Month: September 2022

It was long 30 years back on the 14th of September 1992 I had joined Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh as a Registrar of Medicine.

The last 3 decades of my life has seen evolution of the health care system in Assam. It’s wonderful to relish the change over the years. We were at that time functioning with lot of limitations in all fronts which we now realise on reflection. But whatever, our work culture and at heart dedication towards service has over these years grown bonded with the power of knowledge and access to resources in all fronts.

We had joined service with the idea that we will be serving in any of the three Medical Colleges of Assam ( AMC in Dibrugarh, GMC in Gauhati or SMC in Silchar). It was unprecedented that in three decades we now already have 9 Medical Colleges in the state and with perhaps a dozen more in the pipeline.

The teaching pattern and resources have also changed fundamentally. In those days our textbooks were everything we used and notes written in diaries updated every year were our treasure. Now we have easy access to journals and all kinds of real time videos which have made our audiovisual classes enriched.

The kind of student teacher relationship has also evolved ever since. We held our teachers on a respected pedestal and our attitude was to greet them when we crossed anywhere. But these days very few students actually value this. They crash and crush their way through at times not ever recognising any faculty members. God bless them.

A very important highlight is the remuneration. At that time we earned a very few thousand rupees per month and now in exactly 30 years I just realised my salary has multiplied exactly a 100 times. This has left me pondering. Is it a matter of celebration or remorse that inflation is unabated. But whatever, that financial constraint we encountered is no more a concern for the new generation of doctors.

All said and done, with retirement age being upscaled to meet the need for medical teachers, looks like if health permits I have a dozen more years waiting.

On this day my thought are cluttered. But I can only pray that with the setting sun of life we should blend work and relaxation. We live once to finish our commitments and live with grace for ourselves.

Dr Madhumita Priyadarshini Das

These days woman empowerment is on the top of every agenda. I definitely do not wish to be skeptical about it in any way. But some experiences makes one introspect the whole concept of it. How far is all this genuinely true. Hailing from a family with no brothers I was never taught to believe that these’s a gender difference in anything.

Over a year back my father was admitted into the government hospital where I work.He was treated with all care and recovered. I was definitely thankful and expected nothing more. On the day of his discharge I got a small bill from the office. I was happy to pay it instantly. When I got to the payment desk I was astonished to know the laid down rules. With no queries from my end I was told “Ma’am sorry that you have to pay this bill”. I replied why sorry?. To my surprise I was informed that because I am a daughter I cannot claim that my nonagenarian father is my dependent. But had I been a son, it would be taken for granted that he’s my dependent and the bill would be waived. Gosh!! I thought great, this is the empowered Indian woman.

My father has no sons, so is he supposed to be ever independent? The amount due was meagre. But the message carried was traumatic.

What are we empowering our women folk for. Only to make them work at par with men.

I felt bilittled and disgusted. If you have rules fine follow it with no gender bias. Only then will every Indian woman feel empowered.

Sitting on the edge of the fifth decade with years of living and working I am sure we can all reflect. For me also I have nothing unusual to highlight. But I sometimes feel am I hallucinating. Going back to an empty nest ( without my partner) cooking, cleaning and resting is so normal for me. I am pretty much used to my private space. But sometimes I understand that not many people like it this way. I go for movies, holidays, parties and social events all alone and am comfortable. The other day a random friend mentioned that if you enjoy going to a movie theatre alone you have achieved solitude. I asked myself, how can this be an achievement? Perhaps because I love myself I don’t want to neglect my yearnings. It’s also because I cannot gel with everyone for too long.
With all this and my independent living I sometimes wonder. Is it true that
*I had a spouse.
*I mothered two sons
*They are my own sons but grown up.
* I once cooked for a family.
* We all have splendid memories together.
I still live in the same house, sleep on the same bed and eat on the same table. The walls echo memories and every little thing has a piece of happiness in it.
All this happened to me in this lifetime?. I trust I am not hallucinating.
How have I chosen to be happy this way?.
Today is the 3rd of September 2022. Long 18 years since my husband left us.
Our boys ( our jewels) Raja and Jeet managed to get educated in America after disaster struck but I don’t have any loan to repay.
They both are now fortunately settled in America much better than many other kids of their background.
How did all this happen?
Today both my boys and my daughter in law called up to check if I am doing fine. Honestly I am fine.
I who was such a pampered and loved daughter and a wife could perhaps excel as a mother.
This destiny of single motherhood is defiantly a challange. All I did to my knowledge was focus, buck up and run.
The destination was not visible but imagination was framed.
I wanted the kids to be independent, good human beings. There they are.
I now pray that we can carry on holding hands like this. Health is a great treasure to be ever thankful and praying for. I pinched myself and realised that all this is reality.
Life has moved on for close to two decades now with memories that were painful to ones being imprinted.
My conjugal life was much shorter but this virtually contend life has been longer.

Beautiful September usually fuses me and my sons with a plethora of thoughts and memories. It was on 3rd of September 2004, long 18 years back my husband had left me and my two little boys to face this world alone.
family life is so much taken for granted in early years of living that it’s not easy to perceive what this loss means.But fortunately for us life moved on. We struggled, we fought odds and rose above our insecurities and learnt to survive.
The heavens showered us with perseverance and health. We were patient to wait for the sunshine. The belief that there will be light one-day kept us sailing.
We never compared ourselves with any one else. The trust that hard work holds fortune and happiness was our hope. Today we are far better than what we were. It’s at times a little hard to soak in that we live across the globe but technology binds us tight. I sometimes wonder would I have shared my day to day thoughts and happening any more with my children than what we do today. Above all this if travel formalities gets easier there is no remorse.
We all have accepted every bit of our lives happily.
One soul touching expression by my younger son filled up by heart with content today. It was our regular morning conversation and my Jeet said ” Ma how are you?” I replied it’s September again. He responded, “I know Ma but don’t lament.”
“Look at me and Dada, aren’t we fortunate”.
I once again understood that yes, every life is a story but facing it is another reality. We held hands and kept floating and today we stand on a safer land and cherish the past. We are grateful for everything that happened and pray we can carry on as long as destined.