Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
From Aliran It is appalling that the higher-ups in the civil service are totally not bothered about Hindu sensitivities, observes P Ramakrishnan citing his experience with medication supplied at a general hospital. The Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional have been very
busy going after the Indian Malaysian votes. They seem to be addressing
some issues to pacify the Indians in their attempt to win them. The
Indian vote is very crucial to the BN and they are desperately trying to
woo them. But it would appear that they are not bothered about the
sensitivities of the Hindus. It is appalling that the higher ups in the
civil service are totally not bothered about Hindu sensitivities. They
are indifferent and insensitive to the Hindus. One good example is the medication that is provided by the General Hospital. Those suffering from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) have been put on
the medication āDuspatalinā. I am one of those taking this medicine for a
number of years. This particular medication was easily available for some years now.
But when I went for my supply in February, I was given āMebetinā
capsules and the packaging was different. When queried, the explanation
was that it is the same medicine ā only the packaging was different. On reaching home, my wife examined the box containing the medicine.
Horror of horrors, she discovered printed on the box the wording āBovine
coatedā. Immediately, she alerted me and told me that as an Hindu I
couldnāt take it as there was a beef extract added to the medicine. We went back to the hospital, met up with the pharmacist and told him
of my predicament. He understood my problem, went to the back of the
store and came back with 80 tablets of Duspatalin. That was all they
had, he told me. Another pharmacist, an Indian, came to see me and assured me that she
would bring this to the notice of those above her. I was told that I
would be contacted the following week. But there was no call so I went to see them. This time they told me
that they were trying to source the Duspatalin and had not been
successful. In the meantime I went to my private pharmacy to make enquiries.
Fortunately they had this supply of Duspatalin. I went back to inform
the hospital but I was told that they managed to source from the Bukit
Mertajam hospital. When I went back for my supply of Duspatalin in March, I was happy
that it was available. I remarked that all Hindus must be receiving this
from now onwards. āNoā, he told me, āyou are the only one in Penang
receiving this.ā When I asked why, the reply was that I was the only one who complained! This is preposterous! Most patients simply consume the medicine given
to them. They hardly read the write-up; there are others who canāt read
and therefore they are not aware that certain medicines are ābovine
coatedā. Also, many donāt understand what is ābovineā. My wife is on Omeprazole for her gastritis. She has been on it for a
number of years. In March when she went for her supply, she was given
Omerprazole capsule, the packaging of which was different. She was
assured that it was the same medicine. On reaching home, she discovered
that this was also āBovine coatedā. I had occasion to discuss this problem with a doctor when I went for
my next consultation. I asked him why this was not raised with the
higher-ups. His reply was that they had but the response from those
above was, āThey are a minority. If they donāt want to take, they donāt
have to take.ā This kind of attitude is totally unacceptable. They are callous and
indifferent and they donāt deserve to be where they are. They are a
disgrace to the human race! In the past, medicine used to be porcine coated. The Ministry of
Health rightly stopped this in deference to the sensitivities of the
Muslims. This is the correct thing to do. By the same token, the sensitivities of the Hindus should have been
addressed as well and taken care of. But it was not and deliberately so. If the Prime Minister was not aware, no one can blame him or fault
him. But now that it has been revealed what would be his reaction? Would
he condemn those insensitive people who are not bothered? Would he
direct the Ministry of Health to stop this indifferent attitude and put a
stop to this atrocious behaviour?Will he address the sensitivities of the Hindus as astutely as he is wooing the Indian votes?
