My autobiography

This is about me - Nandakumaran. 

Young days

An attempt at writing an autobiography!! I was born in 1937 (ME 1113 Kanni masam Sept 20th Pooroorutathi nakshathram) three years after my father's retirement as Devaswam Commissioner in 1934. Chechi was born in that year. They wanted another girl but were disappointed. Anyway - I was one among many and got care as anyone else. I grew up mostly in my Chechi's company because there was no one else. Since there were seven men as my elder siblings, I was an easy target for all of them to run errands - especially Balachettan to buy snuff powder. I remember how we, being children, used to get Vishukkettam from distant cousins and uncles and Ramuttyettan especially used to collect that money from us! Vishukkettam amount was 4 or 8 annas and very rarely Re 1. 

Onam and Vishu were true festivals in those days as that whole week was enjoyment. Even when I had nothing to play and no company I would be loitering in our house compound among trees and plantains. I made small VILLU (bows) using IRKILI (coconut leaf stem) and Ambu (arrows) too with chool irkili (coconut leaf stem used for making rough brooms) and play Rama - Laxmana. Very rarely Kuttappan, Balan and neighbour Venu would come to play GOLI KALI (marbles) or Pamparam (spinning top). Amma (Mother) didn't permit me to go out and play football etc. to avoid bad company. In spite of that, I still went out and learned cycling in Palace grounds though Amma didn't like it.

Our school was Vivekodayam boys' high school (and girls' for Chechi). I joined the 3rd std directly when I was 7 years old, I think. There was a Nambeesan mash who was very strict. My most difficult thing then was multiplication table of 13. Later I came to know that most people had this problem. School was only walking distance from home. There were no strikes or bandh etc then - what a golden era - no school politics at all. Our school was managed by Sri Ramakrishna Ashramam and they used to conduct Geetha classes every Sunday for senior boys and outsiders. I used to go for these classes after my 8th std. Up to 7th std I was not good in studies, and Amma appointed a teacher Sankaranarayana Aiyer to teach me. Then onwards, I topped in all subjects - that was after 1950. For SSLC, I topped in class division and got a prize - mostly books.

College days

Then on to Sree Kerala Varma College managed by Cochin Devaswam board. Ettan asked me to take 2nd group with Biology, aiming for Medical studies. I remember some teachers there: Aravindakshan Botany, Sulochana Zoology, Prof Ramachandra Iyer Physics, Sugathan and TCK Menon Chemistry, Ponnunni Kartha Physics. Mr Akhileswara Iyer was Principal. Ours was the first Science batch in the new block building. Passed standing first in 2nd group and got books as prizes. Our Intermediate course was affiliated to Madras University. During my 1st year there, Chechi was also there, doing BA Economics final year.

After Medical College admission, I stayed with Appuchettan as he was alone there - Edathyamma had gone for delivery at Thrissur. Once the Hostel was ready, I shifted to hostel - wanted to avoid ragging. Due to this delay, all the good rooms were already allotted and we (Narayanan Nair, TS Balaraman and I) were closetted in a dingy dark corner room. We managed there happily and when the new hostel was ready I shifted there along with Narayanan Nair, to that hostel's middle floor. The new hostel was nice. It had a common room with a radio which was mostly on in the evenings. Our favourite item on the radio was Binaca Geetmala at 8 pm broadcast by Radio Ceylon - it was very interesting.

Mess was mostly non-veg and I had to eat it out of necessity. I never liked the non-veg taste, but couldn't help it - there was no choice. We are generally born vegetarians and cannot adjust to non-veg so easily. We had weekly one feast as dinner and we all used to wait for it. Once during our last years, one night 2 VIPs came for the feast - Dr C Raghavachari and Prof KN Pisharoty - and went on gabbing for hours after the feast. The former was our Surgery head and the latter was my uncle - so called because of his age - my father's niece's husband. He was the close friend of Prof Dr TK Raman of Medical section and also Principal. Pisharoty was a medical man. He was the special officer to start Medical College in Calicut when he came visiting us. Life in the hostel was ok for me throughout, except for the financial problem - which was mostly tackled by the Rs 100 cheque I got from Parukutty Nethyaramma from 4th year onwards (I mentioned about this in my previous write-up on my mother).

We used to have yearly college day, Athletics day, Hostel day, hockey matches, other matches, cricket and what not. For fun there used to be cross country race and ladies hostel visits and vice versa. We hostel-inmates fully enjoyed our entire stay there for 5 years - full of revelry. In spite of all this, I have never got the drinking habit, not even in the UK. Once, after our course, during internship, we went to Mysore on an excursion, and there I tasted alcohol for the first and last time . Mine is not compulsive alcohol avoidance - I just don't like its taste and the headache I got after it. This excursion was in 1959 or 1960. We went by train to Mysore and Bangalore, had the usual sight-seeing etc.

Memories of those days are a bit patchy. One event I still remember is Dr K Jagadeesan's wedding in Kannur. He married Kayyath Damodaran's daughter. He was a millionare there. The rush for the wedding was huge as lots of politicians and even the Governor was attending. The funniest part of all was that our travel from Quilon to Kannur was in a decorated special train. That was my first visit to Malabar although the latter half of my life was spent there. At that time, I never imagined my life would be tightly connected with Malabar - my working life was only in Calicut, Vatakara, Thalasseri and Kannur. Later, my daughter was married to Cherukunnu and all my life's important events happened there.

Internship was compulsory and was to be in all departments - just to get accustomed to working in the hospital. No registration after internship, only after house-surgeoncy. In those days, the House- surgeoncy had 6 months in General Surgery and surgical specialities like Orthopedics, ENT, Paediatric surgery and 6 months in Medicine and medical specialities like Dermatology, Medical paediatrics, Anaesthesia. And only after that, you were a Doctor, got your registration certificate, and could join Government Service.

I finished it in January 1962 and applied for posting. In those days, you would be automatically selected into service. No need to even apply. It could be in teaching or in Health services. I don't know why I selected health services - anyway that was my fate.

I think about 45 of us cleared all subjects in the first attempt and the rest had to write again in December. Many of my best friends were in that group. In the group that passed, half the number had to go to Calicut for their House-surgeoncy, where they didn't have many facilities since it was a new set up. 

Dr. KN Pisharoty

Calicut medical college was in its 3rd year then, I think. Dr. KN Pisharoty was the Principal. He did a lot for the students of those days - finding places for students and house-surgeons to stay etc. He was always with them and students adored and respected him. We will need a special chapter to write about KN Pisharoty. His achievements and accomplishments are vast and difficult to cover here. He was an enthusiastic Kathakali art lover and while travelling somewhere in a car, he would get down, even at midnight, if he saw Kathakali being enacted on the road side. That was the level of his love for that art. He had the capacity to sleep watching Kathakali and at the same time, watch it in detail also in between. No wonder he was made chairman of Cheruthuruthi Kalamandalam started by Saakshal Vallathol himself. Dr Pisharoty's interests were varied - Thullal, Kootiyattam any cultural entertainment like that -  he liked them more than his Medicine. He was so modest that he would talk seriously even to a child. His dress was also simple - a dhothi and a RANDAAMUNDU. His nobility showed itself in his talk and behaviour. Never got angry, never ever shouted at anyone. Such a decent gentleman.

As a young medical officer in a rural area

Now back to my story - I joined at Desamangalam as an assistant surgeon in-charge of a dispensary with 8 beds, 3-4 staff and heavy rush of out-patients, both AM and PM. Quite a tough post for a beginner. The compounder did the office work also and the cleaner sometimes acted as midwife when the actual midwife was absent. Lots of snakebite cases used to come to us from a nearby rubber estate. The superintendent of the estate Mr Joseph would buy anti-venom and supply us and we used to manage - mostly viper bites there. We managed some minor surgery there, like abscesses and suturing minor cuts. The OP was the main work, which occasionally touched 250-300 AM and PM combined.

Amma (Mother) was with me at Desamangalam and we stayed at a house owned by Desamangalam Mana adjacent to the dispensary. No rent. House practice was allowed and we had a small consulting room. Distant house calls were more frequent and sometimes I had to walk miles and miles to reach remote houses. The accompanying person would encourage me, saying that the place is just a call away. We had to conduct deliveries too, in homes with cow dung pasted floors - even forceps deliveries with a torchlight or a kerosene lamp. I've done episiotomies in such miserable situations. In those days, we had such confidence and the patients had faith - not like now in this time of "consumer protection". Once I had to accompany a full term woman in labour in a MANJAL (makeshift stretcher) to the hospital. On another occasion, by the time we reached the place, the woman gave birth normally. 

Usually the fees would be a pittance or in kind like a tender coconut. Most house calls were for giving confidence and reassurance. When there was a real problem, the patient would be referred to Wadakkancheri taluk hospital. The people of Desamangalam  liked me and had confidence in me. That gave me the courage to face anything. After about a year I was fed up of these long walks along snake-infested paddy fields. I decided to apply for MS in Trivandrum Medical College. The call for an interview came promptly. This was a great relief from those long walks and house calls.

Post-graduate in surgery - MS

In due course, I reached Trivandrum and presented myself for interview before my familiar professor Dr C Raghavachari with a pleasant and happy face. I got through - I was one among 4 service candidates and the other 4 were from among senior house surgeons. The latter had an advantage of having had one year training already and so the service candidates like me were at a disadvantage. They were doing much better in all fields, like case presentations, topic discussions and thesis preparation - fortunately it was decided to be 20 interesting case reports. 

My friend in the PG Hostel among outsiders was Dr Kumaradas. He too had my handicaps like other outsiders. (Heard that he is no more). This PG hostel where we lived was unofficially allotted. It was really meant for Resident House Surgeons and not for PGs for whom they were building a separate hostel. Still, somehow we managed to hold on to this hostel till our course was completed. Food was partly as parcel from a hotel - one Prabhakaran used to bring it to us. Prabhakaran himself was working unofficially. All sorts of humbugs were around there in those days and that is how we escaped. Dr Roy Chally, Dr Nandakumar, Dr P John, Drs Ninan and KV Johny, Dr Krishna Shenoy were all staying there. Prof CKP Menon's son Venugopal was also an inmate there. Dr R Karthikeya Varma was my immediate neighbour.

The paywards were near our hostel and this fact came in handy when Ramankuttychettan had Piles surgery and when Rammohan had his tonsillectomy - I could visit them often. When we asked for chances for surgery the Prof used to say, "First pass exams, and then practice for experience". So we took that advice as a blessing in disguise, i.e. we spent most of our studies in the library or by reading in the room and went to the Operation Theater sparingly. I thought Prof was right and I did like that approach.

I remember doing surgery for the first time - Herniorrhaphy - with assistance, it took more than an hour. But as I am a fast learner I reduced the operating time gradually until the present (7 yrs back) about 20 minutes.

The MS course required either a Thesis or a record of a minimum of 20 interesting cases. I did the latter.

Posted to Calicut

I got deputation from the government for the MS course and so had continuity of service. Got the new posting order from DHS to Calicut General Hospital.

People called this hospital Kottapparambu hospital (old women and childrens' hospital). Dr N Mohandas was already there as surgeon and I was to work under him. He was a gem of a person and was Nalappat Balamani Amma's son . He gave me plenty of surgery to do alone and assist and was always obliging. I got an old RMO's quarters to stay and our honeymoon was there, at "Bhargavi Nilayam".

It had a small Nadumittam (courtyard) but had only well water - no tap water - and scavenger latrine, and that too at a distance. Poor Mother had to tolerate all that and limited space inside too. The attraction was rent - Rs 16.20 per month and we could use the coconuts from the trees - we used to get around 60 coconuts from the 10 trees and would sell surplus coconuts too! We could see training of Lathi charge and Bayonet charge from our window as the District police office was just in front of our house. As it was located on a busy road - Coronation theater road - no difficulty in getting autorickshaws or buses too. If you pay 50 paise you could go anywhere in Calicut. 1 liter of Coconut oil cost only Rs 2.50. Income too was low - I was getting as assistant surgeon Rs 250 per month. We were managing all right because Rema (my wife) too was working in Medical college as Tutor in physiology and later in Ophthalmology. This was a tragic period for us as Ramettan had a mental breakdown. He recovered later, but it took time - nearly a year - after Sarabhai came to help, offering an emeritus Prof post which he joined, after which was his golden period.

Vatakara and Kannur 

Then came Rema's DO course in Madurai. Prof Venkatasami was the Professor there. Fortunately it was only one year and that went off smoothly. In 1968 I was transferred to Vatakara Taluk HQ hospital where there was an urgent need of a surgeon. There was a big welcome for me.  I was apprehensive too because Vatakara is a sensitive place with very touchy public. One can lose one's face easily, or gain a good name also if they like you. Fortunately I became very popular and could tackle any complicated case any time. They had firm faith and I had confidence - with these two weapons I was King there. Even an on-the-table death would be overlooked, with people saying, "Even Nandakumar could not save!"

Rema too got posting as assistant surgeon in a PHC at Orkatteri. She enjoyed going there as it required a little walking. Her Thrissur accent was misunderstood by the public as Tamil or something! Funny, is it not! She finally got transferred to Taluk HQ hospital itself. Here there was another problem for her - the chief medical officer wanted her to take general duty and they had some unpleasant altercations. This went on for some time but suddenly she was posted to Kannur Dist Hospital and the problem was solved. 

So we went to Kannur and found a hostel for working women near Payyambalam beach. I did a little shuttling to and from Vadakara and we used to take rooms in the PB near the beach. I too requested a transfer to Kannur but was posted to Thalasseri - again shuttling continued. Thalasseri was an unpleasant place for me. Finally my request for transfer was granted and I was posted to Kannur as 3rd surgical unit in-charge.

When I was transferred from Vatakara the people protested and the Municipality passed a resolution protesting that I be kept there itself. But it didn't work as mine was a request transfer.

In Kannur we first stayed near Chovva on Mattannur road at a place called 'tar itta road' because tarring finshed at that site! Soon we got another house called Happy Nook at Kanathurkav. The owners were an old couple staying upstairs, and we stayed downstairs. A very peaceful, quiet place with a temple nearby. The owner was Purushuettan and his wife was Ammuedathy - very nice loving people. Their two sons were working at Hyderabad. The younger one was a cricket player of state level. 

That area of Kanathurkavu was a quiet, peaceful area, away from the city crowds. Just in front of our house was the military pay accounts office. Nearby were two beaches - one sandy and the other rocky. One kilometre way was the Government TB. Sangeetha talkies was just a walking distance away. Most cinema theatres there had thatched roofs as they were all temporary. The local command area of the army was also nearby.

Anju arrives

Rema became pregnant seven years after our wedding and so it was an important event for all of us. She immediately stopped going to Hospital and went on leave. By the time she reached full term, we made changes to that house like mosquito curtains to all windows of one room where she would sleep. As the expected date was coming close, we made arrangements, calling Dr Sumathi of Rajashree nursing home for her delivery. We were worried that no good anaesthetist was available in Kannur and hence that decision. At last we reached Rajashree NH as the EDD was approaching. I was at Kannur. Rema stayed with her mother at the Nursing Home. But they were practically always in Dr Sumathi's home as they had become like their family members. As the time came for delivery, no anaestheist was available as Dr Krishnadas was held up elsewhere and I was forced to give IV pentothal for easing forceps delivery. So Anju was born on the same Star as mine, pooruruttathi. I decided to go back to Kannur by car . It was then that I noted that the streets were deserted, and then I heard that there was a bandh call because Azhikodan Raghavan was murdered the previous night.

Fortunately, I reached Kannur safely. After 2 days, Anju with mother reached back in Kannur where the altered Happy Nook welcomed them. My car was then Standard Herald - the then new 4 door version -  that cost me Rs. 14,000. In those days, I was very fussy about our car, washing it and keeping it clean almost daily and attending to even small defects which others would ignore. We had a shed in Happy Nook.

Now very many visitors started pouring in to see our little angel Anju. This went on for some days. Amma and Kochechi were staying with us, and Padmachechi was also there for a few days. Amma was  always there with us. Ammuedathi upstairs was like a mother for Rema , always giving good advice.

Gouri and Padmanabhan were staying nearby and they visited us often. There was another lady, I forget her name, a Sai devotee, who had given Rema Vibhuthi and a sweet liquid as Sai prasadam while she was pregnant. We consider that Anju was presented to us by Bhagawan who heard our earnest prayers even though we were not devotees then. He is antharyamin and accepted us as His even before we knew Him. We came to know Swami only in 1977. Anju, as she grew up later, was a balvikas student and had attended Samithis and sathsangs. She had once gone for a Balvikas rally in Puttaparthi and Swami had personally blessed her and had given her a locket.

It was at this time that Jaya's wedding took place in Surathkal REC where Ramachandramman was a Professor and had Quarters. That day happened to be Anju's 28th day - a happy coincidence. The wedding itself went off in typical Karnataka style with the groom Thammu (MG Bhat) clothed as a typical Karnataka bridegroom, with homams, usual poojas etc and other rituals.

The next day Rema and Anju were taken along with Ramettan and Droupathichechi to Ahmedabad by plane. I went back to Kannur and started planning to go to UK - applying successfully for permanent GMC registration and for attachments in hospitals. My flight to the UK had to be booked, and so I went to Mangalore where Jaya and Thammu had just started their PG course and were staying in a rented house. I stayed with them just for the night. Flight was booked on 1st May 1973 by Air India. I went straight to Kannur and got relieved from government service. I had to shift household items to Thrissur in a lorry, along with Amma and Padmachechi in the car with me driving. I felt sorry then to leave Amma back to her troublesome household conundrum, but there was no alternative.

        Continued.......