SP Kalantri

Babulalji: The Quiet Hero of Sevagram Village

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Sevagram in the 1970s had a canteen that served as a bustling hub of activity for students, staff, and visitors. The canteen provided a space where people could grab a quick bite, catch up on the latest gossip, or simply enjoy Babulalji Ganvir’s generosity. If there’s one thing that people remember Babulalji for, it’s his … Read more

You’re only as good as your last haircut

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During the seventies, Sevagram was inhabited by simple folks, dealing with their lives in a uniquely engaging, humorous and humane manner. The medical college had just started and boys and girls from Ambala to Ahmednagar and Shahjahanpur to Sambhaji Nagar arrived in the village. Sevagram pleased many no end. Many were overjoyed, but many were … Read more

Stepping Down…

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This morning, I hung up my boots and stepped down as the Medical Superintendent (MS) of MGIMS Hospital. Twelve years ago, I reluctantly took on this role. As a physician-teacher with no prior management experience, the early days were daunting. It felt like being thrust into Test cricket at Sabina Park without ever having played … Read more

Gulab Singh Baghel

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Sevagram General Store: The One-Stop Shop for Village Life In Sevagram in the mid-seventies, the medical college was just six years old. There were neither big showrooms nor fancy shops, no cinemas or luxury shopping malls. Only one bus would ply between Sevagram and Wardha; a cycle rickshaw would take an hour and a half … Read more

Kiran Munjewar: The PQRST Man

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ECG is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Kiran Munjewar. He met me this morning in the hospital and I seized the opportunity to speak to him. Munjewar was an ECG technician. He is estimated to have recorded close to half a million ECGs in a career that spanned four … Read more

Dr. Anant Ranade

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Dr. Anant Ranade arrived in Sevagram in 1942, inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s vision. The Ranade family hailed from Jamkhandi, a city in Bagalkot district, Karnataka, once ruled by Shrimant Gopalrao Patwardhan. The rulers of Jamkhandi bore the title ‘Raja’ and belonged to the Patwardhan dynasty. Dr. Ranade’s father, Damodar Ranade, served as the Diwan of … Read more

Bhaiji – My Father

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We all fondly addressed him as Bhaiji, a term deeply rooted in the Marwadi language that is used to convey reverence and respect when referring to one’s father. My father overcame a difficult childhood to build a successful life. A man who lived a full and meaningful life, he was a survivor, an entrepreneur, a … Read more

Bai-My Mother

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Bai—this is how most Marwaris address their mother. We too followed the tradition. Born to Shri Shriram and Gopi Bai Mundra on 5 January 1925, she was the first of the five children. She came from Barshi, a town in Solapur district of Western Maharashtra. As was the norm those days, she completed her primary … Read more