My Tryst with COVAS Parbhani

Abdul Samad

It was a hot May-day in 1977, when I, with Dr Izhar Qureshi, for the first time set our feet on Parbhani Railway station, as we were to appear for an interview in the University for Assistant Professor post in COVAS. My first impression was, ‘God, where am I getting stuck?’ The city looked like a big village with cycle rickshaws as the only way of conveyance, primitive hotels, open drainage, poverty and dirt all around. It was a big relief when I entered the clean and green University campus, a contrasting world than the city. We were very few candidates hence the interview went for a long time but when the members realized that I was working with the National Dairy Development Board and was assigned the responsibility of overseeing managing of the imported Jersey stock at the Sabarmati Asham Guashala Semen Station they thought I might not join. The Vice-Chancellor, Dr. V. S. Khuspe, was very persuasive and promised me that the new college would soon transform into a modern college and that I would be able to lay few bricks, of which I would ever remain proud of. I was still in a state of confusion, but Dr. Qureshi, Dr. Gujar and Dr. Baig, who also appeared for the interview for other posts, were almost certain to join. These friends were one of the important reasons I finally decided to join COVAS Parbhani on 7^th June. I met the Vice Chancellor, who was happy to see me and inquired if any I needed any help. He cautioned me of the likely cultural shock initially as I was coming from an urban background. Those were the days when Vice-Chancellors were very courteous, accessible, seen walking to their office. One could set clock seeing Dr. Khuspe walking to the office.

Dr. M. A. Ghaffor and Dr. M. N. Kulkarni, the senior-most founding faculty members were very caring and helped us settle down in the initial months. Dr Bhoop Singh, my immediate boss, played an important role in ensuring that I got a corner office space in the veterinary dispensary of the College of Agriculture, next door. I barely had space to squeeze a table and a chair. Dr. Singh was always very caring and friendly, never acted as a dictating boss. We had professional differences too, but both of us managed to get around, leaving no rancour behind. He was a down-to earth, very simple person, with Ph. D. from HAU. We used to enjoy his Haryanvi language, especially his animosity with ’poha’. He would ask students in the polyclinic about the breakfast, and hearing the word ‘poha’ he would frown and say ‘what poha, paratha kha’. Usually, we aspire for better office befitting the post, but he preferred to sit in a laboratory when we shifted to the new polyclinic, and gave his office room to me.

On the day I was to start teaching, Dr Ghafoor called me to his office for a piece of advice, which went something like this, ‘in your first lecture, impress the boys with phad-phad English, speak in difficult language so that they won’t understand’. I got confused and replied if they did not get what I taught, how would it be regarded as a good lecture. He then elaborated, ‘you won’t understand, in Marathwada, impressions go with how difficult English you can speak’. I knew he was talking from his heart, but I could not take his advice seriously. It was a clinical presentation at the state Veterinary Dispensary, near the central jail. There were 8-10 boys and I explained three or four medical and few wound cases. I adopted a teaching style of taking the students first around the basic concepts, such as how wound heals, the necessary elements required for quick healing, importance of protecting wound, and then approaches to treat. In explaining a case of recurrent tympany little bit of surface anatomy, physiology of gas formation, microflora involved, mechanism of coalescing of gases and why sometimes gases get entrapped and finally these can be released. The boys listened to my sermon for nearly two hours standing near the travis, in rapt silence. To my surprise I saw, Dr Takarkhede, Assistant Director of the Hospital, attending to my presentation from a corner. He then asked me to his residence adjacent to the Hospital for a cup of tea and sent tea for all the students. I felt very happy when he endorsed that I could be a good teacher and that my style of case presentation was good. It was a relief that without complex English I could succeed in creating a fair impression on the students. I enjoyed teaching clinical medicine which I used to decorate with additional information from Medica Text Books I invariably referred. I had opportunity to attend to clinical rounds of Dr. Nawaz, Professor of Medicine in the Medical College Hospital Aurangabad. He was an excellent clinician. Coming from a rural background from Marathwada, he had fat fingers and his patient percussion sounds could be heard clearly by the students. He used to draw the lesion on the patient’s body just by percussion and auscultation and post-x-ray it used to be confirmed. He could tell haemoglobin levels looking at the eye mucous membranes. Later in Dr. Javeed clinic in Parbhani, I used to sit with him looking at his patients and at times he used to allow me do auscultation. He was only M.B. B.S. but a traditional diagnostician, confirming even brain tumour with exact location merely on physical examination. These interactions honed my diagnostic capability, which I used to impart to the students in the clinic.

Dr. Ghafoor and Dr. M. N. Kulkarni were the two main pillars of the College and bore the burden of planning of the college buildings and getting funds from the University. These two gentlemen are the real architect of COVAS, and generations of students must remain grateful to them. Dr. Ghafoor was an extension worker, par excellence, especially in coordinating with the politicians. Once, a batch of MLAs from Vidarbha, visited the newly established polyclinic. While briefing about the future research plans, he mentioned two important developments, a monitoring machine that farmers can put on his animal in the village and the vets in Parbhani could listen to heart sounds, and the other was development of a miniature pet cow that could be lifted like a child; in his words, ‘godit uchla aani dudh kadha’. Two MLAs later wrote to him for details and he marked those letters to me for replies. I took these to him, confused what to answer. He laughed loudly and tore the letters, telling, ‘such gimmicks are often necessary to impress visitors so they remember the visit’. Now, I realize, he was a visionary; tele-stethoscope is a reality, and USA has developed smallest miniature but costliest cow.

Dr. M. N. Kulkarni, Head of the Department of Microbiology was another doyen, a very simple down-to-earth person. He would stop you on the road, take you to the side, to talk. His style was one hand inside the shirt in the armpit, and with the other hand loudly gesturing, while talking about the college development, science and the research. At the end, he would quietly entrust you with some additional work. Dr. Kulkarni and Dr. Gujar developed excellent microbiology Department, equipped with the facilities, like cell culture. Dr. Bhokre, the youngest Professor of Surgery in the country, developed the Surgery Department, to match any good department nationally. The difference however was that the facilities in Parbhani were put to use daily, helping diagnose hundreds of surgical cases, daily. There used to be competition and sometimes complaints that the Surgery and Microbiology Departments got more favour from the administration. The credit however must go to their administrative relations which they used for the Department.

Getting bullied from the students is a professional hazard the teachers have to face. I was warned that in COVAS there were few ‘founding -father students’ who were trouble-makers and that I should be careful. Few of them were rightly called ‘Nav ratan’, because passing them became the responsibility of the faculty. My problem was that being short and thin, I looked younger and there was apprehension if I would be taken seriously, because by the time the students reached final year, they were fully ‘baked in the college-oven’ to show their hard side to the teachers. To be honest, all these apprehensions proved unfounded. My youth on the contrary, played a positive cementing role. The kind of love, affection and respect I received from the students enriched me, which I continue to fondly cherish. The students rapidly took me as a respected teacher in the class, but a friend outside the class. Once, when the boys tried to walk out of the canteen, when I entered, I goaded them not to do that, and convinced them that we both could enjoy in privacy of the corners of the canteen. I used to take students to village clinic (every Wednesday to Bori). One Wednesday the boys said, ‘no mood to go to clinic, but to enjoy picnic in the ‘Zari’ river’. I readily agreed and enjoyed along with them, as there was no point forcing teaching to unwilling students. Although, I took a promise of few extra classes, to which the students agreed.

There were also times when I had tense relations with the students. In a mid-term examination, I set a tough paper as a result around 50% could not score even D grade marks. The students went to the Associate Dean, who called me to explain in the presence of complaining students. I asked the students, ‘did I not teach? ‘Did I ask questions outside the syllabus? The reply was no. The difference was that the format of the questions was contextual and not direct, like define, this or write clinical presentation. The idea was that the students should react to the case as it is presented. I refused to accept the students’ demand, although the Associate Dean wanted me to. Next day I found slogans painted all over, ‘Samad Hatao (thankfully not college bachao)’. It went up to V.C., but I did not budge. My contention was since there was no provision of taking re-examination, I would not set a precedence. Then an option was thrown on changing the teacher, instead, Dr. Bhoop Singh would take the course, to which the students said, ‘no way, only Samad Sir will teach’. It was a kind of complex love relations with the students. Finally, it was resolved that I would conduct a second mid-term examination and average of both would be considered. I told the boys, in front of the Dean, that the additional paper will be tougher and for which they better study hard. I came to know that the students really spent day and night and studied hard. On the day of the examination, however, I threw a googly and announced that the examination would be with the books and the notes. I did this because even in real life, when documents, materials, books are there to refer why students should mug up. They should be taught where material is available and how this should be applied to solve the current problem. I also removed time-limit as in real life nobody will tell you that you have only 10 minutes to diagnose. Fortunately, the students performed extremely well to compensate the low marks in first mid-term. My benchmark for ‘A’ grade was very high and my question papers and practical viva used to be set accordingly. I don’t know, by doing that if I have put the students to loss, but it was with good intention that ‘A’ should be ‘A’. From hearsay, I knew the students believed that if they could get through my courses honourably, the degree was assured. I do meet many students in India as well as abroad, and they don’t miss to remember the question papers and the viva.

Dr. Ghaffoor and Dr. Kulkarni were so right that the first new building to come up should be the veterinary polyclinic. It was result of immaculate planning in which Dr. Bhokre and Dr. Bhoop Singh played critical roles. The polyclinic became heart of not only the college but also the University. It used to be a buzzing place at least 12 hours every day with more than a hundred cases of all types daily brought on foot, bullock carts and tempo. It used to be like a big mela with poor farmers huddled around. The students were given full freedom to treat the cases and were also on standby for any emergency surgeries in the night. I believe, the polyclinic was the only teaching hospital in the country where, the Medicine, Surgery and Gynaecology staff sat shoulder -to-shoulder without any skirmishes, but brotherhood oozing around, with purity of aim to transform the students into excellent clinicians and help the farmers. The success of the polyclinic was predominantly due to the hard work of the UG and PG students. They were the one handling most of the cases administering intravenous, dressing wounds, preparing for surgeries. At times they had to skip lunch to rush to the next class directly, and then return back to handle waiting cases. The place used to be full of discussions on diagnosis and outcome the cases, grabbing of the knowledge from wherever it was emanating, a true academic environment. I had started innovative series such as, ‘Spot the Diagnosis’ where every week a case description or a photo was put up for diagnosis by students. The seminar room was open to small group students for case discussions and Journal Club for staff and PG students. As a result, COVAS students became valued clinicians to earn name and fame in the field. The adage was ‘if the vet is a good large animal practitioner, he must be a Parbhani Vet’. Many reached pinnacle of their profession due to their hard and dedicated work. It was gratifying to see batches after batches of sincere hard-working students coming from rural backgrounds with beaming smiles and twilight future in their eyes. It will be injustice if I don’t mention few names; Dr. Bhikane, Dr. Markandey, Dr. Aher, Dr. A. M. Deshpande, Dr. Jayant Vadola (in USA), Dr. Honalikar, Dr. Rautmare, Dr. Bhuktar, Dr. Shinghal and hundreds of others, who represent successful COVAS alumni. I met many students who, passed the certifying exam of Canada and USA, and established roaring canine practice in Canada.

I got promoted as Associate Professor, as soon as I completed 3 years, which was a record, not only in the University, but probably nationally. I owe this promotion to the collective work we did in the polyclinic. The then Vice-Chancellor, Dr. V. S. Khuspe was so enamoured with the polyclinic, that his weekly visits on Monday mornings was almost a routine. After entering, he would call ‘Kishan’, our attendant to handover the ‘chuna box and tobacco pouch’. Once this mixture reached under his tongue, we knew it was time for us to throw our demands on him, as he would only say hum, hum, hum. We used to manage to get our new items sanctioned during this phase of oral-shut. He also used to discuss the cases at times asking to listen to abnormal hear sounds, interacted with the farmers to get feedback on who was doing good work. That is where he must have spotted me for the promotion, which I got against all the odds and administrative hiccups. His advice to us was, ‘polyclinic is the window of the University through which the public will judge, hence our performance must be the best’. The polyclinic slowly got a nick name, ‘Animal Jaslok’. It became a pilgrimage centre, since any dignitary visiting the University or Parbhani had to set his feet and see the facility. We became trained like a tourist guide, explaining working of each equipment, x-ray of the cases with needle and wires penetrating the diaphragm and heart. After the visit, the usual comment was ’in Parbhani, it is luckier to be an animal’. One day I was surprised to receive a post-card from a farmer, asking me for an advice. He did not know my name, so the address he wrote was, ‘Janavaranche chashmewale doctor saheb’ and the letter reached me. What more recognition one would demand in his life.

I must also mention about Dr. Qureshi, my close friend, who rose to become Professor of Pharmacology. the Englishman of our College time. A simple, but at time complex person, genius in his subject, hard- working and very innovative. The moment I remember him, his image pops up as working in the laboratory he set up on the ground floor bath room, opposite the Pharmacology Department. He did this in defiance to the Associate Dean’s refusal to help him. He wanted some funds, to which the Dean in exasperation gave him a personal check of Rs. 5000 to buy chemicals, to which he refused and left the check in the office. But there was never any repercussion from the administrators, it was forgiven considering the work the young staff members were doing. I cannot forget to mention Dr U. V. Shastri, the ace parasitologist. I am yet to see a person more dedicated in his work. Invariably even in the night he will be seen in the laboratory. On the farm front, Dr. Sakhre, Dr. K. S. Deshpande did wonderful work to get Red Kandhari breed recognized and established a farm. Unfortunately, no serious work was done later to improve this breed genetically. The farm and the related subjects always remained our weak links. It is my advice that the University and the college administrators should realize that if you can have a modest profit-making livestock farm and a good equipped hospital, you don’t need to construct class rooms and lecture halls. The quality of your graduates would be the best. Recently I visited Ontario Veterinary College, my alma mater, and found that the lecture teaching has been replaced with exploratory teaching in small groups. It is high time that we reform teaching and examination methods, rather than only syllabus.

An interesting non-academic incidence I must share with the readers. The Home Science girls’ way to their college was across the veterinary students’ hostel. My residence was opposite the Girls’ Hostel, and they knew that I enjoyed little extra ‘respect’ from the final year students. A group of these girls one day came to my office to complain that the veterinary boys’ behavior when they pass through the road had become worst, embarrassing and intolerable. They threatened that if there was no improvement, their ‘Principal’ had asked to lodge a police complaint. They needed my intervention as the last resort. I went to the hostel next day early morning, and when the boys settled down, replacing their towel lungi, with proper dress, I had a group chat standing on the road. I asked them if they wanted to befriend girls, which was natural in that age. The answer was obviously, yes. I explained to them that with that kind of behaviour they could only create adversaries. A girl will not mind talking if she was assured of her safety and respect. A student, I don’t remember his name (will be glad if someone can remind, if the same group is reading this piece), jokingly asked me to conduct a lecture on how to befriend girls. Next day we had a very friendly chat on the topic, don’t know how much it helped the boys, but the girls definitely told me later that they only gazed, but stopped shouting and gesturing. To be honest, this was the only lecture in my life which I delivered without having any practical experience on the topic. The intention of narrating these incidences is to convey to the young generations, the kind of relations and mentorship we as a teacher enjoyed with the students in our time. We were like coconut, tough from outside but soft from inside.

Lastly, I must mention that I enjoyed the COVAS stay immensely, it shaped my young professional years during which I got exposed to intelligent and practical people from whom I learnt a lot. The COVAS Prarbhani prepared me to face tough life in Ontario Veterinary College and in later life too. For this, I will ever remain grateful to the college, the contemporary staff and the students. May you all carry this tradition forward, generations to generations.

Note: (I suggest let this be the nidus and those who wants to add stories about clinical subjects and polyclinic are welcome to add, language no problem, except Tamil and Telgu). We will publish this interactive article later).