Kids can persuade elders not to smoke to prevent cancer: A Day with school kids

Blog 11th July 2009-07
Kids can persuade elders not to smoke to prevent cancer: A Day with school kids
Last week a lady Maithil teacher, Mrs. Magandhi Jha came to me with her colleague(her headmistress, Mrs. Pamigrahi) for some of the medical consultation and knowing that she was heading a DAV school, I narrated an incident of many years back when a NTS holder girl did reply me ,”Dayanada was a poet.”
I told the headmistress that kids should be informed about the healthy habits and also about the great men of our country. She asked me that she would like I visited her school any day.
I said that I do not keep pending my work and incidentally this second Saturday(11.7.’09) I am in town,
As decided I was reminded on 10th when I was at radio station recording a talk on heart attack (and the recorder was amazed to know that first time he listened that it was due to less blood supply to the organ heart itself which is supplying blood to all other organs.)

In the evening and next morning I was busy in finding National Medicos Organisation’s school health card which we were using some years back. Due to three shifting of residence in between all papers and files of NMO were in shambles and some work to that effect was done with his regard with my nephew Deepak who has just been admitted to a medical college for MBBS.
Though I could find one very old performa, I could not find the one I was searching. The car was sent from the school in time and I went to DAV Ashok Nagar School’s old premises, I was welcomed by Mrs. Panigrahi and saw few books on her table- Swami Agnivesh’s book as well as Satyarth Prakash and a souvenir which she said that it was for me to give after the function. I saw Preamble of Indian Constitution in Hindi written as Uddyeshika and I said Prastavana would have been proper as Uddyeshika is a word first time I read and carries no meaning more than Objective.
We went to new campus, few kilometres away. It was raining and the season, I saw the school had notice board where one shloka was written mentioning truth as the biggest thing in the world.
Mrs. Magadhi Jha had arranged boys of class VI, VII and VIII (girls I had instructed to talk separately for obvious reason on ‘sex education’ related things) and their class teachers were there. Headmistress introduced me. For me it was a unique occasion. Talking to kids is difficult than you address adults and intellectuals.
I started with asking the students definition of health and was amazed to know that they could say WHO definition;” Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well being not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” I congratulated them that I knew that in my MBBS and added the spiritual also to it which is an accepted norm,
I asked how body was made- “of bones and muscles’ cells etc, they replied to which I said, “Khiti, Jal ,Pawak, gagan sameera, panch bhut yah adham sharira..”

They told cell makes tissue, tissues organ and organs system- I was surprised over their advanced knowledge.
I asked ,”which is the biggest organ and many replies came from liver to brain to small intestine-I said it was small so big must be someone else.
Then I said it was skin and told them healthy skin was not fair one and one should not wear moist clothes to avoid fungal diseases..
And so on I talked giving tips on every system for some 90 minutes and many questions I tried to reply. I enthused them to ask and many good questions came. One boy asked about rabies and I told them to flush with water for many minutes rather full tank on your would as soon as possible and meet doctor afterwards.
A question came on cancer and I said boys can prevent by persuading father not to smoke.
Few days back ex-president Dr. Kalam had said boys can prevent corruption by asking their father not to be corrupt and it was in my mind.
One boy asked how stamina can be more- by remaining healthy and aiming higher I said.
The other asked about eyes and I said not to touch with hands frequently and eat a carrot.
I asked them to avoid toffees and sweets. Have their birthdays with fruits to save their teeth by chewing more. And so many advices I gave.
I said they should not have tuition and have proper sleep and be ready for bad results- no attempt to suicide in frustration.
I asked about Swami Dayanada’s life and though replied correctly he was born in present Gujarat his foundation of Arya Samaja was get confused by someone for 1883 when he was died and in fact I was knowing correctly 1875, I too did lose my confidence though I said the Tithi correctly , Varsh pratipada or Chitra shukla 1; I had read in a paper while I was searching the health card.
Only question from a teacher was about complaints of lack of attention and I tried to reply in most candid manner that apart from some diseases it was due to lack of sleep and not knowing proper reading method- first read like a novel and then read intensively a chapter or a book.
When I asked who will aim to become doctor surprisingly only two hands were up in a crowd of some 200 and I encouraged them. Later teacher said that only one boy among two was a serious one who was son of a nurse and is hardly coping his studies though he stood first in class.
I feel such brilliant students should take up biology and study medicine ,if they need some help I may extend so for which I am conducting regular examination of ISc students and am calling them to my house to reside for three months preparation fro PMT.

I also thought a day will come when country will not have good doctors- our health is not safe in mediocre hands, I feel I should go frequently such schools and enthuse some to aim to be doctors.
I was presented books. After coming I turned up pages and was delighted to see Sanskrit part in souvenir, Swami Agnivesh’s book’s few chapters I read and I found in him a feel of some politics though he hated RSS-VHP. I felt any Hindu activist (including Arya Samajis should be pragmatic). I always found RSS workers reverent to Swami Dayanada.
Swami Dayanada’s Satyarth rakash’s few verses I tried to read but could not concentrate for the time being but at random I found his strong criticism to Hindu’s idol worship and awtars which I feel may not be appealing to many.