After the theft: e mail to a well wisher

Dear Mr. *******,

Thanks for your concern and help. We have been informed that a former FIR is already registered with them - I not keen to find out the veracity of their claim. One Mr. Joshi is now looking after the case and he seems to be a better guy at least in terms of behaviour.

Another senior inspector lashed out at me and underlined my "carelessness". I told him if that is what he has to tell me I would better leave the Kotwali where they had called me; he then somewhat eased out.

Probably I am writing the rest of this mail to help cope: Its personal and I feel you are a person who can share my feelings...

Yes I am careless! Just the way we hear that several rape victims in this country had "bad virtues" and "deserved their predicament".

Why am I careless?

Right from a tender age of a teenager I saw crippling diseases in my family. I grew up thinking of people who spent years ridden to bed - life has not been easy to them yet; nor has it been for the family that I have raised..... Every day we have to infuse a lot of optimism around ourselves and save for that day when my little daughter would require her next cardiac surgery merely for her survival.

We have never thought that we have been disadvantaged in life - just that things happened to us now as they could have to others some other time.

It is in these moments that the people like the maid who served us appear as "role models" to me: despite the odds that they face, they hang on. In some week moments, they steal for the first time and then it becomes a habit.

But what about the police men who are preaching us? The maid did what she did for her compelling needs.... although it is not justified. But then there is no justification for what the police does to us either .... shrugging responsibilities, preaching morality, the rights and the wrongs and also finding out ways to make money.

Am I too gullible?

Probably yes. But having seen those multiple illnesses, I wish I trust people and understand their miseries rather than be a skeptic for ever.

What do I need?

I would indeed be happy if some of the lost property is retrieved.

What if it is not? Loosing sleep would obviously not be desirable.

I need my resilience and I need to execute my plans for our lives.

Thanks. Has it been a long mail?

Regards,


******

New educational reforms by the CBSE for kids with special needs

Hi,

In a previous note, I brought out the success story of a visually challenged girl who made it as physiotherapist. As an Ophthalmologist, it is often a painful experience to see potentially bright students succumbing to the red tape of Indian education system.

Now for a change, the central board of secondary eduction has come up with reforms and included all kind of disabilities where it permits special facilities: The list includes Autism, Blindness, Dyslexia and the facilites include use of writers, waiving the fee for getting a writer, computers, typewriters, alterantive questions, larger font size, extra time etc...

Small change but a positive one!