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 Dr. HAIMABATI SEN

CHILD BRIDE TO DOCTOR

A LEGEND FORGOTTEN

A BRIEF, WITH REVIEW OF HER “MEMOIR”

SARASIJ MAJUMDER

HAIMABATI  GHOSH (Hem) born in1866 at  KHULNA of BENGAL (now in  BANGLADESH)  became a child widow, married second time, became a Doctor, directed a Women’s Hospital, raised five children, and adopted over 400 orphans.

She wrote her ‘MEMOIRS’—actually an autobiography, IN THE FORM OF A DIARY,   in a ruled notebook—which was confined to be  read only by family members. It was written in Bengali Language.  Later translated,  and published as a book.  I read, and have the book. The “Memoir” is a documentary of her fight ,oozing pathos, in personal, professional and social life against the male dominated social  background of nineteenth century Bengal.

I am writing this BLOG after reading that book, and taking copious notes.

She was cynosure of her father and got educated along with boys of the family, used to dress like a small boy,  till she got married, at tender age of below ten years in 1876.

She was a victim of polygamy of Kulin Protha, and was forced to marriage ,  though her first husband was  much older to her, ( 45years ) and died soon after  the marriage which was  not even consummated, and left behind  a helpless widow..

And then the ordeal began.

Let us recollect the social environment of the period: Widow remarriage act is approved in 1856. Turmoil of 1857 cast it’s shadow on Indians. BRAHMO SAMAJ was revived by Debendra Nath Tagore in 1840. Reformation of Bengali Hindus in social and religious culture  already started taking its root. This conflict, left its shadow in her book.

Coming back to Hem—she became a drudge in her in-laws house. But she was educated, and fought. Meanwhile his father also died , and she was treated as a burden in her own home. She left home, reached Banaras, picked up the job of a female teacher in a Girl’s school.

But the surroundings at Banaras was not conducive for  the living of a young widow alone, in a respectable manner.

She left Banaras, and ultimately reached Calcutta.

Situation demanded her to get married for social  security, and respectability.

She married Kunja Bihari Sen, about of same age—who was a preacher and missionary  of  Sadharan Brahmo Samaj.

Her second marriage was also not very successful as Kunjabihari was without a proper job and somewhat indifferent to family needs.

However—Hem got admitted to Campbell Medical School in 1891, with 16 other Hindu, Brahmo, Christian and Muslim women.

She got a scholarship, and completed her education receiving VLMS  ( vernacular licentiate in medicine & surgery)  diploma with distinction. She became Dr. Sen in 1894.

But—Calcutta’s hospitals refused to provide her an employment as a Medical Practitioner. With the help of Debendra Nath Thakur, she got employed at Dufferin Women’s Hospital, at Chinsura, Hooghly.

I don’t want to burden the article with the details of her indomitable and spirited  fights against prejudiced male counterpart and  ill-treatment she received  from  her male colleagues.  But she got established in Hospital , and in profession. The knowledge, sincerity, and in built  class ultimately won.

In 10 years, she treated 600 patients in Hospital, about 6,000 in clinics, and 270 in private medical calls at home. ( Data Source- her memoir).

Hem wrote more about problems arising out of working in Male dominated society , than  problems related to her medical practice. It speaks really bad that her male colleagues  who were a botheration—be Indian, or be Britisher.

She also wrote about taking help of other parallel non-Allopathic medical systems to treat her patients. This proves her open mind.

Her family life remained unhappy—Kunja remained a financial as well as family burden, and became Diabetic.

In 1902, she became widow for the second time, with her  youngest child barely six months old.

And Hem was adopting homeless children also—some for a few months, and some for years.

In the year 1910, after an altercation with a British Doctor,  either working in the same hospital, and superior to her or may be Civil Surgeon himself— she resigned. She didn’t discuss  this in details in the “memoir”.

What is surprizing is—Hem accepted Male authority in her personal married life, but fought against it’s unfairness in her professional life! This is notable. She was traditional, and yet demanded equal respect in profession!

She now became a private practitioner and, and was supporting a very big family consisting of her  own children, in-law’s family, and adopted orphans. She was growing old, with falling  eyesight.

Hem died of breast cancer in the year 1933, May.

She wrote some poems, and some short stories—which may be published in the Journals and Periodical of Brahmo Samaj. She started, and concluded the Memoir  with  prayer & praise of GOD.

Her memoir is a document which depicted the struggle of an educated Bengali women physician in a male dominated social environment of nineteenth century Bengal, under British administration. And we know—she won.

Reference:-- BOOK (296 pages)—“BECAUSE I AM A WOMAN”—a child widow’s memoir  from colonial India.||| Translated by: Tapan Raychaudhuri and introduced by Geraldine Forbes.

There are other references—but their source is same book.

Image:- The cover page of the book.