What gives

Is there a need for a paradigm shift in the way we look at rural India? India has it all,the best of brains,all the money,all the poverty and a disbalance in the distribution of opportunity ......and the wealth. Privellaged get most of the privellages and the poor..a few discarded favours. We have the best of brains coming out from our institutions....this incredible India has no dirth of people who can innovate and innovate more for personal survivol.Why can't rural India be made part of the projects of the curriculum of the creme dela creme of our society who pass out from the institutions like IITs,IIMs,etc...every year?They rack their brain..they do it for America...Why can't they be made to do it for India? The country has the resources in terms of money,man-power,brains...everything but it is hardly chanellised for the greater good. The heart of India lies in the villages...the answer does not lie in doling out subsidies......but in investing time,energy ,thought and...

It was a good dinner with the staffs doing their bit,contributing graciously... The girls beautifully dancing the jharkhandi tribal dance to the rendition of nagpuri christian numbers that touches the heart. Beautiful place,beautiful people,beautiful faith,Incomparable savior!!

A little bit of sun-shine filtering through the winter cold, A little bit of extra time, a little extra grace .. ..in the moment. Is it Christmas yet? The curdling scream of the woman in labour piercing through the walls... Her vocals hammering my head at tandem-the anguished voice of my sister-in-law over the phone, Dare not picturise more. Are the gifts packed? Does everyone have a gift? Are the arrangements for dinner made? There is a phone-call, my heart misses a beat! My sister's reassuring voice says-all is well for now! Is it christmas yet?

Where is the time to grieve? Demands and endless demands of people wanting of your time. I want some time out, even from myself! Some time to understand my reaction, to nurse myself,to lick my wounds, or atleast to keep it out in the open and allow it to fester for a while. I want some moment to take a hard long look at myself, to tell myself it is allright.

Strange way to look at this advent season! I remember my sibling looking at us one lazy holiday afternoon sunning ourselves and remarking sardonically-'waiting for Godot huh!' Here we are in the hospital two doctors working our hearts out literally, me awaiting the inevitable....literally waiting for Godot!! There are the children preparing for the christmas play,churning out the same old thing they have been doing for the last God knows how many years. Christmas at home??I haven't been home for christmas for the last five years or so. Every one in the extended family seem to be sick.If not tragic, it almost looks sinister.So I am here supposed to lead the campus for the christmas celebrations wishing I could be anywhere but here! Got thoroughly harrased by the press the whole morning -gave them a good speech-pity them!I wouldn't know how I would have sounded after a sleepless night on duty but they were full of apology as they left ....awaiting the papers to see ...

‘Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel.He lived a very careful,cautious,responsible life….one that was exemplary…one that brought glory to God’s name’ Simeon was an ordinary man but the Word describes him as ‘just and devout’whom the spirit of the LORD had prompted ,would see the messiah before he was to die.The prophecy comes to fruction .Joseph and Mary bring Jesus to the temple and Simeon is led by the Holy spirit to the temple as well.He has that deep joy of not only holding the messiah in his arms but also the honour of prophesying about the days to come…… 'Simeon was a man who was led by the Spirit of God, taught by the Word of God, and obedient to the will of God; and therefore he was privileged to see the salvation of God!' What a blessed man! What blessed words!!….what a tremendous prophecy..!! ‘Lord,now let You your servant depart in peace,according to your word: For my eyes have seen your salvation….(How many of us can truly say that?) A light to li...

Migration has been seen as a very important factor influencing the pattern of disease and its control in India.One gets to understand the reality of it’s influence when one becomes involved in the control programmes at the ground level.In Jharkhand,there are the seasonal migrants who are said to migrate to areas like brick kilns during the lean agricultural season for livelihood.It has been assumed that the majority of these labourers migrate due to desperate poverty. However,Alpa Shah from the department of Anthropology in Goldsmith College from the university of London has an interesting sociological take on the process. ‘Many see the brick kilns as a temporary space of freedom to escape problems back home, explore a new country, gain independence from parents’ NREGA’s hundred day’s work may not have the supreme solution to migration and disease control,although it certainly abets the problem to some extent.