Humanity Or Humaneness - Does It Exist?

Dcold · May 22, 2017

Relocating to your own place nearly after a decade gives you immense pleasure. I too was delighted when I relocated to my hometown. But what I started missing badly was the pleasant ambiance for my morning and evening walks. Somewhat I brought peace to accept the ambiance of my present place. I daily walk across the medical college and collectorate and other government offices of my place.
One fine morning, I walked past the barking dogs, boys and girls who were off to sports training, police men and women speeding for their morning training sessions and people waiting in the bus stop near the medical college entrance. There, near the entrance of the medical college hospital I saw him. A poor old man was lying down on the ground. My first thought was that the poor chap might be one of the regular customers of the state owned 'elixir'shops.
The next morning, the old man was still there. He seemed to be in pain. There was a private ambulance parked near him. I realised the graveness of the situation. The next morning also, the man and the ambulance were still there. The crowd waiting for the bus was discussing whether the man was dead or alive.
Doctors, nurses, medical college staff and students, police men, collectorate staff, school and college students and morning walkers, even the district Collector and SP might have passed might have passed him for three days. No one spared a second for that poor soul. The irony was that he died unattended at a place where hundreds of men seek shelter to get cured of their illnesses. Is human life valueless? Or does value of life apply only to rich and powerful?
I feel miserable aasnd guilty as I walk past the place as I also did not take any step to inform the authorities. I have no idea whether he being treated in the hospital or lying in the mortuary. l wish i acted responsible. I wish the doctors and staff acted responsible. I wish someone acted responsible.

satchitananda · May 22, 2017

Really very sad Dcold. Unfortunately people in our country refuse to get involved for various reasons. But that is really no excuse for any of us. God forbid, you come across some such situation again, I do hope you will gather the courage to go and report the matter to a hospital or to the police.

Umanga · May 22, 2017

Dcold said: ↑

Relocating to your own place nearly after a decade gives you immense pleasure. I too was delighted when I relocated to my hometown. But what I started missing badly was the pleasant ambiance for my morning and evening walks. Somewhat I brought peace to accept the ambiance of my present place. I daily walk across the medical college and collectorate and other government offices of my place.
One fine morning, I walked past the barking dogs, boys and girls who were off to sports training, police men and women speeding for their morning training sessions and people waiting in the bus stop near the medical college entrance. There, near the entrance of the medical college hospital I saw him. A poor old man was lying down on the ground. My first thought was that the poor chap might be one of the regular customers of the state owned 'elixir'shops.
The next morning, the old man was still there. He seemed to be in pain. There was a private ambulance parked near him. I realised the graveness of the situation. The next morning also, the man and the ambulance were still there. The crowd waiting for the bus was discussing whether the man was dead or alive.
Doctors, nurses, medical college staff and students, police men, collectorate staff, school and college students and morning walkers, even the district Collector and SP might have passed might have passed him for three days. No one spared a second for that poor soul. The irony was that he died unattended at a place where hundreds of men seek shelter to get cured of their illnesses. Is human life valueless? Or does value of life apply only to rich and powerful?
I feel miserable aasnd guilty as I walk past the place as I also did not take any step to inform the authorities. I have no idea whether he being treated in the hospital or lying in the mortuary. l wish i acted responsible. I wish the doctors and staff acted responsible. I wish someone acted responsible.
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It is not your fault. Do not worry. You are new to India, you are merely taking cues from your environment. Because nobody was paying attention, you naturally assumed the man was a drunk. Take it from me, don't get involved in India. You shall be severely punished.

Give yourself some time to get used to the place (it takes years). Once the reality of India has firmly established itself within you, you shall know when to act and when to look away. Our primary dharma is self-preservation. Follow that first.

LakshmiKMBhat · May 22, 2017

Dcold said: ↑

Relocating to your own place nearly after a decade gives you immense pleasure. I too was delighted when I relocated to my hometown. But what I started missing badly was the pleasant ambiance for my morning and evening walks. Somewhat I brought peace to accept the ambiance of my present place. I daily walk across the medical college and collectorate and other government offices of my place.
One fine morning, I walked past the barking dogs, boys and girls who were off to sports training, police men and women speeding for their morning training sessions and people waiting in the bus stop near the medical college entrance. There, near the entrance of the medical college hospital I saw him. A poor old man was lying down on the ground. My first thought was that the poor chap might be one of the regular customers of the state owned 'elixir'shops.
The next morning, the old man was still there. He seemed to be in pain. There was a private ambulance parked near him. I realised the graveness of the situation. The next morning also, the man and the ambulance were still there. The crowd waiting for the bus was discussing whether the man was dead or alive.
Doctors, nurses, medical college staff and students, police men, collectorate staff, school and college students and morning walkers, even the district Collector and SP might have passed might have passed him for three days. No one spared a second for that poor soul. The irony was that he died unattended at a place where hundreds of men seek shelter to get cured of their illnesses. Is human life valueless? Or does value of life apply only to rich and powerful?
I feel miserable aasnd guilty as I walk past the place as I also did not take any step to inform the authorities. I have no idea whether he being treated in the hospital or lying in the mortuary. l wish i acted responsible. I wish the doctors and staff acted responsible. I wish someone acted responsible.
Click to expand...

Yes, it happens. Many a time we have to act without really thinking whether we sholud act or not. Someone once told me that we should not think ' I wish someone would do something.' We should say I am going to do something. A good advice indeed. Regards.

Doree · May 22, 2017

really sad to read.... maybe this is the issue here ...

Dcold said: ↑

someone acted responsible.
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waiting for someone to take initiative .... Timely help could have saved a life. A Valuable lesson for all of us.

Cheeniya · May 23, 2017

@Dcold
I tend to agree with @Umanga
I once came across an incident when a man brought a wounded man lying unconscious to the Police Station as no Doctor would handle him without a notification to Police. The Inspector asked the good Samaritan what was the reason for the quarrel. The man did not understand the import of the question of the Inspector. He repeated the question thrice and when the man stood blinking, the Inspector gave him a resounding slap. When the man pleaded that he had no idea why the man was lying on the road, he received more blows!
Sri

LakshmiKMBhat · May 23, 2017

A really sad sya

Cheeniya said: ↑

@Dcold
I tend to agree with @Umanga
I once came across an incident when a man brought a wounded man lying unconscious to the Police Station as no Doctor would handle him without a notification to Police. The Inspector asked the good Samaritan what was the reason for the quarrel. The man did not understand the import of the question of the Inspector. He repeated the question thrice and when the man stood blinking, the Inspector gave him a resounding slap. When the man pleaded that he had no idea why the man was lying on the road, he received more blows!
Sri
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A really sad state of affairs. But I feel we cannot make such sweeping statements. In 2009 we met with an accident, fortunately not very serious, but people from nearby houses came at once to help us and a tempo driver drove us to the nearest hospital and people were so good, I will never forget them. Regards, Lakshmi

Umanga · May 23, 2017

Cheeniya said: ↑

@Dcold
I tend to agree with @Umanga
I once came across an incident when a man brought a wounded man lying unconscious to the Police Station as no Doctor would handle him without a notification to Police. The Inspector asked the good Samaritan what was the reason for the quarrel. The man did not understand the import of the question of the Inspector. He repeated the question thrice and when the man stood blinking, the Inspector gave him a resounding slap. When the man pleaded that he had no idea why the man was lying on the road, he received more blows!
Sri
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Ye mera India. I love my India.

LakshmiKMBhat said: ↑

A really sad sya

A really sad state of affairs. But I feel we cannot make such sweeping statements. In 2009 we met with an accident, fortunately not very serious, but people from nearby houses came at once to help us and a tempo driver drove us to the nearest hospital and people were so good, I will never forget them. Regards, Lakshmi
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I am sorry Lakshmiji but we have to make sweeping statements. If we didn't, conversation would become impossible. Obviously, there is an exception to every rule. And obviously, there are good people in India. Question is, what is the place like on the whole? In order to answer that question, we need to generalise.

PS: If you want to read a really chilling tale of what can happen to people who return to India, please read this R2I diary. It shall shake you to the bone. The first few posts are quite pleasant and hopeful but just read on and see what happens.

LakshmiKMBhat · May 23, 2017

Umanga said: ↑

Ye mera India. I love my India.

I am sorry Lakshmiji but we have to make sweeping statements. If we didn't, conversation would become impossible. Obviously, there is an exception to every rule. And obviously, there are good people in India. Question is, what is the place like on the whole? In order to answer that question, we need to generalise.

PS: If you want to read a really chilling tale of what can happen to people who return to India, please read this R2I diary. It shall shake you to the bone. The first few posts are quite pleasant and hopeful but just read on and see what happens.
Click to expand...

No thank you, my friends have told me lot about such incidents. It is tragic. There is good and bad everywhere. If we experience the bad we believe everything is bad in that place. If we experience the positive,we have positive impressions. The same applies to people to. I don't believe in making sweeping statements. Once a friend had some bad experiences in Bangalore, from then on she keeps saying people in Bangalore are bad. How can we say such things ?