Bullies that even the Govt can't fight

In any civilised society people who incite others to violence are arrested. But neither the state nor the central government are strong enough to ban the Shiv Sena, writes Khushwant Singh.

You get up one morning and see that someone has defecated on your doorstep. You are upset and angry. You ask people around if any of them had seen the culprit. If you succeed in locating him, you have every right to give him a chappal beating. However, if out of your frustration on not being able to find the fellow, you go on the rampage smashing your neighbours’ windows, cars and motor cycles, they have every right to give you a sound thrashing with their chappals.

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This brings me to the recent Shiv Sena’s reaction to the discovery of mud spattered on the bust of Shrimati Meenatai, wife of Bal Thackeray. She must have been a gracious lady, particularly as she was able to put up with a husband who admired Adolf Hitler who put millions of Jews in gas chambers, and, like his hero, suffered from megalomania. If the culprits are found, they deserve to be punished. But what right has Uddhav Thackeray to issue an ultimatum to the police to catch the culprits within 24 hours or face the consequences? His followers have incited mobs to burn buses, force shopkeepers to down shutters and bring life to a stand-still in many parts of Maharashtra.

In any civilised society people who incite others to violence are arrested. But neither the state nor the central government are strong enough to ban the Shiv Sena. A similar situation arose three years ago when the BJP-Shiv Sena called a bandh. On a public interest litigation, the Bombay High Court imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on both parties. We have a precedent: haul up Uddhav and Manohar Joshi, make them shell out money to compensate those who suffered losses.

Medical bragging

I am not a braggart; I never talk about my writing (there is little to say about it anyhow). But I do occasionally boast about my health in the company of people much younger than me. “I am well into my 90s. But I have never yet been inside a hospital as a patient,” I say. However, I have been inside many hospitals in Europe, Canada and the US to visit friends. I have also spent some time to have a check-up. I periodically visit dentists, opticians and ear specialists to have what remains of my teeth, vision and hearing problems looked into. So I have a fair assessment of medical facilities in India and abroad.

In the advanced countries, bypass or cancer operations cost Rs 20 lakh above. Many of the doctors there are Indians. But the Indian medical scene has changed in the last 15-20 years. I know of rich Indian NRIs, fully covered by insurance (like my friend Nanak Kohli) who came to Delhi to be operated by Dr Naresh Trehan of Escorts. While living in Mumbai I saw Arabs in the hundreds being treated in Indian hospitals.

A month ago I noticed a film forming on the ball of my right eye. I put off having it examined. I said to myself if Ranjit Singh could rule with one eye, why can’t I go on scribbling using only one? Ultimately I was bullied by Kumkum Chadha, who has taken charge of my health problems, to see Dr Mahipal Singh Sachdev. She had earlier taken me to him to make sure whether my cataract operation had been done correctly. He had then a modest-sized clinic in Hauz Khas. She now took me to his new clinic in Safdarjang Enclave. I could not see the building outside very well because of a dust storm at that time, but the interior was brightly-lit and cheerful. Kumkum and I were escorted to a sitting room with a leather sofa, paintings on the walls, magazines and books on a table. A couple of minutes later Dr Sachdev and his wife along with a doctor came to greet us. Dr Sachdev examined both my eyes and said in a tone of authority: “This one definitely needs laser surgery. Have these drops put in your eyes; after half-an-hour I’ll perform the surgery.”

Exactly after half an hour Dr Sachdev took me down to his surgery room in the basement. It took him a few minutes to perform the surgery. “You’ll be able to see better by tomorrow morning,” he assured me. He gave me a brochure with instructions about three kinds of drops I had to put in the eye every four hours. The next morning the film had gone. I was able to see much better. It was a minor miracle.

I have seen the modernisation of our hospitals and clinics. They easily outmatch the best. The latest equipments are available; doctors are competent. The cost is less than of what you pay going abroad for treatment.

Political enigmas

Despite Left Parties’ warning,

The Government hiked the petrol price.

Political miseries are beyond comprehension.

The ‘Hammer’ could not break the frozen ice!

How strange! The Secular Congress

That stands for the rule of law

Its Gujarat unit in full public view

Demonstrated against Aamir’s

Fanna!

What a strange game is politics!

Yesterday’s cousins are rivals today

Raj Thackeray floated a new party

For he didn't approve of Uddhav’s way!

Friends turn into foes overnight!

Uma, Khurana and Babulal,

Three former CMs and pillars

of BJP,

Are now striving for its downfall!

(Contributed by GC Bhandari, Meerut)