My Admission to Grant Medical College 1979

 How can I describe the day of my admission to Grant Medical College? The 18 year old Vispi Jokhi I remember was a dreamer, an idealist who had in the weeks preceding the fateful day had lost his dear Eruch Kaka who at the age of 57 died at home following a massive cardiac event. As such I was ruing the fact that admission to medical college was eluding my grasp as my idealist nature had prevented me from bagging a few extra marks which were offered to me by my friend Nozer Sheriar for representing JaiHind college in inter collegiate swimming. Since all on the swimming team could not swim, we were only to fake injury and the scene of the day of June 29, 1979 would not be a reality.  

So, I went to the iconic JJ Hospital building, The entry from main JJ Road was far from impressive, in fact to this day from the road a shabby old building which is known as the Old Boy’s Hostel, reminded me of some old medieval haunted house. After passing a uninspiring typical Government office like building we turned right and we saw two buildings one an old castle like structure almost like from an English country side on the right and on the left a large green garden with a road roundabout which as it’s backdrop had a expansive sandstone like structure with a central semicircular glass structure on ground floor over which a central narrow rectangle with symmetrical windows and a clock tower emerged. This was flanked on both sides by an expansive wide structure almost over 50 meters wide as I imagined. As one entered the most noticeable feeling was one of grandeur and the imposing black seated statue of Sir Jamsetjee Jeejeebhoy. His was a picture of a benevolent face, human but divine in a sense of a visionary about whom not many in that concourse knew in terms of the contributions he made to Mumbai and India. But, almost everyone seemed to realize that there was a divine aura leading to a feeling of reverence and respect.  

The tiled flooring and wooden doors with small rectangle green colored glass with the security and the peons and ward boys and the crowds and hustle and bustle of patients' relatives, and government clerks and bureaucrats made it look like a hospital. Yet conspicuous by it’s absence was the antiseptic smell and was certainly looking cleaner than KEM, Sion or Nair. We met some clerk and since many of us were knowing each other in typical Bombay and government style we were getting so called secret information. In a few minutes we exchanged notes that 36 of us had received a telegram a day back that we were to report to JJ Hospital for interview with the dean of Grant Medical college at 3 pm. I always considered myself a kind of rebel or activist who liked to ensure that nobody cheated us and in no time, I befriended the clerk with the list and with a tinge of excitement i told my dad that I was 35th of the aspirants called for the admission interview and although the course had started if selected i would have barely missed a day or two and was in no danger of losing one term. As things rolled on every person who went inside the Dean's office came out beaming as one would expect when the dream of becoming a doctor. The tension of the long interminable wait was getting over and very soon I was almost in a celebratory mood. Those were the days of Janta Party, Indira Gandhi era, a time of scarcity but one of hope too. India had reaffirmed it's democratic credentials and an era of a non corrupt rule which we expected to usher in 1977 was beginning to unravel in 1979.

Becoming a doctor was an aspirational dream about to come true, till after smooth admission of 34 out of the 36 called candidates, the clerk who was my friend was paralysed into inaction and everything seemed to come to a standstill. I still was relaxed and thought that as in Government offices the offices were closing and most people in those days worked by the clock. However, my clerk friend assured me not to worry. After about 20 minutes or so me and Kirti Gangar with our dads, mine a combative lawyer and his a meek submissive General Practitioner were the only anxious supplicants left. We were finally both called in and the Dean Dr. Anjaneyulu, who was a gynaecologist. He called us both and explained that there was a call from Mantralaya that two more seats need to be allocated to the reserve category of 34% seats as the division between the sub categories in fractions whenever less than 0.5 had to be made full. So despite the fact that as per the calculation of 200 seats at Grant Medical College 68 seats needed to be reserved and two more were kept aside for foreign students. Now suddenly I had a sinking feeling of a person who in a few minutes had lost admission into medical college which seemed a certainty. It was a case of so near yet so far. The grand office of the Dean of Grant Medical College with the emblem and ornate wooden furniture I saw as an 18 year old, a corrupt power structure where injustice was done to me based on a call from some Government minister who maybe wanted to favour his constituency. I suddenly gathered courage and decided to challenge the dean and threatened to take him to court if he did not give me admission. The Dean and another official tried to pacify me and said that there was no need to panic as because of the fact that IIT admissions were delayed many who had taken admissions to medical college would join IIT and I would definitely get admission.

However, the mad Bawa did not budge and said that he wanted the Dean to give him his decision in writing failing which I would take him to court. I remember the Dean smiling and asking me to relax. I told him my father was a lawyer and I would not hesitate to fight for my rights. As things started heating up, I was unable as a youth to sense that if I carried on the indulgence from the Dean would stop and I stood the risk of being thrown out. Even so Kirti Gangar was scared and he was willing to go home. At that moment I heard a knock and a candidate walked in to give up his admission to medical college as he had got a seat in IIT. Fortunately, the Dean Prof. Dr. Anjaneyulu saw wisdom in giving me my seat there and then to get rid of me. Still, I told him that Kirti Gangar should be accommodated as well. Later, I promised Kirti that I would help him get justice.

This dear friends is the drama surrounding my admission to the great Grant Medical College which became my Karmabhoomi and the scene of so many unforgettable moments of my life. I did a Google search on Dr Anjaneyulu and it yielded a video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5o3Y6tEI9rI link shared.