A never ending story...

Kidney scams are nothing new in India. In January 1995 a kidney scandal came up and there was tremendous public and media outcry causing the Indian Congress to pass a legislation banning kidney trade. On January 15, 1995 Customs officers in Delhi uncovered a “Kidney tour” racket in which donors were enticed to go abroad for removal and subsequent transplant of their kidneys. Hundreds of donors were believed to have gone on such tours. Then a series of other such scams were discovered, one of which was in a rehabilitation colony (Villivakkam) for leprosy patients near Madras and then one in Bangalore which the kidneys of nearly 1,000 unsuspecting people had been removed in a leading city hospital by prominent doctors.

I believe one cannot run such a smooth operation without the knowledge of the higher ups. Right now the king pin of the current operation has vanished from India. A person who is operating 5 different accounts with 2 major hospitals in his name can provide a way out of India very easily. And yes he will return once the media and the public have something more juicier to chew upon. The laws we have established is not for the unsuspecting poor, who will be cheated again and most of them even without their knowledge. After all, living with one kidney is much easier than living on an empty stomach.

I am not sure how this can ever be stopped with rising kidney demands from all over the world. Even in Kuwait one constantly sees requests for kidneys in the daily’s. For the kidney patient, if he is rich enough, getting a kidney will be the best he can do with his money. He may not think twice about the poor donor.

As for India, our cultural and religious beliefs still prevent us from letting us donate our kidneys upon death. This itself can take care of a part of the demand for those kidney patients from India.

Cuba Mukundan

While we were in Kerala, we tried our best to watch the movie, “Arabi Katha” but couldn’t catch it in any of the nearest theatres. Well Kuwait will definitely bring it we thought. We waited patiently without succumbing to the CD guys’s endless offers of good print etc, etc. but to our disappointment due to some dispute going on, no more Malayalam movies are being shown in the Kuwait Cinema halls. Finally we bought a pirated CD (forgive us!) and a worthless camera print too.

Nevertheless the movie is too good. Srinivas can really bring any character to the screen. I am sure there is no living communist similar to the one portrayed by Srinivas as Cuba Mukundan. There are many touching moments too. It is hilarious when Mukundan refuses to serve a bottle of Cococola while remembering the strike that he made back in GOC, refusing to work on a LAPTOP for the same reason etc. And when he is harassed by the Paki Supervisor he raises his fist on reflex but suddenly realizes that he is not in Kerala but in Dubai and instead runs to the toilet and completes his protest in style “Inquilab Sindabad”! Srinivas also reminds those "ever ready to strike at the drop of a hat" comrades back in GOC that there is more to life, specially when one is forced to work in a place like Dubai. Life in the Gulf for the majority is potrayed with no exaggeration.

I guess one may find the likes of Cuba Mukundan among those communist that still work among the lower cadres but once they taste power and money, they lose their will power. But it is surprising to note that people still support those leaders. I guess it is because of their undying love for the party and not wanting to smear the party image. The crooks are still surviving for this reason alone. And those who protest openly are banished from the parties for one reason or the other. If you take a look at the current communist party in Kerala, one can find only Achumama who can come at least a bit close to Cuba Mukundan.