An Oasis amidst an Arid Desert

MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL -- the sheer name spells a spine chilling sensation down these years, right from its inception on 28th of January, 1835. It's a red letter day - inscribed in golden letters in the annals of the history of the British India and right down through to the Modern India, when this Motherland has already celebrated its 79th Independence Day in a calibrated note and striving gradually to achieve that status of global super power.

MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL is still an enigma! The greatest of the institutions remains still shrouded in mystery. And so long this enshrinement of this mystery prevails, the myths and several anecdotes will also go in parallel, probably with hand in hand. Right from the day of its appearance on this holy ground of this Motherland, many individuals, some of them are luminaries, have tried their level best to eulogize this monumental institution in their own way; but still that particular job remains unfinished -- as if we eagerly wait to listen and learn more about this institution.

Plain way, in short -- The More is said, the More remains unsaid.

In the nineteenth century, when the Motherland was under the complete sway of the British on the one hand and her people -- inhabiting the land -- were shrouded under the canopy of the claustrophobic socio-economic and religious norms on the other hand, some of the greatest social reformers of that period gradually thought otherwise. Their thought process was to bring out the people and also the Motherland from the clutches of the dark ages into the light. At that time, the British had already established their tight colonial leash over the Motherland and its inhabitants.

In this context, the most notable of the luminaries are Raja Rammohan Roy, Prince Dwarakanath Tagore and Motilal Seal. They were visionaries and they understood that to bring a reform in that so-called society -- where the lack of education was rampant in all spheres of life -- they had to take the help of the then masters or rulers of the land, i.e. the British; thus the chapter of Lord William Bentinck came into vogue. He was the Governor General of India. His name will also be revered in some ways. At the behest of Raja Rammohan Roy, the then Governor General of India was instrumental in the abolition of the Sattee in 1829.

The British was also thinking of establishing an institution for the Modern Medicine and educating some people with advanced ideas with the ideals of Modern Allopathic Medicine mainly for their own good. At this time Raja Rammohan Roy and Prince Dwarakanath Tagore also fostered the same ideology of incorporating the difficult task of bringing into the new system of not only the education, but also the modern medical principles. Thus at their behest and patronage, MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL came into vogue and the inception happened on 28th of January, 1835. A new dawn ushered in India. But the saddest part of the story is that Raja Rammohan Roy had already left for his heavenly abode, some 2 years before the inception of this great institution, i.e. in 1833, in the far away foreign land -- at Bristol in Wales.

As long as this great institution stands tall in its place, the name of Lord William Bentinck will be etched in our memory. So, at last MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL started its epic journey from 1835, with Prof. Mountford Joseph Bramley as the first ever Principal of this great institution. Along with it, the name of David Hare will also bear its testimony in the history -- as that great educationist became the first and only non-medical Principal of this great institution.

MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL has produced many illustrious luminaries -- there's a long list waiting for everyone of us to visualize. This great institution has attained the status of a heritage one and this is the first teaching institution of modern allopathic medicine, situated in the east of the Suez Canal. It is also the oldest Medical College of the largest continent of Asia. This great heritage building has withstood 2 world wars and is the witness to the dawn of the independence of our Motherland from the iron shackles of the British. The gothic architecture of the MCH Building bears the testimony of the old glorified days.

In the midst of all these happenings, and also the struggle for independence was at its full swing, the year 1929 appeared in full bloom. Some of the great personalities of those yester years from this great MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL fostered the idea of forming an association of the ex-students of the college. Thus THE MEDICAL COLLEGE EX-STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION, CALCUTTA saw the light of the day in 1929. Every year this association used to hold its annual meetings, so-called get-togethers, somewhat in an ordinary way and the first meeting started in a comparatively bigger way in 1935, the centenary year of the great MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL.

Maintaining dignity, camaraderie, sanctity, brevity, clarity and fostering mutual love and respect amongst the esteemed members and the dignitaries of the MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL are the motto of THE MEDICAL COLLEGE EX-STUDENTS' ASSOCIATION, CALCUTTA. Frankly speaking, MEDICAL COLLEGE BENGAL is - An Oasis amidst an Arid Desert.