Wednesday 26 April 2017

‘BAPU’ STAMP AND OTHER STAMPS SELLING FOR A FORTUNE


 
Bapu stamp sold for $855,000!

Bapu was in the news Down Under …..not exactly for austerity. A mystery Australian collector paid $855,000 for four Bapu stamps at auction last week. This collector has set a new world record after paying a small fortune for one of the world's rarest and most-mysterious stamps. The collector bought the strip of four 1948 Gandhi 10-rupee purple-brown 'SERVICE' stamps and it is said that only 13 of these stamps exist in private collections around the world.

The price paid is a new high-water mark for Indian stamps. This is the most sought-after stamp in Indian collection. Only two sheets of 50 were ever printed in 1948, with one sheet held in a museum in Delhi. Of the remainder only 13 have been located, four of which are held in the Queen's royal collection. It is not known what happened to the rest of the stamps, with rumours abounding they are being secretly held in private collections, or have been sold by Indian government members or simply lost! The stamp's rarity, combined with an explosion in interest in Indian stamps, underpins the price paid. So you see even after they are long gone Gujaratis fetch a lot of money!!

In the world of high-end stamp collecting, the most valuable stamps are those that have been used on an envelope – known as "on cover". None of the 13 existing Bapu stamps is an "on cover", and most of the collecting communities do not believe any exist.

Penny Black
Postage stamps have facilitated the delivery of mail since the 1840s. Before then, ink and hand-stamps (hence the word 'stamp'), usually made from wood or cork, were often used to frank the mail and confirm the payment of postage. The first adhesive postage stamp, commonly referred to as the Penny Black, was issued in the United Kingdom in 1840. The invention of the stamp was part of an attempt to reform and improve the postal system in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, which, in the early 19th century, was in disarray and rife with corruption. 

There are varying accounts of the inventor or inventors of the stamp. Before the introduction of postage stamps, mail in the UK was paid for by the recipient, a system that was associated with an irresolvable problem: the costs of delivering mail were not recoverable by the postal service when recipients were unable or unwilling to pay for delivered items, and senders had no incentive to restrict the number, size, or weight of items sent, whether or not they would ultimately be paid for. The postage stamp resolved this issue in a simple and elegant manner, with the additional benefit of room for an element of beauty to be introduced. As postage stamps with their engraved imagery began to appear on a widespread basis, historians and collectors began to take notice. 

The study of postage stamps and their use is referred to as philately. Stamp collecting can be both a hobby and a form of historical study and reference, as government-issued postage stamps and their mailing systems have always been involved with the history of nations. Stamp collectors are an important source of revenue for some small countries that create limited runs of elaborate stamps designed mainly to be bought by stamp collectors. The stamps produced by these countries may far exceed their postal needs. 

Stamp collecting may seem a bit old fashioned. But with 20million collectors in China alone, you may want to shake the dust off the family albums. Rare stamps are selling for hundreds of thousands of rupees / dollars / Euros/ pounds. A stamp becomes rare when it is really old, when it has a history attached to it, when it gets printed with an error and so are in limited numbers.

Penny Red
The most expensive stamp Stanley Gibbons has sold is a British Penny Red, for £550,000 - not bad for a piece of paper. It’s in really poor condition, but there are only nine in the world. The Post Office decided the printing plate was not up to scratch, so they destroyed it. But one sheet got into circulation.

The Penny Black is one of the world’s most iconic stamps. Because it’s the world’s first stamp, it’s very valuable. Rare Penny Blacks are valued at tens of thousands of pounds and have increased in price for decades.

The British Guiana One Cent Magenta is only one left in the world. At the time, all the colonies had to wait for stamps to arrive from the UK. The boat was delayed, and the postmaster created his own collection of stamps. This stamp was auctioned in New York for $9.5million (£6.4million). It’s in
Guiana 1 cent
appalling condition and it was not even printed on proper Royal Mail stock. The postmaster of British Guiana produced the stamp, which measures at 1" x 1.25", in 1856 as part of a contingency supply while he awaited a shipment of stamps from Great Britain. He created two varieties of stamps: Four-cent stamps and one-cent stamps. While several four-cent stamps from this supply still exist, only 1 one cent stamp exists today from this batch. It was rediscovered in a collection by a 12-year-old boy in 1873, then sold to numerous collectors over the years. It accrued in value until the infamous John Eleuthère du Pont bought it for $935,000 in 1980. Du Pont, a wealthy heir to a chemical fortune, was convicted in 1997 of murdering Olympic wrestler David Schultz. He was sentenced to 13 to 30 years in prison, and died there at the age of 67 in 2010. In his will, which was contested several times by his family members, du Pont designated 20% of the stamp's proceeds to the wildlife foundation he funded, and 80% to former wrestler Valentin Jordanov Dimitrov.

Inverted Jenney
The Inverted Jenney is an American stamp was of a stunt plane and they printed it upside down. Then they realized what they had done and recalled it. The Tyrian Plum was issued in the reign of Edward VII, but it actually came out the day he died. It was immediately withdrawn, but a tiny handful got into the market and is valued at over £100,000. The Roses error was a stamp from 1978 which was worth 13p and is now worth £130,000. The quirk about the stamp is the 13p did not get printed for some reason. There are only three in the world. The Queen owns two. The Whole country is red- This modern stamp was commissioned by Chairman Mao to represent communism over the whole of China. But by a complete error, the designer left Taiwan in white. This was massively controversial - he thought he would be going to prison for treason. The stamp was hurriedly recalled.
Rose error

The Whole Country is Red....but Taiwan is white!


So such errors make a stamp rare, rare enough to fetch a fortune! But honestly, did the loin cloth clad Bapu ever dream of the day when his 10 rupee stamp would fetch $855,000 for a strip of four! Great going Bapu!!

Sunday 23 April 2017

LIVE SURGERIES IN SURGICAL CONFERENCES – EDUCATIONAL OR SENSATIONAL?






There is no doubt in my mind that it's vital to share knowledge and experiences with peers in the medical fraternity. Live surgeries offer educational value and live surgical workshops have become very common throughout the span of the surgical field. However, are we not making this look far more sensational in its 'live' avatar? Why shouldn't the same surgery be presented as a properly edited video, taped while the operator was operating in his own operating environment? Will that not be far safer for both patient and the surgeon? Will that not be far more value for time for the viewing trainees and delegates and lastly will that not be far more ethical for the surgical fraternity? Are we on to something more educational or are we promoting something more sensational?

Using web conferencing as a tool, beaming live surgeries has become one of the most attractive and efficient way to demonstrate, explain and teach surgical or medical techniques to an audience of peers watching it from various locations, often continents apart! In a country like India it is argued that this opportunity brings the rural surgeons closer to their urban peers. This exercise provides a dynamic educational platform for the audience through which knowledge is shared by the experts performing these surgeries with first hand visuals of the operation and the two-way communication with the participants during the live procedures. As participants get an opportunity to observe the live procedure with decisions taken on real time, they are also exposed to unexpected challenges and other unforeseen intricacies of a surgery. However, it is from these unforeseen and unexpected challenges that my objections to these live surgical workshops take birth. The value of video images in disseminating surgical knowledge is immense and unequivocally true, but why 'live' broadcasts? Supporters for these programmes argue that a live telecast somehow brings energy, honesty and the drama and teaches the audience to deal with unexpected complications. However, at the same time this brings sensationalism and thrill at the expense of the helpless patient.

The conference organizers today make the 'live demonstration' the main focus to promote a meeting and create a lot of hype around it. The audience is promised 'a visual treat' and the delegates come with the main intention of watching surgical feats on a big screen. The entire focus of a conference often shifts to the live workshop sessions and there is hardly any audience for the panel discussions and papers. In fact, it is not uncommon for conference organizers to cancel other events when the live operative sessions overshoot the scheduled time. However, it is time to ask a pertinent question - is this visual treat doing any good to anybody? There are three parties involved in this interaction - the visiting surgeon, the learning audience and most certainly patient. Let us analyse with a cool mind who is being benefitted.


 The Visiting Surgeon



He/she has come from a distant land tired and jet lagged he often sees patient for the first time in the pre-operative room, although if he was delivering a prior lecture, he might not be even that lucky and the patient may be anaesthetized well before he arrives in the operating theatre. So the pre-operative planning is discussed on still photographs or on a sleeping patient lying supine with no inputs from him/her. Even if he has an opportunity to interact with patient due to language difficulties, he has very little chance of making a clinical assessment of the indication for the procedure. In the OR, an overseas surgeon invariably finds himself in an alien environment, with an unfamiliar bunch of assistants, inexperienced in assisting the proposed surgery and a less than optimal set of instruments, simply because they are not his own. Talking while operating can divert the attention of the surgeon, but this is what he plans to do throughout the surgery! He knows that the physician in him should avoid situations that put patient at risk of harm, but does he have a choice? If multi-tasking is prohibited for mundane tasks like driving, why should it be allowed for more demanding tasks like surgery? It has already been proven that accidents are often caused while talking over a mobile phone. How is a microphone different from a mobile phone in this context? Is sensationalism not overtaking professionalism here?

If a suitable patient or implant was not arranged by the organizers even then the visiting surgeon is under pressure to 'deliver' because he has been touted as an expert and that is exactly what the audience is expecting him to do! He also has his own set of pre-operative preparations and post-operative instructions and he knows fully and teaches repeatedly that both are vital for the success of his surgery, but chances are that he will not be around to monitor either! How many experts have declined to do a procedure because they cannot see a good indication when confronted with patient on the table and an expectant audience? How many experts check on key environmental factors that they take for granted at home - such as local practices for disinfection, antibiotic prophylaxis, sedation and monitoring. If it appears that the local practices are different, should the surgeon insist on his own standards or bend them for the benefit of 'the show'? Can a teacher and an expert afford to make these compromises? Again are all decisions in live surgery workshops taken in the best interests of patient? It is possible that the operating surgeon feels compelled to continue with an operation as it has been advertised by the organizers. So is this live surgical workshop good for the visiting surgeon?


 The Audience



The argument that such workshops fill the void created by the inability of postgraduate training programmes to expose students to new operative techniques has its limitations since these workshops are a poor alternative to structured teaching. The planning session with patient in these workshops is either missing or unstructured and anaemic and a detailed discussion on the indications, pre-operative preparation, investigations, post-operative care as well as complications is hardly ever taking place.

Walker and Peyton
 of the Royal College of Surgeons  [Walker M, Peyton JW. Teaching in theatre. In: Peyton JW, editor. Teaching and Learning in Medical Practice. Rickmansworth, UK: Manticare Europe Ltd.; 1998. p. 171-80] have popularized the four steps to effective learning of procedural skills:


  • Demonstration: Trainer demonstrates at normal speed, without commentary
  • Deconstruction: Trainer demonstrates while describing steps
  • Comprehension: Trainer demonstrates while learner describes steps
  • Performance: Learner demonstrates while learner describes steps.


This four step approach ensures that the teacher breaks the process into manageable steps and progress is made from one stage to the next as each step is mastered. Watching a master surgeon demonstrate his/her art is only one step in the process of learning. Divorcing the first step from the subsequent three, whilst may be useful for the few experienced senior surgeons in the audience, can have disastrous consequences for the more junior inexperienced surgeons and their patients. There is a serious danger of some degree of oversimplification of the operative process as, often in well-organized workshops, well-selected patients are operated upon by the best surgeons with the best of equipment and back-up. It is not uncommon therefore to hear of how surgeons try to emulate a certain procedure they have recently observed in a workshop and how the first two post-workshop weeks become most disaster prone for a young and impressionable surgeon. And finally, who all are sitting in the audience? Are you sure tomorrow you will not complain that after a weekend workshop on liposuction your neighboring dentist has now become a body contour specialist? So is this experience good for the training audience?


 The Patient



Is the patient clearly told that she/he will be the subject of a 'live' demonstration by a visiting faculty in front of a large audience? Does he/she know that the operating surgeon is unlikely to be available to deal with post-operative complications if they arise? How often does the visiting surgeon himself explain the procedure to the patient and family? Are the principles of a proper informed consent respected in the setting of such live workshops? Is the patient made aware of the fact that the surgeon may be tired after a long flight, harassed by a new band of assistants, hassled by unfamiliar set of instruments and constantly talking to an ever eager audience while operating upon him/her? Is it all right with him/her that he/she is not getting the surgeon's 100% attention, which he/she deserves?

In live surgeries, patient details are announced and patients seen by more people than they may be comfortable with. Often, a patient may feel coerced to consent as otherwise a foreign surgeon/expert may not operate, but is he/she prepared to share his/her medical condition and grief with a hall full of aliens? I have seen overseas surgeons purchasing drills and bits from hardware stores in developing countries and using them in surgery the next day. Was the patient informed about such innovations while obtaining the consent for surgery? So are these live workshops good for patients?

It is also no coincidence that this boom of live surgical workshops has come at a time when technology has entered surgery in a big way; the best examples being the fields of implantology, endoscopy and laparoscopy. A huge and ever-growing medical equipment industry provides the main funds for these workshops as for them it is a ready-made opportunity to display and promote their gadgets and wares. Often, the unwritten trade-off for such funding is the promise of subtle promotion through the medium of the workshop. It can also not be denied that these workshops are essentially a part of a grand marketing strategy for many 5 star hospitals and corporate institutes. Thus, the form and content is often designed to promote the host institution or a particular procedure or equipment or even an individual, rather than representing a well thought out scientific and educational activity. There are a variety of factors that create the background for a certain compulsion on one hand for the organisers and on the other, for the visiting surgeon to 'perform' the procedure in front of an expectant audience and it takes a great deal of courage and conviction for most people to resist such pressure, which has the potential of transgressing both science and ethics.

So what is a better alternative? Edited videos - it would be better for the procedure to be recorded and replayed frame by frame. The surgeon will be in a better position to explain the procedure after it has been completed. However, in edited videos, most experts would gloss over mistakes or difficulties and there lies the human factor in a teacher. Telemedicine, with operations performed by persons in their own environment, is an excellent option but may be beyond the reach of many institutions today. Too often, live surgery contains endless stretches of technical details that have little educational merit. Technical difficulties, delays in the procedure itself and problems with audio-video signal feed add to the chaos. Isn't a well-edited surgical video, with narration and figures, added later by the surgeon, after thoughtful review, a far better alternative. It saves time and teaches more and protects both the surgeon and his patient.

Monday 10 April 2017

ATITHI DEVO BHAVA – GUEST IS GOD





There is verse from the Taittiriya Upanishad, Shikshavalli I.20 that says: “matrudevo bhava, pitrudevo bhava, acharyadevo bhava, atithidevo bhava”. It literally means “be one for whom the Mother is God, be one for whom the Father is God, be one for whom the Teacher is God, be one for whom the guest is God.” Atithi Devo Bhava, it is not just a catchy line to promote tourism but is a beautiful tradition that is deep rooted in Indian culture. The host-guest relationship in India is truly one of the most revered relationships. The unique practice of giving utmost importance, respect and preferential treatment to the guests is certainly not a practice monopolized by we Indians but we do have a way of going pleasantly overboard and do somethings the guests remember all their lives.  ‘Atithi Satkar’ meaning to welcome the guest with warmth and respect is a practice seen in all villages and all across our socio-economic spectrum.

In our attempt to treat guests like God no distinction is made based on the guests’s nationality. caste, colour or creed and he/she is showered with all love, care and affection the host can think of. Despite high degree of cultural and geographical diversity in the country, these sentiments towards the guests stay the same throughout the vast expanse of our country.

But Atithi Devo Bhava, has lost its true essence and spirit over the sands of time. Today trade globalization that has helped modernize India, but this process has also begun to erode our culture. Today where everything travels the fast lane, how much time do we devote towards our rich, age old culture? Do we truly lead our lives in this spirit? Atithi Devo Bhava, is an important part of the Indian culture which may soon be lost with time and a country with a lost culture is simply without an identity.

Today culture and morality are not going hand in hand and so tourists often don’t find India a very welcoming destination. Whereas 99% of the tourists love what they see and feel, the odd tourist is often left disillusioned by the corrupt and the immoral. Thus India holds a conservative approach towards many issues unlike western countries and also a tendency of taking things for granted, be it a matter of cleanliness or crime, nobody seems bothered.  Theft, robbery, cheating, molestation and roguish acts against tourists were unheard of once upon a time but are tainting our tourism industry today. Promoting your business is one thing, but asking for 10 on 1 is nothing else but cheating. Do we treat our God in this way?

A tourist is not just a tourist; he/she is an ambassador for  spreading a good image of our country's warm, soothing hospitality, culture and safe environment. How shameful for us it would be as an Indian, when western countries issue security warnings for their people visiting India, to remain alert and safe, especially women, as they can be molested in India!

But we must not confuse mindset with culture. Though both supplement and complement each other, yet both are different from each other. The culture claims the concept of "Atithi Devo Bhava", that means the Guest is like God, but mindset is built on a hypocritical approach, where the cultural concept of treating guests like god becomes meaningless.

The Indian Government's "Atithi Devo Bhava" campaign is certainly an appreciable step and very effective one as well, especially for the younger generation. But people with sick mindset seldom watch and heed to such things. Sensitization is certainly important, but strict punishments and timely execution of them is need of the hour.

Let me now introduce you to a perfect example of our "Atithi Devo Bhava" culture. Recently Neeta and I  were in Hyderabad for our elder son Ananya'a convocation in Indian School of Business after the completion of his M.B.A. We arrived the day before the convocation and had an evening off. I was reminded of the fact that three of my friends who went to Kailas with me in September last year were staying in this city. So I picked up the phone and called our friend Bhaskar who, if you can remember from my Kailas blogs, can move mountains and nothing seems impossible for him. As it was expected we were picked up from the hotel in 20 minutes by his nephew Harish and then were driven 60 Km from Cyberabad to L. B. Nagar. It was evening; the sun had set when we entered the locality where he stayed.  We saw a group of musicians playing the drums and Nadswaram, a very difficult wind instrument. We naturally thought it was a baraat (a wedding ceremony where the groom is accompanied by a band of musicians and his friends who keep dancing to the tunes) but to our utter surprise Harish told us that this was an arrangement only for us! He showed us Shyamsundar’s house as we went past it. The musicians led our car to our host's home where we were given a traditional reception with garland, tilak and a warm hug, which will be difficult to forget in this lifetime. 






The musicians sat down and played for us as each member of the two families of my two friends welcomed us. This was followed by a traditional drink, tari, which I most respectfully declined. Tari is a palm wine - an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree and its inflorescence and is collected drop by drop in an earthen pot as a frothy fluid, which is strained through a piece of clean cloth and served fresh or stored as a cloudy liquid for future use.

Bhaskar, me, Shyam's father, Shyamsunder, his wife and Neeta
My tari was however  replaced by a second beverage, which was more like a herbal tea - coriander, pepper, cardamom, cinnamon, and many other stuff from Shyamsunder's collection. Shyam is Bhaskar's neighbor and we were given a conducted tour of his beautiful home with gorgeous pine wood interior! The dinner at Bhaskar’s place that followed was predominantly millet and was very tasty. We even received a call from our third Hyderabadi friend Venu, who was with us for the Kailas trip. He was caught up in a family function and he apologized profusely for not being present.

With the two families
The families of both Bhaskar and Shyamsunder were very loving and caring. Children were in different stages of education employment and the joy of living together could be felt easily by us who were visiting them for the first time!  4 generations were staying together and language was no barrier as I found Neeta engrossed in discussion with everyone from the elders to the youngest bride to the fantastic children. Shyam's son is a swimmer with Olympic dreams and we hope he brings glory to us all one day!.


What was most impressive about this interaction was that here were two families which have not given up on their traditions, remained in touch with its roots and yet has prospered tremendously and is planning to touch the sky! May God bless them! May God bless our country and may we, despite all odds of modernization, keep the culture of "Atithi Devo Bhava" close to our heart as Bhaskar and Shyamsunder have done so successfully.