Rahul's BharatJodoYatra

Jealousy, one of the most corrupting emotions is the central theme of Shakesperare’s Othello. Throughout the play ,it is jealousy that motivates characters’ vicious actions.Almost all characters except two or three are under the influence of this ‘green eyed monster.’ Othello is a classic example that shed light on how fear and low self esteem breed jealousy in human mind.Iago, perhaps the most villainous characters of all literature is responsible for destroying many lives in this tragic play. While thinking about Rahul Gandhi this great work of Shakespeare reenact in my mind often.Rahul,like Desdamona and Cassio in Othello is a victim of jealousy. The fear of Sangh Parivar about charismatic and gentlemanly Rahul had' necessitated' it to market him in a poor light.However, truth cannot be veiled always.Rahul’s purity of soul relflects in his demeanour and actions, and ladies who do intuitively understand men feel safe and comfortable in his presence. His interaction with public particulary with ladies indicates that he is an evolved man, a rare gem in politics.His compassion and care shines through the rubbish of hatred thrown at him.Rahul’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is definitely a healing touch to the broken soul of India. It is not a mean task to walk through the lengths and breadths of a huge country like India. Support #BharatJodoYatra /My India💚

My Blessed Village

After living many years in cities, I do crave for my tiny village in north Kerala as desert longs for prairies. I havn’t never enjoyed being in my native place when I was a child as my eyes were accustommed to those lovely landscape blanketed by lush greenery; blessed with tranquil and spectacular Thejaswini river. But I explore the wild beauty of this virgin land of late - ofcourse away from the mosquito bites, dust and dirtyness of Indian cities. My home is not in a village in its strict sense of the term as such villages hardly exist in Kerala. It has got many ‘vices’(sophisticated communication system, fashion and people far from being naïve) of a city but without losing its conscience. It is a place where one would like to lose her soul and be one with nature as Wordsworth sang in his poems. There are few things that make me proud of Kerala (forgive me if I sound parochial, that is not my intention) though I don’t really support ‘isms’(read regionalism, religionism, communism, etc.) of any kind or prefer myself to be called a citizen of the world by rooting firmly on the soil where I belong to. One can’t think of Kerala without its women population. Let me quote the words of famous painter M.F Hussain, ‘If Kashmir is all about Men and Mountains, Kerala is about Women and Nature’. I hardly seen any little girl begging around or doing house hold works, as happens in many parts of India sans going school. Even poor will toil hard to give their girl children good education. I feel Kerala is one among few states(I hope there is atleast one more)where female infanticide is not reported. Of course the educated women of Kerala make all the difference.

Keralites are politically aware and generally well read. Writers like Pablo Neruda, Marques, Thela etc. are like house hold names. Issues as Iraq invasion, the recent Russia-Ukraine war and American imperialism are widely discussed and protested, often that justifies the saying about communist party here, ‘they open umbrella when it rains in Russia’.Keralites generally are interested in what is happening around them and often sympathise with the underdog. Communism and many social reformation movements by Ayyankali,Sree Narayana Guru etc had contributed to her social development and intellectual growth. I do remember the good old days when we in Kerala used to get books of all Russian masters like Tolstoy, Dostoïevsky, Chekhov, Turganev etc, from Russia (former Soviet Union) at an incredibly lower price-thanks to Communism. But I must admit that too much politicisation is pulling the state backwards. ‘God’s own country’ witnesses hartals (new incarnation of bandh as Kerala high court banned Bandh)and too many strikes as part of ‘political game’. But I am happy that God still dwells in this land! And true, my blessed village in north Kerala sail in my mind more often…

Story of Krishna

I met Krishna, a Nepali Chef during a Sunday service at a picturesque village in  Manali last year. It was a Nepali Christian gathering in a home amidst a lovely garden in the background of snow capped mountain, having rose ,apple , pears and cherry; the scent of beautiful rose flowers filtering through the window added a rare divinity to the interior of the home. I never had come across such devoute Christian gathering in my life, there was an intense spiritual pulling in the room, the young girls and boys in the choir were literally in tears out of pure bliss, Krishna seemed to have lost in divine love.
While walking back home through the narrow path lined with giant Himalayan Cedar trees(Devdaru) on either side, I asked Krishna as to what attracted him to Christ. ‘ Love’, he said without batting an eyelid. While trying to figure out his answer, he added, “ Madam, you will never understand the pain of a human being who doesn’t have anybody in this world.” He narrated about his cursed life in Nepal as an orphan, as a poor homeless child who was treated like an insect, his addiction to alcohol, drugs and many vices, his pain,hopelessness,anger and poverty. He said it was a foreign missionary who helped him come out of his wretched life through the love of Jesus Christ. Later he gave up all his addictions and found a job as a Chef in a star hotel in Manali.
 It was drizzling, and those light drops of rain helped me hide the tears streaming down on my cheek. The Nepalese gathered in that little home might have similar stories of pain and poverty, of desires, dreams and fears. But do we care to listen to the innate feelings of our fellow human beings in this toxic religious hate- mongering era? Aren’t our inner longing for love, our dreams feelings and fears the same? What difference it would make if Krishna finds Love in Christ or vice versa? Isn’t love the great healer? In our silent meditative walk, many such thoughts crossed my mind. I didn’t even realise it when we  almost reached at Krishna’s hotel. Krishna went in to work  with an invitation for dinner at his hotel. And the unpredictable mountain weather have it, Sun popped up from nowhere.

A doctor with God's signature in his hands

"No legacy is so rich as honesty," Shakespeare. He is a loner in the crowd, a rare gem among doctors and altruistic in a money-minting medical profession.Calm,gentle and compassionate Dr.Nelson Kattikatt walks alone in the privileged world of medical field with the serenity and grace of a blessed healer.His compassionate care makes him stand out among the doctors when a majority among them are immune to the plight of patients. His calm and sagelike aura is quite tranquilising even to the violent mental patients at the Government mental hospital in Trivandrum where he is the Chief Psychiatrist. Today when society as a whole belive that success is about amassing wealth and sensual gratification, and care little about the humanity as a whole, with his ethical and socialy responsible practice, he tries to live up to the words of Gandhiji that “ The best way to find yourself is to lose yourselves in the service of others.” He lends compassionate ear to each patient at the hospital and helps those who cannot afford costly medicines. No wonder, his patients adore him and shower him with adjectives as ‘ doctor with the signature of God and doctor with a blessed hand.’ Despite his humble back ground, money hardly tempts this brutally honest doctor and he does choose the road less travelled when pharmaceutical companies bribe the doctors with costly gifts and free overseas travels and laboratories with commissions. He stays away from such temptations and suggests laboratories to give reduction to patients instead. He has been maintaining this principle since his medical college days and those values are always very dear to him. And he strongly believes that doctors have a duty towards society unlike many other professions. ‘Service to humanity is the primary duty of a doctor.’ He says. How can he be detached to money in a world of materialism?” As a deeply spiritual person, it is easier for me.” pat came the reply. When speaking about the adoration of his patients, he speaks with the same detachment, ‘Whatever I am today is due to the grace of God, I am just a tool." In many of my interactions with him, I never have seen him losing his cool even in extremely tough situations; the hard realities in life might have tamed him to be tolerant, he reasons.As the son of a small shop keeper and the shame and inferiority complexes that thrust upon him by a society that glorifies money and influence, had deeply haunted him throughout his childhood, yet fighting against all odds, he has emerged as the Chief Psychiatrist of Kerala by his strong will, which reminds me of the quote of prophetic writer Khahlil Gibran, “Out of suffering emerges the strongest soul.” Like many exceptional people Dr. Nelson seems to be a misfit among his colleagues, has been misunderstood often and struggle to cope up. But nothing detracts him from serving his patients. For him it is service beyond the call of duty. Dr. Nelson is a voracious reader too and used to write poems during his school/college days, won many accolades for elocution,poetry writing,essay writing etc . But his creative side is in hibernation after became busy with medical practice, which he feels to be dusted off. Unfortunately, as the saying goes that no prophet is revered in his homeland, noble souls like him are not recognized in their own land.