Saturday, February 22, 2020

Benefits denied?

We, a whatsapp group of Muscular Dystrophy patients sent letters to Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, to include Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) in the national policy of treating rarest diseases. And it was nice to receive back a letter from Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, and we tore open the envelope eagerly expecting a bit of positivity as replay, but it quite disappointing and their replay was a letter that you read below.


My father wrote the letter in English (he, the ret. govt. officer had dealt with many official letters) but they still want a letter in English or Hindi! I actually thought they couldn’t read my father’s handwriting and was thinking to send it again typed in ms-word. But I wasn’t the one received like this but everyone written to them received the same replay exactly except the name and address. I wonder how they could do this exactly to everyone without even taking a glance, but reading and writing our addresses correctly. Huh

Is this happens with every letter sent to centre government from Tamil Nadu? Or their mind-set is registered that any letter from Tamil Nadu will be only in Tamil.  Yep, I know that couldn’t be the right reason to complain but resenting everyone’s letter (without a valid reason) doesn’t make any sense. Though I understand that 100+ members of our whatsapp group (and many other groups of muscular dystrophy patients around India) sending letters to the ministry doesn’t make great changes but we tried to push a coin instead waiting for thing to happen on own or never.

The main reason to include the Muscular Dystrophy in the national policy of treating rarest diseases is to get some special benefits that were denied for this kind of multiple disabilities. Generally genetic diseases like these don’t cover under insurance but if it given the status of rarest disease; we could get a health insurance worth about 15 lakh if any medicines or treatment found in the future. I also applied for the UDID (Unique Disability Identity Card) card based on the existing disability certificate obtained from the state government.  Glad they didn’t made demand the disabled people to appear in person to register for the UDID card and they are content with the information’s available.

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Summer Spy


The sun shines as bright 

As winter shields are removed; 

Bare the sky, fall sunlight 

On anything apparent on earth.

The sun supervises, for 

A perfect timing of spring/summer 

And leaves, being fragile 

Fall prey easily to sun’s radiant.

The sun splashed its colour 

Of yellow, on leaves that were green 

As ripe falls to ground; the earth

Becomes a yellow carpet to walk.

The sun changes its path 

A journey from south to north

Emit great radiant, to dry leaves 

Crushed later underfoot.   

Monday, February 17, 2020

RGB Monday

Load of utensils...


And colorful plastic pots and baskets on back of a bike, on the outskirt of Chengalpattu town, near to Chennai. It was shot at morning, so the vendor seems just about to kick start his business day, riding through many streets and nearby villages selling the utensils

Friday, February 14, 2020

Proposal

Pic courtesy: google
She blew his heart
like bubbles; dreams
went in air, transparent
that anyone could see
along the hideaway secrets.

Inclusive of love
that he ever exhibited
went in air, surprised
she felt so to standstill
running down the memory lane.

Eyes meet endlessly
yet, embarrassed to resume
helped herself to compose
a smile across her lips
shy away secretly.

Boy noted the changes
sigh, smile exit his face
and before things turn different
went on knees, confess
as if he couldn’t grab a chance.

Her eyes couldn’t believe
neither refused the proposal
tears down the cheeks
smile full of faces, frozen
when a gentle kiss fall on lips.

Monday, February 10, 2020

RGB Monday

My colorful Pongal Pot



I created this lighted Pongal pot for the last month’s Pongal festival. I painted an old little earthen pot and wrapped led serial light around it and placed a bunch of paper on top for the bubbling shape. I placed it on the balcony during the festival nights and many passers-by take a look on it.