On 23 rd and 24 th December 2017, MGIMS witnessed those familiar yet old faces of its previous students when the batch of 1993 united in Sevagram to celebrate its silver jubilee reunion. Aptly named 'Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai ', the reunion revolved old memories and helped alumni connect the dots.
The college campus reverberated with cheers, laughter and festive activities on Saturday and Sunday when 41 batch mates- settled in India and abroad - gathered with their families to celebrate the reunion and recalled their fond memories in the small town of Sewagram.
The event informally began at Samadhi Sthal when the alumni joined to pay their tribute to Dr Sushil Nayar whom they all called their Badi Behenji. The feeling of gratitude prevailed when they shared this rich tradition along with their families. They also relived their old days of hostel life as they sipped their coffee at ICH, sharing their nostalgic memories associated with this cafeteria.
Dr BS Garg, Secretary, Kasturba Health Society and Dr KR Patond, Dean, MGIMS welcomed all the students to their alma mater. At lunch, hosted by the institute for its students, the batch met with their old teachers. The Kamla Desikan lawn filled up with joy and cheers as the students enjoyed the company of their role models. The afternoon unfolded itself into a felicitation ceremony when the batch of 1993 formally honored its teachers with mementos. The hall was filled with a sense of gratitude and respect for the teachers, as student after student spoke of the unique quality of the teachers that shaped their lives. Drs BS Garg, KR Patond, SP Kalantri S Chhabra, UN Jajoo, BC Harinath, R Narang, Mrs P Narang, A Mehendale, D Gupta, B Tirpude, S Gupta, AR Choudhary, A Tayade, S Tidke, among others, were felicitated.
Speaking at the meet, many alumni shared their journey and experiences with the audience. ‘Do what your heart desires’ - was the message that most of them conveyed to the younger generation present. Several institutions have eminent alumni, but when it comes to paying back, the MGIMS class of 1993, stood tall. Dr Sherin Varkey, the public health researcher from the class of 1993 donated Rs. one million for the education of MGIMS medical students from the underprivileged background. Although he could not visit his alma mater he made it a point to do a tele tete-a tete from Yemen, recalling his good old days at MGIMS.
The batch hosted a dinner cum orchestra party for the faculty of the institute to take the opportunity to know and bond with others belonging to the institute. The students revived, relived, reminisced their golden days in Sevagram and left on 25th morning pledging to meet again.
“This year’s reunion was an unparalleled success. The energy and engagement amongst the 1993 batch students was so powerful. It speaks of the love and affection we have for our beloved alma mater,” said Dr Kiran Wandile, Professor of Orthopedics at MGIMS. He represented the class of 1993 at MGIMS and along with Dr Swanand Pathak and Dr Amar Taksande, shouldered the responsibility of coordinating the meet. “Alumni volunteers, faculty, senior administration, all pitched in to make the endeavor a successful one,” he added to thank everyone involved.