General Reflections Archives - Page 2 of 6

The Man in the Khadi Shirt — A Farewell to Dr. Ulhas Jajoo

I have known Ulhas Jajoo for nearly five decades, and in all that time I have never seen him wear a shoe. This creates a problem at retirement. The usual cliché — he hung up his boots — simply does not apply. For days I searched for the right phrase and found nothing that fit. … Read the essay

Three Generations, One Match

Yesterday evening I watched India vs New Zealand (T20) at VCA Stadium, Jamtha, with my son and my granddaughters. Three generations, one match, and my mind full of old memories. It took me back to another India–New Zealand game I saw in Nagpur long ago, in 1969, at the old VCA ground at Sadar. I … Read the essay

Dr. M.D. Khapre: A Teacher, Musician, and Mentor

I have just learnt that Dr. Madhao Dattatraya Khapre passed away this evening in Nagpur. He served MGIMS as Professor and Head of Pharmacology for many years—from February 1971 to August 1987. Outside the campus, he was a devoted senior member of the Shri Dnyaneshwar Madhuradvait Sampradaya. In Sevagram, he lived with quiet discipline and … Read the essay

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 so encompassing that the name simply stuck, fitting her as naturally as a well-worn cotton sari.

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The Tender Ache of Remembering

Nostalgia. I use this word often. Perhaps it comes with age, a habit of looking back, of holding on to the past. But sometimes I wonder. Am I using it right? The ending -algia makes me pause. In medicine, algos means pain. Every day, I prescribe analgesics to my patients, medicines that take the algia … Read the essay