Open letter to the 'matched' and 'unmatched'

Dear friends,

A bunch of you ‘matched’, and heartiest congratulations to you for the same. I am sure it would be one of the most rewarding experience and feeling, for your sheer dedication and determination has culminated in this moment of great joy. Now you are doctors in the prestigious American medicine system. I am also sure that along with you, your success is a feeling of great happiness for your family, your friends, your teachers and those who know you.

It needs to be emphasized at this point, not because you are unaware but owing to it being of utmost importance that your vocation is unlike any other vocation. The most precious thing of this earth, life and its related manifestations, is in your hands, under your care and supervision. It is in that light that people will view you as god-like in many circumstances. Your responsibilities shall naturally be manifold.

Before you look at it just as another white-coat-ceremony speech, or a rambling by a not-so-important-subject’s teacher, I wish to tell you of how privileged you really are. Not many have the power that you do or will have in your role as a doctor in the US. Your access to best of knowledge, facilities, and training will not only make you an effective professional but also will subject you to the risk of arrogance, superiority or such vices. A balanced personal life, true relaxation, and introspection shall keep you rooted.

Your stint in Manipal, India, a short two years for many and a long four years for some, brought you in contact with a school KMCIC and its members. You might view your experience here bitter or sweet or both, but you will probably not deny that a part of your education has been in a not-so-developed country. With your meteoric rise in years to come, you could be instrumental in knowledge sharing and participating in activities that could make change in lives of the less fortunate here.

For those who have not matched yet, I intend to tell you that definitions of success are not as narrow as it appears. Not for a moment should the thought settle in you that there is anything lacking in you. The demands of a system, makes you follow certain norms, and it often requires passing exams and scoring well, but it in no way undermines your talent. Trying to live others’ lives is one thing that plagues all of us. If one can break free of that competition, which we have been deeply imbibed with, our lives shall be more relaxed, freer. And in that freedom shall you achieve your potential.

It must be a difficult time, with friends progressing ahead. It is not a moment for shoulders to drop, it is an occasion to give them due credit for hard work, congratulate them and moving ahead. Inability to crack an exam or score well, does not reflect on your intelligence or knowledge. It is perhaps to do with your interest, dedication and diligence. One probably needs to look at medicine in a different light, with a renewed interest. One probably needs to prioritize and be meticulous. One probably needs to be as industrious as the vocation demands. Along with all of the above keep sanity by indulging in activities that bring the necessary balance in your lives.

May you not see this as a mere letter of advice. Despite your discrediting thoughts if any, your teachers, love them or hate them, wish the best for you. It is nothing more rewarding than the people you have taught do well and be happy. It is beyond the degrees and the qualifications you obtain. There is goodness pervasive of everything mundane and small.

To all of you, always remember how special each of you are.

All the best for all your endeavors.

Best Regards

Sambit Dash

Book Review - The Labyrinth (Short Stories)

 

 

An elaborate maze that Daidalos built to hold Minotaur, the half man half bull creature, in Greek mythology, is the Labyrinth. The maze of fifteen stories built by ten amateur authors, titled Labyrinth (publisher - litizen.com) makes for an engrossing reading. The ‘weekend passion’ of writing by a doctor, chartered accountant, software engineer, copyeditor, and people of other vocations has produced a collection of short stories that will not disappoint you.

The book begins with an excellent story ‘The Martyr’ by Mainak Dhar, a bestselling author. He brings out the life of a teenager ushered into war in a Taliban afflicted strife torn Afghanistan. The display of emotions of teenage boys, the short engaging time-frame in which the story is set and the fate that the glimmer of hope meets makes ‘The Martyr’ one of the best stories of the book.

The stories ‘Puppet show’ by Aditi Chincholi, ‘Travel Through The Night’ by Rishabh Chaturvedi, are psychological thrillers. Though ‘Puppet Show’ makes for an interesting read by the young doctor, ‘Travel Through The Night’ is laborious to read. ‘Bagheera Log Huts’, written by the same author is a typical Bollywood kidnap-by-tribes, marry-tribe-leaders-daughter story which fails to inspire. The doctor ventures to write a gaming-story in ‘Sym-World’ and is interesting. ‘A sparrow came fluttering out of nowhere and circled the console gleefully’ shows the real-life connection with the virtual world that Aditi has effectively brought about.

A drunk driver, an aspiring dancer, a friend and how their lives are connected by an accident and reconnected after it is beautifully written by Richard Fernandes in ‘Crashing Impacts’. Though the story becomes predictable towards the end, it is both emotional and engrossing. Shawn Pereira writes a riveting Russian Roulette, or as it is titled ‘Russkya Rulyetka’, a story of a fathers revenge of his daughter’s death, where the hunter is at the cusp of becoming the hunted in the end. The date and time mentioned in every section gives a clear timeline to the reader.

Rishabh Chaturvedi writes the story of ‘The Labyrinth’ as the last story in the book which explains one of the most famous Greek mythological stories, and is a fitting end to the book. The other stories like ‘Farming on Facebook’, ‘The Night of Wokambee’ fails to hold the interest of the reader. The reason could be the lack of enticing narration. The predictability of ‘A Day of Battle’, being a oft-heard war story of Mahabharat, does not mask the wonderful literary work that it is.

There is a healthy mix of comic, horror, thriller, mythological, sci-fi, pulp and other genres of short stories. An Indian audience would easily relate to many narratives expressed in the book. The influence of probably the most famous short stories writer O Henry is hard to miss. Labyrinth Short stories by litizen.com, brings short stories of various hues that make for a easy yet rivetting reading.

Safer Internet Day 2014

11th February (was) is being celebrated as Safer Internet Day. It must be of great significance to all of us, integral part of whose lives revolve around internet. From office to personal lives, internet has become a mainstay, with exception of those individuals who have vowed not to be dirtied by this technology. Thus our lives or our friends’ and relatives’ lives are connected, to a small or large extent, to the internet. For us and for all of them, this day should bear some significance. In a world where being on the internet, as Edward Snowden would want us to believe, is like living an open-to-all life, we need to reflect on our e-presence.

What is safe internet? If you are thinking it is about watching prohibited material, then it forms only a small section of it. Incidences of profiles being hacked and used for illegal purposes, photographs being morphed, extortions being carried out, bullying leading to suicides have risen with the rise in penetration of internet to nook and corners of the world. These incidences, which could baffle you and appear foolhardy of the people affected while reading in the morning newspaper, might cause great distress if happens to you or someone you care for.

School going children form a very vulnerable section which could fall prey to unsafe internet. The joy of discovering newer features of this technology, and scant regard for the advisories leads them to a world where bullying in various forms takes place. Innocuous comments on looks, weight, etc., can cause extreme distress to the innocent mind. It could scar them like no other. It is thus imperative for parents to handle internet usage of young children carefully. A total ban and total freedom can be disastrous. Gloating over how tech-savvy their children are is often observed. It must be dealt with caution. It must be borne in mind that children affected by cyber bullying needing psychological counseling is on a steep rise.

Adults are no less vulnerable to cyber bullying. Engaging with thousands of unknown people on internet carries the advantages of being connected yet being exposed to all their likes and dislikes, which could take a toll on ones emotions. All it takes is one click to lead you into a spiral of unwanted time on the internet. Your professional and personal life all stands liable to be commented upon and critically. Religious beliefs are liable to be challenged, slanderous and defamatory comments made, your views refuted and abused, and all of it without you realising could seep into your personal lives, making you irritable, defensive, aggressive, introvert or harbour any such radical behaviour.

The older people who have been brought to this world of internet only possibly a few years back might find it strange to deal with unsafe internet. A lack of knowledge of filters and ‘settings’ which are hidden in the fine print, often causes unhindered access for others which can be misutilized. It is imperative for the younger generation to them be aware of the possibilities of falling prey to many such traps and make their parents and elderly aware of the same.

Banking and financial fraud is on a rise and is attributed to unsafe internet practices. Search strings used unwisely leading to pornography or other unwanted material is common. Social networking leading to defamatory content is increasingly happening. It is time parents educate their children and themselves. It is time we read the fine print to safety-nets available. It is time we prepare ourselves to deal with an unsafe internet world out there. We all need to be smart and alert in using internet if we wish for a peaceful and meaningful interaction.

(This article appeared on Manipalblog on 11th February)