India is zooming ahead economically, but disconnect between rich and poor is scary and funny. You worry about the scary bit and I will explain the funny aspect.As a reporter I made friends with lots of social workers. A medico social worker working for the municipal hospital in Navi Mumbai told me that handling the poor was tough.
Once a guy brought his badly-injured brother to hospital. The doctors rushed the victim to the emergency ward and asked the brother to donate blood. But the brother was so innocent; he was scared he would die if he donated blood. “I don’t want to die for him. You will put a needle and suck all my blood,” he kept crying. It took hours of persuasion.
There are several cases in such hospitals where relatives dump patients for treatment and sneak away. They just cannot afford to pay.
Once a social group wanted to do a survey among slum dwellers about family planning. The volunteer asked a woman, “Do you know about contraceptives?” The woman first blushed, then turned furious and screamed, “Heyyy, you husbanddd.”
A plump guy rushed out, pulled the volunteer by the collar and pushed him out of the house.
The volunteer was trained well. He moved on to the next hutment.
“Do you use condoms?” he asked the householder.
“No, what's it? How many condoms can we eat daily? the slumdweller asked.
sorry state of affairs Ramesh..really sad!! we need to educate our people..ASAP
ReplyDeleteAwareness is important for a much better society. Well, you had fun writing such stories and we take fun reading them :)
ReplyDeleteTo avoid such embarrassment to volunteers, first pick a small group of people among the slum dwellers, teach them and then ask them to spread the information they learnt to their whole community :)
That is why they say India is different than Bharat.It is time Bharat was involved with what ever is happening in India.
ReplyDeleteI agree Ramesh, an India that I just pass by and yet it exists side by side.
ReplyDeleteAnd this is in a city like mumbai....!!!!
ReplyDeletewe have a long way to go as a country is all I can say :( ..
wow..!
ReplyDeletethat sure was an eye opener...!!
i seriously didn't know that the state of our country even at this point of time is such...!
we really have a long long way to go..!
Sad state of affairs
ReplyDeleteIts a vicious circle-to improve their plight they need education, for them to prioritize education in their minds they need to be at least reasonably well-fed. So how and where do we make a beginning?
ReplyDeleteDude totally agreed, any government of India goes not think beyond indo-pak issues leave alone these small issues.
ReplyDeletetoo many people to educate. not enough resources.
ReplyDeleteWoah! interesting...have some first hand experience with slum dwellers! I can so totally imagine what was going on and eating condoms? Ironically funny.
ReplyDeleteIt is a tough task to reach out to the poor. Btw, you would be surprised to know how many educated women also carry misconceptions about these issues. I was!
ReplyDeleteshould have asked,"Do you use Nirodh?" the less privilleged might not know the word condom, but I think nirodh was allmost a synonym for condom amongst the under privilleged.
ReplyDeleteWell i gues Sujata is right...but your post is really funnyyyyy....
ReplyDeletebut i must tell you there are many educated people around who are full of misconception .
I think everyone is familiar with the word 'nirodh' than the other words, as Sujatha said.
ReplyDeleteYou have written well how they behave when the social workers try to explain about these things. It is really a tough job.
awareness is what is needed....and i agree with mr.BK chawla.
ReplyDeleteawareness is so very important and i agree with mr.chowla
ReplyDeleteNice post and very well written. The most important thing which is lacking in our country is poor education system and illiteracy. Awareness is very much needed for the good progress of our country.
ReplyDeleteIt is sad but probably true. Thanks for sharing this Ramesh. My wife works with women and she agrees with your blog.
ReplyDeleteSad state of affairs!!!
ReplyDeleteTV ad campaign plays a vital role, its an effective media.
ReplyDeleteDumping relatives in hospital because they can't afford the bill is some thing we can understand, but there are many "educated" people who refuse to undergo vasectomy as it will "weaken" them. They prefer their wives to undergo operation.
ReplyDeleteSome of these misconceptions are fairly common here in the US as well (although we tend to be more protected from them) ... anyway, interesting blog you have.
ReplyDeletehaha..
ReplyDelete