After passing out of school in 1989, I did one year of pre-med in Deshbandhu College 1970-71. ISCE folks had to wait for 6 months to get into college in July those days with the Higher Secondary folks passing in March 1970. I was briefly in Miranda House doing Zoology Hons from Aug to Oct 1971, before joining the first batch of UCMS in 1971. I was also the first student of UCMS to become a teacher in UCMS!
This is a story about our Anatomy class in our temporary building at Chemistry block Delhi University behind the VCs office and sandwiched by St Stephen's on other side. VP Chest Institute was near Miranda House where we got our University Special bus back home to Haus Khas.
The story, as far as I remember, goes like this. For our Anatomy class, we had only one full male body and another female cadaver with no organs, gifted by AIIMS. We were told to go ask our Principal to get us more bodies for dissection as many students were complaining to our Demonstrators. Everyone was dissatisfied at not being able to dissect and learn!
So we trudged to our Principal, who was at VP Chest Institute. We stood outside while Dr AS Paintal, our Principal, stood at the top of the semicircular stairs... a small, fair, sprightly man... who was literally hopping mad! He told us to go to the then PM and ask her for bodies or shoot ourselves and lie down on the tables ourselves! Disillusioned, we returned back to Chemistry block after having some fruit chaat in front of Union Office on the way!
Dr Paintal had already reached there in his official White Ambassador and our sole doctor RP, Dr Suru Bindu got a dressing down for allowing us to leave class. He addressed us then saying we were like his children and to behave and be patient. His daughter Anita was in fact, one year our senior, studying in MAMC.
Blogger Note: They had quite a bone to pick with their Principal! But we are not done with the subject yet. As one story gets told, more memories arise. Let’s follow the Physiology link and dive back into the memory of a dark evening of a darker time.
Another vivid memory......
It was in December when a rumour went around that the Pakistani aircraft had entered Indian airspace and flown near Tilpat range near Delhi.
That day, ‘B’ batch had their Physiology practicals first. We were in Red Fort waiting for our respective DTC buses and managed to reach our homes.
'A' batch had their practicals after lunch and reached Red Fort after 4pm. By then there was a blackout and all buses had been stopped from Red Fort. Our colleagues had to walk home and many had not reached home even by 11pm, to places like Lajpat Nagar. Frantic calls came to us from their parents and we had no clue either! That night we slept only after we got the news that all our batch mates had reached home safely, even in pitch darkness! Fancy such a situation for single girls in Delhi today. God was with all of us that day!
Blogger Note: The Indo-Pakistani War was fought between Dec 3-16, 1971. You can read more about it here)
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