Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy – A leader par excellence

“Whatever thy hands findeth to do, do it with thy might.” He read it during his medical college days but the lines got etched in his mind for his entire life.

Most of us know that Doctors Day in India is celebrated on July 1st in memory of Dr B C Roy, the most acclaimed physician in India. His commitment to his patients and society remains unmatched even to date. It is not for everyone that fables get created. But for Dr Roy, we regularly come across fascinating and eye-popping stories of his diagnosis and treatment skills. While his patients included the likes of Mahatma Gandhi, and John F Kennedy, he also had a long list of the poorest of the poor. This note touches upon the exceptional leadership demonstrated by Dr B C Roy, along with the numerous initiatives undertaken by him. He is a unique example from whose life story all of the corporate, business and political world should learn skills of getting things done. Integrity, trustworthiness, initiative, decision-making, vision, courage, compassion, resourcefulness, grit, resilience, empowerment – name any of the leadership qualities that we need to acquire and you will find an example where Dr Roy has demonstrated them Was he only a doctor? No, we cannot put him in any such template. He was a Nationalist, Doctor, Educationist, Social worker, Politician – all in one!

Born in Patna in 1882 both his parents were followers of Bhramo Samaj. The joy of sharing and caring had been ingrained in him since childhood. He is an alumnus of Presidency College, Calcutta Medical College and went for higher studies in England where, being of Asian origin, he was refused admission at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. That could hardly dampen his spirits. He made 30 admission requests till the dean gave in to the persuasion of Dr Roy. He completed his studies and became a member of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP) and a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) in just a short span of two years and four months. What an example of exceptional meritocracy!

Upon his return to India, he joined the health services, started teaching in medical colleges and demonstrated exceptional commitment towards the patients and society. His reputation as a physician started spreading far and wide. Influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, he joined the national movement and even courted arrest. Acting as a Mayor of Kolkata from 1931 to 1933 his initiatives helped corporations make significant progress in the expansion of free education and medical aid, better roads, improved lighting, and water supply.  Right from his heart he believed that every healthy person, strong in mind and body, should help attain Swaraj for India. This thought made him prioritize health and education for the common masses, initiatives that he carried with him throughout his life. He played an instrumental role in setting up the Indian Medical Association in 1928 followed by the Medical Council of India, becoming its first president in 1939. He was also the Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University in 1942 and became the first President of the Cardiological Society of India (CSI) which was formed in 1946. 

The society witnessed Dr Roy’s full-throttled action when he took over as the Chief Minister of Bengal in 1948. Post-partition, West Bengal was reduced to one-third of the land of the original Bengal, bearing many issues that such a state would inherit. The state was plagued by communal violence, food shortages, unemployment, inflation, deteriorating law and order, frequent political agitations, and drained resources. But the most challenging problem was the influx of millions of refugees from East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). The time called for exceptional leadership to put things in order and restore the past glory of Bengal. Not frightened by adversities, Dr Roy embraced the challenges and set out on the mission of transforming Bengal which was by then known to be the most problematic state. Never known to complain, Dr Roy remained composed while he brought unity across the party ranks and developed the best team of bureaucrats and ministers, all aligned with the same purpose.

The results were evident within a short span of three years after his taking over. Things started falling into place. He patiently listened to all including his political adversaries and agitators which him navigate many challenges. He focused on economic growth while generating employment, education excellence, improving irrigation facilities, agriculture and drawing the best outcome from available resources. His vision and initiatives resulted in the formation of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), IIT Kharagpur, Farakka  Barrage, Haldia Port, and many such establishments. He developed cities like Durgapur, Kalyani and Saltlake. Prioritising health he established the first Postgraduate Medical College, Hospital for Infectious Diseases and Mental Hospital in Kolkata. On the education front, he opened up four universities including the famous Jadavpur University, and also helped to start and develop the Indian Institute of Management and Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management (IISWBM) at Kolkata

Dr Roy planned and created a large urban settlement at Ashokenagar and Habra to accommodate the refugees, send several of them to Andaman and Nicobar Island and help them in their rehabilitation, a major challenge well addressed. As an able leader, he loved his colleagues like his family members and would go to any extent to keep his team together. It is said that during a meeting one of the finest Civil Servants  K Hazra objected to one of Dr Roy’s proposals. This infuriated Dr Roy resulting in Hazra tendering his resignation. Coming to know about it  Dr Roy visited Hazra’s residence in the evening explaining that as an elder brother, he has the right to scold. The resignation was not accepted and Hazra’s views prevailed. In another incident, Dr Roy created a special post of secretary to the Chief Minister to help an ailing civil servant, S K Chatterjee, so that he could continue office even after following the doctor’s advice. Such was his magnanimity. In another incident during severe food agitation by the leftists in Bengal, he firmly stood behind his minister of food Prafulla Sen and supported him till the end going against Pdt Nehru’s advice since he believed that the food minister had made no mistake. It is quite natural that his team went all out to execute the plans of such a loved leader. He used his good terms with Pt Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam and Sardar Patel securing the best bargain for the state’s progress. Pre-independence he also had excellent relations with Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose and worked with him during the national movements.  The British medical journal called him the “The first medical consultant in the subcontinent”.

He also played an instrumental role in setting up the Planning Commission of India. He also had a knack for spotting talents. Under his instructions, the Govt of West Bengal supported Satyajit Roy when he was struggling for funds to make his world-famous venture, “Pather Panchali”.He Invited legendary dancer Uday Shankar to set up his dance academy at Kolkata when the one at Almora was destroyed due to fire. After meeting Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary he quickly planned and established the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute at Darjeeling in 1951. Irrespective of his busy schedule, he dedicated a minimum of one hour every morning to treating underprivileged patients at his residence, a practice that he continued till the last day of his life. He willed all his properties, including his house, to develop as a nursing home. The nation honoured Dr Roy with the Bharat Ratna on 4 February 1961.

Dr B C Roy was a man of indomitable spirit who dedicated himself to the welfare of the people of this country and transformed West Bengal into the most developed state. The legacy of Dr Bidhan Chandra Roy’s exemplary leadership and his contributions will remain in the hearts and minds of millions of citizens of this country and will continue to inspire generations to come.