by Smita Sunilchandra Tamba
smitsuni@yahoo.com

My dad, Mr. Mukund Ladu Sansgiri, whom we called Aba, had five brothers. As a child I always wondered to myself why, amongst them all, was Daji so different? I never saw him in any colourful outfits. He was always dressed in white, either at home or at any function. As I grew older, I learnt that the only materials he used were pure cotton or khadi.

I loved to see him in his clinic at Parel, Mumbai where he attended to his patients - Bhayajis (coming from the downtrodden community). I was overwhelmed to see the patients keeping 50 paise or sometimes even 25 paise on his table. "Doctor Saab, Bhagvan apka bhala karen" (Doctor, may God bless you) were the words they uttered as they left the clinic.

Aie, my mother, had full faith and confidence in him. Whenever anyone was ill, she would immediately rush to Daji, whether the illness was major or minor. Till date, she still remembers him when any of our family members fall sick.

Gradually I learnt from Aba that Daji was the leader of a medical group that rendered medical aid to the nationalists at Vazrem to treat the injured Satyagrahis in the 1955 Satyagraha Movement. He took action against the anti-Indian activities of some Goans in Mumbai. Though a great personality, Daji lived a very, very simple life.

I am proud to say that I started my teaching career in Agassaim, where Daji as ‘Medico Cirurgião’ did constructive work for a long period. During the time I taught there, I met many of his old patients who spoke highly about him. They still remembered his treatment, especially his loving and consoling words and the injections he administered with a feather touch.

When he came down to Goa in his late 70s, I found a total change in his behaviour. It was as if he had gone back to his childhood.  He loved plucking different fruits directly from the trees and would enjoy sharing them with us. He would call us to eat the fruit under the tree. He would say that there is no fun sitting and eating within the four walls. He loved sitting under the trees for hours together, enjoying the fresh air.

Yet even in his late 70s, I remember him as still being very disciplined. He always woke up at 5.30 a.m. and by 6.30 a.m., he was at the breakfast table, ready in his white khadi outfit. His daily routine was fixed. There was no compromise. He preferred and loved to eat plain rice and fish curry. I always uphold him as an example to my children.

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Daughter of Mr. Mukund Ladu Sinai Sansgiri and Mrs. Gokula Mukund Sinai Sansgiri from Sancoale, Mrs. Smita Sunilchandra Tamba has been in the teaching profession since 1980. She presently teaches at St. Anthony’s High School, Majorda and is happily married to Mr. Sunilchandra Venkatesh Tamba from Ribandar. The couple have two children, an elder daughter just completing her graduation, and a son studying in Class IX.