Monday, March 30, 2020

उपकार का प्रचार।



गरीब के जीने मरने की चिंता,
भला आजकल कौन करता है,
ऐसे अचानक लॉकडॉन की घोषणा से,
सबसे पहले गरीब ही तो मरता है।

ऐसी परेशानी के पलों में,
मृत्यु की चिंता किसे होती है,
हमारी सरकार से अपील तो बस,
पेट भरने के लिए २ वक़्त की रोटी है।

कुछ लोग इलाके में आये थे कल,
देख शायद हमारी दुविधा को,
जब कैमरा दिखे, तब एहसास हुआ,
वो आये थे अपनी सुविधा को।

आये फिर वो अस्थायी झोपड़े में हमारे,
थैलियों में लेकर बिस्कुट, रोटी और दाल,
एक आस उठी मन में,
शायद ये पूछएंगे हम गरीबों का हाल।

शर्मनाक मंज़र चलता रहा,
दुख से मैंने आँख मीच ली,
मजबूत थी उनकी पकड़- छूटी न थैली,
जब तक १० फोटो उन्होंने न खीच ली।

Decided to pen down these few lines to address the way many self sufficient people showcase their contribution towards the poor & needy just for posting on social media these days.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

The Prayer That Counts...


This is an appeal to every reader of this article – to take out 1 minute of your time to thank your doctor and to pray for those innumerable selfless souls who have taken over as the ‘messiah’ to screen and to treat patients suffering from this global pandemic with repercussions of unthinkable proportions, that has hit upon us all.

When countries have gone into lock down, hospitals are struggling to cope with the sudden surge in patient volume, global economy hitting rock bottom, thousands of people dying every day, and a thousand others becoming infected; when most offices and companies have shut shop and have asked their employees to work from home, there are countless other healthcare workers who are nothing less than soldiers now, risking their very own life to save someone else’s.

A virus has done what nothing could do – unite countries to fight together, put behind their differences and cooperate; have taught people that when temples & mosques have closed their doors, hospitals have opened them to help people; and that the fear of death is the same to all people, the man made Gods do not favor anyone.

I would be lying if I would say that we as doctors, nurses, healthcare workers, hospital management, etc are not scared of the prevailing condition, that we are not concerned for our own or our family’s safety, for whom we can become asymptomatic carriers of this dreadful disease, elderly grandparents, parents, young children who can become prone to the infection.

It might not be your immediate family member at risk- who may be a doctor, a nurse, a security or the housekeeping staff of a hospital, or non clinical staff members who help the hospital function daily, but remember that there those who are standing at the frontline, who do not have the option of working from home or go into lockdown are also someone’s father, mother, brother sister, son, daughter, etc and your one heartfelt prayer for everyone’s safety might count somewhere.

The entire healthcare community has come together and all efforts are being made by the fraternity, collaboration with the government to tide over this crisis.

I write this because since the last many weeks, ever since Corona virus has hit the country, a day has not passed that my parents have not told me every morning , “Beta tu apna dhyan rakhna…”, and there are countless betas and betis who would be hearing the same from their family – who need your support, blessings and prayers.