Scale down the Security checks!

Ever been to a 5-star hotel today for dinner of late? Ever been through the rigorous security checks at the entrance? I just had one bitter experience at the gates of a star hotel today- the guard questioned me at length about where I was headed, had me open the car hood both front and back,switch off the engine and open all doors while a "commando" dog sniffed along the compartment. Only then, would he open the gates!. I can imagine that some of you many be very satisfied with this protocol and argue that all this is necessary in this time and age. Something better than nothing my friend said, as I narrated this experience.

I am not so sure that we have done the right thing when the media went into a frenzy post 26/11, and pulled up star hotels for not keeping adequate security checks for visitors, with the objective to prevent more 26/11s. The point is "will all this security keep the terrorist out?" or "is it just a traumatizing experience for the common man as those it was intended for will sneak through anyway ?"

I am not too happy when I walk through the security check at the airport, and wait while a complete stranger scans my baggage. Neither am I pleased about being frisked in some tiny enclosure, and the lady in there, runs her hands suspiciously over everything from the chain around your neck to the house key in your pocket. Even multiplexes will not spare you from this experience!.. imagine a evening at the movies includes a metal check+frisk!

One also travels on the railways and in buses, where these measures are not employed, and its not like trains and buses are being bombed on a daily basis!

So, can we really scale down security checks!..thats my appeal. Shocking as it may seem.. I do feel that although we live in a time when, terrorism has become the fastest growing industry, individuals should be respected and privacy ensured. Anyone who walks into a hotel or gets onto a plane (in fact the vast majority!), will not posses any malicious intentions. There is no need to treat everyone like a criminal!.

I still remember as a child, going to the airport to see someone off, was as good as a trip to the circus. There was an enclosure at the airport, that allowed family and friends to watch the planes land and take off. There was real emotion when one saw a loved one wave that final good bye from the door of the aircraft, disappear inside, and minutes later the flight would take off for the skies. Nowadays, if you so much as go within a few yards of the entrance without a ticket in hand, you are hauled up by the security, for crossing the line!. And one is expected to put up with all this uncalled for abuse, because "it better this way, for everybody!".

Perhaps we can never get rid of it. but maybe we can do it more discreetly..

Life starts at 30?

Touching 30?.. don't fret... because life for some (like myself) is only starting at 30. For the first time in my life I have a steady salary, appropriate responsibility and freedom to live as I would like to. Thanks to my profession, I have been late to get on to this bandwagon of independence- but like they say- better late than never!.

I feel liberated at 30!. Its like reaching life's prime- at a time when you have the sense to enjoy life responsibly yet passionately!. What can be more wonderful?

For instance, I made a rather big (for me) purchase last week - an air conditioner- that I have been meaning to buy in a while. It felt good to be able to pay for your own needs. It felt good to be treated to a bit of luxury- something I was rather averse to when spending my parent's money. Yes , life is definitely beginning for me at 30!

My husband is also touching 30 (earlier than i am). He is also enjoying his new found sense of success. He is growing in every bit of confidence, becoming more obsessed with his appearance and more concerned about his career than he ever was.

They say, age is but a state of the mind. How true! If you thought that your 20s was the best part of life, think again, the 30s may just be better!. The 20s is like the thrill of driving a F1 car at breakneck speed down the convoluted race track with crashes/ near misses and sometimes podium finishes. The 30s, is like racing a Merc on an empty highway along a beach- thrill of a different kind, with you always in control.

Social Networking.. boon or bane?

I sometimes wonder if social networking is really a good thing after all.. on the good side it does help to reconnect with ol' friends and it is a easy interface to keep in touch.. but on the flip side .. like everything else about our times, i wonder if it is pressurizing people to look/act/feel a certain way, invading privacy, and making fake projections of people rather than show them in their true light.

For instance, who hasn't selected their best looking pics to upload on to their profile.. more likely ones that have been digitally modified in some way!. A weekend trip is now a photo shoot for some- just to take cool pics to post on their pages. There is always a constant pressure to "look" or "make a show " of being a" successful" or "cool" personality- and the best part it is not easy to "pretend" to be having a lot of fun/success. A ol' college batchmate- you didn't even bother giving him a second glance while in college- posts a pic of himself standing proudly next to a Merc- and you wonder how in God's name did "he " of all people shoot up the ladder of success so fast! A rather conservative girl from school posts a picture of herself in a revealing outfit-somethin' you could never think you would wear yourself!. Are these all fake?- you question yourself. Sure, people change- but why do they all love exhibiting it online?? This alarming attitude of many social net-workers to weave a blanket of "fun- success- money" around themselves and the pressure on their peers to follow up with the same is troubling.

April showers!.. what joy !

Just as the temperature soared to new highs, and just when we had zeroed in on a brand of air-conditioner to buy- a welcome burst of rain came visiting today afternoon! Cool breeze , the lovely smell of fresh mud and falling petals of flowers filled the air- a mesmerizing treat in the middle of the hottest summer my body has known!. Rain always has a uplifting effect on my mood. Especially the one that comes light and breezy- just the perfect answer to unbearable heat.

Life at 30..

"Give me some sunshine,

Give me some rain,

Give me another chance-

I want to grow up all again!"

This lovely song reminds me of how fast life gushes past you- and before you know it- you are touching 30!- the age you once thought was for only aunties and uncles! I can't believe how all those years have just gone like a flash.

I can still vividly remember coming home one summer morning, with my class 2 progress report in hand. The term was over. I proudly announced to everyone at home that I was soon going to be in class 3, which then, for me was a step towards being a grown -up!. Its amazing how we go through life always wanting to be a grown-up, and now when we are there,  how we keep wishing the years never went by so fast!.

Life was full of fun and games as a child. Life was simple- just our regular street games with peers from the locality- no talk about "Playstation" or "Wii"!. Television was restricted to the national brand- "Doordarshan"- an occasional "Surabhi" or "Chitrahaar"- never a 24X7X100 channel- hours of entertainment. Clothes were modest- mostly hand picked by Mom or meticulously sewn by Grand Ma- fashion was never dictated by "current trends" or seasonal flavour- and best of all- one was never under pressure to "look the times"!.

College was even better- a wonderful gang of friends, always there to provide the laughs at regular intervals. College was a laid-back study period- when exams came and went by slowly, and the fun never seemed to stop ever!. The maddening birthday treats, the silly games, the evening round-ups in front of the library.

Thirty was the age, we as kids and even in our youthful days, perceived as the time when all the fun in life stops, and when the drudgery of everyday routine overcomes you. When kids, career and money become the prime focus of your life. In a way, thats probably true- I don't think I can drive down to the nearest dhabha for lunch on a split second decision anymore or spend a hour each with 3 different guys on the phone discussing their issues with other women! (I have done these and more!).

I don't live on impulse and instinct anymore. But i still feel very young at heart- I feel no different than when i was 21 or 25. I have the same zeal for fun. Its a pity that you are physically young and free for just about a decade in your life. Either the biological clock is ticking or the career bandwagon is waiting for you to climb on quick!. I wish I had another 5 years before the "real 30s" came calling.

Spirited Start to my Day

There is nothing more relaxing than to be able to read the Sunday newspaper in total leisure, without worrying about being late to work or elsewhere.

I'm forced to get up early even on a Sunday, because my housemaid is an early bird. She rings my bell at 7 A.M sharp! How i loathe to get out of bed so early on a Sunday! As i rub my eyes and lazily open the door, the sight of the Sunday newspaper on my doorstep, lifts my spirits. Immediately, i forget how early it is or the fact that my sleep was rudely interrupted (while my husband peacefully snores away in bed) and i become excited about having 2 whole hours to flip through my favorite newspaper- The Sunday edition of "Times of India".

Newspapers are an obsession with me. There was a time when i could not comprehend the joy people got from reading small font black print, in random sized boxes, with an occasional picture. Then i was too young for newspapers. I don't know when i got the whiff of reading newspapers- but now it is definitely an obsession!

My favorite part is reading the editorials. I keep the best for the last. Reading those wonderfully framed articles, analyzing the affairs of the nation, keeps me hooked. Of late i'm reading the business page, in a vain attempt to understand money ebb and flow.

It is said the world's first newspaper came into being in 1605, in Germany. In India, the first newspaper came into being in 1780- The Bengal Gazette. India consumed 99 million newspaper copies as of 2007—making it the second largest market in the world for newspapers!

Reuse, Reduce and Recycle

Plastic has become so ubiquitous that it is hard to live without it. It makes our lives so much easier. Imagine trying to carry water for a long car journey without plastic or buying sterile milk without plastic. Our lives are so encased in plastic that it piling up in monumental proportions in our wastelands and dump-yards.

I thought that me as a single individual consumed very little plastic on a day-to-day basis. But i was surprised at what i found. I decided to survey (for starters) just how many plastic bag/covers/packaging material I consumed for a week.

This is my (family of 2 adults) average plastic bag collection for a week -

1. 7 half litre milk pkts

2. 1 soap pkt

3. 20 pkts from vegetable shopping- reused as garbage carry-bags

4. 5 large bags from super market shopping

5. 10 plastic wrappers of different food stuffs

6. 5 plastic covers over different stationary items

Thats a lot! about 50 bags of plastic of different grades used by 2 adults.

Imagine my shock as i read more about plastic..

One of the biggest negative impacts of plastic bags comes from their disposal. Plastic bag litter has been a driving force behind bans and other restrictions on their use. Problems caused by plastic bags in the environment include:

• Bags clog gutters and sewer grates, causing flooding.
• Bags get caught in trees, fences and other objects, where they become an eyesore.
• Bags kill animals--particularly birds and marine life--when the animals become entangled in the plastic or when they mistake pieces of plastic for food.

Plastic can take hundreds of years to degrade, and can pose risks even when it has degraded into smaller pieces, since these are especially attractive to animals as food. They are also believed to adversely affect landfill operations by interfering with moisture distribution and leachate flow within landfilled waste.

So i asked myself, if I should go back to using paper bags- like i remember from my childhood days.. but then i read this somewhere..

It takes 40 percent more energy (and releases more greenhouse gases and air and water pollution) to manufacture paper bags than plastic, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It also takes more energy to transport paper bags because they are heavier than plastic.

On the other hand, paper bags are currently easier to recycle in most locations, although again, recycling paper requires more energy than recycling plastic. They also break down much more quickly in the environment (in one month vs. 1,000 years, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), eliminating many of the problems of plastic-bag litter.

The bottom line: the best option is to use a reusable cloth bag or other reusable container, and reuse or recycle paper and plastic bags when you do have them.

So right now i'm on a mission to find a good cloth bag for shopping.. but what about all the plastic wrappers around food stuffs.. can be ever do away with that? The solution for that probably lies in using "bioplastics" rather than "petroleum-based plastics" for packaging purposes. But till such technology is made compulsory- perhaps the only we can do is to recycle and reuse plastic bags.

Dream on..

Dreams, they say, are the minds' way to bypass the self-imposed censor of our conscious mind and play out unfulfilled desires in our subconscious space.

Holiday Fever

This has been one tough month.. started out on a really low note!.. and then was really stressed out for most of the time.. haven't shopped once(!) this entire month.. for the first time ever, am doing back-to-back night shifts, which are only making my dark circles darker!.. haven't watched as many movies as i usually do.. and to top it all.. i haven't made my three-weekly visit to the parlour, as a result of which, i'm feeling like a bear! Wheeew!

Finally today, actually feeling a bit relaxed, but wish i could have made it for my cousin's wedding this weekend (haven't decked up for an occasion in ages!).. but feeling guilty about taking off more days from work!..

Just the sheer fact that i can look forward to a holiday tomorrow is keeping me in good spirits. Its really too bad that doctors suffer from a holiday-deficit. I really envy my friends working in corporate houses, who live the typical 5 day/week work schedule with weekends off!..come Saturday, and they are all making plans for the weekend- Dandeli/ Goa etc.

Doctors, on the other hand, would be lucky to be exempted for Sunday rounds or duty!..we are expected to be committed towards duty 24X7.

Anyway, not really complaining, because in reality, i miss my work, when i'm away from it too long.. and sometimes even two days is too long!

Have my Reservations!

Reservations!.. thats the new political mantra in India.. to attract votebanks. Want the muslim population to vote for you.. float a muslim quota in employment and education! Want the vast OBC votebank- make sure your policies are pro- OBC in reservations!

And now- women's reservations for political purposes! Do we really need this reservation to empower our women?

Being woman myself, i think not.

I'm a firm believer that reservation, if necessary, should begin at the bottom, and never percolate to the top. For instance, if we can ensure that every citizen in this country has an equal opportunity at a school education, we need not reserve seats for them at the level of higher education, leave alone employment benefits!. We need to ensure that every girl and boy (regardless of caste/religion/region) in this nation gets an education that is the same minimum standard in all teaching institutions- the syllabus, quality of teaching and the infrastructure provided to each student, whether from a village school or in a urban international school, should be equal. I know that is a huge ask, but unless we train them right, we can never expect them to fend for themselves. When these students are equally equipped, they can fight it out for higher education and employment opportunities on the same stage.

Present day reservations in the fields of education and employment are misused to a large extent. It only the "creamy layer" of the backward castes that really benefit from these policies. There should be a scheme to ensure that the quota benefit is used by only one or a maximum of two generations in a family- otherwise majority of the intended beneficiaries will be left out time and again!.

A way to phase out existing reservations is the need of the hour- for 60 years we have been providing quotas based on caste- that have no doubt not benefited the vast majority who needed it. Perhaps, it is time we had reservations based purely on economic grounds rather than caste based reservations. But then again. like all government policies prone to corruption, when the question of who should be accorded the "economically backward" comes to play.

Reservation is a menace that refuse to go away after its time is over. No political party has the will to revoke or reduce the reservations already in place, for fear of losing their clout. Women's reservation too, will no doubt suffer the same fate.

Laughing out Loud!

Beautiful Quote in today's newspaper- the first thing that made me laugh out loud today- "The only difference between the taxman and the taxidermist, is that, at least the taxidermist, leaves the skin on!"

Laughing out loud!.. the quintessential emotion to have a good day.. can really be a blessing in these hectic times. Forget, stopping to smell the roses. we barely make the time to eat a healthy breakfast, these days! There is something about laughter and good company that makes your day complete- you may have worked your ass off the whole day, let your temper fly on a few unfortunate souls, have the worst luck at you favorite past time, and yet, there is something about "laughing out loud' that can smooth all that.

Mass Message

I watched the much awaited, much hyped "My name is KHHan" or MNIK this week. Must say its is a surprisingly nice film. Unlike his trademark peppy, feel-good films, Karan Johar has managed to pull off a semi-serious film with a message, thanks to good acting over the board.

Forget, what has already been written/ said about his film (this is not a film review). I'm more concerned with the message the film conveys- about secularism, tolerance and universal brotherhood. ( Man! i'm sounding like a devout Gandhian!).

The portrayal of racism and religious divide, depicted in the film, are all very real problems in the world we live in today. Wars, riots and violence are all ultimately related to the fact that one set of people cannot accept the beliefs and principles of the other set. The human tendency to enforce ones beliefs on others, almost a kind of survival tactic implanted into our systems by Mother Nature, is the principle factor behind this violence. Perhaps, Nature has thoughtfully designed our race such, to keep our proliferating population under check?

Lets leave the philosophy for another time. Why cant WE, arguably the most intelligent species on this planet, live to fight FOR each other, and not WITH each other? Why do we let petty things like religion, race, caste and color be reason enough to fight wars or cause meaningless violence? Why are we biased against our own creed- why do we label Muslims as fanatics? or a Sardar as a fool? Fools and fanatics can exist across all humanity.

Although, this film is a late in coming, considering the series of films that have already been made on this subject- its does reinforce the same strong message of tolerance. But by far the best movie that depicts this story of our times is the Pakistani film "Kudha ke liya"- a mind-blowing moving account of senseless fanatism.

Modern Day Slavery!

Compulsory rural service for all medical students is soon going to be made into law with effect from the next academic year. I really empathize with all those unfortunate M.B.B.S students who are going to be subjected to this meaningless activity, in the name of "service".

Why meaningless?.. because its plain stupidity to expect a hapless, untrained medico, fresh out of M.B.B.S to be the backbone of healthcare for all the rural folk in this country. In short, we are taking our most inexperienced medical personnel to serve 75% of the Indian population!. That amounts to majority of our population being under-serviced as far as health care goes!. There is a clear discrimination of policy when it comes to tackling urban and rural healthcare. Even the proposed 4 year Master of Rural Health (MRH) is a clear violation of the rights of rural citizens to equitable health care like there urban counterparts.

Most of all, it is the poor medico who is going to be worst affected by these thoughtless rules. Not only is he called to serve in an environment of poor infrastructure, he has to sacrifice ties with his family, work for paltry sums of salary to get his degree.

Wasted Efforts

A newspaper initiative in recent times is going out of its way to promote better ties between India and Pakistan by organizing Indo-Pak cultural meets including literature meets , song, dance and music shows in various cities across the subcontinent. Point is- will this in any way help in promote better ties? No and Never!..it will never take away the seeds of mistrust that are embedded in the minds of the population .. especially not if we have a Pak foreign minister blaring into the microphone, declaring in fanatic spirit his "hate for India" to a crowd of equally fanatic charged Pakistanis.To end our mutual mistrust stint that has been so since the inception of our countries, we need strong political and geographical strategy. The answer is to draw the borders,stop the terrorism and step-down the military offensives. All this campaign for "better cultural ties" is pure eyewash in the absence of a long-lasting solution!

Health Care Reform

Healthcare in India is an industry in want of good management. The onus of providing this precious service has been divided between the private and public institutions. The public institutions are overburdened, under-financed, and notoriously mismanaged. The private institutions cannot claim to be any better. Although they provide a better work culture, they are famous for over pricing and over-investigating.

The poorest of the poor are always the worse affected by these policies. Disregarded by the government hospitals and drained of all savings by the private hospitals they are at the receiving end at all times.

The government in some states, has taken steps to fund the expenses of healthcare for BPL families by providing health packages. Although well intentioned, this is like most government policies is bereft of forethought for possible repercussions. An old adage summarizes this policy- "give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, and you have feed him for a lifetime". Anything handed out on a platter, for grabs, is always ignored for value. Anything worked for or fought for is valued beyond its true price.

These schemes are also exploited by many- some who use it to obtain free healthcare not appropriate for their income, some who pocket money meant for medicines/services rendered and others who take kickbacks for referring the poor souls to an institution that would ultimately benefit from the ingress of money to its coffers.

No scheme involving large amounts of money can be adequately insulated in India from corruption. Unless we incorporate good work ethos and eliminate poverty- which cannot ever happen overnight- we are slaves to corruption!

How then, can we hope to implement better health care to our masses?

Instead of putting lump sums of money into schemes that concentrate on referral and private/public tertiary care setups, we must build around a three-tier system of healthcare with most of the finances and maximum emphasis on the base of the pyramid- the rural health care centres and district healthcare centers. A large chunk of problems can be tackled by these setups itself- if adequately staffed and equipped. Private setups in the rural areas must be encouraged- with incentives such as tax-free holidays (on the lines of IT companies); these centers must be monitored for quality of care by independent responsible observers. Medical colleges must be ordered to adopt a district level hospital and dispense the required heath care to all subjects in that district. Tele-conferencing between district level physicians and those at the tertiary care center must be offered for counselling regarding difficult to treat cases. Unless this kind of infrastructure is in place, it would be meaningless to deploy fresh medical graduates in the grass root centers by compulsion.

Private and public hospitals in two-tier and three-tier cities must be the next target of the government health policies. Only by reducing the burden (by diverting simple-to-treat case to the district level) on these institutions first, can we begin their reconstruction. Strict monitoring of health services dispensed must be undertaken to ensure quality care.

The final priority of the government must be the public institutions in the metros. These must focus primarily on specialized services and advanced training. Soaps and services must parallel the private healthcare setups to be able to survive the economics of the times.

Divide and Rule

Remember that ol' British policy that we read in our history books-"Divide and rule"- seems like its no longer history!.. In India today, politicians are clamoring for separate states, divisive policies and vote bank politics.

While the cries for "Telangana" in Andhra Pradesh show no signs of reversal, anti-North Indian sentiments are being voiced by Marathi political honchos (no surprise that both these issues are being raised by politicians not currently in power- obviously with the single-minded focus to attract a category of voters).

No party can claim to be "truly universal"- the Left in Bengal bats for the "labor" classes, and of late, has pulled out a religion based reservation policy, which no doubt is to appease the large Muslim refugee population in the state. The Congress has always been the cunning fox in any policy- pulling out all kinds of soaps to pacify its vote base. The BJP is probably the party that has made it preferences most obvious since its inception- always playing the Hindu card to perfection.

India today is at the behest of such hare-brained polices of those who sit in the seats of power. If we have become a player at the world stage in the recent past, it is not "due to" these policies but rather, INSPITE of them!

If only we had better sense prevailing in our political class, we would have reached our current position, decades earlier. Still "aall is not so unwell", as the Gen-Next of Indian Politics is showing signs of sound judgement. One hopes that some sense will soon put an end to all this nonsense!