This was in early 1970s, probably 1972,I was doing my Compulsory Rotating Internship in Obstetrics and Gynaecology in what was then known as Prince of Wales Medical College Hospitals ,one of the Premier Hospitals in the country that time.Now it is plainly known as Patna Medical College probably in line with its humble status now.The O&G ward had been temporarily shifted for renovationwork in the old built by the British ,to a vacant plot in front of the Pharmacology Department and next to the Children's Hospital.Now the Hospital,popularly known as PMCH, with its various clinical departments,is longitudinally situated parallel to the River Ganga,which runs from West to East along the North side of Patna.Those who may remember the period, was the time Smt.Indira Gandhi was striding tall after the resounding victory in the 1971 war which led to the liberation and creation of Bangladesh.Of course as there is a saying"Power corrupts and Absolute Power absolutely corrupts".Of course,I cannot believe she personally was in anyway corrupt but when somebody becomes powerful,flunkies and sycophants collect and try to gain an advantage.We had somebody saying"Indira is India" etc.One will remember the Emergency which was imposed later in 1975 with severe curtailment of personal liberties.
Whatever may it be,this led to a reaction and we saw the advent and rise of the great Socialist,Jaya Prakash Narayan who later started what is popularly known as JP movement.As a part of that movement ,we had the Patna University Student's Union presided over by the famous colourful former Railway Minister,Shri Laloo Yadav and the Secretary of the union was Shri Sushil Modi,who was former Deputy Chief Minister belonging to BJP.Now they are in opposite camps but they were in office bearers of the union
To come to the point of this blog,this particular day, there was a big congregation in Patna College,the centre of activity,though Laloo Yadav studied in BN College.I do not remember the exact issues involved but there was a great agitation which led to the police firing Tear gas,followed by actual firing as a result of which several people got injured and had to be admitted in PMCH.There was great tension in town over the students' agitation.I had gone for my evening round to the O&G Ward ,where I was posted, despite protests from my mum but a newly qualified Doctor has great zeal and ideals.
It was about 8 pm and I had decided to return home early,skipping my regular "adda' with my friends who was posted in other departments.Suddenly there was continuous loud banging on the main door of the ward which we had kept closed due to the uncertain conditions outside.The door was opened to let in my close friend,Dr.Prabodh Kumar Jain who was apparently injured.He said he was going for his evening round in the Rajendra Surgical Block when in front of our ward, he was pounced upon by policemen.After telling the nurses to make my friend lie down,I quickly stepped outside to check whether there was any risk of their stepping inside which would disturb my other patients.I saw a few uniformed policemen going away.I returned to apply first aid to my friend, who luckily was not seriously hurt.By this time there was a big uproar and soon lot of party people arrived to take my friend away to be admitted in the Private ward known as Cottage Ward and make political capital out of this episode.
To make the story short,this incident along with other similar injuries to other people, created such an uproar so that Govt.had to constitute a Commission of Inquiry which was to be conducted by a sitting Judge of the Patna High Court,Justice U.N.Sinha. I ,though not a direct eye witness, was an immediate witness,hence the importance of my evidence and statement.A famous barrister,Mr.Basanta Bannerji was the lawyer for my friend,Prabodh whom we had nicknamed as Bhojpuri Sahib.He briefed us before our appearing for giving evidence and he told that the Govt.Prosecution would try to prove that that there was a great hullabaloo on the road because of the problem in the day and he got caught in the melee.When my turn came ,I told in the examination-in-chief,the sequence of events .On completion of my statement,Prosecution Attorney got up to cross examine me.As predicted by Mr.Basanta Bannerji,the prosecution attorney laid a map of the whole area.He pointed that adjacent to our ward next to the Children's hospital,there was a narrow "gali" leading to the Mandir on the ghat of Ganga and at the mouth of the gali ,there was a "Paan" shop around which there was always a crowd of people and on the road in general at thatperiod of time.He had told me to answer in yes or no to his queries and he had me confirm the fact that at period of time, there was always a crowd of people in front of the paan shop ,the ghat and also people going to the mandir to pay homage and attend kirtans.This sequence of yes-es was continuing till out of frustration at the distortion of facts that I burst out that "yes,usually there was usualy a throng of people hanging around but that particular night due to the fear pervading there was no crowd or throng anywhere on the road."On hearing this,the Prosecution Attorney's assistant clapped his hand on his forehead because of my last statement,I completely knocked out the hypothesis his boss was building.Finally on my statement that I had seen some uniformed policemen going away at 8 night,he so very innocently asked,"Well,Doctor,one final question on that particular night,was it a moonlit night or mooness night?"I understood the catch and very nonchalantly answered"It really did not matter since the whole area was lit up by very bright fluoroscent lamps" thus demolishing his ploy to declare me a liar as to prove I could not have had seen in the dark.At the end when he saw all his attempts had failed,he made a statement that I had lied to help my friend to which I violently protested that I was not and I was not in that profession which some people in the room were, that makes lying a byword in their lives.I was shocked that my evidence was taken to be a lie by the Prosecution but I was told later that this was the form in cross examining-they have tell that and I was right in denying it.
Anyway my association with the agitation was this much.This agitation was a prelude to greater things to come -Railway strike in 1974 ,imposition of Emergency by Indira Gandhi and later to be revoked with the loss of Indira Gandhi at the next polls.Thus this JP movement which was non violent in nature set the ball rolling.
So,my friend Satyaneshan,I wonder if you will revise your opinion of the agitatio in your institute being the biggest in ndependent India.
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