REMEMBER?

Fiery Orator, Satish Sonak has a habit of reminding his audience that in our increasingly violent world torn by riots, bloodshed and indifference it has become necessary to repeatedly remind ourselves that we are human beings. How better the world would be if we could forget everything else and just remember that we and others are human beings.

Surely the essence of human being is to have reminiscence. It is recollection of the emotions and experiences that connects the past with the present and the concept of self emerges from this glue called memory. If memory is lost the very stuff which makes us human being will be lost.

Yesterday was World Alzheimer’s Day. Today 25 million suffer from memory loss due to Alzheimer’s disease that is invading the young and the old in our world. Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating disease of the nervous system that leads to progressive degeneration of brain cells. Seemingly innocuous lapses of memory, progress gradually into stark decline of mental abilities. Victims show marked changes in behaviour, mood, thinking and intellectual tasks. Memory, judgment and systematic thought processing takes a beating and normal life is badly affected. The progression of the disease differs with patients, though detecting the disease early can be crucial to effective management of the condition. As the disease takes a toll on the mental abilities of the patients, they are completely dependent on their care givers to carry out daily tasks.

When a patient starts showing its symptoms, we become impatient and label him insane, lunatic or mad. Consigning them to a bleak cell or a dangerous street, we forget all about them. Why do we forget to remember? Can we spare a thought for unattended Alzheimer's patients? Can our society remember its responsibilities to the ones who forget?

If to be responsive and responsible, we can remember…
The situation of the Alzheimer’s patients will surely be better

- Pravin-da