Garbage country

What a sight for sore eyes,
Overflowing garbage bins on the roadsides.

Mountains of obnoxious trash
Overflowing onto roads so brash.

Great fun for stray dogs
Fattened on leftovers, sprawled like contented logs.

A country of a billion ready to vote
But does any politician take note?

Of the deteriorating general hygiene,
Lack of everything, including water and kerosene.

Of the increasing lawlessness on the roads
Four on a bike, ten in a car, even when it ill bodes.

Of the increasing crime rate across the city
Juggling police officers around- for the citizen, no pity.

A general apathy has fallen on the country
No civic pride, no heroes, no role models- no guardian sentry.

Where is the law?


Open your eyes and look around
The law is broken, no one is bound.
At any time of day or night
In darkness, noon or twilight.

No citizen is spared
Of the lawless brigade
On any road or highway
By lanes and tramway,
The law breaker continues unchecked
Getting bolder, as roadside barriers are wrecked.

No signboard or request or barrier
Can keep check on our law breaker
One way traffic rules are invariably broken
As police try in vain, blowing the whistle as a token.

The roads are a mirror of society
Displaying the nuances of population’s variety.
All share a common mission
To break the law and create fissions.
Progress and finesse remains a dream
As politicians milk the taxpayer’s cream.
There is improvement on only one front
Posters of politicians announcing birthdays in large font.

Imagine a society where the law is respected
Progress will be the norm and not something unexpected.

A lament for the river

O’ river of yesteryears, where art thou?
A flowing pulsating stream of water cascading over a bent bough
As a young kid I stared in awe from the rocky banks
At the dark mass of flowing water breaking ranks
No matter what was the season,
Your waters were cool, wonder what was the reason.

I loved the rustle of water as it lapped on the rocks
Like the susurration of the wind through dark wavy locks
Come the monsoon the murky waters were turgid and raging
Destruction everywhere like a scavenger foraging.
As the water broke the banks drowning the hutments ,
Displacing the denizens out of its tenements.

Kids jumped and dived from ledges of rock
A carefree life, nothing to take stock
The pollution started little and small
Washing clothes, vehicles by one and all
Then came the factories and the builders dumping into the river
Without heed to the flora and fauna which started to whither.

Now after 4 decades I stand on the same river bank
The river lost under a sea of hyacinth tall and lank.
The water is now dark and sluggish harboring mosquitoes
A foul smell emanating like that of fungi between the toes
Detritus of flowers, plastic, furniture float listlessly
On its placid waters which has lost its energy.

Kiran Kharat

I decided to start this blog sometime ago but could not get it started....however i published my first post on it today!
It will be like a diary where I hope to put down thoughts which stir me!
Today has been a busy day! An emotional one too! I bid adieu to my good friend Nitin and his friend Anne and his two lovely kids- Dagny and Sid! We had the most joyous and wonderful moments in the few days we interacted!

I was in conversation with some people from GSK in Ruby Hall Clinic in my OPD room E 7. We started talking on various subjects and the topic of infection control cropped up! It brought back memories of the day I joined RHC when Dr. A R Banerji was the Medical Director and Dr. Nita Munshi was the HOD of Patho/Micro (Still is!). The three of us started on a journey where we set up the Infection control unit and started various activities under its umbrella! As one can imagine there was a lot of scepticism and various reactions from our colleagues and all levels of staff in a bustling busy hospital 45 years in the service of the population of Pune and the rest of India and some parts of the world! They must have wondered that what are these people upto! We managed to garner strength in numbers and our group was formidable where all the floor matrons and the Nursing Supdt and various technicians like Mahesh Bhonsle, Marjee etc gathered in the MD's office! We met every week and went on rounds! We looked for dust and advocated hand hygiene. We started the concept of sterile dressing gauze packs and abolished the drum and Cheatle forceps from the jursing trolley. I designed a poster starring the nonagenarian Dr. K B Grant for a hand wash campaign which I wanted to unleash on the walls of the hospital! It showed Dr. Grant washing his hands with sterilium gel with a message that he washed hands before and after every patient contact! For various reasons the posters were not put up!
However 5 years down the line Ruby Hall has got the coveted NABH accreditation! We can now see sterilium bottles dotted everywhere in the hospital! My poster has resurfaced! My juniors wash hands!
I am happy!
:-)