Dr Vasant N. Desai

(1918-2018)

We gathered around a warm campfire. The only person who spoke till the fire turned into ambers, was Vasant Desai. He was a great story teller; stories from his vast experiences in life, of varied contacts, and tales from his medical practice. Later in life, he talked about scriptures and spirituality. Many lives were influenced by him.

In his mid-forties, he was diagnosed with a small heart problem. Doctors advised him to shun all forms of physical activities. VND, as we called him, told himself; ‘OMG, I have not enjoyed the Himalaya yet!’ So, he started walking, getting fit and prepared to trek with a vengeance. He was engaged full time in his medical practice at that time, but he was determined to enjoy Nature. When the family was worried, he almost went on a strike; ‘if I cannot go to the Himalaya, then I do not want to go for my consulting rooms too- I find it more suffocating!’

It was then that I met him, and we started trekking in the local hills, the Sahyadris (Western Ghats). He was a great joy to trek with. He would talk to villagers in local language and draw us to a different life. On our Himalayan trips, he came as a doctor on many expeditions. Once, we were tent-bound in a major snow storm for couple of days. We gathered in a large tent, VND held the fort. Not a minute passed by without laughter or stories. Our porters said that the storm inside the tent was certainly greater than the one outside! There were many experiences that we shared with this doctor. Trapped in a Forest Rest House in Kashmir amidst heavy rains, he regaled not only us but the trapped tourists as well. French Airhostesses who sang gentle French songs, Belgian musician played on guitar and American press reporter, who could not sing anything except “When the Saints Go Marching In”. VND replied with singing about Indian Saints to match him.

We organised two special treks for the families, one in Garhwal (1984) and the other in Kinnaur (1986). While the grandson of VND was the youngest member at six years, he himself was the oldest, at 66 years. We climbed peaks while VND managed the children enjoying with our porter staff and feeding them with a continuous menu of food items. On the latter trip, we were trapped in a snow storm and had to undertake a long walk to reach safety. VND with his grandsons sang in chorus and everyone joined in. Kilometres were covered in a jiffy.

VND was a General Practitioner (GP) by profession. By his own admission, he never made much money; in fact, he didn’t even want to make money. He said that; “A poor patient will come to me in pain or sickness. I could see that he is suffering physically as well as economically. I had the medical training and God’s blessings to help him. But how can I charge him?” In fact, in many cases he would give the patient money to go and buy medicines! His interactions with his patients, during his medical practice is fascinating and will fill many pages.

VND was also associated with several charitable institutions where he worked during free time. Later, he gave up his medical practice and turned towards spiritual life. He wanted to renounce the world, but a wise Guru advised him that with his experiences and family, he must stay with them and pass on his wisdom to them and the society. How lucky we were for his Guru’s sound guidance. His had a pragmatic approach to religion. At Gangotri, where went for an expedition with the French climbers, he visited several Ashrams but was not enamoured by any. At the same time, he would take us to genuine saints whom he had met there

On 7th June 2018, he completed 100 years of life. I proposed to organise a gathering to celebrate this milestone. VND rejected all suggestions and made this day into his own internal celebrations. We insisted on meeting him later in July and he welcomed us. My wife Geeta and I, spent a long time with him. Even at his age, he was in full control of his faculties and particularly that day talked for long. For the last few days, he had been unable to eat. With his medical training and wisdom, he said, “Body is closing down and now death is the only solution.” Three days later, on 29th July 2018, he passed away leaving behind a rich legacy that has touched and changed many of our lives.

These experiences are best suited to be enjoyed talking around a campfire or while being trapped in a tent during storm. Or now in heaven.

HARISH KAPADIA