What does it mean to be an Indian? People seem to make their own definitions. At times it's beyond my level of understanding though. At some point in our lives, the way we perceive things such as patriotism, religion & God has a profound influence on our personality. These words divide human beings into collective groups of people. The whole purpose of religion and spirituality seems to be defeated.
You might be wondering what exactly it is I’m trying to get at. I started thinking about this when I was watching the news the other day. Sonia Gandhi was being described as a foreigner (as usual) in a particular interview. The fact that she's been in India for most of her adult life is of no consequence. The fact that both of her children have been raised as Indians means absolutely nothing. People are blinded by the fact that she wasn't born in India and can't seem to see beyond that.
I don’t think that just because someone may not have been born in India particularly disqualifies them from being Indian. Mother Teresa may have been born elsewhere but she’s one person who there is not much dispute over. We’re more than proud to declare her as one of our own. We still puff up with pride when names such as Lakshmi Mittal, Kalpana Chawla or Bobby Jindal are brought up in conversation. They're 'Indian' and look where they've reached. But people of Indian origin, even those who have been born and 'brought up' in the US, will always be considered as immigrants by the Americans. Does that mean we follow a similar policy when it comes to foreign people living in our lands?
I have a grandmother who was born in Germany. She spent the first 10 years of her life there before she had to be smuggled out of the country by boat in an attempt to escape the clutches of Nazi Germany. She met my grandfather in England and has been in India since 1949. India provided her a sense of stability and calm which she had never experienced before. She’s been here for well over 3/4th of her life; India is her ‘home’. If you ask me, she’s as Indian as any other person here. But some people think otherwise. They still consider her an outsider. That’s when it just doesn’t make sense to me anymore. Agreed, my grandmother’s never tried running for public office but I really don’t get why people get so excitable about Sonia Gandhi’s Italian roots. They almost start hyper-ventilating at the thought.
What is supposed to set us from other animals and why we claim to be 'intelligent' beings is the fact that our brains are capable of something simple called 'logic'. It seems to be an increasingly rare commodity these days.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Affirmation
I normally shy away from topics such as religion and personal belief. I doubt that will change any time soon but it doesn't mean that I won't clarify my stand (however vague it may seem to others) from time to time. Half of the hesitation comes about because I'm scared to find out deep dark notions lodged in my friends’ brains. What if I don't particularly like what I find out?
But today I decided to throw caution to the wind. As a new acquaintance told me, it is better you think of it this way; during those conversations you might learn things about the person that might give you a new perspective on life, change your outlook or attitude! The truth is the real nature of people comes out in such debates and that could prove to be a good thing as well as bad.
What I’m going to end up saying here has probably already been said before. I’m not your typical religious person. I’m a first-class case of neither-here-nor-there. I’m a strong believer in the freedom of expression as long as it not used to bring down or disgrace a particular person or community. I dislike extremes.
I believe in karma; what you give is what you get. Things might go astray but they will eventually work out someday (some way or the other). I’d like to think that there’s someone watching over me. It gives me a sense of comfort when things don’t work out the way I would have liked them to. I’m not a fan of thoughts being forced down your throat. But that doesn’t mean to say that I’m not open to other opinions. I just might not agree with them.
If only the more subtle forms of religion dominated the world, it would surely be a better place. To the vast majority of atheists in the world, religion is associated with the fundamentalists; the likes of Osama bin Laden or Hitler. They are/were all too influential and everyone in the modern world will have to deal with the likes of them at some point in their lives. Not a single religion I can think of is devoid of fundamentalists. Sad but true.
I refuse to believe that religion is the cause of all evil on this earth. Blind faith and misinterpretation-maybe. The existence of God will continue to debated upon for centuries to come. That is if we don’t manage to bring upon our own destruction prematurely with all our antics to make this world a better place to live in, thereby destroying it in the process. For the time being, I am happy to take comfort in the unknown. Even science has its limits in this regard. There are some things that even the greatest scientists this world has ever produced haven’t been able to understand. What would happen to all the fun if we had all the answers anyway?
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope one day you'll join us
And the world will live as one." --- John Lennon
But today I decided to throw caution to the wind. As a new acquaintance told me, it is better you think of it this way; during those conversations you might learn things about the person that might give you a new perspective on life, change your outlook or attitude! The truth is the real nature of people comes out in such debates and that could prove to be a good thing as well as bad.
What I’m going to end up saying here has probably already been said before. I’m not your typical religious person. I’m a first-class case of neither-here-nor-there. I’m a strong believer in the freedom of expression as long as it not used to bring down or disgrace a particular person or community. I dislike extremes.
I believe in karma; what you give is what you get. Things might go astray but they will eventually work out someday (some way or the other). I’d like to think that there’s someone watching over me. It gives me a sense of comfort when things don’t work out the way I would have liked them to. I’m not a fan of thoughts being forced down your throat. But that doesn’t mean to say that I’m not open to other opinions. I just might not agree with them.
If only the more subtle forms of religion dominated the world, it would surely be a better place. To the vast majority of atheists in the world, religion is associated with the fundamentalists; the likes of Osama bin Laden or Hitler. They are/were all too influential and everyone in the modern world will have to deal with the likes of them at some point in their lives. Not a single religion I can think of is devoid of fundamentalists. Sad but true.
I refuse to believe that religion is the cause of all evil on this earth. Blind faith and misinterpretation-maybe. The existence of God will continue to debated upon for centuries to come. That is if we don’t manage to bring upon our own destruction prematurely with all our antics to make this world a better place to live in, thereby destroying it in the process. For the time being, I am happy to take comfort in the unknown. Even science has its limits in this regard. There are some things that even the greatest scientists this world has ever produced haven’t been able to understand. What would happen to all the fun if we had all the answers anyway?
"You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one.
I hope one day you'll join us
And the world will live as one." --- John Lennon
Monday, June 9, 2008
Imagine
In the rubble of the Sichuan earthquake, came hoards of horrific pictures; one piled up upon the another, until they nearly numbed the viewer. Children were buried in their collapsed schools and many others orphaned. But no other images affected me as deeply as those of grieving parents who because of China's one-child policy, would have lost their only children.
In the wake of the quake, Beijing says that couples who have lost their only child will be permitted to have another one. But the relaxation of this policy should extend further beyond the recent disaster. True, the one-child policy has succeeded in it's original aims. It has slashed China's birth rate drastically, multiplied the country's economic growth and brought more women into the workforce.
But as you dig a little deeper, the severe side effects become more obvious. China faces a demographic nightmare. Its rapidly aging population could suffer a major labor shortage in the next few decades. It will have millions of elderly people with few kids and an ill equipped social and medical infrastructure to care for them.
I somehow can't imagine a government telling me that I can't have more than one kid or forcing me to get rid of a new, additional baby. I guess that's one side effect of growing up in India - anything goes and to be more precise..the more the merrier :D And as each year goes by, I take greater comfort from having a sibling.
I think the time has come for the one-child policy to be phased out. The Sichuan quake and its grieving families could just be the catalyst. If appropriate steps are taken now, at a time when the state has a vast reserve of wealth, the future of China may not be as catastrophic as the Sichuan quake.
In the wake of the quake, Beijing says that couples who have lost their only child will be permitted to have another one. But the relaxation of this policy should extend further beyond the recent disaster. True, the one-child policy has succeeded in it's original aims. It has slashed China's birth rate drastically, multiplied the country's economic growth and brought more women into the workforce.
But as you dig a little deeper, the severe side effects become more obvious. China faces a demographic nightmare. Its rapidly aging population could suffer a major labor shortage in the next few decades. It will have millions of elderly people with few kids and an ill equipped social and medical infrastructure to care for them.
I somehow can't imagine a government telling me that I can't have more than one kid or forcing me to get rid of a new, additional baby. I guess that's one side effect of growing up in India - anything goes and to be more precise..the more the merrier :D And as each year goes by, I take greater comfort from having a sibling.
I think the time has come for the one-child policy to be phased out. The Sichuan quake and its grieving families could just be the catalyst. If appropriate steps are taken now, at a time when the state has a vast reserve of wealth, the future of China may not be as catastrophic as the Sichuan quake.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
A Hard Day's Night
It was a couple of years ago when I was going through that nerve-wracking phase of college admissions. I had secured over 80 percent, yet I wasn't sure if I could even clear the list of colleges offering courses in pure science.
Throughout the whole process, I was filled with this complete sense of frustration over what seemed to be astronomical cut-off lists. It's not that I am opposed to competition. I am fully aware that competition helps us to perform better. But there has to be a limit. I think it's unfortunate that so much pressure is put on individuals who have barely reached the threshold of life. So much pressure, that some are even driven to suicide. And as if board exams aren't enough, these 17-18 year olds have entrance exams to deal with. I really don't envy these guys one bit.
Knowledge, it seems, has now taken a back seat. All that seems to matter is how well the student is able to master the "pattern". Aren't board exams supposed to be just another set of final exams testing the student's knowledge in a particular subject?
I think it's high time that somebody realizes that awarding 90 percent is not the sole aim of having board exams. It's not enough that they just 'realize' it. Something has to be done to change the system.
In my case, I eventually did manage to get into a college. These days, some might even call it a 'reputed' college. But it pains me to think of those who deserved better colleges and didn't get into them.
Throughout the whole process, I was filled with this complete sense of frustration over what seemed to be astronomical cut-off lists. It's not that I am opposed to competition. I am fully aware that competition helps us to perform better. But there has to be a limit. I think it's unfortunate that so much pressure is put on individuals who have barely reached the threshold of life. So much pressure, that some are even driven to suicide. And as if board exams aren't enough, these 17-18 year olds have entrance exams to deal with. I really don't envy these guys one bit.
Knowledge, it seems, has now taken a back seat. All that seems to matter is how well the student is able to master the "pattern". Aren't board exams supposed to be just another set of final exams testing the student's knowledge in a particular subject?
I think it's high time that somebody realizes that awarding 90 percent is not the sole aim of having board exams. It's not enough that they just 'realize' it. Something has to be done to change the system.
In my case, I eventually did manage to get into a college. These days, some might even call it a 'reputed' college. But it pains me to think of those who deserved better colleges and didn't get into them.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Long Long Way to Go
Medical dramas on television have a knack of combining an inherent sense of reality with the imaginative fantasy about them. However realistic they may seem, there is always a certain degree of detachment from the audience because even though one could potentially relate to it, you would never imagine actually being part of this in real life. As much as I enjoy watching medical dramas of this kind, when you are faced with a similar situation yourself and expected to think on your feet because someone else’s life is in your hands, it does not not seem all that exciting anymore.
Though both my parents are physicians, I had never been put in a situation where I have had to look after people and watch first-hand the suffering of someone you very deeply care for. I had always shied away from such experiences prior to this as I felt that I would not be able to cope with dying and furthermore did not possess the medical acumen to be of any significant help in such a situation. I was thrown into such a situation a few months ago when my aged grandfather was terminally ill and in hospital. He had already acquired a lung infection while recuperating in the hospital after an operation. The family had then made a collective decision to move him out of the hospital room and into a more comfortable and familiar setting, his home in Bangalore.
My aunt and I, who were in Vellore at the time, were given the responsibility of accompanying him on this journey by ambulance from Vellore to Bangalore. This involved having to cope with caring for him on a moving vehicle, ensuring that the oxygen in the cylinder was on constant flow for him to breathe via an oxygen mask and amongst other tasks keep him suitably occupied so that he would not try getting up. The valve on the cylinder was found to be slightly temperamental and that required us to constantly check the flow of oxygen as with each bump on the road, there was risk of a change in the set flow rate. I, being the youngest and most agile of the lot, was designated the job of checking the oxygen flow periodically. This entailed crouching under the stretcher and shining a torch to check if the flow meter was in the same position.
The beginning of the journey was quite uneventful. It was only once we were in the outskirts of Bangalore that things started to get a little out of control. We got stuck in traffic and the previously quiet journey became one interspersed with sirens in an attempt to move ahead. After being jostled around for a short while and successfully managing to keep my grandfather firmly planted on the stretcher in spite of the numerous upheavals, we were on our way again.
However we soon realized that the driver and his assistant had been given the wrong directions. They were under the impression that we had to be taken to the hospital rather than our house and took the wrong turn. We were now in an area of Koramangala that I was unfamiliar with and an ambulance full of other people who had no idea where to go! This was a totally new experience for me, to say the least. After numerous telephone calls, a few more wrong turns and somehow managing to keep a cool head while pandemonium was breaking out all around me, we were able to get my grandfather back home before the oxygen cylinder ran out. We were back on familiar ground and I let the professionals take over as I heaved a huge sigh of relief that our part of the job was done.
This incident in my life is one that is going to remain with me for many years to come. Writing about it has helped me deal with the pent up feelings to a certain extent. I considered it a privilege to help out in whatever way I could in order to look after this man who has given me so much. I believe that by making this tremendous journey with us, it was his way of showing us that he had complete faith in us as individuals. I’m glad I was able to contribute and be a part of the team that brought him safe back to his home, where he passed away peacefully almost a month after this eventful journey. If you're listening, Appa..a big thumbs up to you too :)
Though both my parents are physicians, I had never been put in a situation where I have had to look after people and watch first-hand the suffering of someone you very deeply care for. I had always shied away from such experiences prior to this as I felt that I would not be able to cope with dying and furthermore did not possess the medical acumen to be of any significant help in such a situation. I was thrown into such a situation a few months ago when my aged grandfather was terminally ill and in hospital. He had already acquired a lung infection while recuperating in the hospital after an operation. The family had then made a collective decision to move him out of the hospital room and into a more comfortable and familiar setting, his home in Bangalore.
My aunt and I, who were in Vellore at the time, were given the responsibility of accompanying him on this journey by ambulance from Vellore to Bangalore. This involved having to cope with caring for him on a moving vehicle, ensuring that the oxygen in the cylinder was on constant flow for him to breathe via an oxygen mask and amongst other tasks keep him suitably occupied so that he would not try getting up. The valve on the cylinder was found to be slightly temperamental and that required us to constantly check the flow of oxygen as with each bump on the road, there was risk of a change in the set flow rate. I, being the youngest and most agile of the lot, was designated the job of checking the oxygen flow periodically. This entailed crouching under the stretcher and shining a torch to check if the flow meter was in the same position.
The beginning of the journey was quite uneventful. It was only once we were in the outskirts of Bangalore that things started to get a little out of control. We got stuck in traffic and the previously quiet journey became one interspersed with sirens in an attempt to move ahead. After being jostled around for a short while and successfully managing to keep my grandfather firmly planted on the stretcher in spite of the numerous upheavals, we were on our way again.
However we soon realized that the driver and his assistant had been given the wrong directions. They were under the impression that we had to be taken to the hospital rather than our house and took the wrong turn. We were now in an area of Koramangala that I was unfamiliar with and an ambulance full of other people who had no idea where to go! This was a totally new experience for me, to say the least. After numerous telephone calls, a few more wrong turns and somehow managing to keep a cool head while pandemonium was breaking out all around me, we were able to get my grandfather back home before the oxygen cylinder ran out. We were back on familiar ground and I let the professionals take over as I heaved a huge sigh of relief that our part of the job was done.
This incident in my life is one that is going to remain with me for many years to come. Writing about it has helped me deal with the pent up feelings to a certain extent. I considered it a privilege to help out in whatever way I could in order to look after this man who has given me so much. I believe that by making this tremendous journey with us, it was his way of showing us that he had complete faith in us as individuals. I’m glad I was able to contribute and be a part of the team that brought him safe back to his home, where he passed away peacefully almost a month after this eventful journey. If you're listening, Appa..a big thumbs up to you too :)
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