SHORT TAKES
Two faces of treachery
Randeep Wadehra
Rogue Agent
by Nandita Haksar.
Penguin.
Pages xiii+242. Rs 299.
February
1998 witnessed an act of extreme treachery on an idyllic Andaman Sea
island. A corrupt Indian military intelligence agent took a group of
Burmese freedom fighters there promising them a base for launching a
struggle against the Burmese junta. The officer had gained their
trust, gulled money and costly gifts from them over a period of time,
then murdered their six leaders in cold blood, and imprisoned the
remaining 36. The entire maneuver, code named Operation Leech,
had failed to attract media attention due to the political instability
caused by the fall of the I.K. Gujral government.
Years later, a
distorted version of this news eventually broke out when the arrested
persons were presented as gunrunners. When the redoubtable human
rights lawyer, Nandita Haksar, took up their case, she discovered a
subplot of deadly geopolitical intrigue wherein India did not emerge a
good guy. The Indian government had, initially, backed the Burmese
freedom fighters and the movement for democracy led by Aung San Suu
Kyi, but later ditched them for "pragmatic" reasons.
Supported by the
iconic Dr. (Col) Lakshmi Sehgal of the INA fame, and a group of
lawyers and human rights activists, the author has skillfully
unraveled the entire skein of politico-bureaucratic shenanigans, a
corrupt intelligence agent’s acts of bad faith, international
diplomatic community’s insensitivity, cruelty and hypocrisy; she has
named names. A must read for those who value democracy and human
rights.
Malicious medicine:
My Experience With Fraud And Falsehood In Infertility Clinics
by Anitha Jayadevan.
Penguin.
Pages xii+105. Rs 150.
It
is common knowledge that our legal system doesn’t assure prompt
redress of grievances — especially if the petitioner happens to be
an ordinary person with no clout whatsoever. This encourages all sorts
of criminals, quacks and charlatans to flourish at the expense of the
gullible and the hapless. This is true of the healthcare sector too.
Anitha Jayadevan underscores this fact by narrating her story. Because
she couldn’t conceive within the first year of her marriage, Anitha
and her husband decided to consult a doctor ("infertility
clinician" in this book). This man turned out to be inhumanely
unscrupulous and greedy. Despite knowing fully well that there was no
medical problem with the couple, he prescribed Assisted Reproductive
Technique; thence began a gauntlet of horrors. Miscarriages and
abortions, badly done surgeries, artificial inseminations,
ova-stealing and mismanaged medical procedures almost killed Anitha.
Realising the fraud perpetrated on her she decides to go to the court
only to find how powerful and united the medical fraternity is;
reputed doctors reneged on their promise to stand by the truth. Veiled
threats, coupled with other strong-arm tactics frustrated her desire
for justice. Her lobbying with the parliamentarians for legislating
laws that would put an end to malpractices in healthcare has not yet
met with the desired success. But she has not given up.
This book is an
inspiration for all those who feel strongly about ethics in our
medical profession.
Connecting
India: Indian Telecom Story
by S.D. Saxena.
Konark.
Pages: xvi+183. Rs 200.
It was not such a
long time ago that telephone connection was a status symbol. The
ungainly landline instrument was moody too. Talking long-distance was
considered a feat that only a few well-heeled and daring souls could
achieve. One had to humour the exchange wallahs to not only
book an international call but also to ensure its promptitude —
lightening calls took hours to fructify otherwise. Cross-connections
were the norm. All this changed with the privatization of the telecom
sector as well as corporatisation of the sarkari telephone department
into BSNL and MTNL.
This book provides the
author’s perspective on how the transformation was wrought.
|