Nripen-da the doctor

However much we may be grateful to Nripen-da it will never be enough for all that he did for our generation.

It was he who had arranged for all young boys and girls to have two eggs per day. It was he who began to have greens cooked in the dispensary calling it “Vitamine” so that the children may have some greens daily for health reasons. It was he who with determination and persistence started a “Nursing Home” so that he could use his time better instead of going from house to house seeing patients. I am sure many more similar deeds are remembered by my generation.

Nripen-da was accessible to every child, you could just go there in the dispensary and complain about your discomfort and he would surely find some medicine for you. His priority had always been the young boys and girls. His day and night were for The Mother’s service. If for instance some Ashramite got ill at night & he was called, he took his cycle (in early days) and paddled to the patient’s house and if it was deemed necessary to administer a particular medicine, he paddled back to the dispensary, took the medicine and after seeing the patient having that medicine left. (For there were many who needed such help as then no more than two or three or a family lived in a single house.)

I believe The Mother had suggested a few very simple remedies for some ailments, and he gave them to one and all. For instance if someone went with some stomach problem he prescribed a particular mixture of two powders which was called “Lethini”, for soar throat it was a mixture of glycerin + lemon juice. (It was really very tasty).

At present if there is a case of say mumps or chicken pox we in a short period have a few others having the same. But Nripen-da was extremely strict regarding these contagious diseases. The moment one such case came into light he quarantined the whole house, it could be different inmates living in the same building, or it could be a family. The next step was to segregate the patient in a separate house. Only after three weeks in the case of chicken pox and a week or more for a case of mumps was everyone allowed to mix with the others of the Ashram. One may ask what about the meals? The Dispensary arranged to collect the carriers and send it to the quarantined house. Just an example may show how strict Nripen-da was.

Sitangshu or Himangshu a cousin of Namita had chicken pox. The patient with Namita’s mother was shifted to a rented house so that the other members were not affected. But those members who remained at home had not permission to come either to the Ashram, school or Dining Hall. They were not even allowed to use the streets around the Ashram to go to other places. In the evening if they wanted to go the beach they had to remain on the southern side of the old pics. It so happened one evening after the March Past , a couple of friends went to the beach and by chance met Hema, Sitangshu’s sister. Naturally we talked for a few minutes. Next morning I was informed that Nripen-da went to the Dispensary he looked at us above his spectacles and asked “Did you talk to Hema last evening on the sea beach?”

“Yes”. I replied.

Don’t you know you are not to make any contact with a quarantined family? Don’t do it again. Go to school.”

Sometime back I was narrating this incident to one of our older sadhikas who has lived here from the early forties. She then narrated something which shows how strict The Mother was regarding contagious diseases.

It seems in a house located at a very short distance from the balcony on the north side of the Ashram, an Ashramite had chicken pox. Though the patient was shifted to a separate lodging the other inmates were quarantined as per rule. One morning The Mother from the balcony saw someone standing in front of the gate of that particular house. She was extremely displeased. When Nripen-da went to The Mother for pranam The Mother it seems asked something like how can anybody come out and stand so near to this large gathering under the balcony?

In time it became difficult to get houses on rent for this particular purpose. It is then he started a smaller place calling it “Cure House”.

He had the habit of visiting our house every afternoon to meet Surendra uncle and pass sometime in a relaxed mood before he began his afternoon duties in the dispensary. His personal life was strictly that of a sadhak. He never took even a glass of water in our house, even on occasions like birthdays. Three meals from the Dining Hall were all his food, though he encouraged the younger generation to eat in plenty.

When the kitchen above the dispensary began on his initiative, the ladies working there would send him vitamine for his lunch.

Always in dhoti and half shirt or kurta in white, we found him seated behind his desk. A physician who made you feel that one was in safe hands.