Open up your mind and your potential reaches infinity…

Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Please do not play politics with the health of innocent kids !


Published in @ETribune : http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/story/12865/dont-play-god-with-the-lives-of-innocent-children/

As the rest of the world is sprinting forward, we in Pakistan seem to be walking backwards. One used to get this sense sometimes, but now with passage of time, it comes more often. With the fact that most of the difficult places like India having grappled with a serious health issue like Polio, and are at the turn of calling themselves polio free, we in Pakistan are not just not close to that, but even retreating fast to make sure we get further away from this dream.

The news of North Waziristan deciding to impose Polio drops ban in their area as a protest against the drones, or the boycotting of Polio campaign in Drazinda village while protesting against the load shedding, brings in not just shivers to the health conscious on this globe, but also gives yet another reason for Pakistan to be a focus in the international circles for a ridiculous reason.

They have a right to register their protests against drone’s attacks, or of Dr Afridi’s betrayal or even against load shedding. But how is this justified by turning ones guns against the innocent kids who are in no way directly or indirectly responsible for any of these unfair actions.

How is banning of Polio drops to the kids going to make a difference to the drones? Is it not akin to hitting your own foot with an axe, crippling yourself even more, making your own children, who are the youth of tomorrow, be burdened with more illhealth and handicap? How will this help them stop drone attacks, or generate more electricity or prevent more Dr Afridis being recruited?

How are risking one’s own children to a crippled life, a way of avenging the atrocities of the aggressors?

As said by a twitter friend: “Taliban want to kick US outta Afghanistan/Pakistan but they never know kicking with polio affected legs is quite impossible ‪#PolioBan‬”

No atrocity is large enough to avenge the innocent kids, be they are from any ethnic community or faith or nationality. And to our horror, the Taleban are putting to risk their very own kids.

A tweep justifying the Polio ban remarks: “But people from your profession (referring to Dr Afridi) for betraying the Polio campaign”.

Does one or a few insincere health professionals justify you to make your own children risk being crippled with Polio. Who are you hurting by this? The health professionals or your own kids?

They argue the drones kill more children than from Polio? Yes this is true, and killing of children by drones is criminal like risking the health of innocent children by Polio ban is criminal too. They harm and kill your children, but you in return risk crippling your own children. Is there any commonsense in this logic?
Those who continue and justify drones by all means, will they stop by your threat of Polio ban? Who will it hurt the drones or your own kids?

Or is it because this is the easiest way out, to kick out the unarmed sincere medical personnel, and lash out at unaware innocent children, both of whom will not be able to defend back, this extremely  unfair decision, with equal force.

As a medical professional, I can only scream loud and cry that they have no right to aggressively jeopardise the health of the innocent, at the cost of another aggression.

Which sect of Islam, or which moral value of humanity or which aspect of the hospitality of the large hearted tribals justify for avenging a wrong action with usurping the rights of the meek and the powerless , innocent kids?

Avenging an injustice, by risking the health and crippling your own children for life?
What kind of courage and valour is this?

I am aghast to see that there are educated on Twitter who are justifying‪ the polio vaccination ban, what to talk of those who give it a silent support. ‪

Polio vaccination ‬ campaign should not be used as a shield against drones. It wont help, but be counterproductive. Will it harm the aggressors or the innocent Pakistani kids?
‪

Polio isn’t petty politics for which politicians, civil society, liberals or conservatives, or general public should not speak up. For the health of Pakistani kids, and for the sake of humanity, please speak up.

I beg you all, please speak up against the Polio Vaccination ban.

This appeal was in response to this news :

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-07-17/asia/world_asia_pakistan-taliban-polio-vaccine_1_polio-vaccines-polio-campaign-drone-strikes

 

Category:

Health, Pakistan, Peace, Politics, Published, Social Issues, Uncategorized

Allergic Rhinitis ~ Oh that itchy runny nose


It’s just not funny
When your nose is runny;
You feel all soggy,
Hoarse and froggy.
Your throat is scratching;
The germs are hatching.
You know it’s catching
KERCHOOO!
– “Runny Nose” by Kay Winters

Thanks to nose, beyond the sense of smell it has another very important function! It is literally the guardian of our body’s respiratory system. The air tubes which carry air into our lungs, the nose moistens and warms the air that we breathe in, and filters out a lot of pollution before the air enters lungs.

If a person repeatedly suffers from sneezing with running nose that itches and feels stuffy, it could be allergic rhinitis.

Myth: Every runny, stuffy nose, is not bad cold.
Truth: Allergic rhinitis is not “simply” a cold, and if it is not treated properly, it can lead to more serious problems in the long run.

What is Allergic Rhinitis?

Allergic rhinitis an allergy of the nose.
Before we understand Allergic Rhinitis we should first of all understand “What is allergy?”
Human body has a unique defense system called ‘Immune System’. The Immune system fights and protects us from diseases just like the army which protects a country from adversaries. When harmful things such as bacteria or viruses enter human body, the immune system rightly recognizes them as “enemy” and attacks them.

But at times our immune system gets confused about the enemy. It reacts to harmless things like dust particles, the hair of animals, the pollen from plants and trees, and sometimes even certain food items.

Symptoms: Besides nose, allergy can affect various parts of our body such as the skin and eyes. There is excessive sneezing, itching and watering from the nose and eyes. The congested nose can get blocked.

What causes Allergic Rhinitis?

Pollens from plants and trees, house dust mites, animal dander, smoke and other pollutants and sometimes even drugs (especially aspirin) are some of the allergens which trigger conditions like allergic rhinitis.

Don’t confuse Allergic Rhinitis with Common Cold.

Allergic rhinitis is caused by allergens, whereas a cold is caused by bacteria or virus. Both these problems are accompanied by sneezing, running/blocked and itchy nose. Here are some of the signs which can help us to identify allergic rhinitis:

• There is no fever and body ache.

• The mucus in nose is clear and runny, not yellow/green and thick.

• One may sneeze many a times before the sneezing attack stops.

• There is itchy feeling in Nose, Ears and Throat.

• Eyes water a lot.

• These problems stay longer than a typical cold.

Can Allergic Rhinitis cause serious complications?

Though allergic rhinitis does not threaten life, it can certainly disrupt one’s life. It affects sleep pattern; performance at school or work, and makes one feel and look miserable. All that is bad enough, but also, if allergic rhinitis is not treated properly, there can be other problems, some of them more serious, like:

• Conjunctivitis: The conjunctivitis is the thin covering of the white part of our eye. An allergic reaction can cause swelling, redness, itching and watering of the eyes.

• Nasal Polyps: Polyps are fleshy growths caused by swelling of the lining of the nose. Polyps can become large enough to block breathing.

• Sinusitis: Fluid collects in the sinuses, which are hollow cavities in the bony area around the nose. Bacteria collect in this fluid and cause infections.

• Asthma: Frequent symptoms of allergic rhinitis like swelling, itching and watering may lead to asthma in the long run.

How can we treat Allergic Rhinitis?

“Say goodbye to the habit of Pill-Popping. Self-Medication can harm in the long run. Consult a doctor, who will study symptoms and condition and then suggests right treatment.”

Exposure to allergens should be avoided. Follow few essential steps which help to control things that make Allergic Rhinitis bad to worse:

• Exposure to furry/hairy animals should be avoided. If you have a pet, keep it out of your bedroom/living area.

• Ensure curtains, bed sheets, carpets and soft toys are washed frequently.

• Enclose mattresses in plastic covers and if possible, if possible change the foam mattresses that are more than five years old.

• Vacuuming is better option than sweeping. Clean furniture and doors with damp cloth, because this removes dust better than dry dusting and sweeping.

• Make sure walls of your house are free of mould and fungi. Use mild solution of bleach to clean and get rid of moulds.

• Do not smoke, and make your home a “No-Smoking Area”.

Following these simple steps would certainly ease your life with Allergic Rhinitis.

Courtesy: This post has been prepared by Dr Raminderjit Singh.

Category:

Health, Uncategorized

Great little stories of Love


Many stories in our lives, no matter how little, but  leave us changed.

I begin with my own family’s story, which  broke my barriers of India-Pakistan, and changed my life for all times to come:

Living in a rented house in New Delhi, India  for some time, we were faced with a senior couple as out Landlords, who were old workers of a radical extremist organisation. They put restrictions on my parents for the list of food items we would not be allowed to cook in the kitchen.
Auntie, as my parents called her, would come and check the kitchen often. But since my parents were complying to their demands, respecting their sentiments, they did not object. In fact, they let her reassure herself.

Once my Papa’s Khala in Lahore, Pakistan went sick, and he wanted to see her before she passed away. Luckily we got the visa too, easily. My parents informed  Uncle-Aunty that we are going for a visit to Pakistan. Honestly we expected a negative reaction.

On the contrary, a day later, the senior couple came upstairs to us and made a ‘moving’ appeal. They said they lived in some house in Lahore before migrating in 1947, as newlyweds, and if we could get the picture of that house. The house address, they had memorised by heart, even after almost 29 years, in 1978

The address was (some number), Ram Gali, Lahore.

We went to visit their house, took pictures of it. The current residents were very hospitable and showed us all the different curious things about the house they had left preserved “as it is’ in the house.
One such thing was the OM installed at the head of the entrance of the house.

When we returned back, first thing my Papa did was to develop the photos, and present it as an album to them.

The couple cried in tears seeing the pictures and hearing the details we had told to them from the residents. They were particularly moved at the OM still in place, and the name of the street still being Ram Gali.

Almost the same time, my Nani had passed away, and Ammi would feel depressed. Auntie said, “You are my daughter, as it is I have none “.  She had two sons, who were living away.

Auntie never came up for checking the kitchen, but to give guavas from her tree in the back yard to us kids, or jasmine (chameli ) flowers from the garden, which my mother loved so much.

Our house was under construction. Uncle offered, “Take me there, since I have experience in house building I can give you some suggestions”.

After 6 months we moved to our own house. But the relationship of love continued. They did not visit much as they were very old, but whenever we visited their house as family we were received  by  hugs  with “We are your Nani Nana.”

Another…

Attending  an AGM of an NGO for seniors, Mr Roy, from DELHI, INDIA narrated a story with emotions & tears:

“My 89 year old mother was admitted in a hospital emergency in Toronto, in a semiconscious state. The attending doctor, considering her age & condition, to my horror said

“You must prepare yourself for an end-of-life measures for her”. 

Mr Roy replied: “She is my mother, so I do not accept your offer and demanded for a change of doctor.” 
They complied. And another Dr Kirmani, with origin from KARACHI, PAKISTAN was assigned. He told me “Just pray for her, I will try my best.”

“After 3 weeks in hospital, my mother came back home, with mild recent memory loss, but is active and reads newspapers but she forgets easily. My mother is alive and prays for Dr Kirmani’s well being each day”

I would beg  anyone who has any story of LOVE, please share here in the comments  and on event page:

Celebrate India, Pakistan Independence Days for PEACE on 14, 15 August

https://www.facebook.com/events/185174041611282/

Category:

Uncategorized

Stress~the silent killer


You are not alone. Stress is a phenomenon affecting all people from all walks of life, in all countries.

Stress is man’s psycho-emotional response to everyday challenging issues and its overload of demands, in excess to his capacity to cope.

What causes stress? 

Stress can  be caused by multiple reasons that occur in everyday life,  like  unexpected turns and twists in career, relationship problems in family or outside, financial losses, fear of disease or death, even a small tiff with near and dear ones may cause stress.

As goes the saying, “There is no stress either before birth or after death”

How does stress affect us?

The manifestation of stress depending upon its intensity or duration. It begins in the head, but descends down to affect the whole body. There can be a healthy body only when there is a healthy mind. It may manifest outwardly as:

  • Insomnia
  • Involuntary weight loss or gain
  • Irritability
  • Anxiety
  • Anger/ Rage

Stress being silent operator, most people do not realize that they are dangerously living with it, till they suffer from its grave after affects.
And when prolonged without intervention can lead to serious issues like:

  • Bodyache/Backaches ( all pains seem exaggerated in stress)
  • Asthma ( not all but some asthmatic attacks are result of psychogenic stress)
  • Hypertension
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Diabetes
  • Heart (cardiovascular) diseases.
  • Depression
  • Suicides.
Studies show: Stress is a major contributing factors either directly or indirectly, to coronary artery disease, cancer, respiratory disorders, injuries due to accidents, cirrhosis of the liver and suicides.

DO YOU KNOW?  

One American is reported to be dying every minute due to stress related cardiac arrest. The medical costs due to direct or indirect consequences of stress alone have been estimated in the United States at well over 1 billion US dollars per year.

A person tries to commit suicide in China every two minutes, giving the country one of the highest suicide rates in the world. These have positive correlation with high intensity stress, owing to an ultra modern life style in a highly competitive environment.

What should you NOT do during stress:

 Smoking
 Drinking too much
 Overeating or under eating
 Long hours in front of the TV or computer
 Withdrawing from friends, family, and activities
 Using pills or drugs to relax
 Sleeping too much
 Procrastinating
 Keeping toobusy to avoid facing problems
 Taking out your stress on others (lashing out, angry outbursts, physical violence)
 Carry your office work or stress at home.

KNOW THAT: “Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.” ~Mark Twain

How to control Stress:

The key principle to follow in case of stress would be to ignore what cannot be controlled and to control what cannot be ignored.

Face the music: For managing stress there can be two approaches ‘fight’ or ‘flight’. Either face the music or escape it. You cannot wish away stress. It is and will be an integral part of modern and increasingly competitive society.

Stay in control: Do not let the stress to control you. Keep stress under check through will power, proper cultivation of mind, cultivation of positive psyche and meditation.

Be an optimist: Optimistic outlook, cheerful temperament, positive attitude, cultivating sympathy, self discipline, all help to keep mind in good shape. Session with God can be a kind of divine-de-stressor.

Eat Healthy: By having a healthy diet, doing regular exercise, and getting enough sleep your body will be able to cope with the stress.

Move forward: Do not needlessly get tied to the past, get over hangover of the last night and start the morning with a hope for a bright day and brighter tomorrow.
Think of pleasant past, enjoy your present and plan for a future with cheers.

Be a home pigeon: Make home your love nest, where office does not exist. Parents, wife, children are your love companions. Reserve Sundays and holiday for spending time with your loved ones, for relaxation and recreation. Your family is the last line of defense against stress.

Tickle your funny bone: Include humor in your life. Laugh away the oddities of life.

Love yourself: Have a me time. Listen to music, see movies, read favorite authors, cultivate hobbies.

Be a social animal: Invite friends over at home, eat together, laugh together, spend week ends or vacations out with friends.

BOTTOM LINE: You can yourself pose to CALM down stress, what ‘CALMPOSE’ cannot do. 🙂

This text of this blog is generously contributed by Dr Raminderjit Singh. Thank you, Doc 🙂

Category:

Health, Science, Social Issues, Uncategorized

Full moon, fertility and faith.


Just yesterday, a friend’s friend requested me to give her some advice over the telephone, about her plans of extending her family. In her early thirties, she has been married for over four years, but now wanted to conceive.

Like any usual gynecologist would, I asked a few questions, and advised the need to just stop any contraception. “That’s all”.

She asked about the appropriate time for conception. Obviously, it had to be “The time you ovulate”, I said almost instantly.
It felt, as if this wasn’t all she wanted to hear from me. After a few seconds of pause from both sides she asked; “Do you know tomorrow is full moon.”

“Okay, maybe, I have no idea. I do not follow the moon sizes, except when just by chance when I happen to see it. Am neither a poet, nor a mystic to follow it”, I joked.
She didn’t find it funny, remained silent over the phone longer. When on a repeat “Hello” she asked, “What is your opinion about Lunar fertility”.

“What? Lunar fertility? Can you please explain?”

“ I have heard, this weekend will be the Full Flower Moon of the year also called as Mother’s Moon. It is going to be the closest to Earth, so the largest moon of the year. Hence, there shall be the highest chances for fertility.” she informed.

“Oh ! I am not sure of that fertility thing.” I did not want to misguide her.

“See, this is coinciding with the time of the spring, where the warming of temperature leads to germination of seeds, and bulbs buried underneath the ground.  Isn’t that an example from nature, of the time for increased fertility.” 

“Well spring comes every year at the same time.” I wasn’t impressed.

“Don’t you know that our menstrual cycles follow as 28 day Lunar calendar, not Solar. And also the fact that scientists have discovered that as the moon waxes, the oestrogen levels rise, peaking at the full moon. And along with it also rises the libido, hence a nature’s way of procreation. It peaks at midnight.” She was so sure.

“Yes, high energies of the full moon, cause tides to rise, but it also creates tides of insomnia in the human beings, leading it to be the ideal time to procreate. I didn’t know this.”  I tried to crack a joke again, but she was still too serious to take it.

And then, as if to make me feel even more miserable about the poverty of my  knowledge, she mentioned the name of a physician, Dr Eugen Jonas who had interest in Astrology/ Astronomy ( she wasn’t sure) and hence led to discover the correlation between fertility and full moon.

“He was a doctor like you, not a naturopath.” She retorted.

I begged my ignorance to her, with a promise to explore further, “Strange, but about  Lunar  fertility I never ever heard a mention in my entire professional life”.

“No, no there is. These scientists deliberately distort facts to hide such Laws of Nature.”

“Why would they hide? In fact it would help them?”

“I don’t know, but since you people all are so against ‘alternate medicine’ you people don’t trust.” She continued, “Don’t you see, even after full use of contraception, there are failure rates of each contraceptive.”

“Yes it is. But that is because of the erratic hormone levels, we have in the body, and also on the improper use of contraception”.

“You know what?”, She dropped another bombshell of myth. “My Naturopath even told me that in the ancient times all women menstruated in sync after the full moon waned, if they did not conceive in the peak of full moon hormones. But now due to artificial lights in the houses, it has disturbed the whole cycle. “

“Yes I know Moon especially full moon has been associated with a lot of poetry in our Urdu language, relating it to  woman, her beauty and radiance, but never imagined it with fertility or procreation”. I tried to reason.

“See the whole idea of  woman  being eulogized as moon, and why not as sun, or stars. In India, when women  fast for their husbands on  Karwa Chauth,  before they break the fast they watch the reflection of moon in their steel thalis ( plates). This reflection of moonlight, increases their levels of female hormones, and makes them look more beautiful in front of their husbands. There is always wisdom behind such practices.” The firmness in her conviction was screaming across the telephone reciever.

I had no knowledge or information, to flout her claim.

She suggested, “There are so many sites, which talk about it. And even those passion crimes, agitated behaviors,  etc increase in the full moon”.

“You mean the men also increase their male hormone levels on full moon? Because all this could be due to the exaggerated male hormones, Androgens, which  in excess are also associated with aggression.”

“Yes, yes.  I don’t know exactly what is Androgen, but haven’t you heard of the stories from Europe, not just India, of  ‘werewolves’ and their relationship to full moon?”

“Oh but they are all myths”.

“No. And researches have proven the increase of births, conceptions and even crimes of passion…..”, again quoting the same doctor.

Jokes apart, I was flabbergasted at the flood of information she  gave me. I had no clue to any of that information, what so ever.

Of course, I was aware of  the havoc the high tides create at the sea shore, owing to  the gravitational pull of full  moon. And have been  a witness of  what  mesmerizing eye-treat it is, to sight the symbol of love Taj Mahal,  in full moon. And even had the fortune to experience live,  the ecstasy of sniffing  the aromatic gardens of Saffron fields in full bloom, during  full moon in Kashmir. (This is an age old tradition in Sopore, Kashmir to visit the Saffron Gardens when their flowers bloom, in full moon, usually in November).

I promised her that I will look up on the net, and search, before telling her more. And before she hung up she announced:

“And by the way, my Naturopath is a European immigrant. And there is plenty of belief in Europe too about this”.

Almost immediately, I looked up on the net and found some links to sites which claim such assertions, and hardly any which refuted them.

Interestingly, one of the sites mentioned Maria Celeste , Galileo’s daughter:
“Writing to her father on 24 – 26 Feb. 1633 (Galileo was then in Rome to be interrogated and tried for heresy) Maria Celeste noted “The vines in the garden will set nicely now that the Moon is right” – and, if we check theory – the Moon was full on 24 Feb. 1633.
[From `Galileo’s Daughter – A Drama of Science, Faith and Love’ by Dava Sobel – ISBN 1-85702-712-4]

And then mentions in the footnote:
[Ironically, Galileo himself rejected all folk-lore about the Moon, as `old wives’ tales. Which was why he failed to solve the connected mysteries of `tides’ and therefore of `gravity’ itself.] “

( Link: http://www.perceptions.couk.com/uef/fertility.html )

Half a day later, I called her up, and told her of having seen the sites:

“Yes, I could see them, but I still trust my knowledge of Gynecology. But,  good for you then, you do not need a gynecologist’s advise, when you believe that the nature is the best gynecologist.”

She laughed and said, “Yes, I have tremendous faith on Naturopathy, and my Naturopath,  is an excellent one. No doctor can beat his knowledge.”
She hung up.

Her faith in the hearsay, and my knowledge from  my books, could not budge each other even an iota from our beliefs.

I kept pondering over the power of faith, for a long time…

Picture: Super Moon or Mother’s Moon clicked at midnight, on the night between May 5 & 6, 2012, in Mississauga, Canada.

 

Another Link: http://www.pregnancy-health-center.com/fertility-during-full-moon.html

Category:

Uncategorized

Moin Bhai Dilliwala, a tribute to Moin Akhter


As if the year passed in a stroke. It is hard to come to terms that one year has passed since Moin Akhter left us.

A stand up comedian who took the art to a level whose altitude is hard for any other actor  to surmount.

As a family friend there are countless small and big moments to cherish,  which are no less pleasant and hilarious, than his performances.

Actions speak louder than words, hence Moin in action, not words is the best way to pay tribute to him.

I pay homage to this monument of Comedy called Moin Akhter through my favourite piece.

The episode touched me, and related to me in more than one way.

First it was one of the million brilliant performances as a Dilliwala by Moin Bhai, who often chose to speak to me exclusively in a Dilli wali wisko, jisko dialect.
Being a Delhiite, what could be more pleasing, than see his genius turn into ‘mere sheher wala’ at a flicker, both on and off the screen.

Secondly, being an Indian-Pakistani, this Indo-Pak collaboration where Moin acts as a Dilliwala who migrated to Karachi,Pakistan, and the brilliant comedian Javed Jaffery representing a Dilliwala residing in Delhi, India, I found it so close to my own life.

Thirdly, it is a perfect example to showcase how the two Delhi cultures survive thousands of miles apart, and yet distorted  in their own ways.

Fourthly, the interaction between these two Dilliwalas also showcases the ground reality of how the two countries relate to each other in a love-hate relationship through cricket.

Last but certainly the most important reason, why  I emotionally fell for the episode, is the of Indo-Pak visa, and how the Indian Dilliwala,  used cricket as an easy way out to jump the grueling process of obtaining a visa to meet his near and dear ones on the other side of the border.

For those who have to go through this ordeal can very well relate to how the visa process acts as a heartless wall between the loved ones conjoined in heart, yet separated by the political border.

Friend or no friend of Moin Bhai, Dilliwala or no Dilliwala, cricket match new or old, I am sure everyone will be as thrilled to watch it as I am even after having viewed it over a dozen  times previously. (Many will  find it exaggerated, but perhaps comedy is always so  🙂 ).

P.S. My special apologies to my non-Urdu/ Hindi understanding Blog followers and friends.  I wish I could translate the episode, and could share with you the thrill of watching the pure genius, the king of stand up comedy in Pakistan, who was also a personal friend, mimic like a typical  resident of the walled city of Old-Delhi, my city.

Part-1

 

Part-2

Category:

Art, Cricket, CULTURE, Humour, Indo-Pak, Uncategorized

Osteoporosis~ the silent thief Pre-Test


PRE-TEST :


Before you begin to read the Health Blog Osteoporosis-The silent thief I would request you to take this Pre-Test to assess your awareness on OSTEOPOROSIS.


1. Osteoporosis is a condition:
A. It is a disease of painful joints
B. It is a cancer of bones
C. It is thinning of bones
D. It is an inborn disease.

2. Osteoporosis occurs in
A. Children
B. In old people only
C. In women only
D. In both men and women.

3. Osteoporosis is:
A. Not serious enough to worry about.
B. It has no cure.
C. It is a disease with serious complications
D. Cannot be avoided.

4. Osteoporosis:
A. Is a rare disease
B. It occurs mostly in whites
C. It occurs in cold countries
D. South Asian ethnicity is a high risk for Osteoporosis.

5. The risk factors for Osteoporosis are all except:
A. Smoking
B. Menopause
C. Exercise
D. Medications like Steroids

After having taken this exercise check the answers from the comment box below to see if your information on Osteoporosis was correct.

Before we begin, it is important to know that Osteoporosis is absolutely unrelated to Osteoarthritis.

Osteoporosis is the thinning of the bones ( not joints), and hence may not be painful, but a lot more serious as it makes the bones vulnerable to fractures even with the slightest of movement like bending or even coughing. Hence reducing the quality of life considerably.

Osteoarthritis is a disease of the joints that occurs as a person ages and causes deformity and pain in the joints.

The blog on May 1 shall be dedicated to OsteoArthritis, another important health problem in South Asians.

Now for information on Osteoporosis~ a silent thief read this >> https://thinkloud65.wordpress.com/2012/04/15/osteoporosis-a-silent-thief/

Category:

Uncategorized

Baisakhi in Kashmir~ a tryst with nature.


“Woken up with the slightest of hint, we jumped out of our warm beds excitedly and got ready without much fuss. Ammi packed food in a four tiered brass tiffin carrier, placed plates, spoons, a stove, Samovar and other needful in a cane basket, and by 8:00 AM we were heading for the Hazratbal end of the Dal Lake. The mission was to take a shikara( a boat) and have a daylong picnic in Nishat Bagh.”
This is how I remember we began the Baisakhi day,  April 13th, each year without fail.

This ritual was as religiously followed as the morning Namaz on every Eid Ul Fitr.

The shikara took us in half an hour to the other side, right in front of the gates of Nishat Bagh, built by Moghuls at the bank of Dal Lake.


The picnic began the moment we stepped into a shikara, vying to sit at the side, so that we would be able to splash our hands in the water, or  to watch the flora and fauna beneath the surface- the weeds, fishes, tadpoles, or to catch lilies, lotuses as the shikara waded through thick of green round leaves floating on the surface.


It was as if Nishat Bagh, the host location on Baisakhi, welcomed and embraced every family residing in Srinagar, into its lap generously, allocating each a piece of Heaven  to sit.

Life was extremely simple yet beautiful.


It feels weird now, but our parents never fussed over capturing these precious moments in camera, very often. I remember the bulky camera ceremoniously coming out of Papa’s closet mostly on our Birthdays. Video camera was a far cry, and I wonder if it really existed then.

Imagine all the Dads did not have the cell phones , to keep them connected to the world they had left behind on a daylong picnic, or to discuss the latest models of smart phones or palm tops. They still had a treasure of knowledge to discuss on books, poetry or politics. I remember Papa sparing no occasion to sing his all time favourite Kajri “Kaise khelan jayyo savan”.

And Moms? What to talk of channels, or soaps, there wasn’t a TV station in Kashmir until 1975. But yes, I remember Ammi often talk of Meena Kumari, and the film Pakeezah she and Papa had gone to see as a late night show, leaving us kids asleep with a house nanny. They talked about their knitting projects and shared recipes of how to make jams, or chutneys of the apples, plums or strawberries that grew in each of our backyards.

Providing a completely home-made lunch was one of their prime purposes in life, even on a picnic day. They would light the stoves; they brought along, to serve a hot lunch. Since we stayed there till the dusk, even pakoras were fried right at the spot, and served along with the evening tea, poured out steaming hot from the Samovar.

I wonder if I had known till then, what disposable plates or cutlery was? The melamine plates would come out of the cane basket. There were no soda pops to go with the food on picnics. Once the lunch was done, the women folk would walk up to the spring or the fountain at the top end of the spot, to rinse the utensils before packing up. There was barely any stuff to litter, except perhaps the biodegradable bones, skins and seeds from eatables consumed.

For us kids, there were no rides, no vendors selling balloons, no ice cream vans standing by to make us have a valid reason to cry and spoil the fun for our merrying ( Pardon my English!) parents.

Running up and down the length of the Bagh, balancing at the edges of flower beds, high jumping over the bushes, rolling in the grass slopes for a race, were our austere yet brilliant ideas of a day out. We referred to them not ‘flowers’ but by their names as pansies, nargis, dog flowers, dahlias, nasturtiums, asters, roses etc. I remember Papa taking pride that we were more knowledgeable about the nomenclature than him.

Picking dandelions and blowing them on friend’s faces or pressing open the jaws of dog flowers and whoww whowwing at each other was our idea of fun. The meanest we got was when we hit each other with the hard seeds of acorn.
Chasing  butterflies to catch them by bare hands, only release them later was perhaps the height of our useful play.

In summary, picnics on any occaision, and a tryst with nature on each picnic was a way of life in Kashmir. Baisakhi was just one.

One couldn’t have asked for a better childhood.

As remarks a friend, who too lived in Kashmir: “I have a hole in my heart as big as the size of Kashmir.”

As I tweeted about memories of Baisakhi picnic, a friend who still resides in Jammu replied: ” Memories, memories, a lot has changed now but Kashmir is still there – shattered & tattered.”

A deep sigh !  was all I could offer to him in reply.

Category:

Peace, Personal, Uncategorized

The story of Siachen


With the tragic news of 150 Pakistani soldiers buried alive in an avalanche in the Pakistan base camp at Siachen, it brings back to memory the bitter truths about this conflict.

The glacier:

  • Siachen means ‘the place of wild roses’.
  • Siachen glacier is the great Himalayan watershed that demarcates central Asia from the Indian sub-continent, and that separates Pakistan from China in this region.
  • It is the world’s second longest non-polar glacier, and thus is sometimes referred to as the third pole.
  • It is 70 km long and flows from an altitude of 5750 meters to 3620 meters above sea level.

The conflict:

  • Siachen is known as the world’s highest battlefield between #India & #Pakistan. Troops are deployed at elevations of up to 6,700 metres (22,000 feet) at minus 60 degrees C.
  • Siachen conflict began in 1984 when both India and Pakistan, began sending mountaineers, in an attempt to lay their claims over the area. Several skirmishes took place till 2003 when a cease fire was declared.
  • The roots of the conflict over Siachen lie in the non-demarcations on the map northward to the China boundary beyond NJ9842, which is the line’s “dead end” in the India-Pakistan line of control agreement.
  • The 1949 Karachi agreement and the 1972 Simla agreement presumed that it was not feasible for human habitation to survive north of NJ9842.
  • UN officials presumed there would be no dispute between India and Pakistan over such a cold and barren icy wasteland.
  • The contentious area is only 900 square miles (2,300 km2)
  • Indians control the length and heights of the glacier including the three passes, while the Pakistanis control the glacial valley. As a result, Pakistanis cannot climb up, and Indians cannot come down.
  • Together, the two nations have about 150 manned outposts along the glacier, with some 3,000 troops each.
  • Over 2,000 Pakistani & 4,000 Indian soldiers have died at Siachen conflict. More soldiers have died or handicapped from frost bites, cold and avalanche i.e. harsh weather than combat.
  • Official annual figures for maintaining these outposts are put at $300 and $200 million for India and Pakistan respectively.

The strategic importance:

No matter what India and Pakistan may claim about its strategic importance, Dr. Stephen Cohen, a well-known and respected Washington-based South Asia analyst, considers,

“Siachen conflict is a fight between two bald men over a comb.”

In his view, “Siachen… is not militarily important… They (Indian and Pakistani armies) are there for purely psychological reasons, testing each other’s ‘will’.”

The talks for demilitarisation of Siachen did take place between India and Pakistan in May 2011, but fialed to reach any agreement.

The truth remains that this stretch of icy wasteland holds no political or economic importance to the billion and a half residing on both sides of the border.

Instead of being a battle ground, Siachen should be demilitarized, and to evade the unresolved dispute of AGPL ( actual ground position line) the area could be seen as a ‘common ground’ precious enough to study and conserve the glacier which is under threat due to the climate change. This can easily stand as a symbolic Peace Park. And the billions of rupees used to maintain its cost as outpost for armies should be directed at improvement of the plight of the impoverished peoples on both sides.

Or better still let ordinary youth from both sides of the border play kabaddi in snow.

Category:

India, Indo-Pak, Pakistan, Politics, Uncategorized

Reflections of a little mind !


For years as a little girl I did not know the exact literal meaning of the word ‘socialite’.

Having seen pictures in the centre pages of magazines, I knew they were pretty, mostly in full make up which looked so natural, nearly always dressed nicely and almost always wore the most enviable jewellery one could imagine.
Honestly, at times I did not even find them pretty, but everyone, in their hi-fi circles thought them ‘beautiful’ or ‘stunning’. Not quite sure if they thought them beautiful or just called them beautiful on their face. But yes the magazines did quote them ‘good looking.’

I also wondered why they took so much pride in being called “Heyy sexy!”  Weren’t they annoyed or scared, when someone called them that?  Perhaps they did not have to travel in crowded buses, or pass through quiet alleys after dusk, where if they were ever hurled that same phrase, it would have taken life out of their limbs and made them run for their life. So how would they know that?

I also wondered what was it that made them be called ‘socialites’. Did they do social work?  But I never saw any mention of that in those glamour magazines they made regular appearances in.

Imagine, I did not even have the common sense to guess they did a lot of social events like throwing birthday parties, barbecues, celebrations, bashes and sometimes even parties without any reasons to earn that title. I wonder perhaps I envied how come they were able to hop from one party to another like butterflies. And how is it that their parties always got coverage in those glossy magazines, when it wasn’t even a fund raiser for a cause?

As a little girl I also wondered, “Didn’t they ever get bored of just enjoying, partying, wearing nice dresses all the time? Weren’t they ever bored of being happy go lucky and smiley all the time?”


“If it is all a hullabaloo because they are rich, then why and how did they get rich?” I always wondered as a little girl.

I was stupid enough not to understand they had rich parents, who let them do all this. But then how could I know this, because my parents weren’t anything close to rich. They didn’t even let me have enough pocket money for buying a puff pastry in the school cafeteria, I just had to suffice with a sasta samosa, that too once in a while.

I actually wondered how their Moms and Dads raised them, “Didn’t they have to study hard to grow up, to be ‘something’ in life?”
I could guess they didn’t have to get good grades in school; just an expensive school’s name where they’ve been was enough of a merit for them.

If there was twitter then, I am sure I would have wondered why they had so many followers while they barely followed back only a hundredth of them.

And the tweets they tweeted were just too ordinary to be given so much attention.

With tweets showing off like

“Went into my helicopter to Las Vegas”,

“Ate a red velvet cake with fresh cream”,

“Wearing a ******** (big brand) pink dress” with a Fickr image of it.

Well I would certainly have wondered how was that 10k dress any better than my pink lace frock I wore on my 6th birthday, which Ammi just tailored herself after buying the lace from a bumper sale.

I would even would have wondered why some serious people were so very concerned to clarify what their tweets meant, when on rare occasions their tweets weren’t that clear and straight forward:

Example
Socialtie: Went to a spa, had a massage and got adjusted.
A follower: Adjusted?
😀

Well, perhaps I wasn’t made of that material to fathom the depth of what a socialite is meant to be. And, understand,  I was just a little girl then.

But tell you a secret; I still cannot get the sense of the purpose of this word Socialite.

Category:

General, Humour, Social Issues, Uncategorized, Women