Dr. Rahalkar's thoughts...

Down Memory Lane.........!

It has been quite a while that I was toying with an idea of reiterating few of my own experiences during the last sixty five to seventy years, which make me deeply introvert and were awesome from my viewpoint,  to say the least.
Well, I shall not follow chronology while narrating various instances and therefore it wouldn't be an autobiography as such that many great people (like me !) have already penned. Nevertheless, please do ignore (and pardon if you can ) if you happen to  smell anything fishy.
So then,
I was born and brought up in a reasonably well-to-do family having a virtuous ancestry and wonderful parents and grandparents. As a natural consequence I inherited most of the virtues my dear parents had inherited from their own parents or grandparents. (Of course, whatever vices you might have noticed in me are my own property amassed by me alone !)
Now ! Where do I begin my story from . OK, let me begin with my education right away, since I learnt quite a lot from both within and outside educational institutions. Moreover, that formal and informal education made me (perhaps) a wise person, at least more knowledgeable. Did I use that wisdom or knowledge In my day-to-day life ? Perhaps yes. But on umpteen occasions Providence helped me mitigate various challenges and while overcoming them made me wiser !

I have been singularly fortunate in having had teachers of exceptional caliber and integrity right from primary school up to my medical education. Oh ! They were awesome. My English language teacher was a measly poor person wearing almost tattered clothes; but his command over that foreign language was amazing. Grammatically accurate, his pronunciations too were fantastic. (I owe him a great deal for making me read, write and more importantly Think in that language. ) Later while in college another Professor in English taught us as to how a library should be used; he would say, 'an educated person is one who knows how to use a library !'
Still later, English writings of Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Prof. N. Kasturi, short cryptic words of R. K. Laxman fascinated me most. English write-ups of my daughter, daughter-in-law and son are indeed most satisfying. Besides, prowess over English language  by the younger generation including my three grand-daughters is amazing.
I am equally indebted to my Marathi teachers who created penchant for Marathi literature in me. My grandfather as well as father were masters of Marathi literature and I must admit that my leanings unto literature is their precious gift to me.
My mother and father were good drawing artists and I did learn some stray strokes from them not worth mentioning though !! (In fact my mother completed my Anatomy Journal which required intricate coloured sketches of human parts namely the brain, muscles, bones, ligaments and so on  and leave the labelling job for me. Those sketches were simply superb, ditto the book pictures !)
Perhaps most rewarding pursuit for me has been developing an 'ear' for classical Indian music ! Yes, I do relish the same any time anywhere and seemingly it is inherited from my mother's parents.
You might have discovered by now that I am jack of many trades ( and master of none !! ) Nevertheless, I Am whatever I Am !!!
I was able to associate myself with a spiritual-cum-service organisation led by a great mystic Saint, which helped me bring out my latent potential in very big measure. First and foremost was an attitude of compassion unto the sick, afflicted, beleaguered individuals that made me go all out without ever considering my own financial or even intellectual status. My only weakness then was inability to communicate properly. I was never a good orator and therefore most of my plans or ideas never saw light of the day. ( I could write better alright but the takers were few – as now !!)
We used to visit villages and conduct free medical camps ; would organise sanitation camps ; run Bal-Vikas classes and centres and even organise free agriculture counselling for the benefit of poor hapless village folk. I do not know how far those activities helped the villagers but those certainly gave us immense satisfaction of 'doing' something useful for those people. Moreover, we could at least build rapport with the villagers who were always eager to meet us.
In the city, we used to visit Remand homes, blind schools, institutions for the physically handicapped and even the mental hospital. As a group we used to entertain them through whatever means at our disposal. Visits to homes for the old and elderly was always a rewarding experience. The lonely, melancholic old lot would welcome us most heartily and spending few hours while listening to their woos and sad stories made them lighten their own grief and pain. We would clean their dormitories, feed them with food of their choice (which was always very simple, soft, palatable and succulent).  We would sing Bhajans for them followed by some short spiritual talk by one of our colleagues and the visit would end on a happy, satisfying note.
Visiting patients in government hospitals was yet another 'activity' of my liking. I liked conversing with the inmates awaiting some major surgery or recouping from some long drawn illness. We went as a very small group during visiting hours of the govt. hospital and looked out for a lonely patient without any attending relative or some such. We would spend at least fifteen twenty minutes with him or her, write down a postcard or some such if they so wished  and post that too. We volunteered for any blood requirements or prescription medicines. My own medical education helped me identify their imminent needs although I never introduced myself to them as being a Doctor ; I would just project myself as a compassionate visitor ! I alone enjoyed  bliss of that anonymity!
While visiting government hospitals and even during my medical education I had noticed too many discrepancies in the entire system. Leave aside hardships to the patients, travails and pain inflicted upon their attendants or close relatives have always been enormous and were never addressed at all. Barring a few charitable institutions, no one has ever cared for problems faced by that unfortunate lot.
We ventured to help them in a small way by offering freshly prepared food packets free of cost, which most of the attendants accepted avidly and gratefully. Oh ! That was yet another very satisfying activity undoubtedly. Although begun as a very small step, our Organisation took it up on a bigger scale very soon and I am confident that many many were benefitted through that thankless activity.
I was fortunate to organise scores of blood donation drives under aegis of our esteemed organisation. I also maintained a blood group register with full addresses and telephone numbers of prospective blood donors and am happy to reiterate that it proved immensely useful for the needy. We could collect blood at short notice and disburse the same for a noble cause.
Organising a real big event for almost forty days incessantly in the form of lectures for final year medical students and interns was indeed a great achievement for me. We had requested almost forty consultants and medical teachers along with twenty spiritually enlightened speakers to share their expertise in Practical Medicine and Vedanta respectively, which the guest speakers delivered voluntarily with perfect precision. Organised under aegis of our Organisation, it required painstaking efforts, meticulous planning, meeting all the guest speakers well in advance, chalking out exact timetable along with topics to be covered was a Herculean task which me and some of my senior colleagues could accomplish successfully. And on completion of the project when I presented a detailed report to Swami, He accepted the same pleasantly smiling at me. Yes, that was certainly a moment of fulfilment for me.
There are innumerable instances that humbled me outright, particularly while dealing with the sick and afflicted. I vividly remember an aged sick Mahant whom me and Usha visited one cold winter evening well outside the town of my first ever posting. In fact, that was just a beginning of my career having graduated (and married recently )! A disciple of the Mahant requested me to visit the Mandir where the Mahant was in excruciating pain with very high fever. Well, the Hanuman Mandir was located in a deep forest outside the town. It was already getting dark and Usha wanted to accompany me (since she refused to stay alone in the house) . We hired a tonga and reached the place. The old Mahant had developed huge abscess over his foot and leg and was in extreme pain. I had some minor surgical equipment in my emergency bag. I incised and removed almost half a litre of pus. Surprisingly Usha assisted me in the entire procedure in spite of very fowl smelling dirty pus and rotten blood. I administered a strong antibiotic injection and another for pain relief. The Mahant was relieved of pain the moment pus was let out. Entire procedure was carried out in the light of a small oil lamp and a weak battery ! We bandaged his wound and returned back. It was pitch dark outside, almost nine pm and very very cold too. However, both of us were basking in the warmth of bliss which was  the result of  some great humanitarian  service rendered free of cost. (Of course, the Mahant had offered to pay my fees but the very joy of relieving a person in distress was so great that I politely declined; and later too, I always treated my patients free of cost. No, it was no charity at all ; I thought I owed them my services. The government was already paying salary for my life and living anyway!) .
My joy was overwhelming when the said Mahant walked into the hospital a week later just to bless me profusely !
I am fully convinced that a doctor just treats, whereas there is some unknown force that cures or grants relief. In fact that must be the experience of everyone. And therefore arrogance has no place, only utmost humility must be evinced and that is particularly so while treating the sick and afflicted.
Another moving experience can be shared on this occasion. While engaged in village work we used to disburse free medicines for the needy and almost eighty to hundred villagers benefitted during each visit. Once it so happened that after finishing the routine checkups we were walking back on a hot summer afternoon literally tired and exhausted and suddenly a boy called me back to see his grandmother lying unconscious in their  tattered house. Being really tired I expressed my displeasure. However, Usha prevailed upon me to go back and see the woman. I trudged back rather reluctantly and found the old woman literally gasping for breath ; she had terminal broncho-pneumonia and could die any moment. An injection or some such could be hazardous in that situation. Therefore  I handed over a bottle of some antibiotic to the boy and instructed him to summon his parents and administer the drug to the old lady. In fact I was very sure that the woman would pass away within a couple of hours. I returned back with a heavy heart and feet.
Nevertheless , I was astonished to see the same lady walking up to me when I visited the village next week. She blessed me profusely and narrated her story to the villagers. Now, as a doctor I can definitely say that the so-called medicine had nothing to do with her recovery ; moreover, the dosage was most inadequate so also the quantity of drug. Do not know how she recovered fully; most certainly not because of the drug. Therefore I have every reason to say that there is some power, some force in operation that regulates entire universe.

I became a Doctor by chance ! In fact I aspired to become an Engineer instead. I used to repair small gadgets or household machinery on my own. However, I earned dismal grades in science and maths during my matriculation and when I insisted upon opting for A group that had Maths as principle subject, the then Principal of the college summoned my father and suggested to select Arts faculty instead since I was 'duffer' in science and maths. My father was naturally furious at me and scolded me in the presence of entire family members. I refused to take up Arts faculty and compromised to take B group that had Biology as the principle subject. I could score reasonably well thereafter and ultimately 'became' a Doctor ! However, my mother had not forgotten words of the Principal that had hurt her most. Therefore she ordered me to visit that Principal again (with a box of sweets) and tell him that the 'duffer' is a 'doctor' now !!
My mother inculcated values in us both overtly as well as discretely. I vividly remember an incidence that kept me away from theft or stealing for ever ! I remember to have picked up a coin and spend it to buy 'Ganderee' (sugar-cane slices) . An elderly lady next door saw me buying the stuff. She disliked me and so she reported the 'theft' to my mother. My mother was quick to understand that the reporting was intended to punish me. Therefore she quietly replied to the neighbour that she herself had given me the coin to buy whatever I liked and bade her goodbye. I was literally trembling and tearful for imminent punishment. However my mother just told me not to steal again and left me unhurt. No, I was deeply hurt within and swore   never to indulge in theft. (I have never stolen anybody's heart even!!)
My father was a very honest officer and never indulged in accepting or giving bribes (which has always been rampant ) . He was equally famous for his forthrightness. Of course himself and entire family did undergo hardships on occasion. He was denied promotion for over fourteen years in spite of his integrity, hard work, honesty  and flare for work. The only defect in him being  his inability as a bard and perhaps his honest and upright behaviour.
A particular incidence is deeply etched in my memory. Once a very wealthy, powerful and eminent person came to our house and began discussing with my father over some legal case about to come up for decision by my father. However, while speaking he took out some gold guineas and was simultaneously toying with them. My father knew that as a ploy to bribe him. He immediately drove out that man saying the case will be decided on merit alone and so the gentleman better keep the gold with himself. I can never forget that radiant face of my father who evinced absolute self-confidence and extreme courage. Needless to say, I walked my entire life living up to that lofty ideal.