Abstract
(My Tributes to “Dr Alan De Souza—The Mentor, Guide and Godfather”)
If I were to share the most important lesson of the year, I would quote Abraham Lincoln: “Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any one thing.”
Dear colleagues and Fellows of Indian Psychiatric Society South Zone Branch,
I am pursuing a different approach from scientific or academic deliberations.
This is about my journey and experience in the organization in the past 35 years.
I will emphasize on the organization for the next one year.
Past
Turning Point: 1979
My journey into psychiatry was unexpected.
From gynecology, I was persuaded to take up psychiatry in 1980 to 1981 by my mentor, guide and godfather, the late Professor Dr Alan De Souza.
He was the Head of Department (HOD) and Professor of Psychiatry, Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, Bombay.
It was my fortune to begin my career as a resident medical officer under his tutelage from August 15, 1979.
While working in psychiatry under Dr Alan De Souza, I got a call from Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Hospital to join the Department of Gynecology.
Those days, my interest was purely in gynecology.
But Professor Alan refused to accept my resignation.
So, I decided to take up psychiatry after six months of deliberation. After working with him, I felt that psychiatry was my career.
After finishing my Diploma in Psychological Medicine (DPM) in 1983, I longed to come back to my native place, Palakkad.
But then, Professor Alan De Souza insisted that I finish my Doctor of Medicine (MD).
I joined Seth GS Medical College (& KEM Hospital) where I had the fortune to work under teachers like Dr D. R. Doongaji, Dr Ashit Sheth, Dr J. S. Apte, and Dr L. P. Shah. Dr Bharath Vatwani—the Magsaysay Award winner—and Dr Harish Shetty were my contemporaries.
Completing my course in 1985, after a failure, (Hahaha), I hurried back to my native place to work as a psychiatrist.
In 1990, with a determination to finish my MD, I hurried back to Bombay. By 1991, I was back in Palakkad with an MD.
IMA (1986), IPS (1993), and Guild (1994)
What is the relevance of Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) and the Guild?
IMA is the mother organization of all the practicing modern medical doctors.
IPS is the organization of the psychiatrists to oversee the issues related to mental health.
Guild is a local group of psychiatrists to promote various activities related to mental health and CMEs and conferences. This was formed as there was no provision in IPS for local branches in the state.
Indian Medical Association
I joined IMA in 1986 and rose to the post of Honorary Secretary of the Palakkad Branch in three years.
I resigned when some colleagues refused to cooperate with the agitation against Mixopathy.
In 1991, my Branch President wanted to suspend me from the organization for some remarks that he thought I made against him.
He misconstrued “my remark” and circulated a cyclostyled statement asking members to help him suspend me.
No protocols were followed.
That was my first encounter with the rules and byelaws of the Society/organization
I studied the memorandum and byelaws of IMA.
I had a thorough knowledge of the rules for the expulsion of a member. I required the support of only 1/3rd of the members present in the meeting.
I was confident of getting this in the General Body.
Arguing with the relevant clauses in the Constitution, the President was forced to drop the proceedings against me.
The lesson I learned from this was that one should be aware of the “rules and byelaws” which govern you in an organization. If I was expelled without following the rules, it would have ended my organizational activity early in my career.
I never turned back on my journey up the hierarchy.
Branch secretary 1994.
Branch President in 1995
State Working Committee member of the IMA in 1996.
Vice President of North Zone, IMA in 2000.
Alternate Central Working Committee (CWC) member in 2000 to 2001
During this tenure as Alternate CWC member, I was fortunate to meet the then CM of J&K, Dr Farooq Abdullah. He was the host for the IMA CWC meeting, and he had made all security arrangements for the delegates and had come with his family for lunch with the CWC members.
My note of dissent in the CWC in Srinagar against the conduct of the meeting was a major turning point. (In the CWC meeting, people were assigned to speak on specific issues, but most of them were absent and those agendas were passed without any discussion).
When I rose to talk on a particular issue, I was not allowed to speak since my name was not in the list.
I raised this point in “Any other matter with the permission of the Chair”. No one had ever raised it in the CWC. It was more of an undemocratic way of functioning, which provoked me to question that.
This was not to the likings of my colleagues from Kerala.
I fell out of favor of the so called “ICONS” of the Kerala State IMA leaders.
Being who I am, I continued with my lateral thinking and independent views on issues.
Disillusioned, but not disgruntled, I stepped down from the biased politics of the State IMA.
Indian Psychiatric Society
Joined Indian Psychiatric Society as LF–1992/1993
Founder Secretary of Palakkad Psychiatric Guild from 1994–2000
Elected to the Executive Council of the Kerala State IPS in 1997
President of Kerala State in 2000–2001
EC member, IPS South Zone as Representative from Kerala
South Zone Representative to National IPS Executive Council
Constitution Committee Convener, National IPS & IPS South Zonal Branch
Initiated the Palakkad Psychiatric Guild PG Award, which was well supported by my colleagues in the Guild, to encourage interest in research by postgraduate students.
Here, I would like to mention Dr PM Madhavan and Dr Sivathanu Pillai, who encouraged me to involve myself in IPS to the hilt.
I will not forget the help from my colleagues in Palakkad district.
For the first time, I participated in the CME & Annual Conference of IPZSZ in 1988 or 1989 at Trichy, organized by Dr Gopalakrishnan.
Present: From 2005
“It always seems impossible until it is done” — Nelson Mandela
Election Commission (2007)
My active association/deliberations in the Annual General Body promoted me to the second member (Convener) of the first National Election Commission of IPS.
Dr Neelam Bohra and Dr Sarvesh Chandra were the other two members.
Dr Indla Rama Subba Reddy gave me just two hours to go through the draft constitution prepared by Dr Jagiwala.
It was redrafted in consultation with Dr Sarvesh Chandra and submitted to the EC. We got it approved.
In retrospect, it is with joy that I remember the entire thing being handwritten.
We proved everyone wrong with our commitment toward the task.
I fondly remember our late beloved Dr Neelam Bohra, who went out of the way to help us. He was the Chief Election Officer then.
Working with Dr Bohra and Dr Sarvesh Chandra is something I have always cherished.
We successfully/meticulously conducted our first election.
My nickname “TN Seshan of IPS” evolved from my being strict.
My journey continued as adviser to the EC.
I was deemed to assist the chief election officer and his team, both officially and unofficially.
During this period, I became close to Dr Abhay Matkar, Dr Vinaykumar, Dr Rajesh Rastogi, and Dr Vivek Kirpekar.
I was often called a “trouble shooter”.
I have never looked back since then.
I became the Constitution Committee member of the local IMA, the State Branch IPS, and the National IPS.
From 2013 to 2014, I was entrusted to revamp the then existing constitution of IPSSZB. This was accepted and implemented in 2015.
(There were certain inconsistencies in some of the clauses, and we had to incorporate many provisions that were in line with the National IPS Constitution.
This was a MUST for the registration of the Society as per the Society’s Act. Here, I would like to mention Dr Thomas John, the then Treasurer, and Dr Sivaramakrishnan, the then President, for their efforts to register the Society at Kannur).
2019 to 2020
In 2019, Dr Kishan became the President of South Zone.
I was entrusted to revamp the Constitution of the National IPS.
Proposals were submitted in April 2020.
Unfortunately, the President could not take it up because of the pandemic.
Issues regarding the conduct of Annual National Conference of IPS and its AGB made me incorporate many new things into our Constitution. These covered provisions for virtual EC/AGB during unforeseen pandemics and extraordinary situations.
Becoming the President Elect of the IPSSZB, I promised the AGB that new amendments will be brought to extraordinary general body meeting by April 2021.
We were able to empower two separate seats for women as representatives to the IPSSZB EC.
The EC took about seven hours of deliberation to bring these amendments.
EOGBM took five hours to finalize it.
We also could bring in the Election Commission for the first time in our zone. After the National IPS, we are the first zone to have a separate Election Commission with e-voting.
At this juncture, I would like to acknowledge positive inputs from Dr Abhay Matkar, Dr Joseph Varghese, Dr Nambi, and other Constitution Committee members, especially Dr Ponudurai.
I fondly remember the support given to me by President Dr Ramakrishnan.
Becoming Convener of the Constitution Committee of Indian Association of Private Psychiatry has added a feather to my cap.
IPSSZB has indeed a long legacy.
At the national level, we have become a force to reckon with.
After Dr K Ramakrishnan took over, he has thoughtfully evolved the Publication Committee, the Research Capacity Building Committee, South Zone Advocates for Mental Health Awareness of the Newer Challenges in Women's Issues, and Wisdom of IPS South Zone for Education and Research Program.
SAMANWI has greatly promoted women empowerment.
Future
“FUTURE depends on what we do in the PRESENT”
— Mahatma Gandhi
The existing subcommittees are doing excellent work. I plan on strengthening them further rather than creating more committees.
Each and every office bearer should be fully responsible to the task assigned to them.
Every EC member from the state should be taking up the states’ issues, if any, to the EC of IPSSZB. They should also carry the decisions taken by the Executive Committee to the concerned state.
The Zonal Representatives to the National EC should be consulting the Zonal EC before the National EC meeting to convey the views of the zone.
My plan is to have a corrected/updated membership directory by December 2021.
This will be uploaded to IPSSZB website.
The concerned EC members from each state will please take the responsibility of the list. The Treasurer will help the Honorary General Secretary in this regard.
Every member holds herself/himself responsible for their correct entry.
The office bearers are elected to work for the Association.
Unless everyone in the Office and EC works together and shares responsibilities, I feel we will not be able to carry the Association forward.
To be constructive is difficult. To criticize is easy.
I promise I will carry everyone with me in matters of the Association, for a better Society.
The younger generation is the future of IPSSZB.
I urge them to come forward and help our Society.
We are trying to pool a talent bank of young speakers.
We will utilize their academic talents to improve the CME activities of our zone.
Each state will provide the list of speakers with their areas of interest to the CME Committee of the zone. This will be added to the already existing pool.
These are my visions for the future.
It is only with your wholehearted support that I can achieve this goal.
I am aware, that as an individual, I alone cannot take our Society forward.
I assure each and every member of our Society that I shall try to involve everyone to fulfill what I have just outlined in my address.
I end my lecture with the following quotes from Abraham Lincoln:
“Nothing will divert me from my purpose.”
“Commitment is what transforms a promise into reality.”
“Don’t interfere with anything in the constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.”
Be safe
Be strong
Wishing everyone all the best,
Jai Hind
Jai IPS SZB
Thank you
Footnotes
Declaration of Conflicting Interests
The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Funding
The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.