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WORLD  Living With The Sena FROM MUMBAI NEWSLINE MUMBAI, INDIA, Oct 2 (VNN) — Mohammed Wajihuddin Mumbai, September 29: If you live in Sena land, you must live with its idiosyncrasies. One has watched Shiv Sainiks impose a blanket bandh on Mumbai, blacken the face of college principals, block the city's lifeline-its trains, and aggressively advance the cause of Mee Mumbaikar. They did it again last week. This time the Bhaktivedanta Hospital at Mira Road suffered their wrath. As the news of hospital's closure followed by acts of vandalism came in, my wife was frothing at the mouth. Something she had never done before at any of the Sena's multi-hued activities. The Bhaktivedanta is the only healthcare centre with modern facilities for the over six lakh population of Mira Road.
The soothing Krishna bhajans playing continuously in its corridor, Bhaktivedanta felt more like a holistic healing house than a modern hospital. Almost every staff member spotted the mandatory tilak while patients were greeted visitors with Hare Krishna. Visiting it was like going for a spiritual journey. This was not a hospital, it was a temple, said a shattered B M Mishra who would regularly visit Bhaktivedanta for her kidney dialysis Two years ago, Shiv Sainiks burnt down the Singhania Hospital in Thane just because its doctors failed to save Anand Dighe. The Singhanias can never match the might of the Sainiks. Krishna bhakti can never triumph over Shiv Shakti. One is guided by fear of God and love for mankind. The other is an aggrieved army fired by the fanatic dream of a segregated society. The Sena claims to be striving for lokshahi (democracy) but uses thokshahi (mobocracy) to redress its grievances. To Krishna bhaktas, nirvana is in karma as espoused by the Geeta. Shiv Sainiks take force, intimidation and segregation as an article of faith. This is dangerous for the health of democracy. Taking law into one's hands is one step short of anarchy. It consumes the very people you want to serve. Ask the poor man in Thane who cannot afford to admit his ailing mother to an upmarket hospital . Ask the weeping patients of Bhaktivedanta who were wheeled out after its closure. It's time their bluff is called. As any good doctor will order! © Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd. Contact VNN about this story  Send this story to a friend
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