Mathra Das Pahwa

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Rai Bahadur Dr.
Mathra Das Pahwa
Dr. Mathra Das Pahwa performing a cataract-removal surgery, 15 January 1951.jpg
Mathra Das Pahwa performing a cataract-removal surgery, 15 January 1951
Born9 October 1880
Hafizabad
Died1972
Known forOphthalmic surgeon

Mathra Das Pahwa (9 October 1880 – 1972 [1] ) was an Indian eye-surgeon who performed thousands of cataract surgeries free-of-cost. [2] [3] [4] He was a member of the Provincial Medical Service. [5] Over his lifetime, it is estimated he carried-out half-a-million surgeries and worked until the age of 92, completing a record 750 surgeries on a single day. [6] [5] Pahwa helped with the development of Moga during his life. [7] He is known as the "messiah of modern Moga" and another popular epthet for him was Netra-Dev ("God of the eyes"). [6]

Contents

He was headquartered in Moga for much of his career but also completed operations in Beawar in Rajasthan, Srinagar in Jammu & Kashmir, Darbhanga in Bihar, Delhi, and other places. [5] He is also remembered for being the founder of various educational institutions. [5] He treated cataracts and trachoma. [8]

Biography

Pahwa was born in a middle-class family on 9 October 1880 in Hafizabad. [1] [8] His father was a doctor. [8] Pahwa was an Arya Samaji. [5] He joined the medical service in 1901. [1]

Moga locality in present-day Moga district was the headquarters of eye-surgeon Mathra Das Pahwa. In 1903, Pahwa first arrived in Moga. [1] The same year was when he first began to work with eyes. [1] He began his medical career as a hospital assistant in Moga. [6] In 1915, he became an assistant surgeon. [1] The 1920's was the peak of Pahwa's surgical career. [6] Pahwa established a hospital in Moga in 1927, where he operated on cataract patients free-of-charge. [2] [3] [9] [10] [1] A large amount of cataract patients were treated over the years by Mathra Das Pahwa, with an operation of his being witnessed by Mahatma Gandhi. [11] [12] To accommodate the increasing number of patients, Pahwa's team had to raise improvised sheds at the Moga hospital. [13] He held eye-camps in various cities throughout India and many eye-surgeons, including foreign ones, consulted him. [6] [13] [8] The Mathra Das High School in Moga was built at a cost of Rs. 75,000 by Mathra Das. [5] In 1931, Mathra Das became the Officiating Civil Surgeon of Ferozepore, later becoming the Officiating Civil Surgeon in 1933. [1] In 1932, it was recorded that Pahwa had completed over 90,000 cataract operations. [14] In 1935, Pahwa retired as a civil surgeon. [1] In 1942, Gandhi remarked the following about Pahwa: [15]

Though I had heard a lot about the reputation of Dr. Mathuradas of Moga. I had never had occasion to witness any of his famous operations for cataract, until I saw them in Wardha last month. He came specially at the invitation of Jamnalalji, and with his assistants restored eyes to about three hundred people who had been blinded by cataract. These mass operations have been described as a yajna (sacrifice). And yajna it certainly is, as any act of selfless service is a sacrifice. This yajna began some years ago in the Bhagavad Bhakti Ashram at Rewari, which Jamnalalji was closely connected. He therefore invited the doctor this time to Wardha. I bowed to Dr. Mathuradas in admiration for his unerring and quick surgical hand. He performed operations at the rate of one in a minute. There was scarcely a mishap. Thousands thus get back their eyes free, as he charges no fee to the poor ...

— Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Harijansevak (17 February 1942)

After his retirement, Pahwa moved to Lahore. [7] As per Khushwant Singh, he became one of the most sought-after doctors in Lahore. [16] During this time, he would frequently travel to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir state on family vacations, where he developed a close-bond with the ruling monarch Maharaja Hari Singh. [7] A piece of land near the Maharaja's palace was bestowed to Pahwa's family. [7] During the partition of Punjab in 1947, the Pahwas left Lahore for Delhi, visiting Srinagar on the way. [7] In 1954, Pahwa was awarded the Padma Shri in the field of medicine (SL no. 35). [17] In 1963, it was recorded that Pahwa was still working as a surgeon. [18] Pahwa died in 1972. [1]

Family

Deepak Pahwa, Chairman of Pahwa Enterprises and Managing Director of Bry-Air (Asia), is Mathra Das Pahwa's grandson. [6] [2] Bry-Air, the flagship company of the Pahwa Group, est. in circa 1964, continues to hold eye camps at Moga as part of its CSR activities. [19] The CSR is headed by Anandita Pahwa. [20]

Roles held

Institutions founded by him

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 "Rai Bahadur Dr Mathra Pahwa". Mathra Das Pahwa. 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Singh, Shweta (10 August 1923). "Interview with Anandita Pahwa, Head - CSR, Pahwa Group: "Innovation allows us to push boundaries, find creative solutions, and deliver greater value to the communities."". TheCSRUniverse. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 "History". Moga District Court. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Fisher, William Albert (1943). Ophthalmology for Postgraduates. pp. 3, 25.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vidyarthi, Akanshi. (2020). Individual Private Initiative in Primary Education in Colonial Delhi (1910-1947). Shodhshauryam International Scientific Refereed Research. 85-95. 10.32628/SHISRRJ20365. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/374064272_Individual_Private_Initiative_in_Primary_Education_in_Colonial_Delhi_1910-1947
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Bry-Air Organizes Free Eye Camp at Dr. Mathra Das Pahwa Civil Hospital, Moga". PR Newswire. 3 December 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Gupta, Rajeev; Agarwal, Deepak (Oct 25, 2024). "The Pursuit of Contentment". Varanasi Visionaries - Story of 30 IIT-BHU Alumni and their Journey in Nation Building | Inspiring and Self-Motivation Guide to Become a Future Leader| Journey from a Dare Dreamer to an Achiever. Disha Publications. pp. 53–60. ISBN   9789362254245.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Dutt, R. S. (11 April 1987). "The legend that was Dr. Mathra Das". Indian Express, Saturday Spectrum.
  9. ↑ Harper, A. E., ed. (1944). The Moga Journal for Teachers. 24: 31.{{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ↑ Nevile, Pran (2006). "A Miracle Medicine and Sex Manuals". Lahore: A Sentimental Journey. Penguin Books India. pp. 14–15. ISBN   9780143061977.
  11. ↑ Dodd, Edward Mills (1964). The Gift of the Healer: The Story of Men and Medicine in the Overseas Mission of the Church. Friendship Press. p. 94.
  12. ↑ Gandhi, Mohandas Karamchand (1979). The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi. Vol. 75. Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. p. 326.
  13. 1 2 Nanda, V. S. (September 1968). "Two dedicated healers of the blind". SPAN.
  14. ↑ Wanless, William (1932). "XIX". An American Doctor at Work in India. Fleming H. Revell Company. p. 95. Mathra Das, of Moga, Punjab, has personally performed more than ninety thousand cataract extractions.
  15. ↑ "Quotes & Coverage: Mahatma Gandhi ( From Harijansevak, Date : 17-2-42)". Mathra Das Pahwa. 2012. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  16. ↑ Singh, Khushwant (20 April 2002). "Faiz: A revolutionary Urdu poet - Survival kit". The Tribune. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  17. ↑ Ministry of Home Affairs (Public Section), Padma Awards Directory (1954-2017), Year-Wise List (PDF). Government of India. p. 2.
  18. ↑ The Dispensing Optician: Official Journal of the Association of Dispensing Opticians. The Association. 1963. p. 64.
  19. ↑ "CSR News: Eye Camp hosted at Mathra Das Civil Eye Hospital in Moga, Punjab". The CSR Journal. November 25, 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
  20. ↑ "Pahwa Group has been serving communities long before 2013, says CSR Head Anandita Pahwa". DRI. May 5, 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2025.
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