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Rogue Agent
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
This book is an inspiration for all those who feel strongly about ethics in our medical profession.
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.
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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.
Connecting
India: Indian Telecom Story