Destiny's child

There has been hectic news flow throughout the week, from Indian football team making a hat trick of victories in home turf to Andra Prdesh chief minister, YSR’s tragic death. From making 10th board exams in CBSE schools optional to the landmark declaration by the Supreme Court judges to make their assets public. But hope can come from smallest of quarters like a ray of light entering a dark room. There was an incident last week that would make every Indian proud; something that we could call world class, something which saved a little life. I being an eternal optimist will write about this positive story.

A woman in Bihar gives birth to child whose heart is protruding out of its body. This is a very rear condition and the babies that are born with this defect unfortunately die because of infection in just 3 to 6 days. A man and his wife bring this newborn baby to AIIMS wrapped in a simple muslin cloth in a hope that their baby will have life against all odds. An emergency operation was performed and miraculously the baby is stable now. First time in the world the operation involving this has been successful. This story can very well be an episode in the American hospital melodrama ‘private practice’, only that this has happened in real life. God has certainly written a wonderful script for this destiny’s child.

We as a country require heroes. The doctors who gave this baby life are one such heroes of modern India. Their weapons are stethoscopes and computers. It will be heroes like these who will take India forward in its quest for being a global power by 2020. More than a military or a financial power, India will be a soft power. Another example is people like the brave staff of the Taj hotel that stood in the line of fire to save their guests. These stories of heroics give me hope and reaffirm my belief that this country with 10 raised to 9 people has something working for it. The very people who have, made this one of the most corrupt countries in world are its biggest strength.

Coming back to the small baby, I remember the starting lines of one of my favorite movie ‘Schindler’s List’ which goes like “Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire”. In this case we can say, “One life was saved, 10 raised to 9 ambitions light up”.