A three day national workshop on "Emerging Concerns in English Curricula" was conducted by the Department of English, University of Calicut at the seminar hall of the University on 5,6,7 August 2008.

Dr. P. Bhaskaran Nayar, Professor of Communication and English Literature, University of Lincoln, U.K and internationally renowned linguist inaugurated the workshop. Dr. Nayar, in his inaugural address, highlighted the necessity of acquiring English language as a communication tool in the era of globalisation. He called for a pragmatic approach to the English language teaching in India, where different languages go hand in glove for communication.

The workshop, attended by students, research scholars and teachers of English language and literature from various colleges and Universities re-emphasised that the conventional notion of English courses both at graduate and postgraduate levels had undergone rapid changes. The workshop dwelt upon the new writings and translations in English, especially the literature of the marginalised, along with cultural studies.

The contemporary nuances in English curricula were also discussed at length in the workshop.

Dr.N. Ramachandran Nair, Dr.A. Joseph Dorairaj, Dr. Saji Mathew, Dr.P.S. Binu, Dr. Rani Paul Ukkan, Dr. P.K. Prabha, Dr. Yaseen Ashraf and Dr.N.Sajan, among others, presented papers on different topics during the sessions.

Dr. B. Sreedevi, Professor and Head, Department of English, University of calicut inaugurated the valedictory function held on the concluding day.

Its a fascinating story of a couple friend of mine, who went to the Psychiatry Department of a famous 'multi-speciality' hospital in Calicut for counselling.The couple in their late thirtees of late had been feeling mutual distrust, leading to discords and quarrels in their family life.The wife accuses the husband of infidelity and addiction to liquor, while the husband charges her with non-committment and non co-operation to him.She alleges that the other partner has an illicit affair with a woman, claiming that she has heard a conversation between them recorded in his mobile phone.

The husband brushes asides all such allegations, saying that she has got some general problems found with wives suspecting their husbands for each and everything. He says he has recorded some concocted conversation in his mobile to be heard by her to toe her in line and he goes for liquor to have some peace of mind.

The quarrels have become very frequent with no solution in sight.As a family friend, I enquired about the problems with them and got these allegations and counter-allegations.My advice to go for a 'forget and forgive' approach by them had no effect. They stuck to their stand. I felt some psychological help is required to help them I then advised them to go for a psychological counselling to save them from being broken. They agreed to this.Now, it was the search for a clinical psychologist.Dr.Promudu is a well-known psychologist, who can tackle your problem.He was contacted. But he is not now in Calicut, he having shifted to Cochin.They can't go to Cochin either.There was a local ad of a 'psychologist' highly proficient in such treatments.Why go to him ?. Dr.Promodu was again contacted. 'Don't go to quacks.You go to Dr.Sarada Mohan in Calicut'.But she is too busy for the next one week.At last, they reached the famous hospital I mentioned above. The following is the story they told me about their visit to the hospital.

They were given appointment to meet the psychologist at 2.00pm.They reached there well before the time with much optimism.The consultation fee was Rs.150.After a long wait, they met the psychologist. The psychologist,looking to be a bright girl just outside the college dressed in churidar, asked the issues between them. The wife raised the same story, while the husband contested them except his alchoholism.Do you drink daily? How many pegs do you take at a stretch, 3 or 4 or on a day as a whole? Do your hands shiver on waking up in the morning? No, no, I don't drink that much nor my hands shiver. My problem is stres-related arising out of the disturbance of mind due to the above problems, he replies.

Ok. You should be admitted to the hospital soon and should undergo a treatment for a week-here.But madam, I think I can manage alcoholism, if at all that is a problem. But what I should for this stress Im facing? The wife's all hopes were shattered, as none of her woes were addressed by the psychologist.It seems she had anticipated some positive counselling from her like that of Dr.PM.Mathew Vellore and Dr.Promodu.She had seen them on various TV programmes giving solutions and advice on many a family problem. The lady psychologist then referred them to the Psychiatrist of the hospital, who is seated in the nearby room.

Its payment of another consultation fee of Rs.150 and a wait of 1to 2 more hours.The same story was repeated to the psychiatrist. Regarding alchoholism, you have no problem. there is no withdrawal system, no deviation from your thoughts and activities, you work properly in your college, he told the husband.Here also, they expected some counselling to set right the broken wings. But Doctor, for this stress what should I do? How can I control it? He immediately prescribed some medicines.Ok.you should take them twice in a day and meet me after 10 days to see the improvement in you.The husband was apprehensive.The medicines may be strong and he would have to continue taking them for long.They returned from the hospital with disappointment after a long ordeal.

I think now their quarrels and problems have come to an end after their visit to the Hospital!

The other day, I had been to a very famous hospital in Calicut to visit a few patients there.I found the hospital staff very cordial and pleasant.The doctors and other paramedical staff were all very considerate and caring to the patients, a hallmark for the success of a good hospital.The hospital wards and premises were maintained very neat and tidy throughout.

All is well here. But there is a deviation, I found, from the rosy picture and the all-is-well state of affairs in the multi-speciality hospital, which is managed by an NRI businessman. I noticed uniform-clad young women manning the various entry points , operation theatres and ICU in the hospital.Why I observed them was that in no other private hospital here, women are employed as security personnel. I found them standing in the same spot both in the morning and evening, when I visited the hospital twice that time one day.

I was little eager and concerned to find the young women in their late twenties continuously standing for hours together without being able to sit on a stool or chair. I just made myself friendly with one of them and enquired about their job.I got some alarming facts. These poor ladies were engaged as security guards by some private Security agencies contracted by the hospital. They have to work in shifts. One has to work for hours as long as 10 to 12 hours at a stretch.. all continously standing!

These hapless women from poor surroundings and most of them with families to look after are paid very meagre salaries. They get some Rs.2400/= per month. From this measly amount they get, they have to part with Rs.800/= to the agency as their commission.So on an average, they get Rs.53/= per day, when a male labourer in Kerala earn anything between Rs.250-300 per day and a female labourer earn around Rs.200/= per day. Is it not a sheer and 'dignified' exploitation of women at the hands of the contractor and the hospital?

The matter does not end here. Has the hospital, which boasts of health care for all, ever thought of the health hazards and risks caused to these indigent women under their nose by making them to keep on standing for long hours ? The constant standing by women for long hours would expose them to abdominal and gynaecological disorders , making irreparable losses in their lives.Their internal organs are getting incapacitated due to the long physical endurances of this sort. Not knowing this, they are doing their job with a smile, disregarding all odds and risks...all for a little earnings.

Kerala is a progressive state ruled by the Left Democratic Front led by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) with all safeguards for good working conditions for labourers.We have also a Labour welfare department and a Commission for Women here to monitor the working conditions of labourers and to safeguard the interests of women. Hundreds of people including political leaders, social workers and Government officials visit the hospital daily. Don't they see the sad plight of these women? The miserable plight of these women continues to haunt my mind.

Something should be done to protect these women from the sheer exploitation and injustice they are subjected to.

Pramod

Obinna Ekwom, a 32-year-old Nigerian youth is now happy, thanks to the doctors at the Baby Memorial Hospital here, after undergoing a long traumatic and painful period following a grievous injury afflicted on his ear by an attacker, almost damaging his ear.A victim of attack at his home town in Enugu in Nigeria in July last, in which the top part of his ear was bitten off, Obinna had almost lost his ear.

The search for a proper and effective treatment at affordable cost to reconstruct his damaged ear through the internet took Obinna to the far-flung place in another continent, the Baby Memorial Hospital in Calicut, Kerala state, in India.A final and complicated ear reconstruction surgery was performed on him last week at the hospital under the leadership of Dr.KrishnaKumar,Surgeon and expert in plastic surgery.

A two-part surgery by Dr.Krishnakumar and his team of doctors at the hospital helped him get his ear reconstructed.

He came to the hospital in July last,2007 for the surgery procedure. The first phase of the surgery was done in July, where the ear was reconstructed with a new cartilage taken from the side of the ear.He came back to the hospital last week and has just finished the second part of the surgery." The two parts took more than 16 hours.Its an intricate and difficult surgery, requiring precision,expertise and creativity." according to Dr.Krishnakumar.

Now the ear has been completely reconstructed to match the other ear, giving much relief and happiness to Obinna.

During his ordeal time also, Obinna had happy moments .Wedding bells were ringing for him.He got married on November 17 to Chei.She was here with him for part two of the surgery.Recuperating at the hospital with Chei by his side, Obinna said he had a pleasant and wonderful experience in Calicut.He enjoyed the city, especially the beach and food.

contented with his ear reconstructed and full, Obinna flew back to Nigeria on Sunday,December 9th.

Pramod from Calicut University.

The bond of love and blood has no comparison.Marchelle, an Argentine lady of 42 years , has been on a long and unending search for her mother for the last 25 years. Seems incredible? The fair lady from Beunes Aires, who has now turned to the holy and spiritual path by adopting 'Adwaitha Vedanta' reached the port city of Calicut in Kerala the other day with the hopes of locating her mother here.She now got the information that her mother hailed from Calicut and her long pursuit in search of her took Marchelle over here.

Merchelle was actually born to Indian parents in Beunes Aires.Immediately after her birth, her Indian parents entrusted her to an Argentine couple and returned to India.

Similar to the scenes in an emotion-choked movie sequence, Merchelle came to know about her real parents only after her teens.Her foster-mother Clara revealed her that her mother was an Indian .Her long journey in search of her roots began then.She was hopeful that she would come across her mother somewhere one day.As part of her untiring exercise, she visited many parts of India looking for her parents, but to no avail.Of late , she got some credible information that her mother actually hailed from Calicut, and her name was Sujatha Nair.

She immediately came to Calicut with her intense expectation of a dream-come-true with a re-union.But this time also, her hope remained as a dream only.She could not still make a break-through in her long journey in search of her dear-ones.

Along with her journey through India, Marchelle found the inner aspects of the humanism and mysticism and was attracted to Indian spirituality.She was drawn to the Adwaitha Vedanta of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi. Giving up all the materialistic things in life, she chose the path of the pure austere life and adopted the name 'Manisha Chaitanya. She is now staying as a sanyasin in the Arsha Vidya Gurukula in Coimbatore.She wants to fully dedicate herself to the path of holiness after completing her pursuit. 'I have to see her, if she is alive. Thats my intense desire in life.'Says Marchelle.

- Pramod