RG Kar students cleaned up L M Banerji’s grave at Maniktala Christian Cemetery and decorated it with flowers and candles
Kolkata: With a commitment to preserve medical heritage, students and doctors of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital gathered at Maniktala Christian Cemetery on Monday to observe a commemorative programme, honouring Lalit Mohan Banerji (1880–1968), one of India’s most celebrated surgical pioneers. Banerji was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1955 and his extensive career included military medical service—where he was attained the rank of Colonel—and other high-profile clinical engagements. The special programme was aimed at reconnecting contemporary medical trainees with the legacy of Banerji, India’s first professor of surgery, who performed surgical procedures on Rabindranath Tagore and Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay and was also the personal surgeon to the President of India. An alumnus of the University of Calcutta, Banerji was the pioneering professional to earn a Master of Surgery (MS) degree and he subsequently dedicated nearly two decades of his career as a professor at R G Kar. Organisers pointed out that the initiative served to bridge the gap between historical textbooks and active remembrance, ensuring that Banerji’s monumental role in shaping Indian surgery continued to inspire generations of future physicians.