Walking Alone
A song my mother loved returns on her hundredth birthday, carrying with it a life lived quietly—of faith, family, endurance, and an unspoken understanding that, in the end, we walk alone.
SP Kalantri
The Voice in the Garden
Yesterday morning, the MGIMS campus was very quiet. It was Badi Behenji’s death anniversary. We gathered around her samadhi in the garden—students and staff sat on the grass, and the elders took the chairs. The Sevagram winter air was sharp and clear. The Friday prayers had just ended. Usually, we leave after the readings from … Read more
Remembering Badi Behenji: The Soul of Sevagam
We pause today to remember our beloved Dr. Sushila Nayar—fondly remembered by generations as Badi Behenji—on the anniversary of her passing. Looking back at records from 1938, it is humbling to glimpse the world she stepped into. At a time when India had barely ten medical colleges, she was one of just 51 women in … Read more
Badibai: A Life in Stories
I call her Badibai—the elder mother. It is a heavy title, perhaps, for a woman who is my sister, but from the moment I opened my eyes to the world, her affection has been as encompassing and natural as a well-worn cotton sari.
Gabbar of Sevagram
This morning an old man stepped into my office, his jacket sagging and a faded muffler loose around his neck. His wooden tulsi beads had deepened in colour with age as he joined his palms with a shy, familiar smile. ‘Gabbar,’ I said. ‘So you have come.
The Scooters that carried Sevagram’s Heart to Jhansi
The bustle of modern elections brings back memories of an older, quieter contest in Sevagram. I recall the Lok Sabha battles of Dr. Sushila Nayar, ‘Behenji’, and the humble scooters that powered a movement of great medical and social work.
Dr. B.S. Choubey
Fourteen years after his passing, the image of Dr. B. S. Choubey stepping into Ward 23 remains startlingly clear. Immaculate in dress and flawless in clinical judgement, he commanded a respect that taught us more than any lecture ever could.
B.M. Tupkar
A tribute to the spirit of a man who balanced the rigors of his profession with a deep-seated humanity. This reflection captures the essence of a life lived with purpose and the quiet impact he left on everyone in Sevagram.
Twenty-Four
Twenty-four hours can change the trajectory of a clinical case—or a life. Looking back at a pivotal day in the wards, these memories serve as a reminder of the thin line between crisis and recovery in the practice of medicine.
Dr. Rajendra Kokate
Our GMC Nagpur batch of ’73 is a little emptier today. Remembering Rajendra—a dear batchmate from B Batch, Roll No. 117—and those quiet moments on the dissection hall benches where our lifelong medical journeys first began.