One way of assessing maturity or positive progress of any civilization is to look at its achievement in the various art forms
This may be music, literature, dance, sculpture and painting. It is not enough if there are performers in these fields. There should a larger participation of lay persons in that civilization who know how to appreciate and enjoy these art forms.
Not all of us are fortunate to be exponents of art forms. It is reserved for the privileged few who have the perseverance, talent and single-mindedness to pursue these interests often at great personal sacrifice. But if we don’t have the talent or perseverance, the next best thing is to develop a feeling for appreciation of art. Everyone has eyes but few can appreciate a work of art or the abundant beauty that is around us. To give one personal example. I must have seen the painting of Sunflowers by Van Gogh at least a thousand times. I am still not tired and can see it again with the same pleasure many times more. It simply dazzles me. Same is true of the painting of water lilies by Claude Monet. What is this feeling which so uplifts my spirit that is contained in these paintings? I cannot say it; it has to be experienced and cannot be easily described.
I have seen and heard musicians performing. The expression on their faces is one of intense pleasure. They are so involved that they are oblivious to their surroundings. To experience of listening to some of the great musicians is the same as one gets one views a great painting. I can say the same with dance forms.
I recently had the pleasure of viewing a recorded performance of Bharathnatyam [a form of classical Indian dance] by a young relative of mine, Mithila Ballal [Mittu, as she is known to us]. I sat transfixed for more than one hour watching and listening. It was a soul filling experience and I felt I was in the presence of a great talent.
Our lives can often be boring because it consists of many repetitive acts. Some of these are necessary to live and some we are forced to because to live we have to do these. Our humdrum lives can become interesting and meaningful if we develop interest in one or other form of art. This is true for all ages but especially so when one grows old!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Manmohan Singh
Many many years ago, we had a prime minister called Lalbahadur Shastri, who had all the attributes of a leader. He was honest, efficient, noncorrupt, and humble and knew how to delegate responsibility and remain calm in the face of adversity. He was the last of the true Gandhians.
The present Prime minster of my country is a gentle Sikh called Man mohan Singh. He like Shastri became the prime minister by default 4 years ago. He belongs to the ruling party whose moral antecedents have always been suspect is another matter altogether. He speaks less, has no personal charisma, his oratory skills needs much to be desired, diffident and has no mass base. Why is it then he has captured the hearts of many like me who have a gut dislike for his party?
It is because the way he deports himself in public and personal life. Never makes it an issue that he was the chief of London school of economics, that he is responsible 20 years ago for the country’s economic turnaround, doesn’t mind if others hogging the limelight and the credit for the work he has done and is doing, and more than anything else, his behaviour when he fell seriously ill a fortnight ago.
He has had a coronary artery bypass graft surgery done 15 years ago and a stenting procedure few years ago. Investigations revealed that the grafts had blocked and he was in serious trouble and needed a redo surgery, a highly risky procedure. In this kind of circumstances what would an Indian dignitary do? He would scout around the world and would land up in some institution in the US or UK. The Indian public is used to such health jaunts by our politicians and other bigwigs. But Dr Singh did nothing of that kind. He chose a government institution called all India institute of medical sciences and an Indian cardiac surgeon called Ramakanth Panda to do the redo surgery. The surgery took 15 hours and was successful and today, after only seven days, a beaming prime minister was seen shaking hands with the team of doctors before leaving for his home.
By this act this prime minister has sent a message to all Indians. That we have the best medical care and please make use of it.
Foot note. This is true we do have the best. But one must know where the best are. Health care in India is like a haystack with needles. The needles are the excellent professionals. To get to know who are these and where are they working is important and the prime minister was lucky in having found an institution and Dr Ramakanth Panda.
The present Prime minster of my country is a gentle Sikh called Man mohan Singh. He like Shastri became the prime minister by default 4 years ago. He belongs to the ruling party whose moral antecedents have always been suspect is another matter altogether. He speaks less, has no personal charisma, his oratory skills needs much to be desired, diffident and has no mass base. Why is it then he has captured the hearts of many like me who have a gut dislike for his party?
It is because the way he deports himself in public and personal life. Never makes it an issue that he was the chief of London school of economics, that he is responsible 20 years ago for the country’s economic turnaround, doesn’t mind if others hogging the limelight and the credit for the work he has done and is doing, and more than anything else, his behaviour when he fell seriously ill a fortnight ago.
He has had a coronary artery bypass graft surgery done 15 years ago and a stenting procedure few years ago. Investigations revealed that the grafts had blocked and he was in serious trouble and needed a redo surgery, a highly risky procedure. In this kind of circumstances what would an Indian dignitary do? He would scout around the world and would land up in some institution in the US or UK. The Indian public is used to such health jaunts by our politicians and other bigwigs. But Dr Singh did nothing of that kind. He chose a government institution called all India institute of medical sciences and an Indian cardiac surgeon called Ramakanth Panda to do the redo surgery. The surgery took 15 hours and was successful and today, after only seven days, a beaming prime minister was seen shaking hands with the team of doctors before leaving for his home.
By this act this prime minister has sent a message to all Indians. That we have the best medical care and please make use of it.
Foot note. This is true we do have the best. But one must know where the best are. Health care in India is like a haystack with needles. The needles are the excellent professionals. To get to know who are these and where are they working is important and the prime minister was lucky in having found an institution and Dr Ramakanth Panda.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Moral policing
There have been reports in several of parts of the country of acts of coercion against women for acts which the conservative [bigots, extremists, fundamentalists] elements take exception to. These include not following the prescribed dress code, being seen and friendly with men, going to pubs and parties and in extreme cases even going to schools.
For a person who is steeped in the belief that all humans are equal [some times women even better than men], I find these acts abhorrent to say the least. Sex and its ramifications and interpretations and beliefs of purity etc related to sex are the root cause of these problems. Women are not property of men to be traded and victimized at their whim. Unless human beings treat sex as another desire and keep it in its place, this kind of nonsensical and deviant behaviour will continue. All women and all sane men should use all the means at their disposal to counter these elements in our societies.
This is the worst form of cancer that has afflicted our social fabric.
For a person who is steeped in the belief that all humans are equal [some times women even better than men], I find these acts abhorrent to say the least. Sex and its ramifications and interpretations and beliefs of purity etc related to sex are the root cause of these problems. Women are not property of men to be traded and victimized at their whim. Unless human beings treat sex as another desire and keep it in its place, this kind of nonsensical and deviant behaviour will continue. All women and all sane men should use all the means at their disposal to counter these elements in our societies.
This is the worst form of cancer that has afflicted our social fabric.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Implicit faith
At 7 pm one evening many years ago, I got a panic stricken call from a nearby chemist. He said some of my patients were creating a ruckus in front of his shop. I asked him why. He said, ‘sir, the medicine prescribed by you is not available and they do not believe me and are shouting that you have told them it is available’. I wanted to know the name of the patient who is causing this trouble. He came back after ascertaining the name and said the chief trouble maker’s name was Kishenchand.
This Kishenchand is part of a group of carpenters from Rajasthan who have made Bangalore their home. The building boom here has attracted all sorts of artisans and being very hard working they are assured of regular work. They are a hardy and simple lot with ready contented smiles and are usually docile but volatile when provoked [evidenced by the frequent brawls amongst them on weekends]. For them I am the last word in medicine. I am a mister cure all and there is no disease on earth which I cannot cure. This kind of blind faith is quite frightening to say the least. Often I have tried telling them facts to the contrary only to be told that I am being too modest!
Living in groups, often on the construction site, eating and drinking by the wayside they are very prone to illnesses and Kishenchand had come that morning with fever of three days duration and I remember prescribing some paracetamol [acetaminophen] tablets. As was his habit he had asked me before leaving with the prescription, ‘Saab [sir], I hope this is easily available’. I had guaranteed that it is easily available. Now here is a chemist who says this commonplace drug is not available. I asked the chemist how is that he doesnot stock paracetamol?
He said.' Sir, the medicine you have prescribed is PUO – three days. We don’t have this drug, I have even searched the drug directory and it is not mentioned even in that’.
I told him to dispense paracetamol and tell Kishenchand to see me later with the medication. After getting their medicine the group went without causing any physical harm to the chemist.
PUO is the short form for pyrexia of unknown origin or [I don’t know what is causing this fever]. Normally that is what I write in my notes. What must have happened is that instead of writing this in the case notes I had written it on the prescription to the chemist. The Hindi speaking simple Rajasthani who thinks his doctor is one who commits no error and the chemist who was puzzled at the strange name, were thus at loggerheads.
When I tried explaining to the simple carpenter what had transpired, he would still not blame me but kept telling that the chemist is insolent and instead of telling that the drug was not available, he should have checked with me first, instead of getting into a needless argument with him and his friends.
I kept quiet.
This Kishenchand is part of a group of carpenters from Rajasthan who have made Bangalore their home. The building boom here has attracted all sorts of artisans and being very hard working they are assured of regular work. They are a hardy and simple lot with ready contented smiles and are usually docile but volatile when provoked [evidenced by the frequent brawls amongst them on weekends]. For them I am the last word in medicine. I am a mister cure all and there is no disease on earth which I cannot cure. This kind of blind faith is quite frightening to say the least. Often I have tried telling them facts to the contrary only to be told that I am being too modest!
Living in groups, often on the construction site, eating and drinking by the wayside they are very prone to illnesses and Kishenchand had come that morning with fever of three days duration and I remember prescribing some paracetamol [acetaminophen] tablets. As was his habit he had asked me before leaving with the prescription, ‘Saab [sir], I hope this is easily available’. I had guaranteed that it is easily available. Now here is a chemist who says this commonplace drug is not available. I asked the chemist how is that he doesnot stock paracetamol?
He said.' Sir, the medicine you have prescribed is PUO – three days. We don’t have this drug, I have even searched the drug directory and it is not mentioned even in that’.
I told him to dispense paracetamol and tell Kishenchand to see me later with the medication. After getting their medicine the group went without causing any physical harm to the chemist.
PUO is the short form for pyrexia of unknown origin or [I don’t know what is causing this fever]. Normally that is what I write in my notes. What must have happened is that instead of writing this in the case notes I had written it on the prescription to the chemist. The Hindi speaking simple Rajasthani who thinks his doctor is one who commits no error and the chemist who was puzzled at the strange name, were thus at loggerheads.
When I tried explaining to the simple carpenter what had transpired, he would still not blame me but kept telling that the chemist is insolent and instead of telling that the drug was not available, he should have checked with me first, instead of getting into a needless argument with him and his friends.
I kept quiet.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Coronation second time!
Just to see that my wishes for a simple swearing in ceremony fulfilled, Barak Obama was sworn in again and this time there were only eight persons to witness. Even to the likes of me, the ceremony was too simple!
John Mortimer
It is with sorrow I read the news of passing away of John Mortimer, the author of many popular books of fiction. But what I remember most about him, is for the creation of the characters, Horace Rumpole and his wife, She who must be obeyed. Rumpole of the old Baily is a wayward genius of a lawyer, fond of cheap wine and cigars, who firmly believes in defending the petty criminals and keeping them out of jail. This he does, as he believes, by doing so, he is preventing them becoming major criminals. That his wife doesn’t share his views and how they manage to get along is another interesting part of these stories.
Over the years I have read and reread these stories and continue to enjoy reading them. Mortimer has written many books and plays but I found his Rumpole books are the best of his works.
Compliment?
He came to see me after ten years. These ten years he has been seeking help with some one else. I have stopped worrying about those who leave me for better medical pastures but I still am curious to know why they did leave me in the first place and more so why did they come back. I get some interesting answers, but what this man said took the cake. He said,’ an old enemy is better than a new friend!’
Over the years I have read and reread these stories and continue to enjoy reading them. Mortimer has written many books and plays but I found his Rumpole books are the best of his works.
Compliment?
He came to see me after ten years. These ten years he has been seeking help with some one else. I have stopped worrying about those who leave me for better medical pastures but I still am curious to know why they did leave me in the first place and more so why did they come back. I get some interesting answers, but what this man said took the cake. He said,’ an old enemy is better than a new friend!’
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Muniappa makes the cut
Muniappa, our club's caddie turned pro [read post: Muniappa and Madiah, modern day ekalayas Sept 07], who plays the Indian tour and ranked under the top 15 for the past five years, has now made the cut at the qualifying event recently held at Bankok, Thailand.He finshed 30th among the more than 400 who vied for a place.The first 40 were selected.
He can now play in the asian circuit.
He can now play in the asian circuit.
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