Moving the Needle of Change slowly but surely

This past May has been a scorching month with the heat index higher than last few years. Power cuts have been an additional burden on both- middle class and poor, young and old with the rural folks hit the hardest. The heat brings other maladies as well- Dengue fever and malaria mosquitoes have been a source of great misery for many families in the south of the state. A number of deaths have been reported due to Dengue fever and so a concerted effort is on to encourage people to be more vigilant about standing water. Corporation officials are now checking homes for water in flower pots and fining the residents- Clean Up or Pay up campaign is on! So a dilemma for many who were encouraged just a few months ago to place water outside for birds during the summer heat! Do you pay a fine and live with a few mosquitoes that may or may not be a carrier of dreadful diseases or be kind to the birds that also need to find respite in this heat!

The recent Supreme Court ruling that cars cannot have dark film on the windows has created quite a stir in the country. Terrorism takes its toll in so many ways- one of them is giving up your privacy in the vehicle in which you travel. So cops in Chennai have been stopping cars and imposing a fine of Rs. 100 and they get a ticket warning them to have the film removed. If they are caught a second time, the fine is doubled and folks are forced to wait in queue to have the film removed on the spot. That is an additional cost -Imagine sweating and being completely drenched and clothes sticking to you in this dreadful humid heat while you wait for the cops to have the job finished! Might as well get it done before you get stopped by the police!  So now we have a few entrepreneurs offering to remove the film for a price!

More good news and bad news- bad news first- dowry harassment continues to be a major challenge and it is incredible to read that more educated families are the culprits of this outrageous practice. In the last 5 months of this year, over 230 cases have been registered and 22 deaths have been reported in Chennai. The posh South Chennai communities apparently have been the perpetrators of this horrific practice. It is amazing to read that parents who pay for their son’s education as doctor, engineer or lawyer etc are viewing the dowry as one way for a return on their investment! Despite economic progress and women’s empowerment initiatives across the country, women are still being bought and sold like cattle!

The good news is that more women are willing and courageous to report dowry harassment from husbands and in-laws although the conviction rate is low. Nevertheless it takes an extreme amount of courage and familial support from the woman’s side to pursue the case and expect some relief and change in how women are perceived and treated. I am saddened that so many women have paid the price of their life to move the needle of change ever so slowly. The Supreme Court has recommended life terms for those convicted of brutal dowry deaths which is a sure sign of progress!!  

In the midst of all this, I just read in the Toronto Star that due to infanticide, child marriage and slavery, India is the worst country for a woman according to a global poll of experts and Canada is the best, the same poll concluded. We do have a long way to go and I’m confident that we will slowly get there- what amazes me is that the highly touted notion that education will rid the society of its ills just does not pan out- instead the more educated and affluent members of our society are also the perpetrators of many of the social maladies around caste, gender and religion.

I am so delighted that Aamir Khan one of the very popular and highly successful actors has started producing ‘Satyamev Jayate’ - a fantastic weekly TV show dealing with such provocative topics like female foeticide, child sex abuse, medical malpractices and health care disparities, effects of pesticides like endosulfan and a return to organic farming. He brings in the experts and provides both sides an opportunity to be heard so the audience can make a decision independently. He also gives victims an opportunity to share their experiences and the show on the effects of endosulfan was so tragic and heart wrenching to watch the congenital defects as a result of heavy spraying of cashew crops in north Kerala State for 25 years! The show has clearly become a hit and has made lawmakers take action as a result of the show- the Bill protecting children from sexual offence was passed 10 days after the show aired!  State governments are also responding with immediate action based on information highlighted on the show. Now that is the kind of impact I have been looking for from these Bollywood (Bombay), Tollywood (Telugu), Kollywood (Tamil Nadu) actors!! I only hope that more actors would get involved in social activism and leverage their cult status to bring needed change in this society.

I recently had a full medical check -up at the Platinum Lounge at Apollo Hospital. It was an interesting experience since it is set up on a floor all its own and a nurse is dedicated to help you move through all the various departments to get the tests done. So I arrived at 8.00 a.m. and a nurse took me to a private sitting room where she did the blood tests and then I was taken to another doctor who took my medical history, then I had the ENT tests, my vision, gynecology and heart check with EKG and a 320 CT Scan. Then I was given a breakfast of my choice and whisked off to another hospital centre for bone density and mammogram tests. Apparently this centre used to be solely for women but is now open to all as a result of protests!! Why does this not surprise me! Finally I am provided consultation on the test results- all is well as far as my health. I was delighted that my cholesterol dropped by 50 points from the time I lived in the US! I’m still puzzled as to what brought about the change? Is it less stress, more fresh fruits and vegetables, a greater level of comfort and acceptance of who I am, a less complicated and more simplistic lifestyle, the joy of being home again…??

So until the next time, have a blast on July 4^th and enjoy your summer. Look forward to hearing from you.