Autobiographic Notes Doctors Who Loved Kashmiris

Nostalgia

Our Philanthropist Businessmen

By

ZGM

Time ticked by, I no more felt lonely in the maddening crowds of the metropolitan city. I no more saw everything around me, grey–insipid and colorless. My distressing feelings: ‘I had nothing to contribute; I played no part; I was on the edge had vaporized- soothing and freshening sea breezes had a lot to do in it.’ Now, in all its seasons, shades and colors I loved the vivacity and vibrancy of the city and the way it was opening up to me.  Unlike many others, who feared the monsoons for clogging of roads, wading through knee-deep waters and evening rush hours the child in me waited for torrents of showers, the lightings and thunders- a natures light and sound show.  A walk on marine drive in heavy downpour and a cup of hot coffee in open air restaurant near the hanging garden. It had its thrill and romance and was as inspirational as the seaside shed where T.S. Eliot wrote Part III of the Wasteland.    On the onset of monsoon, most of friends from my birth burg, like many others from our land after having done nice business and clearing their stocks departed from the city for enjoying back home salubrious and sylvan environs. Leaving behind only those who owned shops in the tourist circuits of the city, shopping malls, and five starts hotels. Once the Chinar leaves at home turned rust many of them returned to the metropolis with news stocks of merchandise, with a new resolutions; work hard and double their business. For,   starting their day in wee hours and returning after the dusk after fixing appointments with potential buyers they had made me realize that we were not only people with deft hands, gifted with a honeyed tongue but also robust enough to make maximum fortune out of minimum opportunities. Many of them, those who had done extremely well in the metropolitan and made a fortunes in the city were also good philanthropists.

My stint in the city not only enabled me to know dealers of Kashmir art- our ambassadors in various cities but it also like unfolded like a flower of countless petals. It did not have all dark side; pila house, contraband markets, gangsters, and the underworld, it also had the other side- a humane side. Ironically, there were stories about some top underworld dons of the seventies and eighties doing welfare work- Robin Hood way.  Those were the days when even in New Delhi advanced medical facilities like kidney transplant and open heart surgery were not available. Many a patients with serious ailments for advanced surgery visited various hospitals. Some prominent Kashmir handicrafts traders and officers of Jammu and Kashmir posted in various state departments altruistically worked as social workers to help needy. Names, of two officers, good human beings to this day live in me memory; Jawaharlal Manavati and Nisar Hussain they fervently helped the patients, got them appointments with doctors and conducted them to hospital. Some philanthropist top businessmen often helped the patients falling short of money during treatment. The Trade Agency, as the principal representative office of the state, was called had no allocations for helping the distraught patients. I remember, some businessmen on a phone call pooled their contribution for helping the needy patients.

In the Bombay, when Shiv Sena was confined to Shivaji Park, and Dutta Samant, popularly called doctor sahib reigned supreme on the streets of Bombay, there were  some top doctors who had love for Kashmir and Kashmiris. Dr. Hiranandani an internationally known Otorhinolaryngologist, (ENT) was one amongst them. The 1917 born doctor was a friend of Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah. He treated patients from the state on priority and free.  I remember, I once conducted him a judge of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court and a minister in Farooq Abdullah government for treatment. He did not even charge them for consultation and treatment. I told this elderly doctor, who always a simile on his face, these two patients are not poor they can pay. His replied they are not going to pay from their pockets. They will bill the state, and your state is poor. Dr. Parulkar, a cardiologist of great repute also treated patients from Kashmir with no charges.