What's in a name?

 

I recall my experience in a doctor's chamber in Eluru. There was a doctor couple who were running a Nursing Home in the town. The husband was a senior surgeon and his wife, Dr.V.Parijatham was a general practitioner predominantly practicing as a gynaecologist. Both of them were very busy practitioners in Eluru. As a medical representative of a multi national pharmaceutical company CIBA, I used to visit them to promote our products and thus gain sales for my company. Usually, our visits were at monthly intervals. When a medical representative plans to call on a doctor, he reaches the doctor's clinic / hospital and waits for the doctor to be free to get an interview with him / her. The doctor is informed of my wait, usually through my (business) card sent to him through an attendant at the clinic. Sometimes, the receptionist or the clinic attendant doesn't take our business cards but usher us into the consultation room at an appropriate time. Usually after the doctor completes his examination of a patient already in his chamber, the doctor sends out a word for me so that I could walk into his chamber and discuss my products with him. Some doctors keep me waiting until they finish with a batch of 3 or 4 patients before calling me in. There are other doctors who fix a time for meeting medical representatives and see us only at that hour. Normally, these two doctors were always with smiling faces when they met representatives. That particular day when I entered the surgeon's consultation chamber, I saw him with a wide grin. A patient (who looked like a villager) had just come out of his chamber. As we exchanged customary greetings, he asked me to be seated across his table. He was still with the grin and started to converse with me by telling me that the patient who had just gone out from his room was unable to pronounce his name correctly like many people who have always found it hard to pronounce his name correctly........variously calling him as PARATPARAT RAO, PATAPAR RAO, PATAPAT RAO etc. He then, pointing to the name on the toblerone (the triangular bar kept on the table top and displaying his name) asked me to read the same. I read it correctly as PARATPARA RAO. He complimented me for being one exception who pronounced his name correctly on the first attempt. I then took out my business card gave it to the doctor and told him to take a look at it. Accepting my card and after having a look at it, read my name out as MADHAVAMUNI (మాధవముని,माधवमुनि ) He asked me what's the reason for me to ask him to take a look at the card. I requested him to take one more look at my name on the card and read it. Saying "what's so difficult in reading" he read it again as MADHAVAMUNI (మాధవముని,माधव मुनि) I told him that there is no A after H in my name and the name is to be pronounced as Madhva muni (మధ్వ ముని, मध्व मुनि) It was ONLY then that he noticed about the absence of A after H in my name. He laughed aloud and declared that the problem with his name was no comparison or match with mine. He said that he would with immediate effect stop getting annoyed or surprised at people differently pronouncing his name. He became very friendly with me and continued to utter my name atleast once every time I met him subsequently during my monthly visits and ask me for confirmation of correctness in pronounciation. 

I used to have problems at most places like railway reservation counter, data entry points at various government offices, banks or while getting Aadhar Card, Voters ID etc. I have learnt to caution people at such places about the correct way to spell my name and request them to be extra cautious while making data entry in their records. In spite of my best care, I have run into trouble quite frequently. The latest occasion was when I purchased an Electric Vehicle (2 wheeler) I had to make several visits to my dealer and transport department apart from paying Correction Charges for getting my vehicle registration certificate (RC) with right name. All this, after cautioning every one even from the time of vehicle purchase itself. At most of the places, I have no chance to ensure correct data entry other than making an appeal while submitting my forms / applications etc to kindly be careful with my name. The train ticket does not show my name on it. But on the train, the passenger list with TTE (travelling ticket examiner) does not tally with my ID proof document causing problems.

A simple uncomplicated name is always good in these days of digital world. All the same, I take pride in my name as it is.