Cancer is not a crime, corruption is, says Dr Shanta
01.03.2018
Ekatha.Ann@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Eminent cancer specialist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr V Shanta has admonished the managing director of Punjab National Bank for misusing the word “cancer” in the context of the recent banking scam.
In a letter to PNB managing director and chief executive officer Sunil Mehta, Dr Shanta shared her “outrage” at the scam being equated with cancer. “Corruption is a crime and something to be ashamed of; cancer is not,” wrote the Magsaysay award-winner, a pioneer in the field of cancer care.
At a press conference in New Delhi on February 15, Mehta said they had initiated criminal action against those involved in the ₹11,500 crore fraud in one of the bank’s Mumbai branches.
“We are not going to allow any wrongdoing to continue and will remove this cancer. From 2011, this cancer has continued. We are doing surgery and are removing it,” he said.
Dr Shanta, who a few years ago had written to the US consulate in Chennai after then US President Barack Obama made similar references, said the word cancer was often misused and appealed to people to stop doing so.
“We do not want the word cancer to be associated with guilt, hopelessness or dread. And definitely not with shame,” she wrote. “So do not try to find parallels where none exist. Do not mix cancer with corruption. Ever.”
Talking to TOI later, Dr Shanta said using cancer in a negative connotation added to the stigma of patients. “Corruption is criminal, cancer is not. Corruption is intentional, cancer is not,” she said, urging PNB’s head to remove the reference to cancer from his statement. “I am sure my colleagues working in the field of cancer prevention and cure will share my outrage,” said the 90-year-old who heads a cancer institute in Chennai.
The doctor’s letter triggered discussions in various social media platforms – some extended their support, a few shared their personal struggle with the disease, a third group discussed the usage of the word and its place in linguistics. “Cancer can also be used as a noun for an evil or destructive practice or phenomenon that is hard to contain or eradicate,” said a twitter user, attaching screenshots of a web page. “Anything that spreads quickly within the system is referred to as ‘cancer’ as in ‘cancerous growth’. Need not be taken literally by Dr Shantha,” said Badri Narayanan, another user.
01.03.2018
Ekatha.Ann@timesgroup.com
Chennai: Eminent cancer specialist and Padma Vibhushan awardee Dr V Shanta has admonished the managing director of Punjab National Bank for misusing the word “cancer” in the context of the recent banking scam.
In a letter to PNB managing director and chief executive officer Sunil Mehta, Dr Shanta shared her “outrage” at the scam being equated with cancer. “Corruption is a crime and something to be ashamed of; cancer is not,” wrote the Magsaysay award-winner, a pioneer in the field of cancer care.
At a press conference in New Delhi on February 15, Mehta said they had initiated criminal action against those involved in the ₹11,500 crore fraud in one of the bank’s Mumbai branches.
“We are not going to allow any wrongdoing to continue and will remove this cancer. From 2011, this cancer has continued. We are doing surgery and are removing it,” he said.
Dr Shanta, who a few years ago had written to the US consulate in Chennai after then US President Barack Obama made similar references, said the word cancer was often misused and appealed to people to stop doing so.
“We do not want the word cancer to be associated with guilt, hopelessness or dread. And definitely not with shame,” she wrote. “So do not try to find parallels where none exist. Do not mix cancer with corruption. Ever.”
Talking to TOI later, Dr Shanta said using cancer in a negative connotation added to the stigma of patients. “Corruption is criminal, cancer is not. Corruption is intentional, cancer is not,” she said, urging PNB’s head to remove the reference to cancer from his statement. “I am sure my colleagues working in the field of cancer prevention and cure will share my outrage,” said the 90-year-old who heads a cancer institute in Chennai.
The doctor’s letter triggered discussions in various social media platforms – some extended their support, a few shared their personal struggle with the disease, a third group discussed the usage of the word and its place in linguistics. “Cancer can also be used as a noun for an evil or destructive practice or phenomenon that is hard to contain or eradicate,” said a twitter user, attaching screenshots of a web page. “Anything that spreads quickly within the system is referred to as ‘cancer’ as in ‘cancerous growth’. Need not be taken literally by Dr Shantha,” said Badri Narayanan, another user.
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