When I arrived at MGIMS in the summer of 1982 as a senior registrar in medicine, I gave myself a year at best.
I imagined I would move on quickly.
Instead, I stayed put for just under four and a half decades—16,190 days, to be precise.
I turned seventy last month. That means handing over the captaincy. My formal innings as Director Professor has come to an end, as institutional rules require. I have no complaints. The rule applies to everyone, and it has been a long and deeply satisfying innings.
But I am not quite ready to take off my pads and walk back to the pavilion.
I am handing over the captaincy, not leaving the team.
The next generation must now take the crease, play their shots and take the team forward. I will still be around—in the slips, perhaps, or at third man—cheering a good cover drive, quietly fielding what comes my way, and offering a word of advice when asked.
Today, I return in a new role as Emeritus Professor.
The dictionary tells me that emeritus means “having completed one’s service.” To linger on the pitch after that sounds almost like a contradiction. Yet here I am.
For me, not much will change.
I will continue my rounds in the wards, see patients in the OPD and the palliative care unit, and teach bedside clinical medicine to anyone who still cares to listen. I hope, too, to find a little more time for writing, reading and some of the things that had to wait while I was batting every day.
I have spent most of my adult life at MGIMS. It has shaped me as much as I have been fortunate enough to contribute to it.
That is not something one simply walks away from.
When I look back, the number—16,190 days—seems almost improbable. It is a large part of a human life compressed into a number. But numbers cannot capture what those days contained: patients who taught me more than textbooks could, colleagues who became friends, residents who kept me young and occasionally exasperated me, classrooms, wards, night calls, arguments, laughter, failures, small victories and the endless privilege of being allowed into people’s lives when they were at their most vulnerable.
There were difficult innings too. No long innings is without them.
Medicine has changed enormously since 1982. So has MGIMS. The students and residents I taught decades ago are now teachers, researchers and clinicians in their own right. Some have become friends. Some still call. A few, I suspect, remember my bedside teaching better than I do.
That is perhaps the most gratifying part of an academic life: eventually, the students take the field.
And that is where I find myself today.
The captaincy changes. The team continues.
Whether this becomes a long second innings or a brief one, only time will tell. For now, the game goes on.
And I am still at the crease.
SP
1 September 2026
Respected Sir,
It has been a great journey. I remember my first teaching by you in our second MBBS. You did 2D Echo of a patient and injected air bubbles to demonstrate right to left shunt. As a UG it was fascinating. This fascination is still there by seeing how you make bed side diagnosis with 98% accuracy. Countless Students have been benefited by your academic excellence.
Then came your era of lifting the hospital with shine. You have been truly a MS with Midas touch. Shaping every dept with art-of-care facility and providing the Latest gadgets. Dept of Surgery will always remain indebted for giving the latest gadgets and boosting Laparoscopy, Endo-Urology, Endoscopy to upgrade itself.
CSSD has got best of facilities like automatic autoclaves, ETO and Plasma sterilizer , which most of hospitals can only dream about.
Your Lowcost initiative has been a huge success and given is a National recognition.
There is lot to speak about how you shaped the future of hospital and the institute. It’s nice to know that you will continue to guide us in our path ahead. Keep your blessings on us.
It has been a great, fruitful and productive journey.
Respected Sir,
I can feel the beats—the sound as it comes from the ripples that ensue once a throne is slipped into a quiet pond—and I can echo what came to me when I returned to MAMC after my short stay as Director of a paediatric tertiary care centre in Delhi. I was past 62 that month, and the very Department that I had created a niche in was already becoming what I saw as the future of medicine—Medical Genetics. I was designated as Professor of Excellence. What I had slowly built, inch by inch, stone by stone, was no longer my home. I was supposed to protect it and let it grow, but not by myself, by watching each plant grow.
Seven years after caring for my family, I had entered MAMC thinking that I would join Nephrology. As was his will, I was entrusted with the responsibility of initiating a new arena, nowhere seen before—from the management of warm shock and gentle intubation to the feel of pipettes, the glitter of DNA, with the bright nucleotides standing like stones in the feathers of the peacock. As I withstood the challenge, learnt the intricacies and understood the pining, I had already fallen in love with this new, exciting world. He let me touch its peak, in a small way that I could. The biggest challenge was right there, and initiating newborn screening grew as my passion. Several batches of postgraduates and undergraduates came, and every batch taught me.
But time and tide wait for none, and I can now see them growing into blossoms and watch them. I am there and will always be there. Just as I cannot forget each crepitant sound and each rhonchus that you made me learn, I sit back, praying to the Almighty to let us remain to see the glories of what this world will unfold.
Praying 🙏 for your good health, continued guidance, and healing nature to bless countless batches of medicine.
Seema
Respected SP Sir, 🙏
For all of us, your stepping down will not be the end of an era, but the beginning of a new one. 🌅✨ We look forward to seeing the new generation grow and flourish under your continued guidance, mentorship, and valuable experience. 🌱🌟
It is quite natural for a person to step down from a position—whether in cricket 🏏 or any other field—and hand over this legacy to the next generation. What truly matters is that the legacy continues to grow stronger and reach greater heights. 🚀
I am confident that, even beyond your official position, the legacy and reputation of our institute will continue to reach new heights under your mentorship and guidance. 🏛️🌟
Wishing you a wonderful new journey ahead, Sir. 🙏😊
With warm regards,
Dr. Pravin R. Zopate
Dear Sir,
You have always had a way with words, and I have read your pieces with interest.
The only constant in life is change!
Leaving a role is daunting but can also be a relief. It is a challenge but also an opportunity to work on other projects and things you have always wanted to do but could not find the time for.
Wishing you good health and peace for the future. 🙏🏼
Malini, MGIMS 1982
Dear Dr. Kalantri,
Beautifully written, as usual.
You are an institution. You are leaving a legacy that anybody would dream of leaving.
MGIMS has been one of the top medical schools for many years. You started electronic medical records when EMRs were unheard of in India.
I salute you.
God bless you, and I hope you will enjoy your “second innings.”
Best regards,
Sunil
Great to hear from you, Sir. I have been fortunate to be your student and have learnt a lot from you. Best wishes for your new innings as Emeritus Professor.
Dr. Geeta Menon
1979 batch
Best wishes as you embark on this next phase of your journey. You will be as impactful as before, as a foundation plays a very critical role.
Thank you for your hard work and leadership. Wishing you a smooth and rewarding continuation of your term. The game will go on. Stay blessed.
Dear Dr. Kalantri,
Congratulations on completing the full length of your tenure as a faculty member and moving on to become an Emeritus Professor. Who succeeds you? Who else is there in the department now?
I am still connected to my alma mater; the credit goes to you. I presume this is true for other alumni too. As long as you are there, we have someone to look up to for MGIMS updates.
My best wishes for the new innings. May you have a long and healthy one.
Dear Professor Kalantri,
I read your note with a mixture of nostalgia, admiration and, I must admit, a little disbelief that nearly four and a half decades have passed since you first walked into MGIMS.
For those of us who had the privilege of being your trainees, MGIMS was not simply a place where we learned medicine. It was a place where we learned how to think like physicians. And much of that learning happened at the bedside, watching you approach a patient, listen to a story, examine carefully and arrive at a diagnosis through clinical reasoning rather than simply through investigations.
The importance of listening to the patient. The value of a meticulous clinical examination. The discipline of thinking before ordering another investigation. And, perhaps most importantly, the understanding that medicine is ultimately about the patient sitting in front of us.
Your contribution to Internal Medicine at MGIMS goes far beyond the many patients you have cared for or the generations of residents you have trained. You helped create a culture of clinical medicine that many of us carried with us when we left Sevagram and began our own journeys. We may have moved to different hospitals, cities and even countries, but the imprint of MGIMS—and of teachers like you—has remained.
I particularly loved your description of this transition as “handing over the captaincy, not leaving the team.” It is wonderfully appropriate. I cannot quite imagine MGIMS without you somewhere in the corridors, on the wards or at the bedside. Knowing that you will continue your clinical work, teaching and interaction with patients makes this feel less like an ending and more like the beginning of a rather well-deserved second innings.
Thank you for showing us what a physician could aspire to be—not only knowledgeable and clinically accomplished, but thoughtful, humane and deeply committed to patients and teaching.
I hope your second innings gives you the opportunity to enjoy the things that perhaps had to wait during the first—more reading, more writing, more time to reflect, and hopefully a little more time simply to enjoy life. But knowing you, I suspect the wards and the bedside will continue to have a strong claim on your time!
Wishing you a long, happy and fulfilling second innings. And thank you for being such an important part of my first one.
With warm regards ,
Roy Debajyoti M. MD,DM,DNB,CCST(Renal), FRCP
Senior Consultant & Director Hemodialysis
Changi General Hospital
I am blessed to have you, Sir, as our teacher and mentor of the precious institution I proudly call MGIMS. It is truly a big part of my personal and professional life 🧬, which I carry with me, Sir. 🙏🙏🙏🙏💐💝🎂
I wish to see both you and MGIMS whenever I get the opportunity. 🙏😊
Pranaam Sir,
Wishing you a very happy post-retirement journey. May this time be even better than the one you have spent at the pitch, batting!!
Not only have you played a great innings, but you have also shaped so many of us to be the best we can be, like you!!! We owe you our present and our future, and will always be there to cheer you on in your new role.
For us, YOU and some of our teachers will always remain our institute!!!
Looking forward to meeting the newest Prof. Emeritus!!! ❤️🙏
Now that you have time to spare, please do visit us whenever you are in town. We will always remain your students!!!
Regards and lots of love to you!!!
Dr. Meenakshi Sauhta
Director and Senior Consultant (Obs. & Gynae)
Cloudnine Hospitals, Gurgaon
With only grammar, syntax, punctuation, and paragraphing corrected, while preserving the writer’s personal voice, memories, and sentiment:
Sir, a teacher never retires. The gratifying satisfaction you have after every batch of students keeps you going. In my family, starting with my wife, all her sisters and her aunts are in the teaching profession.
The difference between Sevagram and other places is that, with you, Ulhas bhai, our relationship was like that of elder and younger brothers. The bonding with Prof. Gupta and Jain Sir cannot be explained in words.
Whatever heights we have achieved in our professional lives are because of your love and guidance.
I still remember when Dr. Khatri joined. There were no PG or academic activities. He started ECG reporting by house officers, saying, “Aaj nahi to kal, post-graduation start ho gi.” He used to stand at the bedside until every student could appreciate the murmurs. After he left, how beautifully the four of you took the department to such heights!
Whatever relationship we all have is not a teacher-student relationship. It is a bond between elder and younger brothers for the older generation, and between father and son for the younger generation.
I left Sevagram in 1985, but my bond with MGIMS has only grown with time. I know your love and passion for teaching and your devotion to patients will keep you going.
SP, as I call him, is one year senior to me and had joined at a time when I had appeared for my MD examination and failed. He did not console me or offer any advice, which was the last thing I needed at that time.
We used to sit on his Chetak scooter, which was parked next to the lecture theatre in the old hospital building. Many times, I shared his home-cooked food. Listening to his stories about the fights between Dr. Chaubey and another senior professor, and many other things, was kind of therapeutic.
Once a teacher, always a teacher, and a doctor-teacher never retires. You are, and will always be, the best mentor a student could ask for. Thank you for understanding and for making it easy for a student like me to come to you every time I needed someone to guide me on the right path.
Good morning, Sir. 🙏
We cherish every moment spent with you, learning the nuances of medicine and life. Teachers never retire; they keep imparting knowledge simply by their presence around us.
I am grateful to you for everything you have ever taught me. Our interactions in Chandigarh—at PGIMER and outside—will always be cherished.
Best of luck, Sir! The playground remains the same. You have retired from T20 but continue to play ODIs, just like Virat Kohli. 🙏
Heartiest congratulations, Sir, on your retirement as Director Professor and on continuing your journey as Professor Emeritus. Your contributions to medicine, the institution, and the many generations of students and colleagues you have inspired will always be remembered with immense respect and gratitude.
Wishing you good health, happiness, and many fulfilling years ahead. It is wonderful that your wisdom and experience will continue to guide us in your new role.
Warmest wishes, Sir, for this next chapter.
Respected Sir,
Heartiest congratulations on beginning this new chapter as Professor Emeritus.
For me, you have always been much more than a Professor of Medicine.
I feel truly fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you and be guided by you.
Your knowledge, discipline, dedication to your patients, and the way you taught us to approach medicine have left a lasting impression on me.
Although you have retired as Director Professor, I am very happy to know that you will continue to remain associated with the institution as Professor Emeritus.
Teachers like you never truly retire—their teachings and influence continue through their students for years to come.
Thank you, Sir, for everything you have taught me and for the inspiration you continue to be.
Wishing you good health, happiness, and a very fulfilling journey ahead.
With immense respect and warm regards. 🙏
Dear Revered Sir,
Congratulations on your new post as Emeritus Professor.
Your relentless service, hard work, love for academics, and furtherance of medical science will always be remembered. I am lucky to have been your student and look forward to still learning a lot from you, both in academics and in life in general.
With best wishes and regards.
What a coincidence dear Sir
We both arrived in MGIMS in 1982
I lasted 9 years
Most of them spent kicking and screaming and in tears at wanting to go back home to Bombay
I won’t lie …
My time in Sewagram was spent learning more to adjust to a different world…
And of course my basic identity of being a doctor
What it gave me I realised only later once I left it….
We used to say
Majboori ka naam Mahatma Gandhi…if u can live in Sewagram u can live anywhere.
The thoughts of a naive urban free spirited young girl..
But now I feel I was so lucky …
I made lifelong relationships
Friends Colleagues Peers…
Had a brilliant foundation into the art of medicine!!!
And an insight into a part of India which was totally alien to me.
Found inspiration in my teachers …and a respect for their art and analytical thinking!
Have travelled and worked across the world but can honestly say the Art of medicine as practiced in our department is without parallel and I am grateful to have been accepted into my MD degree by accident and a lot of luck !!!
Thank you for being my guide and always being there for me.
I wish you all the best in your new innings …you will undoubtedly continue to inspire us by your beautiful articles reflecting on life and which we look forward to with great anticipation.
Kind regards,
Monica, MGIMS, 1982
Shri-ji,
You deserve this. ☝️
You are the best and most understanding, constantly evolving coach a team can have.
About coaches:
The best players have never been the best coaches.
There is a reason for this—but that is for another day.
You are the chosen exception:
The best player, the best coach, the best team man!
Wishing you a very happy and healthy birthday. 🙏🏼
As a private practitioner, I do not have the luxury of retiring, so I do not know whether retiring is a blessing or a curse.
But whatever it may be, I hope we shall see more of your literary side, which probably got a bit sidelined during your busy stint.
Dear Sir,
I am happy that more students will be able to learn the art of medicine from you. Imparting knowledge has been your forte, and lucky are the students who will receive it.
Best wishes,
Riti
Respected sir
You have played best innings till date and we are fortunate to learn and grow under your leadership at Sewagram !
Extending my best wishes to you sir for future journey 🙏🏻💐
Dear Professor,
What a remarkable innings it has been—and what a beautiful way to announce the beginning of your second innings!
From arriving at MGIMS in 1982 thinking you would stay for just a year, to giving the institution 16,190 days of your life, dedication and service, is not merely a career; it is a lifetime of commitment, contribution and institution-building.
You can look back with immense pride and satisfaction at an innings played with distinction, integrity, compassion and innumerable laurels. Your contribution to MGIMS, your patients, your students and your colleagues will remain a lasting part of the institution’s history.
And I particularly loved your words—you are “handing over the captaincy, not leaving the team.” That beautifully captures the spirit of a true teacher and leader. The captain may change, but the wisdom, values and legacy he leaves behind continue to guide the team.
Congratulations on a job exceptionally well done and an innings magnificently played. Your formal designation may have changed, but your presence, experience and mentorship will continue to enrich MGIMS.
Wishing you a joyful, fulfilling and memorable second innings as Emeritus Professor—with more time for patients, teaching, writing, reading, reflection and, most importantly, for yourself.
May this next chapter be even more rewarding than the first.
Heartiest congratulations, dear friend. You have not merely completed an innings—you have left an enduring legacy.
With warmest regards and admiration.
MGIMS will always remain indebted to you for shaping it and making it what it is today. I am sure it will continue to grow and flourish under your guidance in the days to come. I wish and pray for its steady growth in patient care. 🙏🙏🙏
Thanks a million for all your care and support to me and to the Cardiology Unit. It is your dream project, and I remain grateful to you always. 🙏🙏🙏
I look forward to your continued guidance in our pursuit of excellence in patient care in the Cardiology Unit.
Dear Dr. Kalantri,
As an excellent teacher and clinician, with ethics, empathy and a commitment to evidence-based medicine, your total devotion to and love for students are remembered by all and will be remembered forever.
For starting palliative care, all the credit goes to you. My heartfelt thanks to you for writing an excellent prologue for my book, Himalaya Melts. You have interviewed all those people whom others rarely recognise and who are usually forgotten, and published their stories online.
You are a poet, a writer and an excellent human being. Now that you have joined as Emeritus Professor, your guidance will continue to be available to UGs, PGs and residents, with the benefit of your vast experience.
My best wishes for your good health, peace and happiness.
Good evening, dear Captain.
I wish I had been enrolled at Sevagram Medical College; I would then have had the privilege of benefiting from your wisdom and expertise.
It takes luck to have a teacher like you. 🙏
Sir, wish you a happy and more fruitful second innings, full of joy, new experiences, and achievements. 🙏🎊🎉👏😊
Great, Sir. For us, you have become synonymous with MGIMS. In a way, you are the ambassador of MGIMS to all of us who are physically away from Sevagram. Your blogs are phenomenal and keep us connected with the golden times.
Wishing you all the best in your new role.
Mukesh
सत्तर के बाद के सुखद और सफल जीवन हेतु बहुत शुभकामनाएं।
Respected Sir,
You have played the best innings till date, and we are fortunate to have learnt and grown under your leadership at Sevagram!
Extending my best wishes to you, Sir, for your future journey. 🙏🏻💐
All the best for your second innings. I am not sure whether to call it a second innings.
One thing is for sure: you will always be available with the same spirit and enthusiasm, and will work as if you have just joined.
गावस्कर जैसा चार्म, विराट जैसा ऑरा और वैभव जैसी ऊर्जा… आपकी पारी तो हमेशा चलती रहेगी।
आपकी इस नई पारी के लिए हार्दिक शुभकामनाएँ—यह पारी खुशियों, अच्छे स्वास्थ्य, प्रेरणा और उपलब्धियों से भरी हो। 🙏🏏💐
Very eloquently written. All the best for second innings sir
Though I have not met you or seen you face to face( as I had already left MGIMS before you joined), I feel a rare connection with you through your clinical and other literary writings which I have proudly & fondly forwarded to my my non MGIMS doctor friends, patients, other friends and relatives. I am sure you must have helped all of them understand medicine and other aspects of their lives better through your writings which were acquired from your practical experiences and learning.
In you we have as MGIMS Alumni someone on the ground in Sevagram to keep us connected to our Alma Mater. So as long as you are there we will always feel ourselves to be physically present in Sevagram.
Our best wishes, congratulations and prayers for you in your new role as Professor Emirates at MGIMS.
Wish to meet you physically at least once in my life time in Sevagram or someplace.
Whenever you are in Mumbai please do contact us and we will definitely try to meet, God willing.
Your innings at MGIMS has been both long and very productive. I really admire the way you have contributed to the institution clinically, administratively, and as a rare raconteur of interesting and significant tidbits related to the institute—dating back to times when I hadn’t even joined it.
I am reminded of something that D. K. Barooah had said about Indira Gandhi: “Indira is India, and India is Indira.” I won’t be off the mark if I say, “SP is MGIMS, and MGIMS is SP.”
It is no surprise that you have been appointed Professor Emeritus. It couldn’t have been otherwise.
Congratulations on the phenomenal innings Sir and best wishes for the new journey ! You have always been a great physician, teacher and an academician. But what always amazed me, what an excellent administrator you have been. You brought the best of medical technologies to Sevagram. I still remember you supervising the cathlab preparations at 2 am in the night. To work efficiently is commendable, but to get work done from people is a mammoth task. Kudos to an outstanding career ! Please keep inspiring us Sir 🙏 Wishing you the best of health and happiness.
Wow Sir
What an inning, being on the crease for this long itself is praiseworthy.
Sir, you may have passed the captaincy on, but the innings is far from over. You remain one of the finest cricketers on the field—playing with the wisdom of experience, the grace of a true gentleman, and the ability to inspire everyone around you. Captains may change, but legends remain part of the game forever.
Murtaza
and your ever indebted student
Anjum
🙏🙏
Dear sir,
I read this yesterday. Both glad and sad…. The generation which really taught, is aging fast…. Newer generations are cropping up faster than before and have their own tunes & music….
We watch them in awe… but the time tested legacy was always, “Old is Gold”….
You will continue to inspire many more… your journey will bring them to you… sir…🫡🫡🫡
As Richard Bach puts it in Illusions:
“How do I know if my work in this world is over or not?”
“If you are alive, it is not”
So sir, superannuation does not define that full stop….
Very best of luck to you for the golden future still spread out before you, sir!
For people like you, positions and jobs hardly matter…. Also the teacher in you will always be “The teacher!” That is your eternal designation…
Because, sir…you are a true “Karmayogi”!
🙏🙏🙏
Bharati Pandya.
हमने आपको कभी एमजीआईएमएस से अलग माना ही नहीं. इसलिए हम ये सोच भी नहीं सकते कि आप रिटायर हो रहे हैं.
और आपने एमेरिटस प्रोफेसर के रूप म
MGIMS Is honoured that you said yes.
I would rather call you “Life-Long” Professor than Emeritus, as you continue in the same zestful manor to teach. Like Supreme Court judges in USA. They never retire.
CONGRATULATIONS!!
*आदरणीय डॉक्टर एस.पी. कलंत्री सर,*
सादर प्रणाम🙏
सुना है आपने कप्तानी छोड़ दी है, पर बल्ला नहीं !
1982 की गर्मियों में जब आप MGIMS की इस उखड़ी-खाबड़, चुनौती-भरी पिच पर सीनियर रजिस्ट्रार के रूप में उतरे थे, तो सोचा था — एक साल, बस एक छोटी-सी कैमियो पारी और फिर किसी बड़ी लीग की ओर कूच।
पर वाह रे खिलाड़ी ! यह तो टेस्ट क्रिकेट की सबसे लंबी, सबसे धीरज भरी पारी निकली — पूरे *साढ़े चार दशक, 16,190 दिन* तक क्रीज पर डटे रहे।
न लंच की चिंता, न टी-ब्रेक का मोह।
सेवाग्राम के इस मैदान ने बहुत से खिलाड़ी देखे, पर डा. उल्हास भैया के बाद आपके जैसा ओपनर नहीं देखा जो आंधी-तूफान, धूप-बरसात सब में एक छोर संभाले खड़ा रहा।
*सत्तर बसंत पूरे कर* आपने नियम के अनुसार कप्तानी की टोपी उतार दी है। डायरेक्टर प्रोफेसर के रूप में आपकी यह औपचारिक पारी पूर्ण हुई। और इस पारी के लिए पूरा सेवाग्राम स्टेडियम खड़ा होकर, तालियों की गड़गड़ाहट के साथ आपको सैल्यूट कर रहा है।
*पर यह क्या — आपने पैड नहीं उतारे !*
आपने स्वयं कहा — _”मैं पैड उतारकर पवेलियन लौटने को तैयार नहीं। मैं कप्तानी छोड़ रहा हूँ, टीम नहीं।”_
क्या खूब कहा सर !👌
अब आप स्लिप में खड़े होंगे, थर्ड मैन पर तैनात होंगे — एक अच्छी कवर ड्राइव पर ताली बजाते हुए, चुपचाप आती हुई हर गेंद को फील्ड करते हुए, और जब कोई युवा बल्लेबाज भटकेगा तो धीरे से कान में कहेंगे — *बेटा, फ्रंट फुट पर आ, नजर गेंद पर रख।*😊
आज आप ‘एमेरिटस प्रोफेसर’ के रूप में नई भूमिका में लौटे हैं। शब्दकोश कहता है एमेरिटस माने सेवा पूर्ण। पर आपके शब्दकोश में सेवा का कोई अंतिम ओवर ही नहीं है।
वार्डों में आपके राउंड की वही खड़ताल, OPD और पैलिएटिव केयर में रोगियों के माथे पर आपका वही शीतल हाथ, और बेडसाइड क्लीनिक की वही जादुई क्लास — यह सब जारी रहेगी।
*सर, आपने तो सेवाग्राम में केवल नौकरी नहीं की, आपने तपस्या की है। दिन देखा न रात, धूप देखी न बरसात — रुग्ण-सेवा को ही आपने अपना धर्म, अपना मजहब बना लिया। जिस सेवाभाव से आपने गरीब-से-गरीब मरीज के दर्द को अपना दर्द समझा, वह इस आधुनिक चिकित्सा के बाजारवाद में दुर्लभ है।*
*यह आंकड़ों की पारी नहीं, यह मानवता की पारी है।*
और अब…
अब दूसरी पारी का शंखनाद हो चुका है !
कमेंटेटर बॉक्स से जसपाल सिंह की आवाज में कहें तो —
*”लेडीज एंड जेंटलमैन, दिग्गज ने अपना हेलमेट फिर से ठीक किया है, गार्ड लिया है, और अगली बड़ी पारी के लिए तैयार है। पिच वही है, जज्बा वही है, बस भूमिका नई है। देखना है इस सेकंड इनिंग्स में कितने नए रिकॉर्ड बनते हैं, कितने नए शतक लगते हैं !”*
सर, आपको इस ऐतिहासिक, अविस्मरणीय, नाबाद पहली पारी के लिए हृदय से अभिनंदन और आपकी निःस्वार्थ रुग्ण-सेवा के लिए कोटि-कोटि वंदन।🙏💐
ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि आपकी यह दूसरी पारी पहली से भी अधिक बड़ी, अधिक यशस्वी और अधिक संतोष देने वाली हो। क्रीज पर डटे रहिए, हमें आपके मार्गदर्शन की अभी बहुत जरूरत है।
*आपका खेल जारी रहे, सर !*
कप्तानी छोड़ी है,
खेल नहीं छोड़ा आपने,
पैड बाँधे हैं अभी,
मैदान नहीं छोड़ा आपने।
सोलह हजार दिनों तक
क्रीज पर पहरा दिया,
सेवाग्राम की पिच को ही
घर बना लिया।
रिटायरमेंट तो सिर्फ़
एक कागज़ी नियम है,
सेवा का जज्बा तो
अभी भी जवान है।
स्लिप में खड़े हो,
या थर्ड मैन पर रहो
आप रहोगे तो
हर शॉट में जान रहेगी।
अब दूसरी पारी का
आगाज़ होने दो,
इस बार भी
सेंचुरी पर सेंचुरी होने दो !
_माहेश्वरी मंडल, वर्धा की ओर से – राजकुमार जाजू_
Huge congratulations 🎉👏 sir on your new role as Emeritus Professor! Wishing you all the best 🙏🏏
Thank you, Sir, for your many years of dedicated service to MGIMS. You have played a major role in taking the institution to a different level. Whether it was HIS, medicines, equipment, ICU infrastructure, or overall patient care, you always tried to bring a standard of care to a government hospital that we usually associated with private institutions. As residents, we were fortunate to work in that environment and learned a great deal from it.
I also feel very proud that you were my thesis guide. During MD, I was initially not very interested in thesis work, but the way you guided my research, the seriousness with which you approached it, and the shape you gave to my thesis changed my perspective completely. Today, during my super-specialty training, I have developed a genuine interest in research, and a significant part of that comes from what I learned from you.
Another thing I will always remember is your concern for patients who could not afford treatment. Many poor patients received significant relief because charges could be waived or reduced when genuinely needed. For such patients, especially from rural backgrounds, that support meant a lot. It showed that good healthcare is not only about treatment, but also about compassion and accessibility.
Your foresight in developing palliative care was also remarkable. After entering Medical Oncology, I now understand its importance much more deeply. To establish a strong palliative care service in a government setup at that time truly reflected your vision.
On a personal level, being your student and having you as my guide always felt like a privilege. At that time, especially when you were the MS, you had such a strong aura and authority that I was honestly a little afraid to approach you, so I probably never spoke as openly as I am speaking today. But whenever there was a genuine issue related to thesis work, ICU work, or patient care, we always felt that your support could help things move forward. I still remember that when I informed you about my reaction to regular latex gloves, latex-free gloves were arranged for me from the very next day. It may have been a small thing, but for me it reflected how responsive and supportive you were.
Looking back now, I realize that sometimes we do not fully appreciate the value of a place and the people around us while we are still there. Only later do we understand how fortunate we were—almost like realizing afterwards that we had been standing in a very green garden.
Thank you very much, Sir, for your contribution to MGIMS, for your support to patients and residents, and for helping us become better doctors. As we move forward in our own careers, we will also try to contribute something meaningful to medicine and to our patients, inspired by what we have seen from you. Wishing you good health, happiness, and a wonderful journey ahead.
Dearest Sir
Anu and I read the email expressing your thoughts in the usual erudite manner that we have become accustomed to over the years.
We reminisced fondly on your beautiful handwriting, artistic flair of expression, your many ‘quotable quotes’ and the quiet wit and humour. Your ability to teach and explain clinical medicine was peerless and helped us visualise and retain a vast amount of knowledge. In a world where information is widely available (even more so with the advent of chat gpt etc) you taught us something unique- the art of medicine!
You underestimate the significance of an experienced player fielding at 3rd man. A word of pastoral advice to the bowler to maybe change his length, go for the Yorker, try the Doosra and similar advice will be invaluable to the players and greatly appreciated.
Although the MGIMS alumni may be scattered far and wide in the world, if we stand tall today we do so on the shoulders of our teachers and thank you most sincerely and with utmost respect and appreciation for all we have learned from you
Wishing you the very best for the future
Anu and Fali Langdana
Dear Sir
Heartiest congratulations on becoming Professor Emeritus! This is a wonderful and well-deserved recognition of your years of dedication, knowledge, and contribution to medical education. I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn from you during my medical school years. Your teaching and guidance have remained an important part of my journey as a physician. As I reflect back on my own career working in 3 different continents I realize that I had the best foundation at MGIMS .
Wishing you continued good health, happiness, and many fulfilling years ahead. May this new chapter bring you time to enjoy the things you love and the satisfaction of knowing how many students and physicians you have inspired.
With warmest regards and my very best wishes.
Happy Teachers’ Day, Sir! 🙏 I feel fortunate to have been your student. You are a legend, and legends never really retire! Wishing you a fulfilling and inspiring second innings, with my warmest congratulations and best wishes. ❤️
Best wishes sir
🙏
I am always impressed with your way of thinking and putting the topic in a straight ball .
and …and … you scored a boundary again.👍.
You have not been only a teacher but a mentor.
We students and MGIMS would always remain indebted to your sincere efforts… and your able decision to start another inning …. This thought of continuing to teach and help the KG kids of Medical science makes you … distinctly a ” Role Model “.
Our best wishes for a well deserved inning 🏆 win
Sincerely yours
Sudhir (1981)
Respected Kalantri Sir,
First of all many many congratulations on becoming Professor Emeritus!
What a splendid innings it has been Sir!
As I read your mail, memories of my time at Sevagram flashed before my eyes.
I reflect and realize that you were one of the best teachers I came across at Sevagram.
At the time of doing my MBBS my immaturity and youth would cause me to miss so many lectures and rounds that you used to take with so much dedication. But whenever I did attend a few, it was sheer magic from your side!
So with deep respect, I salute you as one of my greatest teachers .
Wishing you loads of happiness and success in your new avatar!. I am sure a lot more will benefit from your experience and wisdom.
Hope to make the trip to Sevagram and see you in person.
My Regards and Pranaam,
Dr Anuj Taneja,MD
1993 Batch
Respected Sir
Hearty congratulations for your extraordinary tenure as medical teacher in MGIMS. It’s difficult to imagine the department of medicine without ‘the fab four’, Gupta Sir, Jain Sir, Jajoo Sir and you. Generations of doctors and residents have been trained under you and serving the community with the principals imbibed by your teaching and morals of MGIMS. It has been 30 years attending your medicine lecture and clinic, still I miss the eloquence and easiness that you made the difficult subject like medicine as tolerable.
You were my examiner in final year MBBS and I remember your affectionate way of asking viva questions to alley our fears.
Although, I did not pursue medicine as my future carrier in the field, You, as a teacher and human being will be cherished as light house in life.
I couldn’t spent much time with you as many of my batchmates as your residents, nonetheless your mannerism, bed side etiquettes and teaching has been permanently itched in my life.
All the best for your future innings dear Sir. Looking forwards to more of your write ups Sir.
Regards
Dr Milind Joshi,
Professor of Surgery
Professor of Paediatric Surgery and Paediatric Urology
Jalgaon, Maharashtra.
Respected Sir
What a glorious innings . Not sure if i can think of of any deficiency . A well rounded innings as a teacher , clinician , administrator and most importantly a mentor and role model for all of us in medicine department
We were privileged to have been your students . Your journey will forever be inspiring to so many of us . In the research language Impact Factor of your innings has broken all scalability .
Thank you and best wishes for glorious next innings .
Vaishali Solao (1991)
Hats off to you Sir. Your innings has been and inspiration and continue to inspire, as we slowly follow your footsteps and try to contribute at least a fraction of what you have done for all of us.
Wish you a very healthy and happy innings ahead.
With deep regards
Chetan
95 batch
Greetings Sir,
The third innnings of the test is just over.
1st Registrar, 2nd Professor, 3rd Administrator and now the 4th innings just started.
I have learnt a lot from Sewagram and from you.
Keep inspiring us and teaching us something novel each time.
Best wishes and prayers for your good health
Dear sir ,
One has to be fortunate to have a teacher like you
.Respect and gratitude for all the values and teachings you have given to your students
Regards ,
Dr Arati Darade
1994 batch
Dear Sir,
In my humble opinion, your innings at MGIMS is better measured in terms of the patients that you have selflessly served, the motivation you have had on students to excel in all walks of life, the careers you have helped build, the lives you have changed… You have proved time and again that age is just a number that need not be taken seriously. Through the years that I have seen and known you, I have not seen any change in the momentum and energy in you as a motivator, administrator, teacher, thinker and a father figure. Time has already spoken and has done so loudly…your legacy is etched not just in every brick and wall of MGIMS, but in the hearts of all that were fortunate to associate themselves with you, and that Sir, is the best 16,190 days anyone can ever hope to spend.
Warm regards,
Siddharth.