fallen figurehead…, The
Chakravarty, Sujana
The world community heaves a sigh of relief with end of the Iraq war. The meaningless violence, bloodshed and pain temporarily come to a halt. The damaged statue of the ex-dictator lying on the dusty ground flashed across news channels and newspapers is reminiscent of, ‘Ozymandias of Egypt’, a poem by P.B. Shelly where he denounces Ozymandias, a tyrannical ruler stating the futility of pride, arrogance, power and ‘Life’ in general. To quote Shakespeare in this context would be most timely and appropriate-‘Life is …….a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing’. How true! Like the saying goes …. one lives on deeds not years. Ultimately it’s our deeds good or bad that are going to count, not our earthly accumulation of wealth and use or misuse of power. To survive the destroying scythe of time and make a mark in this world one has to lead by example. How many of us remember General Dyer, the man behind the Jalianwala Bagh massacre? On the other hand, the whole world remembers Mother Teresa, the woman who till the last moment of her life radiated the warmth of love and care.
The rising cases of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have put the world healthcare community on the highest alert. With more and more reported cases coming to light, hospitals across the country have claimed to gear up to combat the ‘killer flu’. This calls for a ‘beyond duty’ service of the nurses to prove their mettle. Its time they sharpen their ‘tomahawk’ to combat any messenger of death that comes in any form, any time !
Copyright Trained Nurses’ Association of India Jun 2003
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