The Temple Road
Author- Fazlur Rahman
Publisher- Speaking Tiger, Rs450
Dr Rahman’s thoughts on medicine stem from core values of serving humanity with kindness. The Temple Road is an enthralling read for not only immigrants or medical personnel, but for anyone striving to achieve success in today's globalised world, writes Sidharth Dang
Dr Fazlur Rahman, an eminent oncologist in San Angelo, Texas writes an engaging memoir about the life and times in his native Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) and the journey that takes him from the rustic farmlands of Pora Bari to the formaldehyde reeking anatomy halls of medical school and finally to the modernised world of American healthcare.
Set in the backdrop of post Partition political upheaval that resulted in the formation of East Pakistan, The Temple Road chronicles the humble beginnings of Fazlur as a child in the farming village of Pora Bari, born in a religious and conservative Mullah family, an old line Muslim clan.
Tragedy struck early when his mother died of a complicated pregnancy when he was just seven years old. Death, disease and epidemics were rampant in those times when there were midwives but doctors were found few and far between. Fazlur, being a sickly child, had his fair share of illnesses almost surviving a fatal bout of a parasitic infection. An earnest wish that his mother reiterated often after the untimely demise of her brother was that someday Fazlur would become a doctor and save lives. Those words stuck with him and in time became his raison d’être.
His elder brother whom he affectionately calls Mia Bhai acts as a father figure to him and is a companion to him in all their concocted mischief. They traverse the famed ‘Temple Road’ everyday to school which zigzagged through forest cover and a Hindu temple. The temple road is a recurring theme in the book which he uses to symbolise his journey on the path of knowledge from childhood to the upper echelons of medicine. Over time with urbanisation and human settlement taking over the uninhabited parts of the village, Rahman rues the gradual disappearance of the temple road which was an integral part of his childhood.
His academic brilliance is evident from a very early age, his excellence eventually landing him in the biggest medical college in the city of Dhaka. Medical school was not unlike any other, with equal doses of diligence, truancy and novel experiences.
He did have to overcome many obstacles, both personal and cultural, elucidated in the one instance where his family voiced their parochial views discouraging him to pursue medicine as dismembering cadavers would count as an act of desecration and sacrilege. His discerning elder brother once again comes to the rescue reasoning how it’s not wrong to dissect a corpse to gain knowledge to help the suffering multitude. And everyone is swayed by his argument. He has to let go of his own inhibitions and reticence in a number of occasions which he does to good effect and gains wisdom along the metaphoric ‘temple road’.
The second part of the book deals with his experiences in America. After receiving a scholarship to pursue higher education in America he had to deal with culture shock not only outside the confines of the hospital but also inside. Whether it was realising that nurses were no more treated as subservient to doctors or coming to terms with the varied meanings of American slang phrases that had no semblance with their literal translation.
He has a keen eye for observation often commenting on the similarities and differences between his homeland and America. One such instance was elucidated in the stark contrast in the nature of patients that were admitted, indirectly reflecting on the respective evils plaguing the two societies. While the poor and destitute patients of Dhaka were victims of infection and malnutrition, those of New York were addicts, alcoholics and gunshot victims propelling him to opine that ‘the former had no choice in choosing their own fate while the latter were products of their own mayhem’.
As a teacher of humanities and medical ethics, Dr Rahman understands the value of compassion and empathy that go a long way in treating the patient and bemoans the largely impersonal dimension of medical technological advancement. In his words, “No matter how serious the illness is, treatment begins with your reassuring presence at the patient’s bedside.”
Dr Rahman weaves a beautiful narrative with resplendent imagery while describing various scenes from his childhood. His writing is lucid, absorbing and carries poise and precision. His thoughts on medicine stem from deeply entrenched core values of serving humanity with kindness and compassion. He often ends his various musings with epiphanic realisations that compel the reader to give it considerable thought as well. All in all, The Temple Road is an enthralling read for not only immigrants or medical personnel but for anyone striving to achieve success in today’s globalised world. It is evocative of Dr Jagdish Dang’s memoir, Ruminations. He signs off on an optimistic note saying “at the core, the unique American tapestry is woven out of diverse cultures and roots”. Keeping in mind the current political climate, in times to come, we hope he’s still right.
The reviewer is an MBBS student at the University College of Medical Sciences