The 5 P’s of Mass Gatherings

I was privileged to have been invited in the recent past to give a TEDx talk at IISER Pune.

For those of you who are not aware, the IISER institutes were established by the Government of India at Berhampur, Bhopal, Kolkata, Mohali, Pune, Thiruvananthapuram and Tirupati to integrate and promote interdisciplinary science education and research. Over the past decade, the IISERs have been attracting talented young minds who want to pursue ‘pure sciences’. Through my interactions with the Faculty members at IISER Pune (my dear friend John with the theatrical talent and the literary bent of mind being the main man), while I was on the teaching faculty at the Armed Forces Medical College, I had the opportunity to academically interact with the students there, in person, on more than a few occasions , and came away impressed at their intellect , dedication and enthusiasm. It felt reassuring to learn that indeed the future of India as a scientific nation is well on its way to make its mark on time, with students such as those at the IISERs.

The Kumbh Mela in its various iterations is a phenomenal exposure to humanity, and not just the Coffee Table book variety, but the administrative machinations that are required for these…

Being a Public Health Specialist, I had acquired a taste for Mass Gathering Medicine , from early in my military career… hence when invited to give a TEDx talk at the IISER Pune, on a topic of my choice, well….

If you were to ask me today, on how this applies to the current COVID 19 pandemic, well I would say that crisis expansion facilities for those 80% of the corona virus infected, who do not need ICU facilities, the overwhelming majority, can be accommodated in ‘tent cities’ like the Kumbh Mela… We have the template ready… we have the tentage… Go ask the Wedding Planners.

This is India, we will survive.

Be safe