Babulalji: The Quiet Hero of Sevagram Village

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 the essay

You’re only as good as your last haircut

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 the essay

Stepping Down…

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 the essay

Gulab Singh Baghel

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 the essay

Kiran Munjewar: The PQRST Man

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 the essay