MBBS HOSTEL LIFE
Dr. Gangadhar Sahoo
MBBS HOSTEL LIFE
I got admitted to SCB Medical College Cuttack in July 1970. Hostel allotment notice was out within one month. Until then I was staying with my friend in Ravenshawa College Hostel. I was allotted in room number 59, main hostel 1st floor. I went there innumerable times but that was always found locked. One day during lunch time I went to that room. Fortunately that room was open. I pressed the buzzer, came out one senior student well dressed and with a white coat. I knew he was ready for the next class. Before I could say anything, he told me to come next day at 5 pm as he was going to attend his classes. As an obedient student I returned back. I had heard from my friends that they were not allowed to occupy their seats in the hostel due to some reason or other. They had made their alternative arrangements near the campus. Some had taken rented houses and others preferred mess. All were waiting for the mercy of the seniors. I could arrange a single room without bath and latrine facility in a nearby colony close to the cancer ward near the campus. There were common manually served latrines and open baths. One had to carry water from a common tube well of that colony. I had to walk to the hoste mess at night for dinner.
Next day I reached room no. 59 before 5pm but as usual it was locked. I waited there on the veranda for Dhananjaya babu to come. After about half an hour Dhananjaya Babu came. He invited me into the room and enquired my purpose of visit, my carrier, my activities, my friend circle and where I was staying. After listening to my reply he politely told that he had his 2nd MBBS university examination around two months away. He did not like to be disturbed. So he was not in a position to allow him to stay in his room before the examination was over. He advised me to meet him after his examination .
Room no. 59 was a three seated room. Dhananjaya Babu was the single occupant. I told him how miserably I was staying in the colony without any freedom and dignity. Any slightest mistake knowingly or unknowingly was a major issue for discussion, criticism and warning. Every time I was threatened to be driven out of the colony. Many a time I was feeling insulted and embarrassed. I barely needed a hostel accommodation. Dhananjaya bhai listened to me patiently and replied boldly that nothing could be done before the examination was over. I returned empty handed. I thought of lodging a complaint but my friends dissuaded me to do that. If one was complaining he was being black listed . Not only he was deprived of getting his seat, he was tortured by the seniors. The seniors were so dominant and powerful that office could hardly take any action against them. Therefore I remained silent cursing my fate and dream of becoming a doctor.
I had heard that the senior most students were occupying the third floor. They were leading a life of a monarch. Juniors were not allowed to their floor. Once they caught a thief stealing the bathroom fittings and electric bulbs. That thief was mercilessly beaten, limbs were tied and threatened to be dropped from that floor. Another heroic story I heard about them. One day a senior faculty was misbehaved by the owner of a reputed garment shop in the heart of the city. This news spread like a wild fire in the campus. In the evening the so called frontline seniors hired a jeep, loaded it with all possible weapons . A seven member army went to that shop ransacked it , lifted the owner of the shop to the medical campus and forced him to beg apology to that senior faculty member.
I felt proud of my seniors. The principal Prof. Dasmohapatra was of all praise of them. He openly calls them as custodians. One day a group of students lodged a complaint against four of those boys who were constantly disturbing in the class and teasing the girl students. The principal assured them that he would take strong action against them. Next day the principal came to the class. It was his class. He was about to start his class when all the students shouted against those four boys and demanded strict action against them. The principal was surprised to see this type of unprecedented behavior by the students. He stopped his class. Asked those four boys to stand up. When he asked them why strict disciplinary action would not be taken against them for their abnormal and disturbing behavior in the class resulting in disruption of classes , they simply said, “Sorry Sir! This will not be repeated. "
Then he asked the rest of the class to stand up. All stood up as a victorious army. The principal said, “You are 146 students. They are only four. They are controlling you, dictating terms and conditions, disturbing you but you are tolerating that. You 146 can't control them! If 4 can overpower 146, then those 4 heroes are praise worthy not you 146 cowards. If I will remove, I will remove you 146 not those 4. My college needs heroes not cowards."
Daily we were hearing such stories about our seniors and I couldn't dare to ask again to Dhananjaya Babu before his examination was finished. After his examination was over I went to his room to ask for permission to stay in the room. I was hopeful that this time Dhananjaya Babu will never say NO. But to my bad luck I found his room locked and a poster was pasted on the door where it was written, “I am going home and will return after 15 days.” Once again I returned empty handed. I was counting days. After 15 days I was fortunate to meet Dhananjaya Babu in the mess. He called me and asked me to meet him in his room at 5 pm after the classes. I did that. He told me to come to the hostel after giving an occupancy letter in the hostel office. Next day I bid farewell to my colony and thanked everyone for allowing me to stay with them. I called a rickshaw and loaded my belongings one aluminum suitcase, one bedding with cover and a bucket with mug. Those were my valuable fixed assets and are still preserved with me. I reached room no. 59 and became an inmate of the prestigious hostel from that day.
After few months one seat fell vacant in room no. 40 in the ground floor. The specialty of that room was that it was one of the most disciplined rooms of the hostel. Geographically it was one of the corner rooms adjacent to the wash room, closer to the college building and the windows facing main hospital road, so well ventilated and lighted. The academic ambience was superb with Kailash Baiskh the senior most student in the room as the commander. All the roommates had deep respect towards him. He as the elder brother was the guide and caretaker of all the inmates. Baisakh Bhai hailed from our locality. He advised me to change my room from 59 to 40. I did that. He had many good qualities. Besides being a very good student he was very studious, punctual with clarity in understanding the medical subjects. He was clarifying all doubts of all our roommates. He was a follower of," Early to bed and Early to rise." It suited me very much. Read less with full concentration and remember more without burning the midnight oil. So changing the room was a blessing for me. The ultimate outcome was that my concept in each subject became clear from the very beginning.
In a medical college hostel life your friend circle is important. Classes were from 7am to 5pm with one hour lunch break. Again in the evening there were clinical classes in final year. In between we had to play, relax, go for a walk, read for few hours either in the room or in the library, then had our dinner and retired to bed. In our room I and Baisakh Bhai were retiring to bed by 9.30 pm and waking up at 4.30 am. Then we were reading for two hours before getting ready for the class. But other two roommates were starting their reading after we went to bed. When they were sleeping only they knew.
In my friend circle we were five to seven friends almost from equal social background, financial status and mentality. Two of us were sportsmen participating almost in majority sports and games, two were expert in literary activities and almost all of us were good at studies. In our group I was designated as Gurudev because I was capable of solving unsolved problems. Pradipta(who is no more) was designated as Maharaja, the leader of the group whose order was never disobeyed. During vacation we in group were visiting each other's village in rotation. Really it was quite enjoyable and refreshing. In studies and examination we were equally competent and all of us were ranked as very good. We definitely were meeting in Maharaja Pradipta's room once daily may be for a few minutes. That was during evening time after a full day's work and before starting our study. There we were casting jokes, passing comments, laughing, dancing and what not. It was really an anti stress and mood elevator session.
Hostel life of five and half long years can not be written in an article of two to three pages. Reading this article one can guess what a simple and regimental life we were leading in 1970s . It's just the beginning. While I started rewinding my hostel life I could recapitulate many thrilling incidences which had occurred. In subsequent articles I will try my best to pen down some age old hard facts experienced by me which will profoundly enrich and entertain my readers.
*************************
Viewers Comments