Shutdown to mourn doc death

VIVEK CHHETRI

Dr. Khanra. File picture Darjeeling, May 4: All business establishments in Darjeeling will remain closed for two hours from 11am tomorrow in memory of Swadesh Ranjan Khanra, a well known doctor in the hill town who breathed his last in Calcutta yesterday. “On Saturday Dr. Khanra suffered a cardiac arrest. He was treated in Darjeeling and his condition was stable. But his health deteriorated on Wednesday and was taken to Calcutta. We heard that he breathed his last around 8.30pm yesterday while he was being taken for an angiography,” said S. Kumar, a doctor at the Darjeeling district hospital. The 76-year-old doctor was admitted to the AMRI Hospitals in Calcutta. Dr. Khanra was from West Midnapore and had been posted in the hill town since 1972. Although the general physician retired more than 15 years ago, he visited the district hospital frequently to check patients. The doctor had even visited the hospital on Saturday, hours before he suffered a cardiac arrest. Roshan Giri, the general secretary of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, said: “His contribution towards the hill people is immeasurable and as a mark of respect we will close down all business establishments in Darjeeling for two hours from 11am tomorrow. The party will also organise a condolence meeting here tomorrow.” Dr. Khanra is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law. He had served as the chief medical officer of health of Darjeeling district for nine years. In the 1980s, the hill residents had protested a state government order to transfer Dr. Khanra. Sanjay Biswas, a resident of Darjeeling, said: “Dr. Khanra was also into acting. He had taken part in a number of plays. He was a very social man.” Dr. Khanra was a medical advisor to the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council and was known to be Subash Ghisingh’s personal physician.(TT)