|
|
|
A Gem Of A Concept In The Crown Of Godrej |
he
May-June 2004 issue of CHANGE carried a detailed report of the Indian
Machine Tools Exhibition (IMTEX), which made the event come alive for me. It
prompted me to share my view of IMTEX's impact on the corporate world in general
and on Godrej in particular, as I was associated with it.
IMTEX returned to Godrej after a gap of 15 years. Though physically held at other venues for the last few years, its spirit was very much still here. All the participants must have been overjoyed that the Exhibition had returned to Godrej's dreamland of flora and fauna.
It was a real pleasure for me to be associated with IMTEX as Godrej Ambassador, and a privilege to contribute my mite towards projecting our corporate image in the eyes of the global industrial complex.
IMTEX reflects values and beliefs that form the bedrock of Godrej culture. I observed that people from all corners of India also cherish this culture by adding their own commitment and character to it in order to create an environment of excellence and achievement.
Interacting with people from diverse backgrounds was a great learning experience. In the process, getting to know their minds and moods was a full-time research job. The information and data collected during a show of such magnitude will surely influence the business strategies of many corporations, and Godrej will certainly be no exception.
The Exhibition was an enjoyable and informative experience. But for the unstinted support, assistance and productive inputs by Godrej Management, and by my colleagues in the Personnel & Administration Department, it would not have been possible to project the rich corporate image of our institution.
{|{
|
Death — Whether You Defy Or Deify, Do It With Dignity! |
he
July-August 2004 issue of CHANGE carried absorbing facts on euthanasia.
The true story, "A Beautiful Life — and A Beautiful Death," brought tears to my
eyes. However, there are other aspects of the subject that are not often
discussed. Nowadays, the focus is mainly on litigation for and against
euthanasia! The debates will be fruitful only if we accept death not as a taboo
but as a form of change, like changing flights en route to faraway destinations.
Death takes you one step closer to the Almighty, and is not an end in itself.
Instead of trying to defy death, let us focus on other ways in which we can make the life of a terminally-ill patient easy.
|
l |
Treatment with non-invasive
therapies such as Reiki, acupressure, etc., can be made available even at
hospitals. |
|
|
l |
Invasive technologies should
be used only if there is a fair chance of giving quality life to the patient
and giving a human face to all treatments. |
|
|
l |
Treat terminally-ill patients
at home, which often makes the passing on easy without much torment. |
Let me share with you a real-life incident narrated to me by my Reiki Master and Consulting Homeopath, Dr. Vijay Mavinkurve, in his own words. "My father, the late Shri Chaitanya Mavinkurve, was a very pious and spiritual person and a firm believer in the laws of karma. Until the age of 68 years, he was almost illness-free and had an unusual glow on his face. Our family went through many social and financial problems, but that did not deter him from his path of goodness. He was a solid rock, all family members could depend on him in case of crisis (emotional or otherwise), and he went out of his way to help others in whatever manner he could. He had an unusual knack of cheering you up with his philosophy of life. He is no more with us, but I feel that his unseen hands are still guiding me.
"After having been with him most of the time during his brief illness, I firmly believe that spiritual contemplation and genuine faith in God can ease physical and mental agony and the anguish of a terminally-ill patient during his last days. My father was diagnosed with cancer of the spine in March 2003. The general medical opinion of specialists was that whatever the treatment, it would extend his life by no more than a couple of months accompanied by lingering suffering. I therefore took a conscious and responsible decision to spare him the physical and mental trauma of tubes and tests. I was branded as an insensitive person probably influenced by unwillingness to take on the financial burden. But I was true to my conscience. Being a doctor and a Reiki Master myself, I did my utmost to make him comfortable at home, without torturing him with heavy doses of strong medication and therapies. I kept him relaxed physically, mentally, spiritually by Reiki and acupressure, through a divine communion of our minds and psyches.
"He slowly developed so strong a willpower that one day he made a very positive statement: 'I shall not allow this dreadful disease to carry me to my death, but I shall carry it to its end.'
"He had made up his mind to die with dignity. Till the end, he was without pain, gaining weight, eating and sleeping well, thus defying medical science."
This is what Khalil Gibran, poet, philosopher and artist (1883-1931), wrote to prominent Lebanese writer May Ziadeh in 1930 about his illness:
"This strange heart that used to quiver more than 1,000 times a minute is now slowing down and is beginning to go back to normal after having ruined my health and affected my well-being. Rest will benefit me in a way but the doctor's medicines are to my ailment as the oil to the lamp. I am in no need for the doctors and their remedies, nor for rest and silence. I am in dire need for one who will relieve me by lightening my burden. I am in need of a spiritual remedy — for a helpful hand to alleviate my congested spirit."
Nariman Bacha
Personnel Administration
