Gandhiji's German Connection

It all happened when I was roaming around in the Inorbit mall in Vashi sometime in September… I am not really a fanatic shopper though I do like shopping for myself once in a while… The reason I went all the way to Vashi from Pune – a distance of over 100 kms – was because I had heard a lot about this mall… In fact my sister-in-law Pallu (who is a “reluctant compulsive shopper”) told me that it’s like a “Dubai mall” (If you have seen some of those malls in Dubai, you would know what I mean)… I had to go and check it out for myself!

I am sure you are already wondering about the connection between a mall and Gandhiji… Germany and Gandhiji... please have patience…

I know you are also thinking… isn’t it a bit late considering Gandhiji’s birthday was around 15 days back and this is more appropriate a time to write about Diwali… True. Agree. The reality is that this posting would have come out irrespective of the timing… after all, Gandhi is a man of “all times”…

The India today is definitely not the India as thought of by Gandhiji. There are too many stinking rich people around… Too many for the comfort for Mr. Gandhi, I would say, especially considering the fact that way too many poor remain… There are too many other things but I will not get into the details (and make this a serious blog, which is not the intention) but I am sure Gandhiji must have turned, rolled and spun in his grave (in a proverbial sense!) over last 60 years since his death… But this one must have woken him up…

Coming back to the “roaming around in the mall”, I noticed Gandhiji’s portrait in the window of a Mont Blanc outlet. It aroused my curiosity. While Mont Blanc is a status symbol, article of show-off, luxury, for the rich people of the world, Mr Gandhi is a symbol of austerity, stands for the poor and naked of this world. They are poles apart. What on earth Gandhiji’s portrait doing at a Mont Blanc showroom? (Btw, Mont Blanc ha German roots)

I walked closer. It was a well “decorated” window with Gandhiji’s portrait, some charkhas, trademark round glasses and so on… in the center was a white-cream pen… and there was a small plaque. I read the plaque and lost my consciousness. Some passer-bys revived me (don’t remember if they sprinkled water or slapped). I read the plaque again. It essentially said that there are two types of limited edition pens. For one type they would donate Rs 10,000 for charity for each pen bought. For the second type they would donate Rs 50,000 per pen!!

What’s the price of each pen? I did not have the heart to ask. I checked over the internet later. It seems the price is some Rs 11 Lakhs (for one pen, in case you are wondering!) and Tushar Gandhi (great grandson) helped launch and supports the initiative. Well!

I have done and seen many senseless things in my life but this one takes the cake… While I was driving back, I saw Gandhiji walking dazed somewhere out there... I dont think it was due to “chemical locha” in my mind... Thanks to Mont Blanc, Gandhiji walked out of his grave!

Down with wine flu

Swine flu scare is not really at it’s peak in Pune though people are still dying. May be people have given up on cumbersome precautions and have taken it as a fact of the life. The restaurants, movie theaters and malls are back to “business as usual”… Hardly anyone is wearing a mask. Considering the number of cases still being reported, I guess the virus is as potent as before…

Anyways… I had a real terrible cold for last 3-4 days… it wasn’t really flu but the usual cold that I get once in a while… I had a runny nose, mild headache, watery eyes and mild fever. On the third day, it was almost unbearable and I went to the GP. He checked me thoroughly and wrote down couple of medicines. I asked him, half jokingly, if I need to worry about the H1N1. He as if suddenly remembered something and immediately wrote down – “H1N1 screening”… I tried arguing that my symptoms weren’t really of the swine flu. He pulled out a notice from Pune municipal corporation which states that if an H1N1 case is diagnosed and the patient had already seen a doctor with flu like symptoms and if the doctor had failed to send the patient for screening, the doctor would implicated under IPC 319 ("IPC 319 - Hurt - Whoever causes bodily pain, disease or infirmity to any person is said to cause hurt"). He almost pleaded with me that I should go for the screening else he could be in trouble. I realized that the screening was for him, not for me :)

For my dear doctor's well being, I went to Dinanath Mangeshkar hospital. Luckily the crowd was sparse. Since we were at the “fever OPD”, my wife had covered her mouth. I, like a hero, did not cover myself. We were called in soon and the nurse asked if my wife was the patient!!
The doctor checked me thoroughly and sent me back home. She said I didn’t need swine flu test… I did not even need flu medicine, forget Tamiflu or equivalent… she gave me a course of anti-allergic tabs. One tablet and I was back on my feet.

So much for the swine flu! I think it was regular "wine flu" that I picked up over the long weekend. Too much of ice cold diet coke I guess and of course, some eh, ahem…
Also realized that I have an allergic condition (took anti-allergic tab for the first time in my life), thanks to swine flu era!