Things I have learned over the last 40 (almost) years:

• Always treat a lady with respect, no matter what.
• Never underestimate the power of understanding of a child – no matter how small. They understand far more than we suspect. So be very very careful in your language, behavior and attitude in their presence.
• Every one is selfish. And it is not necessarily a bad thing.
• True love does not exist. So don’t try too hard looking for it.
• Every person’s interpretation of God is different. And all the views are correct. DO NOT try and impose your views on religion on anyone.
• The saddest thing in life is not having anything to look forwards to.
• No one can ever completely understand you. Similarly do not expect to completely understand anyone. Just when you thought you had someone figured out s/he will surprise you. But then that is what adds spice to life and relationships.
• Never use Insurance as an investment tool. If you need insurance, take a term policy and invest the rest in real investment instruments.
• Take proper care of your body. It is the only one you have – so do the best to keep it going for as long as you can.
• Accept your looks and body type. You cannot fight genes. It is the card that has already been dealt out. Do not attempt to change the cards – you cannot. Rather try to do the best you can with the cards nature has dealt out to you. If you are programmed to go bald you will. No one or nothing can prevent that. Take it sportingly and it will make you look good.
• You cannot keep everyone happy. But that should not prevent you from trying. Just don’t let the outcome bog you down.
• Nothing beats curling up with a good book or listening to your favorite music.
• There are only two ways to lose weight. Either keep your calorie intake down to less that the calories burnt or burn more calories than you consume. However both the methods SUCK. Positively.
• Use a deodorant and floss your teeth.
• Make a list of things that you think are not absolutely essential for you. Make it honestly. No one prevents you from buying new clothes. But if you think ten shirts are enough then for every new shirt you buy discard / donate / burn (anything!!) an old one. See how much clutter you can clear from your life. As a general rule of thumb, anything that you did not use for more than a year will never be used again.
• Don’t get too attached to things. Learn to let go.
• Try not to lie. Easier said that done but trust me… in the long run its always better to say the truth.

Rural MBBS - 3 year shortened MBBS course with the Doctors passing out to provide basic care in rural areas – Good idea or Bad?

This is an issue which is likely to be taken seriously in the near future considering the abysmal conditions currently prevailing in health care in the rural set up. However prior to jumping headlong in to this, one needs to really analyse the reasons for the current scenario. Govt of Orissa (and some other States as well) have tried out something similar by posting AYUSH (Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, Unani and Siddhi)) MOs in additional PHCs and we are all aware of the consequences. There is really no reason to believe that a shortened MBBS would serve our purpose any better. And who decided that village folks need less qualified Doctors than people living in cities?
We have to understand that the real reason for Medical Officers not attending their places of postings are multi factorial. The most important, according to me, would be lack of administrative commitment. If I am posted to a remote PHC and I do not attend, I do so because I am sure that no action is going to be taken against me. If at all any of my CDMO thinks of taking action, I am also aware that there are ways to placate my CDMO in a way that is beneficial to both of us (I know I am generalising, but unfortunately this is the sad truth and the sooner we come to grips with it the better for us). Then is the issue of political interference. Ask any CDMO and he will vouch for the fact that it is not possible to budge an ANM from a Sub Center to the next, within the district, without getting a couple of nasty phone calls. There is no reason to believe that a rural MBBS would work any better unless he is posted in his village or near about. But we also know that for getting a posting in one's own place one has to wade through dozens of clerks at the DHS and Secretariat, all demanding their pound of flesh. Then there are issue like living conditions in the PHCs. No Doctor (long MBBS or short) is going to enjoy defecating in open fields, living without electricity, living under the threat of Maoist violence, living in an area where his children do have access to basic schooling (don't get me started on the education system.... that is another long and painful story) and so on. These issues have to be factored in before initiating another experiment on public health. Our meagre Medical Schools are already stretched to their limits.
What could be a possible solution would be multi purpose workers with upgraded skills. as stated in the article, around 80% of the diseases do not really need a qualified MBBS Doctor to diagnose and treat. Next would be a good and robust referral system. A person should not be entertained, in say a medical college, for common cold. Everyone should be referred upwards with adequate documentation. Third would be a good, strong, quality controlled Lab network in existing health institutions. Most important would be liaising with other departments (e.g. water works for ensuring potable drinking water, good roads to the nearest hospital, robust education system where in mothers too are taught the basics of hygiene and healthy living and so on).
Unless this kind of vision is brought in to our public health planning mechanism, no amount of money or manpower influx is going to help in the long run.

Happiness:

What are the greatest pleasures of life? Here is a tentative list –

Physical:

• Sexual pleasure
• Getting good food when famished
• Getting cool clean water when thirsty
• Getting to a cool shady place when one is hot and sweaty
• Feeling the warmth of sunlight on a very cold day
• Getting a chance to take a shit or a leak when the urge is overwhelming the senses
• Smelling a rose (or whatever flower you fancy)
• The smell of the earth when the first drops of rain fall
• A good body and head massage when tired
• A good work out

Perceived pleasures:

• Getting a raise
• Receiving genuine praise
• Work well done
• Putting check marks against a long to-do list
• Well fitting clothes (especially when someone else appreciates them)
• Watching a good movie
• Watching re runs of Friends (especially if you catch an episode that you have not seen earlier)
• Curling up with a good book (with the sound of rain out side your window)
• Spending time with family – especially my 3 year old nephew

How many of these pleasures actually involve money (except maybe getting a raise)? Zilch. Then why do we willingly forsake these pleasures in the pursuit of money? Come to think of it, the lesser you earn the more likely you are to enjoy the above things. Good food is good food. A poor farmer sitting down to a meal of dal roti after a hard day’s toil in his fields derives as much pleasure (if not more) from the simple act of eating than a rich millionaire sitting down to his wine and beluga caviar. Everything is relative. This is not saying that money is a bad thing. On the contrary. A minimum amount, assured every month is critical for happiness and peace of mind. But isn’t it just a means to an end? If making the means our life is not stupidity then what is?

My favorite hero is a guy called Jack Reacher (by Lee Child). I have all the books by this author and plan to purchase every future book on the day of publication. This man, Reacher, an American, possesses only a tooth brush, an ATM Card and his passport (he buys cheap clothes when he needs a change and simply dumps the worn pair). When someone asks him weren’t Americans supposed to be affluent, he says "I'm a rich man. To have everything you need is the definition of affluence." Brilliant philosophy. He spends his time exploring the United States and doing any work that comes his way for his upkeep. This is, obviously, an extreme example. But come to think of it what does one need money for? Every living person earns enough for food (or s/he would not be living in the first place). Every one earns enough to cover his body with clothes (we don’t see many naked people around, do we?) The biggest need for money is actually when a loved one falls sick and needs treatment. But ultimately money doesn’t save lives. Or else the Birlas, Tatas and Ambanis would live forever. A reasonable health insurance policy should see us through. Then why do we go to office at 7 in the morning and toil till 7 at night – day in and day out? Why do we spend most of our lives thinking about career moves or getting the next degree or becoming the VP of the company? We plan, plot and think so much about our futures that we forget to live properly now. We truly don’t know whether we would be alive tomorrow, still we ignore the now for the morrow.

How many of us really do what we are passionate about? We might delude ourselves in to thinking that writing pages of code so that Reebok’s sales inventory is fool proof is my passion, but is it? It is said that just before death our entire life flashes before us – what are the things that we are likely to remember at that time? Who are the people who would cry the hardest when we are no more? Our boss? Then why do we not do enough for those who truly love us? When was the last time any one of us had hugged our mom or dad and said I love you?

People spend their lifetimes in this grind in the vague hope of having a lavish retired life. What would we do with all our moneys and our plans when our lives become a struggle to reach the loo on time before we piss in our pants? 

Four Values that I wished I had more of…..

 

Clear thinking:
This is one trait that I wished everyone had more of. Thinking rationally, clearly, logically and to the end is one of the most difficult things to achieve. I do not know why it is so….. but there it is. Most of us are too lazy to think through a problem. Sometimes we are afraid to do so for various reasons. Our mind tends to come up with unpalatable solutions many a times. It is known that this is one trait that can be developed with practice. The biggest drag I this is that the mind tends to jump to pleasanter tasks which do not require too much effort. It is easy to think of issues which interest us. The challenge is thinking long and hard about issues which are mundane, boring or downright unpleasant. The challenge is thinking laterally and out of the box. Most like me hardly manage to think straight…… thinking laterally is still a dream. Can you? Imagine a room with three light bulbs. The door is closed and there are three switches outside. You are allowed to go into the room only once. Can you decipher which switch is connected to which bulb?

Sense of Humour:
This is one of those trait that is in serious short supply. Most of us tend to take ourselves far too seriously. The ability to laugh at ourselves is, according to me, nature’s greatest gift to mankind. We readily laugh at others, but when it comes to our own selves, we cannot even begin to imagine anyone doing that. Life would be so much easier and bearable if I had a bit more of this trait.

The ability to stay calm and focused at all times:
What would I give for this character? An arm and a leg for sure. However much I promise to remain clam, I start hyper ventilating at the merest hint of discomfort. My mind turns to mush and all the neurons go haywire (slight exaggeration….. but you get the drift….). Whenever I see someone display grace and poise under pressure I feel envious. This does not come naturally to me. When ever I attempt to do this you can be rest assured that I am acting cool while my innards are in the process of turning in to paste.

Speaking the Truth at all times:
I am an inveterate liar. If I can speak a lie and get away with it, I do so although sometimes there is simply no need for that (just to stay in practice I guess..). Speaking the truth is a long run kind of a thing. But that is not for me. I always tend to look at the short term benefit and simply go for it. Heck, I don’t know whether the old ticker would be ticking the next moment….. that is one reason I never believe in planning for the future. It is really embarrassing at times when friends sit around discussing their long term plans while I am desperately trying to come up with something passable.

I guess that is enough self bashing for a day. Will try to think some more embarrassing things about myself. Till then take care and God bless!!

PS: Switch on a light for five mins and switch it off. Then switch on the second light and go in to the room. The warm bulb is from the first switch, the lighted one is the second one while the remaining one has to be the third. Yeah yeah I know you had got that one… but it was a decent try anyways…… wot say??

The Sai Baba Phenomena:

If there was one personality among contemporary Indians who evoked frenzied admiration and loathing in almost equal amounts, it has to be the Sai Baba of Putaparthy. I for one am an agnostic verging on atheism. Hence in my personal opinion someone claiming to be God has to be a sham. However, it is not that simple. Even if he were not a God, there is no denying the myriad activities that he has undertaken for the benefit of mankind. My major grouse with him his that why did he have to resort to silly gimmicks to arouse devotion? Why did he have to announce that he was the reincarnation of Satya Sai Baba of Sirdi. Why could he have not simply stuck to the truth – that he was a good man and an ardent devotee of the Almighty with a zeal for helping the downtrodden?

That he is intelligent is a non debatable issue. Knowing the Indian psyche, he must have realized early on that simply being good and pious is not going to loosen the purse strings so badly needed to help out mankind. The hospital and educational institutes he helped set up could not have been built on good wishes alone. Hard cash was what was needed. So he must have gone about it methodically.

The easiest way, in India at least, to convince someone to part with his money, is to evoke the Almighty. We see hundreds of examples of that in our daily lives. But the Sai Baba was the pioneer in that field. He did not ask money for God. He declared himself to be God incarnate aided by certain methods (materializing Rolex watches and ash out of thin air – a common trick which is the staple fare of magicians all over the world) and then he did not have to ask anyone for money – ever. That is the real magic that the Baba worked on the masses.

But in all fairness – he did put some of the funds thus collected to very good use. He built up some of the very best hospitals and educational institutes in the country. These provided state of the art treatment and education, free of cost, to some of the needy patients – though the majority, I suspect, would still be paying through all their orifices.

But coming back to the main question – is he a God incarnate? That, I fear, like the very existence of God, can never be answered one way or the other. If he really were God, what is the point of putting himself on a ventilator? He had announced way back, in a moment of madness, that he would live up to the ripe old age of 96. Today he is 86. If he really does survive till 96 (as millions of his devotees believe – after all why would God lie over such a trivial issue), then there might be some substance to his assertions. But I, for one, would not bet on that. Would you?

Free will or Fate?

He that is born to be hanged shall never be drowned. ~Author Unknown

Was discussing this with a dear friend of mine recently. Are the events that happen with us decreed by fate or does free will have a role to play? If I meet with a accident and break a leg then was my careless driving responsible for this or was this fated to happen as a balancing act for all the negative karma that I seem to have stockpiled? If you think about this you realize that it is impossible to prove or disprove this either way. This question has been the base of most religions. If one assumes that all the things that happen to us are a result of previous deeds then is it free will in play or is it fate?

Dumping everything on fate seems to be the easy way out for lazy shit heads like me. Assuming that you have control over everything appears reassuring and terrifying at the same time. Some times it is easy to decide – you study hard and you do well in exams – free will; you buy a lottery ticket and you win the 50 million prize money – fate. But at other times it is dicey – you contract cancer although you have the healthiest life style and puke at the very mention of booze or cigarettes – fate? Even if you blame genes for this – the fact that you were born to a particular set of parents among the millions of couple heaving between sheets every night weighs heavily on the side of fate. You are planning to woo your college sweetheart in the park on a dry summer night and it pours buckets (although the weatherman had cheerfully predicted a dry and dusty night) – tough luck? Fate? Unless of course your beloved is wearing a flimsy chiffon nothing and you have a sicko bent of mine like yours truly, it has to be your old nemesis – fate – deciding on this very night to collect on some of your collected karmic debts.

Wouldn’t it be simply great if it was proved conclusively that everything is fated. All the good things are serendipity and all the bad things are decreed. We would thank our stars for every happy event and simply lie back and take destiny take its course for every unpleasant event without so much as batting an eyelid. But the fact is that this will never be proved. Hence we will continue to struggle on vainly – crying our hearts out at the tiniest perceived insult and rejoicing over our token victories. That – it appears – is the fate of humankind but then that is also the very thing that makes this life worth living. What say?

Understanding the Kashmir Issue (Part - II) – the UN Debacle

When we last left our narrative, the Indian Army was pushing back the intruders from Pakistan and freeing up areas under the control of these invaders. In November, Nehru wrote to Maharaja Hari Singh to make Sheikh Abdullah (of National Conference) the administrative head of Jammu and Kashmir. However the Pakistan Govt. under the then Prime Minister, Liaquat Ali Khan, refused to recognize the Sheikh Abdullah administration as valid.

As early as December 1947, Nehru had, in a letter to Maharaja Hari Singh outlined four possible solutions towards resolving the Kashmir issue. A brief mention of these would immensely interest the reader because even after more than 60 years of turmoil, these are very same options being discussed till date:

1. A plebiscite (is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal) to let the inhabitants of Kashmir decide their own fate – join India or join Pakistan
2. An independent Jammu and Kashmir with its defense guaranteed by both India and Pakistan.
3. Partition – Give Jammu and Ladakh portion (Hindu and Buddhist dominated) to India and the rest northern and western section (Muslim dominated) to Pakistan. I personally love this option.
4. Give Jammu and the valley of Kashmir (including Srinagar) to India and the rest to Pakistan.

However, coming back to the Indian army pushing back the invaders – the army made rapid progress and recovered substantial territory from the invaders. However before the entire State could be freed, winter set in and a cease fire was declared.

On 1^st January 1948, Nehru decided to take the matter to the United Nations. The sole objective of doing this was to request the UN to help evict the invaders from Pakistan from the areas in Northern and Western parts of the State still under their control. This turned into a disaster and a foreign policy nightmare for Nehru.

Pakistan was represented by the extremely gifted Sir Zafrullah Khan. He turned the issue on its head and portrayed the invasion as a natural reaction of Muslims coming to the aid of their brothers being persecuted by the Maharaja. He managed to convince the UN that the Kashmir issue was the incomplete remnant from Partition and was yet to be resolved. He was so effective that the agenda item on UN was changed from the J&K question to India and Pakistan question.

Pakistan suggested withdrawal of all forces (Indian and Pakistani) from the State, holding of a plebiscite under UN auspices and under an impartial administration. India was at a moral loss. For, in Junagadh, as my readers will recollect from my last post, although the Nawab had acceded to Pakistan and Pakistan had already accepted it, the Indian govt did not recognize that on the ground that the majority population was Hindu. In fact the Indian Govt had forced a plebiscite in Junagadh and taken the results as valid proof for the accession of Junagadh to India. Now Pakistan wanted to repeat the exact same thing in J&K. Both the British as well as the Americans supported the Pakistan demand in the UN. Nehru dithered.

Meanwhile in March-1948, as the snows started melting, the Indian army was ordered to renew its efforts to push back the invaders. The LOC kept changing on a daily basis. On the other side of the LoC, Pakistan had sponsored an Azad Kashmir govt. from among the local population and helped them raise an army to fight the Indians and retain the areas still under their control. The Indian army freed and occupied the areas up to Ladakh, Leh Dras and Kargil before winter set in again and hostilities had to be halted. This was how the LOC looked then and continues to look now – as seen in the map, some areas were later taken over by the Chinese, but more on that later.

Understanding the Kashmir Issue (Part-I)

There is hardly a piece of land (mostly inhospitable and cold) that has caused so much agony and frustration to such vast swathes of mankind as the land of Jammu and Kashmir to the people of India and Pakistan. Both claim it as their own. And neither has complete control over the entire land mass. Innumerable lives have been lost in the quest for mastery of this cold, mountainous and at places harsh territory. What is this fight about really? To understand this we need to travel back to the period when the British decided to relinquish control over India.

Contrary to common conception, India was actually not a single country during British Rule. Just before the British left (till late 1947), the subcontinent was an amalgamation of more than 500 kingdoms and territories ruled by different Maharajas, Princes and Nawabs. However the British extracted large taxes from these rulers in return for military and administrative support.

Just before Independence (June 1947), the State Department was set up, headed by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and aided by VP Menon, to oversee the merger of these States with either India or Pakistan after the British left. The States were free to accede to either India or Pakistan, and technically, to remain Independent, if they so wished. The State wishing to merge was needed to sign an Instrument of Accession wherein it agreed to hand over defence, foreign and communication matters to the Central Govt. To convince the rulers they were offered variety of sops by both India and Pakistan and it was a literal wooing competition. Large privy purses and fancy titles were on offer. First of the major States to accede were Bikaner and Baroda (to India). This released a flood gate and States started acceding (mostly) to India and (some) to Pakistan. The three most important persons involved from the Indian side were Sardar Patel, Lord Mountbatten (the last viceroy to India) and last but not the least, VP Menon, a civil servant from the ICS, who toured the entire country and was relentless in his pursuit of convincing the royals to accede to India.

However all was not smooth sailing. Six States presented formidable challenges to this movement. 3 before Independence and 3 after. Understanding the ways in which these were attempted to be resolved holds the key to most of the issues plaguing Jammu and Kashmir today.

Before Independence (15th August 1947):

Travancore: The Dewan (prime minister) of the State, Sir CP Ramaswamy Aiyar wanted the State to stay independent. Sardar Patel and Menon tried hard to convince him to join India, but he steadfastly refused. This deadlock continued till he was stabbed by a man in army uniform and hospitalized. From the Hospital he gave a statement agreeing to accede to India.
Bhopal: With a pre dominantly Hindu population but a Muslim ruler. Initially the Nawab wanted to accede to Pakistan, but was convinced by Lord Mountbatten to join India as it was both geographically and by religion more suited for India.
Jodhpur: Although this was a State with a Hindu ruler as well as a predominantly Hindu population, the king surprisingly wanted to join Pakistan. Geographically this bordered Pakistan and was of strategic importance. Hence Sardar Patel himself intervened and convinced the Raja to stay on with India.

After Independence (15th August 1947): These three States are critical to our understanding of the bitterness over Kashmir.

Junagadh: Mostly Hindu population ruled by a Muslim Nawab – Mohabbat Khan. On 14th August 1947 Junagadh acceded to Pakistan. Junagadh is surrounded by India on three sides and has the ocean on the 4th side. On 13th September, Pakistan accepted the accession of Junagadh as a part of Pakistan. The Hindu population protested and the Nawab fled to Karachi. In the ensuing confusion, the Dewan of the State handed over accession power to India on 9th November-47. To add some legitimacy to this, India declared a plebiscite (vote among the public) and as expected, the predominantly Hindu population (82% of the total population was Hindu) voted for India.

Hyderabad: By far the richest State then. Marginally higher Hindu population ruled by a Muslim Nizam – Mir Usman Ali. The Nizam wanted to stay independent but threatened to join Pakistan if endangered. Jinnah supported this move by the Nizam. However Sardar Patel could not allow a independent State in the middle of the country separating the North and the South. The situation remained thus deadlocked for a year. On 11th September 1948, Mohd. Ali Jinnah died. Two days later, on 13th September 1948, Indian Army attacked Hyderabad and took over the State after killing thousands of the Nizam’s soldiers known as the Razakars.

Jammu and Kashmir: This continues to remain a sore on both Indian and Pakistani psyche. The State comprised of 4 separate regions –
(1) Jammu – low hills and plain land, predominantly Hindu
(2) Kashmir Valley – Predominantly Muslim population
(3) The Ladakh – predominantly Buddhist.
(4) Gilgit and Baltistan – northernmost border – predominantly muslim.

All these four separate regions were brought together in to a State between 1830-1850 by the Dogra Rajputs (Hindus). Hence here we had a situation where we had a Hindu King – Maharaja Hari Singh – ruling over a predominantly Muslim population. The State was bordered by both India and Pakistan. The leader of the common Muslim masses in the Kashmir Valley was Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah (the father of Farooq Abdullah and the grandfather of the current Chief Minister Omar Abdullah). He formed the National Conference in 1938 and it was his demand that the monarchy should be replaced with a democracy and the elected representatives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir would decide the fate of the State (to remain independent or to merge with either India or Pakistan). Abdullah had Nehru’s full backing and the two were close friends. However he was jailed by the Maharaja. On 15th August Kashmir declared independence and offered to sign a stand still agreement with both India and Pakistan. This meant free trade and communication between the States. Pakistan signed promptly. But India didn’t.

The Maharaj steadfastly refused to joing either India or Pakistan despite massive campaigning by both. On 12th October 1947, the Deputy Prime Minister of the State declared in Delhi that “We intend to keep friendly relations with both India and Pakistan and we have no intention of joining either. The only thing that will change our mind is if one side or the other uses force against us.”

Exactly two weeks after this, thousands of armed men entered Kashmir from Pakistan and started marching towards Srinagar in an effort to capture it. Pakistan Govt denied any knowledge of this and this invasion was named the Tribal invasion by Pathans of the Pakistani provinces adjacent to Kashmir. None of these Pathans were members of the Pakistani Army (although the Indian side alleged that they were armed and supported by the Pakistani Army). Why they attacked and by whom were they supported remain un answered till today and this remains the crux of the issue. This motley Pathan army took one city after another and came within 50 kms of Srinagar. They looted, plundered and raped both Hindu as well as Muslim households on their march towards the State Capital. Maximum damage was caused by these Pathans at Baramula.

Maharaja Hari Singh panicked and asked Indian Govt for help. VP Menon flew down and advised the Maharaja to leave Srinagar and shift immediately to Jammu - which was predominantly Hindu. Hari Singh traveled non stop to Jammu by road and after this tiring journey had gone to sleep. He was woken from his sleep by Menon and told that if he wanted India’s assistance then he would have to sign the Instrument of Accession as otherwise India could not send its troops to a foreign Country. The Maharaja Signed the treaty there itself. The very next day platoons of the Indian army were flown down to Srinagar where they first secured the city and then started the counter offensive of pushing back the invaders.

The story doesn’t end here. It more like begins here. I will narrate the rest (as I understand it) later. But think of all the incidents mentioned here. Think of all the whites and blacks (although it appears mostly gray to me). Who was right and who was wrong? The story takes dozens of interesting twists and turns from this point onwards and I would be, in my subsequent entries, dealing with all of those.

Till then good night and take care.