The day my Jethima left

Today my Jethima died after being in the hospital ICU For the better part of last month. She was a fighter , not the superheroes of comics and movies but a real life superhero. She worked throughout her life, fed her kid, fed her husband, went to office but never complained for a day. She killed her wishes so she could save for a rainy day and give her child the best possible education. She was a superhero to me because she hid me in her pallu whenever my dada scolded me. She fed me on her lap when I was angry or sad. She gifted me my first bicycle. She loved me more than maybe my mom at times. She bought me gifts and clothes without once thinking about the price and without worrying for her budget. She just needed a small nudge that what I like and she will make it for me no matter how old she became. 

Oh yes she was a superhero, she fought against cancer and won the battle but it left her broken. She called me to run her errands instead of her son. My Jethu died just a year back and that seemed to have seeped the last bit of will in her to live anymore. I never wrote about my Jethu and today I feel guilty that he also was my superhero who never got my acknowledgment.  These superheroes never had any relation of blood with me or our family. It was a relation forged out of love in the age where relations were for a lifetime and didn't depend on whatsapp or internet.

It was the year 1984 my mom a newly married girl came as a tenant in R K Puram in delhi in the house of Mr and Mrs Mazumder. The first question they asked "Do you want to live as a tenant or as our brother?" My dad said "As a brother" . And that started a lifelong journey of love and friendship . I was born and grew up in their arms. My mom was petrified of changing my nappies which my jethu jethima did. They took me out, bought me toys basically did whatever a caring parent would do. Jethima made wonderful 'payes' and pudding which i can never forget. When I was a small kid i was adamant on buying a bicycle which my dad at that time couldn't afford but they stepped right in bought me the best cycle then . When my dad or mom would scold me I would run to jethima or jrthu. My Jethu was a tough man who scared his son but when it came to me well...what to say he was the softest of souls. And in the last 2 years I lost them forever. THe people I have treasured my grandparents and now my jethu jethima all left me before they got to see what their Santu has been able to do, what he will do. I will never be able to go to them and tell them I am a doctor, all your love hasn't been wasted. I will get married but i will have such a big space left that all the festivities would seem hollow. I am an atheist but I have always believed them to have watched over me. At my loneliest of times I have had to look up and seen my grandma and grandpa smiling from above telling me Santu we are always with you. Jethima just joined the league and I hate myself that I wasn't there when she breathed her last. I feel so helpless that despite my education and all that jazz in biology i have never been able to help anyone I love That's my curse. 

2014... The year of paradigm shifts in Indian Politics

The year started off with a bang literally in the national Capital. A hitherto unheralded party with common people in the helm whipped some established political parties and form the govt. An achievement which shook the very foundations of politics. After AAPhas come into the political picture it has literally has hijacked the media discourse pushing a certain Mr. Modi out of the national news.

Despite Mr Modi and his supporters trying to get back into the media headlines have till now miserably failed to do so. His supporters have resorted to massive online campaign online wherein they are highlighting every mis-step , no matter how big or small , by the nascent AAP govt at Delhi. They want all the promises made by AAP to be fulfilled within a month of coming to power and at times are comparing the efficiency of the govt to the Gujarat govt. What they forget that whatever AAP has done in 1.5 months in power has been unprecedented. Also for rest of the promises they will take a little time but apparently my friends in both BJP and Congress don't have the patience to wait. They both ran the country in the last 64 odd years with congress doing majority of the governance but still neither of them delivering at the speed what AAP is doing. Anyways they are praying hard that the AAP fails and then they can regain the smirk and tell the voters like us' We told you so'. Anyways I do hope AAP has partially achieved what it set out to do that to kick some political arses and get them out of their slumber and not to take the voters for granted. AAP for the first time gave the common man in india a chance to actually enter politics and do something being part of the system. Hopefully AAP does manage to give a scare in a few more states and in the Lok sabha elections and then the paradigm shift which I was talking about would be starting to happen.

Now comes the curious case of Narendra Modi. Over the past few months we were carpet bombed with the apparent 'NEXT PM ' of India. But along the way a certain AAP nad Arvind Kejriwal came along and gatecrashed the party. All of a sudden the media abandoned MOdi and made a beeline for Kejriwal. And how does Modi and his supporters react? Well they do what politicians do. THey are trying their best to run down the AAP and Kejriwal and co.  I remeber that the cockiness Modi is showing is somewhat similar to the NDA govt. in 2004 when they unleashed the India shining campaign and thought that the Indian voters adore them. But alas then the cockiness cost them. I see the same happening now with Modi. He and his supporters are demanding power rather than simply working towards it. Instead of trying to run down opponents in the social media they could as well simply focus on the strengths of Mr Modi. If they keep on trying to bully Modi's detractors am afraid Modi will never be able to become the PM. To get to the pinnacle of power you need to show a little humility and respect your opponents. To strengthen your case you don't need to run down your opponents rather listen and reply to their questions and doubts.

And yes AAP may not be the answer but they have brought some freshness and has a tinge of honest eagerness to do something which sadly the existing politicians have failed to showcase.