A Conversation in Bangur Hospital

This is just an excerpt from what actually been published in The Telegraph on 26th May '11 on Front page. I think the news will be lost after some time, though some daily reporting may come gradually, but it may not be able to stir public mind. Hope, the reporting here is true.

Hospital head suspended

TAMAGHNA BANERJEE

Calcutta, May 26: The director of the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences was suspended late tonight under instructions from chief minister Mamata Banerjee for alleged “misconduct and insubordination”.

Hours before, neurosurgeon Shyamapada Ghorai had told Mamata that the trail of people following her during a surprise check was inconveniencing patients. Ghorai had several critical surgeries lined up for Friday, and it wasn’t immediately clear whether he could still conduct them.

The Telegraph was present when the chief minister, on her way to Writers’ Buildings, stopped her car in front of the Bangur Institute of Neurosciences on Sambhunath Pandit Street in south Calcutta.

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Mamata, who also holds the health portfolio, enters the hospital at 11.47am. She stops in front of the radiology department on the ground floor. Two patients are on stretchers.

Mamata: What happened? Why are you here? Aren’t they treating you?

A patient’s relative: We are here for an MRI.

Mamata: OK.

She opens the swing door and strides into the radiology department’s “imaging unit”. Around seven employees, including at least one doctor, are inside.

Mamata: What is done in this room?

A doctor: Ma’am, we do MRI.

Mamata: I hope you don’t face problems at work.

Doctor: No, Ma’am, things are fine over here.

Mamata: Do all these machines work properly?

Doctor: Yes, Ma’am, most of them. A few of them may have some problems.

Mamata: What sort of problems? How many machines have such problems?

The employees do not reply.

By then, informed by one of the employees, institute director Ghorai walks up in haste. An official introduces Ghorai to the chief minister.

Ghorai folds his hands in a namaskar and Mamata reciprocates.

Mamata: How many faulty machines do we have here?

Ghorai: I can’t say. There are some.

Mamata: How many machines are here and what are they for?

Ghorai: It’s difficult to say. There are quite a few.

Mamata: Meet me tomorrow with a detailed report of all the machines over here, their present condition and the number of faulty instruments.

Ghorai: Let’s see if I can manage. I have a few operations tomorrow. (He conducts operations on Tuesdays and Fridays.)

The chief minister looks angry. She storms out and the staff follow. So does Ghorai.

Mamata meets some patients from the outdoor section who bombard her with complaints.

“Didi, we don’t have drinking water.”

“Didi, the gates are shut most of the time, preventing the patients’ entry.”

“Didi, there are not enough doctors and they keep us waiting for hours.”

“Didi, the doctors at the outdoor department never turn up on time.”

The chief minister takes notes in a small diary.

A patient’s family begs Mamata for admission. She turns to a hospital official and says: “See what he has to say.”

She asks some of the staff: “What are your problems?”

They call director Ghorai, standing at a distance.

Ghorai (with folded hands): Ekhane ki ebhabe katha bola jai? Aapnar shathe ato lok, ato TV camera, era shob patient-der opor haamle porchhe, odero oshubidha hochchhe (is it possible to speak with so many people and TV cameras around? They are walking all over the patients and causing inconvenience).

Mamata (raising her voice): What is your problem if there are so many people here? I haven’t brought the media with me…. They move about with me because they love me. But you seem to have a problem with the media coming to your hospital.

She pauses for a moment. Ghorai gestures to suggest she is getting him wrong, folds his hands and is about to say something.

Mamata: Seems like you are afraid that if the media come here, you and your acts will be exposed. You have already been exposed. You don’t know etiquette… how to behave with people. I don’t want to speak to you any more. You meet me tomorrow, I will take a decision.

She turns back. On her way out, she pauses beside the two patients on stretchers.

“Did any of the media people disturb you?” she asks.

“No,” says one.

Mamata advances a few paces and mumbles: “Shob shomoy amaar naame dosh chapiye deoa (the blame is always pinned on me).”

12.02pm: Mamata’s black Santro leaves for Writers’.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY OUR BUREAU

Maharaja Tomare Selam

An emotional fan runs into the field to touch Sourav Ganguly's feet during his comeback innings!!

Hats Off to Sourav, you are the king of comeback. You are the inspiration of every man who wants to fight against injustice and never stops that. Self belief is the key to success, you've shown that. How many times you've been thrown into wastepaper busket, and how many times you came back as phoenix!!! Every Bengali, every Indian must have salute you.

The man in the picture! Oh, I wish I could hold you that way...

Here is an old Youtube video where Alex have put much sincere effort in depicting the black nexus of franchise bosses, where despite his great innings as captain of KKR, nobody in auction have thought him worth buying.

In the end of video Alex asked of what's next? I think the top picture is the answer. Oh, people, we're lucky to born in this era.

Salute to Rabi Thakur, mystic poet of India

The fondness with which Rabindranath Tagore is being remembered all across the country and the fact that National Film Development Corporation has taken the initiative to bring out from its archives 7 classical hits made on stories written by Gurudev, as he was christened by Mahatma Gandhi underlines the esteem that this great poet continues to have in our hearts. How many of us are aware about the fact the more than 130 works of Rabindranath tagore, be it stories, or novels have been provided a cinematic interpretation, to be very frank, Bengali cinema would not have been the same had Rabindranath Tagore not been a shinning beacon of this language.

No wonder, one of the biggest showmen alive in Hindi cinema, Subhash Ghai has also been bitten by Tagore's charm. He produced a film in Bengali which was directed by Rituparno Ghosh NOUKABANDI which has been released in Hindi as KASHMAKASH coinciding with the 150th birth centenary of Gurudev. Incidentally Gulzar has translated two of the songs written by Tagore in Bengali version, and it would be interesting to see, how Gulzar has interpreted Tagore in his own imitable manner. It is Rituparno Ghosh's second offering after his 2003 film CHOKER BALI which again was made in Hindi as well, based on the story written by Tagore. Incidentally, apart from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Raveena Tandon is the third female actor who has played the character based on a Tagore story, second one being Shabana Azmi who played a major role in Tapan Sinha's film DAUGHTER OF THE CENTURY. Name of the film in de-glamorised roles that Raveena Tandon ever played in her acting career.

Indeed, the famous DO BIGHA ZAMEEN, which made Balraj Sahni one of the most illustrious actors in Hindi film industry was adopted by Bimal Roy from a poem written by Tagore, Dui Bigha Zameen, and it is one of the cult films in Hindi cinema. In the same vein can one refer to KABULIWALA as well, which made Balraj Sahni one of the most powerful performers ever to grace silver screen in Hindi cinema.

Now that Subhash Ghai has rediscovered Rabindranath tagore, more such offerings should come into future that would underline the intellectual prowess of Rabindranath tagore, and inform the country about his range, present reference point for Gurudev being the national anthem in most of the cases.