THE BRAVEST ‘CITIZEN SBI COUPLE’

REAL LIFE STORY WHICH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION


‘CITIZEN’ EXPERIENCE FROM SBLC, NUNGAMBAKKAM, CHENNAI
SHARING OF “MOMENT OF INNERFULLNESS” - 19.01.2010

I have been really enjoying my role as a facilitator in the ‘Citizen SBI – Orientation Programme’ since Oct, 2009. I look forward to every programme with great enthusiasm and zeal as I get an opportunity to meet another group of around 25 to 30 participants from our great organization. Meeting them, interacting with them and enjoying their company for two days in this all important programme has started giving me great joy and happiness. When there was no programme for a continuous period for 6 days on account of Pongal festival and connected holidays, life suddenly appeared to be dull. So it was no wonder, I was eagerly waiting for the resumption of the programme on 19th Jan, 2010 after the holidays. It really started with a bang so to say.
One of the participants Smt. K Mala from Overseas Branch, Chennai shared her moment of inner fullness (chosen as the best one by her group). She had the following to say:
“I am narrating an important incident from my personal life which was a turning point as well as a moment of great inner satisfaction for me. I joined SBI and have been working in Overseas Branch, Chennai. My perception of life was that for a human being - growing up, getting educated, finding a job, getting married, raising a family, etc are normal routine things. There is nothing special about it as most of the people fall into that category. I didn’t want to be like that and so decided that I will not get married, come what may. I wanted to lead an independent life of my own. Many of my friends of my age were getting married and every one was urging me to enter into wedlock, but I was stubborn in my decision.
In 1996 – 97 the Leather Division of Overseas Branch, Chennai was spun off as a separate branch, viz Leather International Branch, Chennai and many of my colleagues decided to go to that branch. I remained with the parent branch but still old friends used to meet occasionally. One of my friends from that branch in a casual conversation was mentioning about one Shri. V Chandrasekhar, a colleague of hers, a brilliant Table Tennis player, three times National Champion and Arjuna Award Winner in the year 1982. But what she said subsequently about him was really mind shattering for me.
He had won many a tough battle in the Table Tennis arena for our country and brought laurels. But what is more significant and path breaking is the real life battle that would dwarf the ones on the sporting arena. The world crumbled for the flamboyant table-tennis star, when a knee operation in the mid-80s at a renowned city hospital went wrong. He was already the national champ and was making his mark on the international TT scene when he had to go in for knee surgery in a world class super-specialty hospital. Chandra was twenty-five and at his prime when he went for a relatively minor surgery to mend a cartilage tear in Sep. 1984. He should have been up and about in three or four days. But destiny had plotted something tragically different for him. Things went horribly wrong on the operation table and Chandra suffered brain damage that cost him his vision as well as control over his limbs. He had spent 36 days in a near coma state. Eighty one days in the hospital as part of 'rehab'. The treatment abroad was funded mainly from responses to a public appeal by Chandra for funds. Members of the public, other sportsmen from India and abroad, politicians, and actors responded generously. The treatment abroad improved Chandra's condition a bit. The lawsuit was filed in 1985 and it was three years before it came to trial. The medical community's stronghold was broken by a few brave doctors, especially an anesthetist from Maharashtra who helped to demolish the hospital's case. During the trial it came to light that the orthopedic surgeon of the hospital had received training at arthroscopy only in workshops at UK and not in a medical school as part of the curriculum. Eight years after the operation, five years since the trail began, after examination of ten witnesses, after recording a thousand pages of evidence, the court delivered a verdict in favour of Chandra in mid-May 1993. The judgement pronounced that, "The plaintiff is entitled to in total, Rs 17,37,920.78 by way of special damages and general damages. A medico legal case of this proportion was unheard of in India. A young patient had sued a hospital for negligence and had won nearly twenty lakhs rupees. Even the cynics of the Indian Judiciary were impressed." The hospital appealed against the decision, but ultimately settled after two years in the courtroom. During the trail years Chandra continued his treatment in India and abroad, and worked at State Bank of India, Chennai to support himself. He was a gold medalist of Madras University(Economics), but the operation had reduced him from playing a none too challenging role in the Bank. A fight which he feels would not have been necessary had "human spirit prevailed over ego". After a prolonged struggle he triumphed.
I was listening to the brave struggle, through which Chandra fought against all odds and my heart turned towards him. My original decision of remaining single melted away. If at all I have to live and be useful to somebody it must be for this brave fighter, I decided. I told my friends my intention of getting married to Chandra. Many eyebrows were raised. Friends and well wishers cautioned me. Needless to describe my parents plight. His parents were not interested in getting him married due to his health condition. They thought that I should be physically unwell for having taken such a decision of getting married to their son. When I proposed to Chandra, he too was not ready for marriage. He even suggested to me to meet his doctors and get their opinion about his health before deciding on this all important issue in my life. I refused to meet his doctors as my decision was final. I stood by my decision for the following reasons:
a) It gave me enormous Inner Fulfillment.
b) For a human being doing routine things like growing up, getting educated, finding a job, getting married, etc. goes on as a routine. I felt that for such a great sportsman, daily habits have become a luxury. Since I was a healthy person, I wanted to marry him and be supportive to him throughout his life.
c) I was inspired by his will power since he courageously fought the fall of his status from peak to a vegetable state and overcome the handicap.
d) The amount of satisfaction being derived by both of us is immeasurable.
e) Now Chandra has improved to a reasonable extent and has started an academy for young table tennis players in Chennai and wants to give back to the game what ever best he can. There cannot be a greater fighter on and off the field and I am proud to be his wife. Our young son Sanjay has added pleasure to our life.”

The entire class was dumbfounded on hearing this real life thriller from Smt. Mala. After a pause, every participant in the class whole heartedly started applauding for this courageous couple from SBI. True ‘Citizen SBI Couple’. Everyone wished them all the very best in their future.
As a facilitator, I am really admiring at the wonderful design of this programme which brings out so many real life incidents / experiences to the fore. When one intently listens to such tremendous struggles for survival and the subsequent triumphs at the end, our own problems dwarfs in size. We must be really thanking God for giving us lesser challenges in life and more resources to face them.

S R Raghunath - Facilitator ( Chennai Circle)
23.01.2010