January 29, 2012
Beyond Black and White
On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, way back in 1963, when Dr. Martin Luther King uttered in his historic speech, “I have a dream that one day on the Red Hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood” (1), he was giving expression to the aspirations of millions of people singed and scarred by racial discrimination. The words of Dr. King assume greater significance in this post-modern scenario where “The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere the ceremony of innocence is drowned” (2), where narrow national prejudices, impoverished ideologies, disruptive ideas of caste, creed and color are unleashed, causing untold misery to the ‘lesser mortals’. His egalitarian views that were meant to transform the world into a better place was astonishingly similar to those expressed by the great Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore, who in his celebrated ‘Gitanjali’ prays that mankind should be able to walk in a space “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high” and “the world is not broken up into narrow fragments.” (3)
The resilience, the strength of character that King possessed was something that he inherited from his father, who was the pastor of a church in Atlanta. Senior King had never accepted the segregation system and always spoke of the need to challenge it. His mother often spoke of the humiliation the Blacks were subjected to and encouraged him to stand bravely against the evils of discrimination. Being a harbinger of social change, the young King denounced racism for causing estrangement and separating “not only bodies but minds and spirits.” (4) He never gave up on his efforts to lift America from the quagmire of regional and racial prejudices, for he believed that “beyond the calling of race or nation or creed is the vocation of sonship and brotherhood.” (5)
Dr. King became deeply involved in the Civil Rights campaign treading the Gandhian path of ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence. He strongly felt that the fissiparous forces could be countered only by a humane approach and not by violence. He urged people to identify and locate the good, hidden in the darker domains of human personality; to discover the divine in the human persona that would elevate them from stilted sectarian preoccupations and absurd ideas of racial supremacy to a higher realm of spirituality. Moral centrality was the common thread that lined his thoughts on various issues, be it poverty, racism or militarism.
Today, as we celebrate his life and all the great things he stood for, let us revive the values that make life worth living- love, compassion, faith, fraternity, honesty and human bonding. Or else, we will be compelled to join Matthew Arnold who said-
“The world which seems To lie before us like a land of dreams, So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain.”(6)
References:
1. ‘I have a dream’ - speech by Martin Luther King, delivered 28 August 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D. C.
2. W.B. Yeats, ‘The Second Coming’, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Norton, New York, 2006, PP.2036-37.
3. Rabindranath Tagore, ‘Gitanjali’, Song Offerings to God, Translated from the original Bengali by the poet, Shantiniketan, 1998.
4. Excerpted from Martin Luther King Jr., Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community (New York: Harper & Brothers 1967).
5. Excerpted from "Loving Your Enemies," Nov. 17, 1957, a sermon given at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Ala.
6. Matthew Arnold, ‘Dover Beach’, The Norton Anthology of English Literature, Norton, New York, 2006, PP 1368-69.
This essay was one of the honorable mentions during Case Western Reserve University's annual MLK Essay contest (2012).
May 09, 2011
‘Face’ to face with Disaster
The haunting lines of Coleridge’s famous poem can suitably be modified to describe the plight of the victims of the earthquake in Haiti (or for that matter, in Japan) -“rubble, rubble everywhere, not a shelter to seek!” No words could describe the unprecedented human suffering and tragedy that ensued. No wonder the great Philosopher Wittgenstein asserted, “Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent!”, but in this case there was nobody to listen, let alone help; stuck in a claustrophobic hole were people- men, women and children, who had lost all hopes of communicating to the world outside the depths of the devastation. As the world would spin to the ‘widow-making, unchilding, unfathering deeps’ of despair (from Hopkins’ The Wreck of the Deutschland), through the slit holes of rubble would emerge these voices- faceless, nameless- that would cry for help and assistance. It was a time when the people struck by the tragedy discovered that technology could come to their rescue.
The catastrophe that hit Port-au-Prince, Jacmel and other settlements on Jan 12th, 2010, killed in its wake 230,000 people, injured 300,000 and left more than 1,000,000 homeless. In a crisis like this, social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter sprang to the aid of the Haitian populace with an amazing alacrity. The citizens turned into reporters, posted information and images on these websites minutes after the disaster took place. There was an element of immediacy and urgency in these reports which reached the rest of the world in no time bringing home the plight and helplessness of the Haitian people. These were posted by those whose lives were oscillating between the extremities of personal disaster and public devastation; it was also a time when Haiti saw the glass wall between humanity and technology quietly disappear, allowing the human warmth to flood in. The social media responded immediately! Facebook created a page to share information about the earthquake which received 150 messages per minute. The Global Disaster Relief page so created continued to operate effectively even after the Haitian crisis was addressed. The Twitter community did everything possible to provide extensive initial coverage on the Haitian tragedy. CNN used ‘iReport’ to gather vital news and early images of the quake affected region. Even micro volunteering sites like ‘The Extraordinaries’ gave people an opportunity to use their smartphones to upload pictures of missing family members and disaster images.
Organisations such as ‘Catholic Relief Services’ used Facebook status updates to communicate with relief workers and volunteers far and wide. Oxfam International used their Facebook page to create the first fund-raising campaign just a few hours after the quake- an effort that helped mobilize 250,000 dollars. The American Red Cross was able to raise 20 million dollars within no time, thanks to its texting campaign. Thousands of Red Cross volunteers and hundreds of Red Crescent staff from countries around the world worked together to heal Haiti. Shelters were created for more than 1.5 million people, food supplies were provided to more than 400,000 people and Healthcare Units monitored the wellbeing of over 100,000 victims. Rescue workers used mobile media not only to save lives but also to drive fund-raising. The social media did everything to reaffirm faith in humanity; however, a murkier side of social networking started spreading the rumour that a donation of 1 dollar would be given to every member who sent a message about Haiti. Millions became new members overnight to claim the dollar and Facebook had to post a warning to quell the rumour. There were also reports of unscrupulous people who appealed to the public to contribute to the Haitian relief but quietly disappeared after pocketing the humanitarian aid!
This raises disturbing questions on spamming and hacking which can be easily done by some individuals in such fan groups. Computer security experts express dismay over ‘promiscuous friending’, a habit indulged in by Facebook users by accepting friend requests from all and sundry. This only allows computer criminals to take advantage of gullible people.
The social media managers have to structure unstructured information to prevent such crimes. A close monitoring would weed out spams and dubious messages. Some type of control and leadership are imperative to put things in place. Only then will such online activity become trust-worthy and the social media will continue to serve humanity devastated by natural calamities.
February 25, 2011
Emergency preparedness and infectious disease prevention
Natural calamities like floods and earthquakes are normally beyond human control but effort should be directed towards control of consequential afflictions that can affect the community at large. Deforestation has greatly contributed to cycles of flood and famine across the globe. In addition, environmental pollution and global warming have grossly altered climatic conditions with disastrous results.
Every year, the remote north-eastern parts of India, particularly Assam and Orissa bore the brunt of heavy rains followed by floods, inundating vast areas of agricultural land. We would hear or read in newspapers innumerable tales of suffering caused by loss of precious lives and land during such times. But of-late various other parts of India are bearing the brunt of such catastrophic happenings. Casualties that are reported in the newspapers are just the tip of the iceberg. This is invariably followed by the outbreak of infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid and gastroenteritis and occasionally polio. Emergency medical aid is rushed to these places, aerial surveys are made by politicians, tall promises are made, meager aid is offered to a few and once disaster moves to some other part of the country, the promises are swept under the carpet. This gets repeated ad nauseum. What is alarming is that though these calamities occur invariably during the monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, there always seems to be a lacuna in planning and the nature of ‘preparedness’ to address such natural adversities. The question that all right thinking individuals should pose in this context should be twofold; 1-how best to counter these calamities and 2- how to restrict the spread of infectious diseases that could assume epidemic proportions if left uncontrolled.
A major problem encountered by people after the floods is the scarcity of potable water. Cholera followed by Typhoid is normally reported from water-logged areas which soon become fertile breeding ground for mosquitoes. Sometimes it becomes so difficult that people have no choice but to use the same infected water for their daily needs. Hence efforts must be multiplied to improve the general resistance of the population towards water-borne diseases. Certain basic precautions can go a long way in containing intestinal infections. This can be implemented in at least two directions. One, to make the water good enough for human consumption and two, to take effective steps to increase the resistance of the populace. Hygiene, both public and private has to be emphasized. As infant mortality is very high in such situations preventive measures in the form of educating the populace about proper hygiene must be undertaken. The role of voluntary organizations backed by international agencies such as the WHO is crucial here. One can also enlist the help of non-governmental organizations and local self-help groups to educate and enlighten the masses regarding the precautions to be taken in such emergencies and also effectively deal with the outbreak of severe infections. The role of the media such as the radio and television is of great significance as the latter hold a magnetic sway over the rural populace. Tele-Serials and documentaries also can be used to educate target groups. Street plays can be organized to effectively communicate health restoring and health enhancing messages. For instance villagers can be advised to follow simple preventive measures like boiling the water before drinking.
Volunteer groups comprising of conscientious medical personnel can be drafted to work in far flung places, where regular medical assistance could be made available. In addition, incentives of various kinds can be envisaged to involve these groups at such moments of crisis. Last but not the least the medical personnel involved in such disaster management should be made to realize that the statistics that they collect and present to organizations such as the state and the WHO will go a long way in planning the future course of action. In a country like India where the rural people consider diseases and disasters as the curse of God, doctors are also required to dissipate the superstitions or myths related with the occurrences of illness. In case of an epidemic that breaks out as an aftermath of natural calamity the public health professionals should be willing to work in dreary conditions bringing hope and strength to those struck by unwarranted tragedy. There is a need to instill courage and optimism in the minds of the victims as much as providing them with medical aid. After all soothing words can heal the searing pains.
The Road Less Travelled
“The worst has been confirmed” said mom, as she came in holding my grandmother’s biopsy report. Her eyes were dark pools of sorrow as she narrated what the doctor had pronounced, “Colon cancer……..gone beyond the primary stage……..the usual procedures can be done”. I was already in my third year of medical school and I vociferously seconded the doctor’s opinion regarding radiation and chemotherapy. But mom said that grandma’s opinion mattered too. As expected, the old lady turned down the doctor’s suggestion, stoically stating that she would prefer to go through her ‘Karma’ than subject herself to torturous treatments that can hardly ensure longevity. “Anyway”, she said “I’m already past seventy, have seen enough of life, what more can one ask for, except a peaceful end”. Mom was not one to let go so easily. She said that there has to be some way out.
She took time off, from her teaching job, spent the next few days pouring into books and going through websites searching for information about cancers and their treatment. She even read Randy Pausch’s ‘The Last Lecture’, Lance Armstrong’s ‘It’s not about the Bike: My journey back to life’ and some medical journals in my collection. She told grandma inspiring stories of cancer survivors, insisting that grandma should get prepared to take cudgels against the ‘Big C’. But when she went to the extent of getting in touch with the local practitioners of Ayurveda, I thought I should stop her. I argued, “Mom, you never know with these alternative medicines, nothing like the conventional stuff”. By ‘conventional stuff’, I meant Western medicine. I had my own misgivings about the herbal concoctions, the ‘Bhasmas’ and the ‘Churnas’ (medicinal powders) doled out by the Ayurvedic doctors. There was always a kind of mystery wrapped up in them. The patients would not have any inkling about the contents or the combinations of the medicines prescribed. Then there was the question of efficacy. How could such treatment work against cancer of all diseases? But mom never gave in to my arguments. She said with some feeling in her voice, “If alternative therapies can work for Rhio, it can work for my mother too”. I gasped with disbelief. How did she know about James Rhio O’ Connor, the man who had defied Mesothelioma! Obviously she had done her homework. I remembered reading about how Rhio had waged a battle against Mesothelioma, a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. He had chosen to look beyond chemotherapy and radiation towards alternative modes of coping with the disease. Given barely a year to live, he designed his own treatment that included diet regulation and a healthy control of mind and body. When Ernest Hemingway said-“A man can be bent but not broken”, he probably had someone like Rhio in his mind. Mesothelioma devoured the outer lining of his inner organs but could never break his indomitable spirit. Adding years to his life and life to his years; beating the prognosis and baffling the doctors; Rhio lived for more than seven and a half years after the diagnosis. He had chosen to traverse the path not taken by many, in quest of wellness.
My mind came back from thoughts of Rhio to what my mom was saying. She was trying to convince me that in India we have a tradition of falling back upon indigenous sources of medication. She gave innumerable examples drawn from the hoary past, emphasizing how the Sages and Rishis had kept illnesses at bay by practicing Ayurveda and Yoga. The renowned physicians of yore like Charaka and Shushrutha had discovered medicinal plants and herbs that could cure various diseases including “Arbudha (Malignant tumors)”. Mom stressed, “Remember, Ayurveda means the knowledge of life, and to learn the art of living you have to go back to nature. Even experts in Western medicine admit that the physician only treats but it is nature that heals.” I couldn’t cross swords with her on that issue. Hadn’t Thoreau who wrote ‘The Walden Pond’ said something similar?
Mom went on, “Ayurveda or any alternative therapy has always maintained that any illness is caused by an imbalance between the Mind and the Spirit; between the Body and the Soul; between the Individual and the Nature around. They all advocate a daily routine of rising early, exercises, bathing, regulated sleep and a wholesome intake of food in keeping with the changing seasons”. Mom not only changed my perception to some extent but also persuaded grandma to try the road not often taken. Both of them went to Kotakkal in Kerala, home to experts in Ayurveda and stayed there for over a month. I would have accompanied them to satisfy my curiosity but for my studies. When they returned, grandma looked as benign as ever, while mom waxed eloquent on the remarkable effect of the treatment. She unpacked a whole array of medicines including precious oils that were given by the Ayurvedic practitioner. My grandma took her medicines, did a few simple Yogasanas and Pranayama (breathing exercises) on my mom’s persistence. She lived a little longer than what was foretold and never complained of pain or fatigue. I was not sure whether it was due to the alternative therapy or her own stoicism. Ultimately her wish was fulfilled. She passed away peacefully in her sleep.
Much water has flown under the bridge since grandma passed away. Now, I am certain about one thing-alternative therapies can be and have been integrated with more popular treatment procedures to alleviate the trauma experienced by cancer patients. Be it Yoga, Tai Chi, Reiki, Diet or other Holistic therapies, they have played a supporting role in reducing stress and inducing certain positivity in the patients’ outlook. Along with adjunctive therapies, someone like my mom who can stand by the family in crisis would be an additional blessing. I realize that in today’s scenario, when cancer is taking a huge toll on the world population, like an epidemic (with an astronomical 18000 fatalities in the United States from Mesothelioma alone!), we surely need all possible therapies that can complement the main line of treatment. But more than that, we need beacons of light like Rhio who can-with their undaunting courage, unwavering faith and steely determination-do things differently showing the world that there is hope yet. As I keep thinking about Rhio, Pausch’s words ring in my ears-“We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand”.