Almost half the day spent in college, pranks on professors and luchi-torkari or dimer devil in the canteen — Medical College was, in the words of 1968 batch alumnus Dr Mamtaz Sanghamita, like “a second home to us” — a feeling that alumni down the generations would agree to.
The Calcutta Medical College was inaugurated on January 28, 1835, at the behest of a committee headed by then Governor-General of India Lord William Bentinck that underlined the importance of a medical college dedicated to the education of ‘native’ individuals. One of the oldest medical colleges in Asia, the institution completes 190 years this year.
The Calcutta Medical College was established on January 28, 1835, with the purpose to train ‘native’ youth; admissions began on February 20, 1835
After a hiatus for the pandemic, the ex-students also celebrated the 89th reunion. My Kolkata caught up with some of the members of the Medical College Ex-Students’ Association and alumni during the 89th reunion and 190th anniversary celebrations, to talk about what the college means to them, and more.
Love for medicine
Though always a good student, Dr Sanghamita, a renowned gynaecologist and former member of the Lok Sabha, was never encouraged to become a doctor as a child. Her parents, both highly educated, wanted the same for their daughter — a well-rounded education. When she decided to take up medicine, while not enthusiastic, they did not oppose.
The grand staircase of the Medical College Hospital Kolkata has featured in many old Bengali film and inspired many a student to study at the institution
“I completed Class XI and was admitted to Medical College. I studied pre-medical at Bethune College for six months. My parents wanted me to study well but never considered that I could become a doctor. I was good at studies and somewhere at the back of my mind I always wanted to become a doctor,” she said.
It was perhaps the family’s doctor in Burdwan, where she studied until Class IV, who set her heart on becoming a doctor. “Dr Sailen Mukherjee used to treat us. Not only was he an excellent doctor but was also an artist. I think I subconsciously drew inspiration from him. Plus, a few movies that were released at the time featured the iconic steps of Medical College. That reinforced my decision to study medicine at Medical College,” said the ex-student of 1968.
Dr Mamtaz Sanghamita has had a six-decade-long association with Medical College Kolkata
Things were different for Dr Abhik Ghosh, an ENT specialist and the present secretary of the Medical College Ex-Students’ Association, who graduated much later in 2005. Belonging to a family of doctors, studying medicine was the natural choice for the fifth-generation doctor. “My father was a student of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. Apart from him, my grandfather and great-grandfather had studied in Medical College. So for me, the greatest memory was that of getting admitted to the college where my family members studied. It was as if history was repeating itself. It was a moment of pride for me,” he said.
Fifth-generation doctor Abhik Ghosh spearheaded the making of ‘Protyabartan: The Homecoming’, a film on the Medical College and its students
The love for medicine was also what drove senior cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Siddhartha Chakraborty to start a cardiothoracic department in the college. “My professor, Dr B.N. Guha Roy wanted to start a cardiothoracic department, and together we started the department at Medical College. Our department did the first heart transplant in eastern India, and that was a really proud moment,” he said. Dr Chakraborty left the college over a decade ago, in 2012, and since then more buildings have come up, “but we have continued serving and treating people with the same fervour. I am sure this will continue,” he said.
In May 1835, MotiLal Seal donated land for the college buildings and after the main college hospital building, other blocks were built on campus including Eden Hospital in 1881-82, (in picture) Ezra Hospital in 1887, Shyama Charan Laha Eye Hospital in 1891, Prince of Wales Surgical Block in 1911, and so on
Memories to cherish
Dr Sanghamita spoke about the bond among batchmates. “Since we were all in the same age group, we formed deep friendships,” she said. For them, life revolved around college and hostel. “Our popular hangout was the college canteen — the luchi torkari and dimer devil were favourites. Sometimes we would have radhaballavi from Putiram. That is what ‘eating out’ was for us.”
Memories of college also include pranks she had sometimes played on her professors and friends. She recalled one that almost didn’t turn out well. “I punctured the tyres of one of the professor’s cars. One of my friends who saw me revealed it to the others. Some of the students weren’t very happy with it and complained to the professor. Needless to say, he wasn’t very happy and I had to apologise profusely. But because I did it out of sheer fun and not malice, I did not have any issues with apologising either,” she said.
For Dr Shamik Nandi, like many other ex students, talking about Medical College always evokes a deep sense of nostalgia
Dr Shamik Nandi, who enrolled in the college in 1996, says that talking about Medical College always evokes a deep sense of nostalgia. “It is where we spent six years of our lives; it is only natural that it would have a special place in our hearts. Through sports, politics, and various cultural programmes, I have been able to create memories for a lifetime. After this year’s reunion, we will all be left with post-reunion blues!” he said.
Reunions to remember
The 89th reunion celebrations were a grand celebration. After missing out due to the pandemic, this year the ex-students’ association went all out. Doctors from 14 countries outside India participated in various events and programmes at the reunion and anniversary celebrations.
The joint celebrations of the 190th year and 89th reunion was about bringing people together, said Dr Anirban Dalui
“When we decided to organise the 89th reunion, many questioned the significance of the year. Because of COVID, we couldn’t follow through with our celebrations like usual, but this reunion also saw almost 150 alumni spread out across the world come together,” said Dr Anirban Dalui, treasurer of the Medical College Ex-Students’ Association. This year was also about bringing people together irrespective of any differences, he added. “Medical College has always been very active in politics. This year, we wanted everyone to participate, irrespective of their political differences and other things.”
Dr Sarmishtha Bandyopadhyay was the secretary of the Medical College Ex-Students’ Association from 2010-2011
Present at the celebrations was Dr Sarmishtha Bandyopadhyay who graduated from Medical College in 1996. She was also the secretary of the Medical College Ex-Students’ Association from 2010-2011, when they were able to invite Dr Ram Baran Yadav, the former president of Nepal to the 75th reunion. “This year has been a grand celebration and I congratulate Dr Abhik Ghosh and Dr Anirban Dalui for their work. This was one of the largest attending reunions we have ever seen and we want to keep this tempo going till our 200th-year celebrations,” she said.
Dr Bandyopadhyay is also a singer and was part of a special film. “I feel very fortunate that we have a Medical College anthem which is set to the tune of Dhono Dhanno Pushpo Bhora and that we have been able to record it. This song will be seen in Protyabartan which should be out in the next couple of months, ” she said.
The David Hare building, named after the Scottish philanthropist and founder of one of Kolkata’s oldest schools, has most of the general surgical wards
The movie called Protyabartan: The Homecoming, presented by Dr Abhik Ghosh and Samiran Das, and produced by Kaleidoscope Entertainment Pvt Ltd was also released as a part of the celebrations, and talks are on to have it possibly feature on big screens.
Dr Sukumar Mukherjee, president of the reunion, has been attending the reunion gatherings since 1954. “In 2001, I was the president of the Medical College Ex-Students’ Association. At that time the reunion wasn't this elaborate but they helped us reunite with our seniors. I have been present for a lot of memorable programmes hosted at Medical College and I have learnt a lot from them,” he said, adding that meeting some of his old students at this reunion “was a different feeling altogether”.
The Eden Hospital, which houses the department of gynaecology and obstetrics was established in 1881 and became operational in 1882
For Dr Abhik Ghosh, the reunion experiences years apart were different but equally fulfilling. “After 25 years when I look back, the joys of attending the reunions with my seniors and working with them were different from the joys of organising a reunion at this stage,” he said. The realisation of the scale of the celebrations for the 89th reunion and 190th anniversary came in hindsight for the organising committee, including Dr Ghosh. “I realised after the reunion, from the praises that we received from others, that a reunion of this scale had never been organised before. This reunion has been talked about in other medical colleges in the city, outside Kolkata and in other countries. As an alumnus of the college, this has been the greatest gift,” signed off Dr Ghosh.
