Two years back, I got an unexpected call as I was going through a personal dilemma.
Caller introduced himself as “Dr GS.” His voice was very warm and affectionate (though
we had never met before!). He spoke to me with a very different perspective that I
had never thought of before and the dilemma got solved. Many oncologists have similar
memories where Dr GS sir supported them impressively with elegant yet down to earth
attitude!
Dr G.S. Bhattacharyya, fondly known as “GS” was an orator, oncologist, poet, pioneer,
philosopher, researcher, visionary, and more. He loved being mentor for young oncologists
in their career path. His interests and knowledge was boundless. He exuded confidence
and spoke on myriad of topics with clarity, often with a touch of humor. In these
pandemic times, he constantly updated us both about COVID and latest cutting edge
research in Oncology.
He was a torch bearer of Indian medical oncology in the international arena. He was
in leadership of many global organizations like ESMO, SIGO. Conferred with fellowships
in Academy of European Society for Translational Medicine (EUSTM), American Society
for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (F-ASPET) and more, he was member of
the Steering Committee of WHO for Oncology. He published more than 200 peer reviewed
papers and was an avid reviewer.
Dr GS was a founder member of Indian Cooperative Oncology Network (ICON), Molecular
Oncology Society, and Indian Association of Cancer Research., He served as President,
ISMPO and had keen interest in LMIC oncology. He excelled in philosophy and poetry,
a glimpse is below:
The Virtual World
Some say we live in a virtual world,
A matrix, Our existence, digital,
What does that mean? We’re not real? We’re not alive?
I think therefore I’m not? How real is real?
If virtual here, potentially virtual anywhere?
If virtual,virtual forever?
Life after death? Digital rebirth elsewhere?
Free will a digital trick? A mirage? Programed?
It’s all programed, Everything is fixed?
Searching!
Searching for the meaning of existence!
His wife, Mrs Shilpi and medical oncology community of India remain immersed in memoirs
of his Life of full dimensions! As I brace myself to follow the footsteps of the past
editors of SAJC with an incredible legacy, Dr GS prompts me, inspires me to take a
different route, a multidimensional one!
