This is in response to the write up “Demeaning doctors, misleading patients” by Dr. Mushtaq Ahmad Chalkoo written on June 19, 2010, Saturday. He says that people from the streams like Unani, Homeopathic, Vertinary, Ph.D , D. Lit, Dietary, Chemistry, Ayurvedic, Physiotherapy, Magneto therapy, Acupuncture therapy and Practitioners sweepingly prefix the word, ‘doctor’ with their names, which is wrong and unfair. The writer may be right in his contention with regard to the medical streams where the word is nowadays prefixed even with the name of a Medical Assistant but he is wrong with regard to degree holders of Ph. D and D. Lit. The writer’s misapprehension of the importance of a thinker or intellectual has made him to undermine the role and weight/magnitude of a researcher or intellectual in the society  
    Just as Medical Science is essential for physical survival, writers, intellectuals and scholars are essential for intellectual sustenance. They influence the minds of men and can change their minds radically and one idea in a book, column or thesis may be ample food for thought for a lifetime. They have the power to captivate a human mind. Besides they can make a public opinion and reform  or transform the moral, social and political tone of human society. Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (RA) with his honesty, sincerity, scholarship and intellect transformed our lives and brought us out from light to darkness and from disgrace to grace. And Hobbs gave impetus to the war of 1642 and Lock to the revolution of 1688. Voltaire and Rousseau with their clear and fiery ideas contributed to the French Revolution. Dickens launched a tirade against the industrialization, dehumanization of man. Bankim Chandra Chatterjee as a writer spirited and inspired the freedom fighters. Munshi Premchand, Rabindranath Tagore, Arbindo Ghosh and many others helped to mould society’s attitudes. Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela changed the destiny of their nations as leaders and as writers. Jawaharlal Nehru though cunning and clever as a politician, was simple and unambiguous in his language as an intellectual and inspired the youth of his country. Above all these greats, our Poet of the East and Poet of Islam with his straightforward ideas, revolutionary and avant-garde ideas changed the course of history for the Muslims of the world and put spirit of competition and sense of fighting for elevation among the Muslim youth through his revolutionary verses. 
   It is the duty of a writer or columnist to be clear, simple and comprehensible to his readers and not confuse them with his vague, complex, and irrelevant thoughts. His choice should be to talk on such themes which are relevant and useful for the society. Moreover, his subject must be objective and he or she must not confuse his readers.
  The write up of Dr. Chalkoo is subjective because he deals with such a topic which suits to his own benefit. He is embarrassed that his fraternity belonging to other streams use the same name plate ‘doctor’ as he uses and he believes this has brought disgrace to his profession. The writer thinks that this tantamount to quackery.  The writer is totally confused in his assertion with regard to the Ph.D and D. Lit researchers.  The Ph. D means doctor of Philosophy and D. lit means Doctor of Literature and those who are awarded these degrees are permitted to prefix their names with ‘doctor’. These are the academic degrees and are given after extensive study, significant documentation, thesis, project work and research. The holders of such degrees have been given a legal right by the constitutions passed by the parliament and also by the apex academic institutions of the country. Moreover, the D. Lit degree at times is conferred upon great thinkers, leaders, scientists, literary personalities of the world for their exemplary contributions. If an M.B.B.S degree holder who is simply a graduate is entitled to prefix his name with ‘doctor’ why not a Ph. D or D.Lit holder. 
The society needs a medical doctor as well as an intellectual or scholar for its development at all levels. It is not only medical science which is important but all the streams or subjects are important. True Medical doctor treats physical ailments of a human being and enables him to have better healthy life but an intellectual, researcher or thinker treats more important ailments of a human being. It is the scholar, or teacher who makes a medical doctor also and this fact has been ignored by the writer. He provides him moral, spiritual, religious, emotional and aesthetic treatments and makes him a dignified human being.
We must not ignore that life lies beyond medical science.

(Feedback at farooq_peer@yahoomail.com and drfarooqpeer@gmail.com)

Lastupdate on : Tue, 22 Jun 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 22 Jun 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 23 Jun 2010 00:00:00 IST