Sharing one’s life story is daunting. Who am I to do this when hundreds have lived lives much more worthy of emulation? I do realize, though, that God had used even me from humble beginnings , guided and blessed me with opportunities denied to many and enabled me to change some lives. The chain goes on.
My mother Dr. Aruliya Manickavasagam belonged to one of the early batches from CMC. She as a single woman, had been travelling day and night in bullock carts, attending to obstetric emergencies and other health needs, with bare minimum facilities in the thirties. She had migrated to Sri Lanka because of her marriage. Her life wasn’t a bed of roses but with patience, humility and strong faith in her maker she led the way. Serving God and people around was the purpose of our lives as we were told. This resolve was strengthened and fuelled by the anecdotes she shared with me about her years in CMC and challenging period in Madurai, and Theni districts in Tamilnadu. No wonder I wanted to follow in her footsteps.
I had begun my career in 1969 when CMC Vellore, decided to admit me for the MBBS course. My father an activist for human rights and a renowned builder in Jaffna had expired just a month earlier
My undergraduate years at CMC did not just teach me medicine alone. It imprinted in my mind, values of humility embodied in my distinguished teachers, spirituality, the need for clinical acumen and team work, overarching dependence on God, priority for the poor, inclusiveness, compassion and integrity
At the point of completion of my internship in 1975, my motherland Sri Lanka, was reeling under ethnic violence, and many Tamils were emigrating. My mother, was longing to return to India. So I decided against going back to Jaffna and had my bond with CSI transferred to Chennai CSI diocese.
Marriage to Jacob, who was working with Adivasis, took me to Koraput Orissa in 1976. After some time we had to return to Tamilnadu due to family situations and worked in Erode CSI and Rainey hospitals.
Witnessing the lives of the tribal communities in Koraput had sensitized me to the fact that health is just one felt need that has to be met. But it was at Rainey hospital Chennai where I was doing my bond that I developed my passion for public health. I found that a lot of women patients from poor households were anemic and malnourished. Just giving treatment was not the answer. The underlying reasons had to be sorted out.
At this juncture CMC gave me another opportunity of learning from its vast and inspiring resources. Yes, I got admission for a MD in Community Medicine in the year 1981. It was tough, shifting to Vellore and juggling my work and home. My daughter was 2 years old, and my mother with heart issues needed my care. My family pitched in. The curriculum there was expansive. Dodd library was a treasure of knowledge for understanding health from a holistic perspective. Apart from theory classes, rural work, low cost health care and dissertation, the practical approaches of and informal sessions of discussions with taught me how one could bring lasting social changes even through health care. In mid-1984 after completing my studies I went back home enthusiastic and confident to take on the world.
Jacob and I along with 5 other leaders / professionals started an NGO with a vision to empower the marginalized in India. Our primary involvement was Community based Preparedness against natural disaster with focus on Cyclones and floods. This was prompted by the Super cyclone in AP in the seventies. As a team we underwent training in rescue, evacuation, health and disasters, early warning system, policies, and developed training modules and placed a disaster preparedness core group of local people in every village in coastal AP,
Our NGO worked in the coastal communities in united Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nādu and Orissa. The focus was on empowerment of Dalits, fisher folk and tribal communities, leadership building, informal banking, gender I gradually learnt that social justice and access to health care were crucial if permanent changes have to be brought in. It was a harsh and unjust world I was exposed to and I plunged into it head on. Addressing basic health care issues, discrimination of caste/ethnicity and gender, extending support and building up local leadership was satisfying but also daunting given the problems we were up against. Every small step forward gave me satisfaction.
Working with communities, government systems international institutions was demanding and at times frustrating. We were all working for the same cause but there were so many barriers at times between the people wanting a better world! But the faith of the people and the immense need for service kept me going.
Community based rehabilitation of persons with Disability, HIV AIDS-preventive, palliative care and advocacy, health rights, Primary health care in very remote areas, secondary care hospital in rural Tamilnadu, Training of health-workers and advocacy at national and international levels are some major areas where I believe we made a difference.
Inactive government health systems, derogatory approach to the poor, violence against women, and corrupt private health sector were some areas that we had to encounter and confront. There were threats, disappointments, malice, wilful slander that we had to live with too.
By joining the networks such as Breastfeeding network in India (BFNI), Women’s global network for reproductive rights(WGNRR), Pesticide Action Network- Asia Pacific (Pan AP), WABA, we were able to lobby for Reproductive rights, policies against pesticides, unethical marketing of infant formulas, destruction of mangroves for inland fisheries, and protection of coastal zone for fishers, to name a few. Some of these were debated at international level and yielded policies favorable to the poor. These networks taught me that commitment, boldness, allies, research and facts, advocacy at grass root national, and international levels, gaining strength from each other, respecting each other’s strengths, willingness to learn and integrity can unbend even strong powers.
I have had the privilege to train and evaluate health and development programs of NGOs in India, Myanmar, Nepal and Afghanistan. Travelling by taxi to Myanmar borders of Thailand I was humbled by the determination and resilience shown by youth and their leaders such as Dr. Cynthia Maung (for some a latter day ‘Mother Teresa of Burma), to provide health care to those across the border under military oppression. The risks taken by TearFund for example to live in Kabul and other cities amidst serious threats to lives exposed me to how they live their talk.
Chilakaluripet in Guntur district is known for prostitution and HIV AIDS epidemic claimed a lot of lives there. At the time where local doctors were afraid to touch those infected, it was my privilege to start the HIV AIDS palliative care later supported partly by the National Lutheran health and Medical Board where late Dr. Shyam Prasad, my classmate was in charge. . It was a low cost effort at the time when NACO had not started providing free drugs or testing. Many were able to live longer as their basic health needs were met and opportunistic infections treated as much as possible. Many breathed their last in our Shanthi Nilayam We worked in tandem with HIV AIDS networks there. Counselling, advocacy and care of children were part of the package. It was a rewarding experience to have the affection of the sex workers and their related community. The team of young staff I had was excellent.
Since the last two decades I have been working as an academician and am able to share the CMC values with students, colleagues in the area of community medicine. I feel this is even more essential given the commercial ethos of our society.
We enjoyed a skilled and committed team of professionals and staff to work along with us. Those who supported us believed in us. It was a great privilege to have had teachers, family and some sojourners who instilled the right values in me, gave me the skills, supported me when I failed, and chastised me when I went wrong.
One of our great joys has been that many colleagues who came to us and worked with us and moved on to work with similar causes and issues still refer to their time with us as one of learning, camaraderie and of solidarity. They continue to uphold the values I hold dear and in that way I feel we have been parents to many!
Where did the strength and direction come from? It was the conviction that this was a mission for which we have been chosen and equipped. The smile of relief on a suffering woman’s face and her new found self-confidence are enough to keep you going. This is what Jesus would have us do. So whatever the circumstances were, we knew He was beside us and would see us through.
Looking back, I realize that I have had a rich life with my share of challenges and joys, ups and downs. God used me, a Public health person, in non-conventional ways tackling generic issues such as inequalities in social structure, power of the haves over the have-nots, and new forms of oppressions and slavery. I owe a lot to my Alma Mater for molding my youth and equipping me. We are grateful that our daughter Angeline has also turned out as a strong woman, an educationist, and activist in the UK.
Many a time, I had willed my life to be different but in retrospect can only be thankful that I yielded to Him as His ways were certainly better than mine Do I have any regret? Yes I should have returned to Jaffna soon after my medical training, because that was the right thing to do. My path may have been different. But God has a wonderful way of making right our wrongs.
It has been an exciting and fulfilling journey indeed.
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