A subtle wisdom
BMJ 2006; 332 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.060264 (Published 01 February 2006) Cite this as: BMJ 2006;332:060264
- Balaji Ravichandran, second year medical student1
- 1Madras Medical College, Chennai, India
Your latest novel, The Hills of Angheri, deals with a young girl from rural India who fights local prejudices to train as a medical doctor before she goes to England to become a surgeon and subsequently returns home. This is essentially your story, isn't it? Did you have to fight the same rural prejudices?
Yes, indeed. I come from a rustic background in Karnataka, and, until I was 12 or 13, I studied in a Kannada medium school with no basic training in English. Subsequently, our family had to move to Delhi, and I joined an English school, where I suffered because of my lack of English. I had to learn the language separately, and after my share of humiliations, I managed to finish my schooling quite successfully. Having read so much about the nature of our profession, I thought that I would really love to become a doctor. But, when I announced this one day amid a huge crowd, everyone was shocked. Some even thought I was joking, and one villager went on to say, “Why… she's beautiful enough to get married.” I was seriously offended, and decided that I would go to a medical college. And I did.
Your father, I believe, was very supportive.
When he understood how resolute I was, he became fully supportive. He was a freedom fighter, a minister working for central government, and a man of principle. So he imposed one condition: I had to get my medical seat with pure merit—he would not misuse his influence and his position in any way.
Was it always your ambition to train as a surgeon in England?
Not really. While doing my internship in Bangalore, I won a coveted prize in a competitive examination in surgery, and my faculty told me that they were willing to sponsor my higher education in England. I was interested in surgery, and so I went to Liverpool …
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