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My Dadu from Kolkata
Dr.Rathin Datta FRCS (England, Edinburgh & Glasgow).FFIMS (Athens)
My Dadu from Kolkata
PHOTO : In honour of Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy, Stamp released by Indian Postal Service

"God has left us, Sun has set in Indian Medical world"
This was the resolution passed in a conference hall of one of the Royal Infirmary’s of North of England in a cold July evening in 1962.

I had organised the meeting. Who was he for whom the large crowd shed tears that evening.?

He used to visit Shillong, where I  grew up, 2/3 times a year,purpose ?

A. He was fond of Shillong summer when Shillong would be extremely pleasant. Calcutta where he lived would be unlivable hot and sweaty.Air Conditioners had not made their appearances

B.Patients would line up to consult him (Q was unknown then) It was believed ",one did not mind dying ,if a consultation was possible with him "

C.He had planned, designed and built a hydro electric project .The project ran profitably and still running after nearly 100 years-and have benefited the entire population of Shillong. He built it because  his own house at Shillong was not given a electric connection as the then electricity available from a thermal plant was only for the White skinned Sahibs ie the Europeans.He loved to watch the plant grow in the Beadon falls . He had a beautiful house in the peripheral hills, which is now the circuit house.

He was a super genius, had passed BSc first class first with honours in mathematics ,qualified as a graduate  from Calcutta Medical college and then went on to pass the most difficult of exams in the world,

MRCP in medicine and FRCS in surgery within a span of only 2 years, a nearly impossible feat.
On his return he taught in all three Medical colleges of Calcutta, finally settling in Carmichel (now  R G Kar Med.College) as Professor of Medicine.

His contribution to Medical  Profession and Indian Medical Association are enormous. He was instrumental in starting the IMA in 1928 and make it the largest professional body in the country. He started the Indian Medical council and was the founder President for 2 years from 1939.He was the vice-chancellor of the university of Calcutta for one term in the forties.
He became the Fellow of the American society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene,was conferred "the Doctorate of Science in 1944..
In recognition of his service to the humanity he was conferred "BHARAT RATNA" in February 1961 and  Govt. of india declared 1st July as the 'Doctors Day'in India.1st july happens to be both his Bírthday and the Death Anniversary day.

I am talking about Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy , who was born on 1st july 1882 and died on 1st july 1962 . He was the Chief Minister of West Bengal during the most turbulent post partition period for 3 terms-from 1948 till his death in 1962.He had by then brought the state of West Bengal which was truncated by Partition and ruined, torn by communal riots and overburdened with millions of refugees to a stage of peace and prosperity. In his attempt to Industrialize West Bengal he created cities like Kalyani, Durgapur and Bidhan nagar
By early 60s Kolkata,then called Calcutta, had an edge over Bombay (now Mumbai), the commercial capital of free India.The next Government, who took over, took only couple of decades to destroy that  achievement and status of Calcutta (and West Bengal) and  thus made West Bengal one of the poorer state of our country.

While at Medical college, Dr. Roy as a student came across an inscription "whatever thy hands findeth , do it with thy might". This inscription became source of inspiration for him throughout his life. He had sailed for England with only Rs.1200 in his pocket in 1909 and wanted to enroll in St. BARTHELOMEW' hospital and Medical School,but was refused on 29 times. The Dean admitted him after his 30th Application. Cause of refusal was colour prejudice,and when Dr.Roy was leaving after 2 years obtaining his dual degrees of MRCP &FRCS in 1911 the same Dean apologised,saying he had failed to recognize a genius.

My father did his training in Tropical medicine and bacteriology in the school of Tropical Medicine ,Dr. Roy was his Professor in that institution. My father was his favourite student and the relation continued.,.so he would visit our house for a cup of tea whenever he was in Shillong.
Since my own toddler stage I was his favourite and would climb onto his lap the moment he arrived in his gleaming British Car, the Vauxhaul. The second Vauxhaul in the city of Shillong belonged to the  British Governor of Assam.  Shillong was the capital of undivided Assam. My "Kolkatar Dadu" was a very good looking giant of a man over 6 feet, always very smartly dressed with a booming voice. My father was a very upright man, who never bowed down to anybody, spoke always  to my 'Kolkatar Dadu' respectfully and addressed him as sir. Father used to take patient to Dr. Roy for consultation to Calcutta and Shillong where he used to come 2-3 times a year.

And always the same order –"natitake niye eso" ie bring my grandchild along.

So I used to go along. In Calcutta we used to stay in Shantiniketan Hotel, popular with the middle class people from the East Bengal and Assam. After father telephoned, upon arrival in Calcutta he used to come in the afternoon,and no mistake, no exception, he would come through a crowd who would invariably collect to have a darshan  of Dr.Roy.
Stories abound .Once he was walking past the row of rooms of the hotel. A door was half azar,a man was sleeping in the bed. The Hotel Manager informed that the man who had arrived in the morning had fever. Dr. Roy had a glance, turned around, called the Hotel manager  and asked him to send the man to the Campbell Hospital (nowadays called Nil Ratan Sarkar hospital], Father asked how he could diagnose,the patient had no eruption,only   just mild fever  and was sleeping peacefully. The answer was 'I smelt small pox'. Patient was sent to Cambell (my father followed up}Hospital where rash and eruption appeared after 2 days!  As there was no treatment for Small pox,patient duly died within a week.

After passing my I.Sc exam, I was selected for admission in Assam Medical college, and was admitted, but the Principal of the college asked me to come back after 2 years as I was under age. So I came to Calcutta, but admission was closed in all premier colleges, I was admitted in City college, BSc classes after Dr.Roy put in a word with the Principal of City College then one of the largest college in Asia and played Football and Hockey  with gusto as the B.Sc course was little too easy for me. I used to play Hockey for Robert Hudson club,a second division club of Calcutta league and I was in the club of Anglo Indians and Muslims but became extinct after the Anglo Indians migrated. I played  Football   for the Agragami club in the South Calcutta league.
Dr Roy was then the Chief Minister of West Bengal, he used to see patients free every day for one hour and more on holidays and weekends. He asked me to attend on my holidays. So I became Dr. Bidhan Roy's peon to call the patient in and escort them out and listen to the discussions though I could follow very little, as I was then not even a medical student.

But I learnt something which I practice till today after 64 yrs.The dictum was , while examining  a patient "use your eyes first, ear and nose next,and finally your hands,tongue not at all"
There could be around 6 to 8 doctors to assist him, all aspiring to prosper in the profession , many of them were post graduate students. They did all the writings, and the preliminary examinations .Dr. Roy rarely got up from his chair; occasionally felt the pulse.

Diagnosis would be over in a flash.I recall one case. One Bihari gentleman limped in, he was unable to walk,because his hip was bent for some time and could not be straightened. The assistant doctors wanted to send him to an orthopedic surgeon, Dr roy disagreed "send him to the General surgeon ( Dr. L M Banerjee ) he has appendicitis with abscess". The report next week was that an abscess was drained and appendicectomy was done.

This one and a half years was my most cherished period, I always very proudly called myself, Dr Roy's peon.
In 60s December I left for London to train for the FRCS exam. Did meet my 'Kolkater' Dadu in Calcutta before leaving India. He was then the Chief Minister of West Bengal. He blessed and promised a good job on my return after FRCS. I used to write to him about my progress. In 1962, I  cleared my Primary FRCS  in May ‘62, wrote to him. Reply came from his Secretary informing that Dr.Roy had passed away on the 1st day of July.
I organized a condolence in the Royal Infirmary where I was the President of the Resident doctors association. In a very well attended meeting, the resolution was "our God has left us Sun has set for  Indian Medical world".


P.S. when I was, by then few years old in Tripura,in a meeting with a Hon Minister, praising me, called me the second Bidhan Roy. I did protest
"please do not compare a Back garden pond with the Pacific Ocean'.(Barir  pechoner pukur ke Prasant mahasagar balben naa) After many years, today I still stand by what I said then.I was content to call  myself Dr. B.C.Roy's peon.


1st July every year is observed as "Doctors Day" in honour of  Dr.Bidhan Chandra Roy--Let us not forget.

 

Dr. Rathin Datta, FRCS (England, Edinburgh & Glasgow).FFIMS (Athens) 

Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist

Padmashree Awardee, winner of the Bangladesh Liberation war honour 

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