Travails of the Common Man

At the outset, I would like to clarify that I am a non political, non bureaucratic and non religious person. I am just a Common Man. 

A middle class citizen of India who has for long been driven by other outside forces. I have been living in a country where religious tolerance has always been questioned. As a top U.S. Leader very recently quipped, " India will succeed so long as it is not splintered on religious lines.”

I have been working  in a country where rules are made to be broken. Where if a law is made, also made are tens of ways to safely bypass that law. I am in a country where the highest national awards

are bestowed upon Godmen and politicians responsible for creating communal rifts. I have received my education here where our books abound with sacrifice stories of freedom fighters. That has instilled a sense of patriotism and love for my nation. This has always deterred me from exploring avenues abroad. Over a period of time, this feeling seems to be dwindling. A sense of frustration now seems to be creeping in. Corruption, lawlessness, lack of education, religious disharmony and poor etiquettes have all become so deeply embedded in our systems that it has become virtually impossible to get rid of them. 
In the modern-day world, where time is premium and battle for subsistence is unimaginably tough, the hapless common man simply gives in and pays the bribe just to get on with life. He has lost hope and seems all but buried. He has been driving himself at the behest of others, striving to make ends meet, and following a religion which his ancestors have been following. 
He has now decided enough is enough. He has only two options left. Either he begins a revolutionary movement or he gives up his life as a coward.

Suddenly, things seemed to be improving. The grass looked greener on this side. The clouds had reduced their gloom over the sky. The birds were chirping much more than before. The common man had won the general elections in the capital city of this country. It was a victory of the masses. A victory of the people. It had been a coup of sorts where the ruling party was overthrown and a single person had emerged a winner in this bout - the Common Man. The locals were out on the streets celebrating.

The champagne was uncorked,  and the ale was flowing. And why not. Every Indian at this juncture wished to be a part of the celebration, a part of this movement. Everyone hoped that this victory would replicate itself in their state and city." Was this the beginning of the revolution that we had been long waiting for? " The question seemed to cross every Indian's mind. It was a sort of déjà vu for the oldies. They were reminded yet again of the freedom struggle that they had witnessed against the Britishers. This conquest had now given a ray of hope to every Indian that all was not lost.  

The media was abuzz the next day with reports as to how the fort was conquered, whether a recipe for success could ever be charted or not and how the common man's woes would be over soon. Amid all this, the ruling party was working overtime to provide explanations for its dismal show. It had failed to anticipate a defeat of this magnitude.

Then came the turnaround. The next few hours saw a plethora of newsfeeds making a mockery of the triumph. While some said that the election results were fixed, some dubbed it as a deliberate walkover given by the ruling party to shift the media attention away from its inadequacies.

So? What is the truth? Nobody will ever be able to tell. But what everyone knows for sure is that the one to suffer yet again is the Common Man. The promises abound. But will they deliver? Or will the Common Man have to continue his endless wait? Life has to move on for him....

"God must love the common man. He made so many of them."

'Honge kaamyaab, honge kaamyaab

hum honge kaamyaab ek din.

ho ho mann main hai vishwas

poora hai vishwas

hum honge kaamyaab ek din.'

Cough Etiquette: Does that exist?

It’s winter and the respiratory ailments are here again. 
Colds and flu have the ability to spread easily via the transmission of the germs through the air, carried on droplets.

If dispersal of these droplets can be prevented then infection transmission can be reduced. Cough etiquette can help to contain infectious respiratory droplets at the source.

• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
  
  A cloth handkerchief can act as a breeding ground for the germs that are causing the infection. Carrying a used handkerchief around when you are sick may spread your germs.

• If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
  
  
  

• Turn away from other people when coughing/sneezing.

• Put your used tissue in a waste basket.
  
  
  
• Try to keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth.
  
  
  
• Remember to wash your hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer after coughing or sneezing.

• Help to prevent spread of infection by using face masks when sick.

• Keep safe distance of at least 3 feet from others when sitting in common public areas.

Love and a cough cannot be hid. 

Hangover: Alcohol or FOOD?

In the midst of the marriage season, it is not uncommon to encounter upset tummies the day after the big fat wedding. All fingers are pointed towards the catering staff and their lack of proper hygiene. But are they the ones to blame?

It is a well known fact that when we point a finger at others, four fingers point back towards us. So, let's introspect and unearth some revelations.

That gets us to this concept of Food Hangover. We have always heard of an alcohol hangover and logically the former too would indicate an overindulgence in food or simply put - overeating.

"Eat to your heart's content".  But more often than not, that would surpass your gut's content.

A fatty, spicy, salty, or sugary meal or a meal too big for the body to handle, especially a dinner would very likely cause a hangover the next morning.

Abdominal bloating, heartburn, indigestion and nausea are commonly experienced the next day. The body feels lethargic and may lead to inactivity.

The best way to prevent a food hangover is to plan the meals properly and avoid starving, which almost always leads to overeating. Avoid a heavy meal at night to allow the body to digest the food before bedtime. Avoid alcohol, aerated drinks and caffeine since these can cause dehydration and aggravate the issue.

However, the symptoms can be ameliorated by drinking lots of water, chewing gum which aids digestion by increasing the saliva formation, or by taking a walk in the park.

One should eat to live, not live to eat. 

Speed breakers or Life breakers - II

The drive was undertaken as reported in my previous post. http://docbaldiknowhow.blogspot.in/2014/12/speed-breakers-or-life-breakers.html

It seems to have had its effects on the Corporation. Within a week of reporting the sorry state of speedbreakers in our locality, the BMC has woken up and done a touch up job on few of these humps. 

The ones that were in dire straits were reconstructed as per the specifications. But what about the rest?

 Does this translate as a victory for us? Or do we still have a long way to go before we celebrate!!

"The woods are lovely dark and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep...."

Speed breakers or Life breakers?

Speed breakers are raised areas of pavement designed to slow down drivers. Although they can improve safety, they have many drawbacks. The process of slowing and diverting traffic is often called traffic calming.

Speed Humps

Speed humps differ from speed bumps.

Speed Bumps

Speed bumps are 3-4 inches high and 1-3 feet long and have typically been used in parking lots and on private roads. To pass over speed bumps without doing damage to the vehicle or causing discomfort, the driver must slow down almost to a complete stop. The effects of speed bumps are diminished by passing over them at excessive speeds in a vehicle with loose suspension.

Speed humps are 3-4 inches high and 12-22 feet long. They are found on residential roadways. To avoid driver discomfort, the driver slows to a speed of 15-20 mph. Unlike speed bumps, at excessive speeds, the effects of speed humps are increased to the point of jolting both the driver and their cargo.

The procedure for installation begins with the residents’ request and continues with traffic engineering studies to determine the need for speed humps. These studies include but are not limited to: safe sight distance, pedestrian studies, vehicle classification, traffic count, and average speed. Current land use, school routes, "as built" plans, other control devices, and stop sign compliance should also be examined.

If it is determined that speed humps are the best solution for a roadway, then the installation can begin. The humps installed should follow the design criteria, have accompanying warning signs and be painted with a pattern that makes them visible to drivers and provide a safe and reasonable sight distance.

If designed, installed, and maintained properly, speed humps can be a safe, effective method of reducing vehicle speeds through residential areas.

To be effective along a section of roadway, speed humps should be placed in series at 200-600 feet intervals when considering the geometries of the roadway.

As per the Indian Road Congress (IRC) specifications, the central height of humps should be 10-12 cm. Their shape should be a parabola and should have 3.5 metres in width and length should be the same as the road width.

The list of drawbacks could go on and on if the breakers are not made with the correct specifications.

To name a few drawbacks......

• If improperly lit, they could potentially cause fatalities.
• They are damaging to the spine, to say the least.
• The constant wear and tear of vehicles could be another big disadvantage.

A very interesting use of these breakers that hasn't been well utilized is:

"ELECTRICITY GENERATION FROM SPEED BREAKER"

A large amount of energy is generated at the speed breakers through friction, every time a vehicle passes over it.

This Mechanical energy is then converted to Electrical which can be used for charging batteries and to light up the streets, etc.

The existing source of energy such as coal, oil, etc may not be adequate to meet the ever increasing energy demands. These conventional sources of energy are also depleting and may be exhausted.
This project is a step to the path of exploring the possibilities of energy from several non- conventional energy sources.

Motivated by the activities undertaken by our leading dailies, I decided to chart one such myself. I travelled the highly congested stretch starting from Mazgaon circle upto JJ Hospital signal, via Noor Baug. It is a distance of a mere 1.3 km but the number, shapes and distances between speed breakers installed on this stretch is appalling.

Within 100 mts

100 mts

300 mts

400 mts

450 mts

500 mts

600 mts

900 mts

1000 mts

1050 mts

1100 mts

This may be a similar plight on many other roads but it is upto the local authorities to take up these tasks and ensure corrective action before we witness any casualties.


"Yes Officer, I did see the 'speed limit' sign, I just didn't see you."

Organ Donation: Choose to live beyond your life

I have dedicated this post to this auspicious day of 13th August - The Organ Donation Day.

Going through the news a few days back I read about this near approaching day.

Though I wasn't unaware of this concept entirely, I had never been curious enough to delve deep into the matter and get my facts correct. My first reaction to this was " Why not ". But as prudence set in, I realised that this wasn't as simple as it seemed. Even if I did pledge to donate my organs after death, I had to inform my near and dear ones and and answer their queries. As far as I am concerned, religious hurdles are least obstructing to me but it always pays to be religiously correct as well.

Most organ donations for organ transplantation is done in the setting of "brain death".

Brain death is not the same as coma. In coma, a person is unconscious but alive. He may be breathing on his own, has a few brain reflexes present and shows electrical brain activity. As compared to this, a brain dead person has a heart that is beating on its own without impulses from the brain. There is no activity in the brain and no respiration. In effect, a brain dead person is DEAD.

I had to now analyse the religious aspects of Organ donation.

All major religions either accept organ donation or accept the right of individual members to make their own decision. Most religions like the Roman Catholic Church are in favour of organ donation as acts of charity and as a means of saving a life.

Jains, who regard compassion to be a main principle of their faith, donate organs pro-actively. It has been reported that in Mumbai, 85-90% of all organ donations including eye donations, are by Jains and Gujaratis.

Life after death is a strong belief of Hinduism and is an ongoing process of rebirth. It is a perpetual circle of birth and rebirth. So, the physical body is insignificant.

Judaism encourages organ donation but the views are divided as regards the definition of death. One school of thought which defines death as the complete stoppage of heart beating and not brain death, opposes the transplantation of the heart from the brain dead person as that is tantamount to mercy killing. However, the other school which believes brain death to be the actual death of the individual irrespective of a beating heart, encourages donation of vital organs for the sake of saving another life.

Islam has conflicting views on this subject.

According to a number of Muslim scholars organ donation is not permitted. They consider that organ donation compromises the special honour accorded to man and this cannot be allowed whatever the cost.

The proponents of organ donation quote the following:

“Whosoever saves the life of one person it would be as if he saved the life of all mankind.”

Holy Qur'an, chapter 5 vs. 32

"Whosoever helps another will be granted help from Allah."

Prophet Muhammed (pbuh)

Resolutions of the Islamic Fiqh Council:

1.It is permissible to transplant an organ  but attention must be paid to ensuring that the expected benefits outweigh any possible harm.

2.It is permissible to transplant an organ from a dead person to a living person whose life or basic essential functions depend on that organ, subject to the condition that permission be given by the deceased before his death, or by his heirs after his death, or by the authorities in charge of the Muslims if the identity of the deceased is unknown or he has no heirs.

3. It should be noted that the agreement on the permissibility of organ transplants explained above is subject to the condition that this is not done by selling the organs, because it is not permissible to subject human organs to sale under any circumstances.

Therefore it is very clear that in Islam:

"Organ donation is a very personal choice.”

The demand for organs significantly surpasses the number of donors everywhere in the world. The only way this gap can be reduced is by encouraging organ donation. A kidney for a person on thrice weekly hemodialysis, a liver for a swollen and bleeding Hepatitis B positive patient, and a cornea for a blind person who hasn’t seen the world, is priceless.

"Don't think of organ donation as giving up part of yourself to keep a total stranger alive. It's really a total stranger giving up almost all of themselves to keep part of you alive".

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

To register, click here 
https://notto.abdm.gov.in/profile

Female Genital Mutilation: No health benefits, Only harm

The recent fatwa by a Jihadi organization in the Middle East has yet again brought to the fore this sensitive issue. 

Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons".

There are 4 types of FGM in increasing order of barbarism: 

1. Clitoridectomy: partial or total removal of the clitoris. Also known as "Sunnah".

2. Excision: partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora.

3. Infibulation: excision of part of or all of the external genitals. Afterwards , the remaining parts of the outer lips are sewn together leaving a small hole for urine and menstrual flow. The scar needs to be opened before intercourse or giving birth, which causes additional pain. Also referred to as “Pharaonic Circumcision”.

4. Other: all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia. 

It is carried out in girls between infancy and 15 years of age. It is generally performed by traditional midwives, healers, barbers, nurses or doctors without anesthesia and unsterilised equipment. 

Although its origins are pre-Islamic, it became associated with Islam because of the religion's focus on female modesty and chastity, and is found only within or near Muslim communities. It is widely practised in African countries- Egypt Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan and others; parts of Middle East- Yemen, Oman, Iraq; amongst Bohra Muslims in India and Pakistan; and a few Muslim populations in Malaysia and Indonesia. 

Outside Islam, FGM has been practised by the Christian Copts in Egypt and Sudan. It has also been practised by the Beta Israel of Ethiopia. This is the only Jewish group known to have practised it; Judaism requires male circumcision, but does not allow FGM.

The justifications given for this heinous act are aplenty:

• Custom and tradition. 

• Religion - No religion advocates FGM. There is no mention of FGM in the Bible or Quran. In 2006, several leading Islamic scholars called for an end to the practice, and in 2007 the Al-Azhar Supreme Council of Islamic Research in Cairo ruled that it has no basis in Islamic law.

• Preservation of virginity and chastity. FGM is believed to reduce a woman's libido and therefore help her resist "illicit" sexual acts. When a vaginal opening is covered or narrowed (type 3 and above), the fear of the pain of opening it, and the fear that this will be found out, is expected to further discourage "illicit" sexual intercourse among women with this type of FGM. 

• Social acceptance for marriage. 

• Myths - The animist Dogon people of Mali believe that the clitoris confers masculinity on a girl and the foreskin of a boy makes him feminine. 

Complications of the procedure have been unable to act as a deterrent. 

Immediate complications can include severe pain, shock, bleeding, tetanus or bacterial infection, urine retention, open sores in the genital region and injury to nearby genital tissue.

Long-term consequences can include:

recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections; cysts; infertility; an increased risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths. 

As against female circumcision, male circumcision has religious and scientific acceptance. The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the benefits outweigh the risks in males. There is improved hygiene, lesser chances of urinary infection and sexually transmitted diseases and decreased risk of penile cancer. 

FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects deep-rooted inequality between the sexes, and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. 

Every 11 seconds, a girl is mutilated. 

"Mama tied a blindfold over my eyes. The next thing I felt my flesh was being cut away. I heard the blade sawing back and forth through my skin. The pain between my legs was so intense I wished I would die."