A new low for our freeloading journalists. In an opinion piece dripping with contempt, venom and sarcasm in the Times of India yesterday one Bachi Karkaria defends her friend, Ms Pinki Virani under the headline - " My friend Pinki." Ms Virani , a writer has written about the plight of Ms Aruna Shanbaug who has been lying in a vegetative state in KEM Hospital in Mumbai for 37 years after being sexually assaulted by a hospital sweeper. Ms Virani applied to the Supreme Court for permission to allow Ms Shanbaug to die which was opposed by the nurses who raised slogans saying, " Pinki Virani murdabad ( death to Pinki Virani )". Ms Karkaria is incensed at the audacity of faceless, low paid nurses opposing a journalist. She praises her friend for having written the book and taunts the nurses for wanting to keep Ms Shanbaug alive because " she belongs to us." She is scornful about the Supreme Court pointing out the lack of bed sores as evidence of dedication of the nurses. It is obvious that Ms Karkaria has never cared for an unconscious person. In western countries hospitals have water beds, air mattresses, nets, sheepskins and other aids to prevent bed sores but the a municipal hospital would have nothing. The nurses have kept Ms Shanbaug alive and, yes, free of bedsores just by sheer hard work for no extra pay. Ms Karakaria finishes the article with the lines - " Aruna will remain in her twilight zone, neither living nor dead. But look, Milord, no bedsores." Vicious sarcasm. Perhaps Ms Karkaria should spend just one day in any hospital caring for an unconscious adult to understand what it entails. Why do research when it is easy to write spiteful garbage?