MARD ya NAAMARD?

The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors seems to be a bunch of hypocrites taking the Hippocrates oath! It behoves a person from a noble profession like medicine to maintain the halo surrounding him or her just because he has the ability to cure a diseased person. And it is sad to see them stooping down and resorting to the level of the average proletariat. As a professional course student, I am ashamed to see other professionals toying with the lives of thousands of patients.
I agree that every individual must get what he deserves and he or she must fight for his or her rights. But doctors going to strike is one of the last things that should happen in the Monsoons! I know what a resident doctor suffers from and what sort of facilities they are provided with but please continue with your noble work, at least for the sake of the Hippocratic oath! If doctors start going to strikes like mill workers, the state would face harsher implications than an economic downturn. It is sad to note that medical students are turning to the profession because it offers emolument and not because of any feelings of social indebtedness. Every other profession can be a money making business, except medicine. Technology provides alternatives for other fields but not for Doctors of Medicine. I say this with due respect to doctors all around the world and only because I have seen a doctor from close quarters, my father. He is a strong adversary when it comes to discussing this issue and he strongly advocates better remuneration to resident doctors and supports their strike.
On humanitarian grounds, my heart goes out to the resident doctors and I know that others too support their cause but not their means of pleading for better amenities. Holding patients to ransom is not the solution. Resorting to activities typical of retrograde socialists does not suit doctors. It shows how people are forgetting their duties and moral obligations. Undertaking strikes is either a sign of cowardice or a blatant abuse of powers which only doctors wield. No wonder people have started questioning professionals who were unimpeachable in the days of yore. I wonder who are next in line to strike work? Bloggers?

Keeping up with old traditions

This is more like a post script to my previous blog rather than a new post. As mentioned earlier, landmarks in India are the fiefdom of a single family. But now they have started naming landmarks after sycophantic pets too.
The Mumbai-Pune Expressway (yet another pet project of the Sena-BJP combo) is about to be christened and the present Maharashtra Government has once again succeeded in snatching all the credit from whatever work the former Government had undertaken. Their move is ridiculous!!! Naming the expressway after a person who is famous for nothing but sitting on the fence and leaping towards the winning side! He has his own 'achievements' but can he be a challenger to Pu.La. Deshpande's name? Pu La, who had nothing to do with politics, was one of the greatest literatteur produced in India. Not only a literatteur but also a music director, actor, director, producer, stage artist. You name any creative field and he has left his imprints in the annals of that field. A man who is one of the very few men from Maharashtra who has been apotheosised. Both Mumbai and Pune have played major roles in his life and career and his name would be the best option one could ever come up with for naming the expressway, except of course the name Mumbai-Pune expressway. Similarly, the Pune- Nashik road was to be named after the great poet, Vi.Va. Shirwadkar better known as 'Kusumagraj'. But the ruling combine has been blinded by power and the two parties are trying to appease each other for the sake of a strong pre-poll alliance.
Shame on the Government of Maharashtra for refusing to acknowledge the greatness of exemplary artists of the state! I won't be surprised if they rename our state from Maharashtra to Rajeevpradesh or Chavangad or Indiranagar or even Soniakhand!

All in the family

After a long wait, the greatest attraction of Mumbai, the newly developed 'tourist destination' of Mumbai, the pride of Mumbai, the Bandra-Worli sealink was finally inaugurated and hundreds of enthusiastic Mumbaikars crowded on the seafront of Bandra, Mahim, Shivaji Park and Worli to witness the pomp, first hand. The dazzling fireworks and the enthralling laser show was enough to draw gasps of commendation from the spectators. One need not be a seer to predict that lakhs of Mumbaikars would throng on the engineering marvel to enjoy the monsoon instead of heading off to Malshej, Alibaug or places akin. And so it happened as the first toll-free week saw cars scrambling to get onto the bridge at Bandra and reach Worli after a long and patient wait in the bumper to bumper traffic.
And as expected, the Chairperson of the ruling coalition (a.k.a. prima donna, a.k.a. Desh ki bahu) was invited to inaugurate the sealink, flouting every existent and non-existent protocol. What business she had over there can only be predicted if one observes the others who were present there. Mr. King of Cricket-desperate-to-get-back-into-the fold envisaged this as a chance to prove his loyalty and proposed a name for the sealink. Now look at the scenario...
Mr. King of Cricket has played no role even in the conception of the plan
Prima Donna has got no qualifications except her surname and logically she seems to be the last person related to the sealink
Prima Donna's late husband is out of contention when you set out to count the people responsible in the construction of this infrastructural facility.
Yet, lately, we have observed that every development plan is named after the late husband or the late mother-in-law or the late grandfather-in-law. And we have got no choice but to accept the names flung at us. The Bandra-Worli sealink is its identity and that is how it is known to the average Mumbaikar. Why name it after someone because his widow is the most influential woman in India (by fluke)? Why are people obsessed with one family? Is his name even worthy to be compared with the other names in contention? Does the sealink even require a name? And if it does, please name it after someone whose personality matches that of this beautiful piece of construction adorning our city's skyline.

P.S. I just attended the naming ceremony of the new sewage line in my neighbourhood. It was named the 'Rahul Gandhi sewage way' which flows under the 'Priyanka Gandhi footpath'. Just where the 'Robert Vadra' parking lot is situated! I had to descend down the 'Sonia Gandhi' staircase of my building and then I took a right turn after the 'Rajeev Gandhi' lamp post!