati”.

Anyhow, let me confess that I enjoy such affairs with these mistresses only when my better-half is around, pottering about in the kitchen and running the household affairs as efficiently as only she can. The male of the species can surely pursue their “other interests”, but let them not take their wives for granted. Take a wife  out of the scenario, and the charm of all the extra-marital affairs would simply evaporate!

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MA’s AWAKENING

Posted in A Vibrant Life! on May 31, 2012| Leave a Comment »

The night was yet to come to an end

It was the hour before even the Gods awake.

 

As people of myriad races across the world

Obeyed the unforeseeing instant’s urge,

Ma also gradually awoke among these tribes

To lift up the burden of her fate.

 

Her spirit opened to the spirit in all

Her nature felt all Nature as its own,

A solitary mind, a world-wide heart

The lone Divine’s unshared work she rose.

 

At first life grieved not in her burdened breast

Inert, released into forgetfulness,

Prone it reposed, unconscious on mind’s verge

She lay remote from grief, unsawn by care.

 

Then a slow faint remembrance shadow like moved

The Power that kindles mind was still withdrawn;

Sullen, the torch of sense refused to burn

The unassisted brain found not its past.

 

But now she stirred, her life shared the cosmic load,

Her strong spirit traveled back;

Back to the yoke of ignorance and fate

Back to the labour and stress of mortal days.

 

Her house of Nature felt an unseen sway,

Illumined swiftly were life’s darkened rooms;

Memory’s casements opened on the hours

And the tired feet of thought approached her doors.

 

She finally awoke to struggle and the pang divine

Saw the soft sunbeams playing on leaves swaying gently in the wind,

Heard the chirping of the birds outside her window

Mixed with the harsh clang of utensils vying for her attention.

 

Her senses quivered at the faint aroma of fresh tea wafting in

Her soul prodded her out of her slumber,

She arose confronting Time and Fate,

Immobile in herself, she gathered force.

 

This was the day when the new kitchen amma was supposed to report to work!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE POWER OF BEING POWER-LESS!

Posted in A Vibrant Life!, Living Sustainably on April 4, 2012| 4 Comments »

Right across India, power cuts are an essential part of living. Getting regular power supply remains a utopia. Every time the government of the day announces an ambitious scheme to assure the hapless citizens that the 24 by 7 power days are just around the corner, there is a sense of severe skepticism and déjà vu.

I propose that we look at the positive side to the present power crisis that we face. I am not only referring to all the entrepreneurs who have shifted to manufacturing inverters of all sizes and shapes and are raking in handsome profits these days! Even ordinary laymen like you and I would also ruefully look back at this period. Let me put across some highlights of the unique experience of the “dark ages” we live in at present!

Just like the advent of the Internal Combustion engine ruined our lifestyles, making us forget to walk, electricity has also played havoc with our lives. We have lost touch with the primordial cycle of the Sun. We tend to live a life which is unhealthy. Within a family, various members live in greater isolation, sometimes depriving the younger generation of our rich cultural heritage and value systems.

In the presence of power, we sleep when we get tired watching the idiot box. We get up when we feel like. If the birds chirp too noisily in the mornings, or early sunlight starts disturbing our slumber, we merely draw the curtains tighter and doze off to catch a few winks more. Most of us have come to believe in the adage that “it is the early worm which gets caught!”

Thanks to electricity, we have lost close touch with our near and dear ones. Like elsewhere, life in a semi-urban environment is heavily dependent on the availability of power. Enter my house on any lucky evening these days – when power is available – and you will find that while the lady of the house is busy watching a cultural program on the telly, I would be fooling around with my desktop in another room. Son would pop up late from work, and get busy with his laptop in his bedroom. Daughter-in-law would be operating either a microwave or a grinder in the kitchen, whereas the granddaughter would be busy watching some inane channel on another TV in the bedroom.

Poof… goes the power. Another unscheduled power cut! Since repeated cuts have drained out the battery, our inverter is not in an obliging mood. With a sense of resignation, the whole family assembles in the outer courtyard of the house. A soothing silence pervades the house. We enjoy a gentle breeze under a clear star-lit sky. A soft moonlight is lovingly caressing all of us. My granddaughter is enjoying the cosmic scenery and starts chasing a bemused firefly in the lawn.

Slowly, as we get accustomed to the natural surroundings, conversation gets around to some key problems being faced by the family. My son’s impending transfer comes up for discussion; so does the need to minimize granddaughter’s exposure to the multitude of TV channels which profess to be meant for kids but are brazenly violent in their content.

The quality of family bonding we get by virtue of being power-less for a few hours is priceless. We end up eating an early dinner. After some more chit-chat, the family gets to sleep rather early. The result is a good night’s rest. Next morning, we wake up early, fully refreshed. I go for my constitutional, whereas son and daughter-in-law go off to a gym nearby. Since there is a feeling that power may go off any time, wife gets busy with her breakfast preparations rather early. Overall, the day starts on a positive note.

Imagine having uninterrupted supply of power – 24 by 7. Shall we not end up losing the power of being power-less? Would we be able to enjoy the same feeling of togetherness within the family then?! Surely, all the family members would need to exercise much greater self-control on their daily habits to be able to live a healthy, harmonious and well-knit life together!

 


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