Article by Anulekha De

Kv`w¤^bx - fvi‡Zi c«_g gwnjv wPwKrmK

     1861 mvj| ‡Rvivmvu‡Kv VvKyievwo‡Z Avwef©~Z n‡jb iex›`«bv_| GB GKB mv‡ji 18 RyjvB fvMjcy‡ii e«RwK‡kvi emyi N‡i Rb¥v‡jv GKwU ‡g‡q - fvi‡Zi c«_g gwnjv wPwKrmK Kv`w¤^bx emy|
    fvMjcyi ¯‹y‡ji ‡nWgv÷vi e«RwK‡kvi wQ‡jb bvixwk¶v Av‡›`vj‡bi Avw` c«e³v| wZwb ‡P‡qwQ‡jb, Zvui ‡g‡q D”Pwk¶vq wkw¶Z ‡nvK| e«RwK‡kv‡ii gv‡qi Zj‡c‡U n‡qwQj GK `~iv‡ivM¨ AmyL| wKš‘ cyiyl Wv³vi‡K w`‡q wZwb wb‡R‡K cix¶v Kiv‡Z A¯^xKvi Kivq, e«RwK‡kvi c‡owQ‡jb gnv weo¤^bvq| ZvB wZwb ‡P‡qwQ‡jb ‡g‡q‡K Wv³vi Ki‡Z| fvMjcy‡i ‡g‡q‡`i cov‡kvbvi my‡hvM bv _vKvq wZwb ‡g‡q‡K wb‡q P‡j G‡jb KjKvZvq| Kv`w¤^bx fwZ© nj evwjM‡Äi wn›`y gwnjv we`¨vj‡q| c‡i GB we`¨vjq‡K wgwk‡q ‡`Iqv nq ‡e_yb ¯‹y‡ji m‡½| c«_g ‡g‡q wnmv‡e Kv`w¤^bx GB ¯‹yj ‡_‡K KjKvZv wek¦we`¨vj‡qi G›U«vÝ cix¶vq DËxY© nq| Gici ‡e_yb K‡jR ‡_‡K First Arts ev F.A. cvk K‡i ‡m - fvi‡Zi c«_g gwnjv Mª¨vRy‡qU|
    wcZvi Drmv‡n Gevi ‡m PvBj Wv³vwi co‡Z| m~Pbv nj fq¼i GK jovB‡qi BwZnv‡mi| mg¯Z ‡hvM¨Zv _vKv m‡Z¡I ‡gwWK¨vj K‡jR KZ©…c¶ Kv`w¤^bxi Av‡e`b c«Z¨vL¨vb K‡i - Zvi Aciva? ‡m ‡g‡q!! GB mg‡q Kv`w¤^bxi Rxe‡b Av‡mb ØviKvbv_ M‡½vcva¨vq| bvix wk¶v we¯Zvi I mgvRms¯‹vig~jK Kv‡R DrmM©xK…Z ØviKvbv‡_i c«‡Póv‡ZB Kv`w¤^bx ‡kl ch©šZ ‡gwWK¨vj K‡j‡R fwZ© nq| KjKvZv ‡gwWK¨vj K‡j‡Ri c«_g QvÎx*| wKš‘, GKRb ‡g‡q n‡q co‡e Wv³vwi!! c«wZ c`‡¶‡c evav Avi jvÃbvi m¤§yLxb n‡Z n‡qwQj Zv‡K| e½evmx KvM‡R Kv`w¤^bx‡K ÔPwiÎnxbvÕ e‡j AZ¨šZ KyiywPKi ‡jLv c«KvwkZ nq| Gi weiy‡× Av`vj‡Z Awf‡hvM K‡i Kv`w¤^bx Ges Rqx nq| wePv‡i KvM‡Ri m¤úv`‡Ki kvw¯Z nq| ‡gwWK¨vj K‡j‡Ri wk¶Kiv ch©šZ Zvi we‡ivwaZv ïiy K‡i| ZLb ‡gwWK¨vj K‡j‡R QvÎx‡`i Rb¨ Avjv`v Uq‡jU wQj bv| GB mgm¨vi K_v Kv`w¤^bx wc«wÝc¨vj‡K Rvbv‡j, wZwb ‡KvbI e¨e¯’v ‡Zv K‡ibB wb, D‡ë Kv`w¤^bxi mv‡_ AZ¨šZ Af`« I Akvjxb AvPiY K‡ib| G‡ZB ‡kl bq - Kv`w¤^bx‡K Bachelor of Medicine ev M.B. cix¶vq B”QvK…Zfv‡e ‡dj Kiv‡bv n‡qwQj| cwie‡Z© Zv‡K ‡`Iqv nq Graduate of the Medical College of Bengal ev G.M.C.B. Dcvwa|
    BwZg‡a¨ Kv`w¤^bxi m‡½ we‡q n‡q‡Q ØviKvbv‡_i| GB we‡q So Zy‡jwQj ‡m hy‡Mi i¶Ykxj mgv‡R| we‡qi mgq Kv`w¤^bxi eqm 21, Avi ØviKvbv_ 39 eQi e‡q‡mi wecZœxK, Dciš‘ `yB mšZv‡bi wcZv| ØviKvbv‡_i c«_g c‡¶i ‡g‡q weaygyLx wQj Kv`w¤^bxi c«vq mgeqmx| c«m½Z, weaygyLxi m‡½ we‡q n‡qwQj D‡c›`«wK‡kv‡ii - Zvu‡`i ‡Q‡j Av‡evj-Zv‡ev‡ji m«óv myKygvi ivq|
    ‡h‡nZy Wv³vwii M.B. wWwM« wQj bv, ZvB c«wZ c`‡¶‡c ‡hvM¨Zv I wPwKrmv wb‡q we`ªyc Kiv nZ Kv`w¤^bx‡K| AvU mšZv‡bi gv Kv`w¤^bx Gici wm×všZ ‡bq Bsj¨‡Û wM‡q Wv³vwi wWwM« ‡bIqvi| Bsj¨Û ‡_‡K L.R.C.P. (Edinburgh), L.R.C.S. (Glasgow) Ges G.F.P.S. (Dublin) wWwM« msM«n K‡i ‡`‡k wd‡i Av‡m ‡m| wKš‘ jovB Gi ‡kl nqwb ZLbI| wPwKrmK Kv`w¤^bx Zvi ‡hvM¨Zvi c` ev PvKwi cvqwb| wb‡Ri evwo‡Z ‡P¤^vi Ly‡j Gici cy‡ivcywi c«vB‡fU cª¨vKwUm ïiy K‡i ‡m| cmvi R‡gI I‡V ZvovZvwo|
    ‡h mg‡q fviZxq ‡g‡qiv N‡ii AvwObv ‡c‡iv‡ZB BZ¯ZZ Ki‡Q, ‡m mg‡q Kv`w¤^bx KjKvZvi Gc«všZ _‡K Ic«všZ ‡QvUvQywU K‡i Wv³vwi K‡i‡Q, ivZwe‡i‡Z ‡ivMx ‡`L‡Z ‡M‡Q, K‡i‡Q wbqwgZ A‡¯¿vcPvi| GgbwK, ¯^vgxi g…Z¨yi w`‡bI c«m‡ei ÔKjÕ G‡j, bZyb c«vY c…w_ex‡Z Avb‡Z Qy‡U wM‡qwQj Kv`w¤^bx| G‡nb A™¢yZ I AvZ¥wek¦vmx Kv`w¤^bx emy M‡½vcva¨v‡qi Rxeb msM«vg mg¯Z bvixRvwZi Kv‡Q GK AYy‡c«iYv|
    1923 mv‡ji 3 A‡±vei - `¶Zvi m‡½ GKwU RwUj A‡¯¿vcPvi mdjfv‡e ‡kl K‡i evwo wdij Kv`w¤^bx| cyÎea~ mijv‡K Lvevi evo‡Z e‡j mœvb Ki‡Z ‡Mj ‡m| Gw`‡K A‡bK¶Y A‡c¶v Kivi ci mijv wM‡q ‡`‡L weQvbvq ï‡q ey‡Ki hš¿Yvq QUdU Ki‡Q Kv`w¤^bx - nvU© A¨vUvK! gyn~‡Z© ‡kl n‡q ‡Mj e¨wZµgx GK c_-c«`k©‡Ki Af~Zc~e© Rxeb|

* gv`«vR ‡gwWK¨vj K‡jR ZLb ‡g‡q‡`i Wv³vwi covi AbygwZ w`‡jI, KjKvZv ‡gwWK¨vj K‡j‡R ‡g‡q‡`i fwZ© ‡bIqv nZ bv| Kv`w¤^bx emy M‡½vcva¨v‡qi c«vq mgmvgwqK Kv‡j Avb›`xevC ‡Rvkx bv‡gi GKwU ‡g‡q gv`«vR ‡gwWK¨vj K‡jR ‡_‡K Wv³vwi cvk K‡i|

Z_¨m~Ît

Awbe©Pbxqv - bvivqY mvb¨vj
Internet

Kadambini – India’s first female doctor

    Kadambini Basu was born on 18th July, 1861, in Bhagalpur. His father Brajakishore, the headmaster of Bhagalpur School, was a well-known person in the movement for women education that time and wanted his daughter to become highly educated. He transferred to Kolkata for Kadambini's education, as there was no scope for womens' education in Bhagalpur. Kadambini was admitted to the Banga Mahila Vidyalaya (later merged with the Bethune School), from where she passed the entrance examination to the University of Calcutta as the first woman to do so. She also became the first woman graduate of India, receiving First Arts (F.A.) degree from the Bethune College.
    Motivated by her father, Kadambini wanted to pursue her ambition of becoming a doctor. Thus, a history of struggle began. The Medical College authorities rejected her application only because of her 'crime' of being a woman! During this time, she received a great amount of support from Dwarkanath Ganguly, a social reformer, who was also fighting for women education at that time. It was due to his efforts, Kadambini got admission in the Medical College. However, harassment continued! Kadambini was referred to as 'Characterless' in the newspaper, Bangabashi, against which she filed a case and became victorious, resulting in punishment of the corresponding editor. In the college, the faculties were against her. There was no ladies washroom in the college. When she took this problem to the principal, what she received was only indecent behaviour. Most unfortunately, the college authority deliberately made her fail in the final exam for the degree of 'Bachelor of Medicine' (M.B.), alternatively, awarding her 'Graduate of the Medical College of Bengal' (G.M.C.B) degree.
    Kadambini and Dwarkanath became married by this time, at the ages of 21 and 39, respectively. Even this marriage was heavily criticized in the society due to the age difference between them, and Dwarkanath being a widower having two children. Dwarkanath's daughter Bidhumukhi was about Kadambini's age. It is worth mentioning that Bidhumukhi was later married to Upendrakishore Raychoudhury.
    Without having a formal degree of M.B. Kadambini was regularly being questioned about her abilities as a doctor everywhere. To have formal degrees, she went to England and came back with the degrees of L.R.C.P. (Edinburgh), L.R.C.S. (Glasgow) and G.F.P.S. (Dublin). In spite of these, she was never awarded the post she deserved, which made her quit job and open a private chamber of her own.
    Kadambini led the life of an extremely busy doctor, travelling across the city at any hour including the nights, doing surgeries regularly, at a time when other women hesitated to step out of their houses. Even on the very day her husband passed away, she went away from home upon receiving a ‘call’ to assist the delivery of a new life. For her remarkable confidence and commitment throughout her life, Kadambini had become a burning inspiration for the womanhood.
    3rd October, 1923, Kadambini succesfully executed a critical surgery. Returning home, she had a severe chest pain – a heart attack. An incredible life ended its journey.

*Anandibai Joshi received her medical degree from Madras Medical College, Madras, nearly at the same time as Kadambini.

-Translated by Rahul Bandyopadhyay