We will miss you, Doctor!

Today, I received two messages on Whatsapp, one a meme that purported to show the transformation of Kashmir after the scrapping of Article 370, with an image that had the Pakistani flag draped on a clock tower in Lal Chowk, Srinagar, alongside one that had the Indian tricolour fluttering on top of the same tower with the captions ‘Before Article 370’ and ‘After Article 370’ respectively.

My quick response to that message was: How is this going to change the life of the poor in India. Later, I learned through a Fact Check article in India Today that the second image in the meme of the Indian flag atop the tower was a morphed one.

In the evening, I heard about the sad demise of an unsung hero, 70-year-old Dr. Thiruvengadam Veeraraghavan, who was popularly known as the ‘two-rupee doctor’ in North Chennai. And this man was all about serving the poor, silently and without any fanfare.

I met Dr. Thirvuvengadam in 2017 and had a detailed conversation with him about his life and how he served the community located around his clinic in a predominantly working class area in North Chennai. We featured him in The Weekend Leader’s popular ‘Inspiring Indians’ series.

When younger doctors, fresh out of college, were eager to get jobs in corporate hospitals, make quick money and settle in life, Dr. Thiruvengadam was content to serve the people charging a small fee of rupees two for many years.


Three years ago, when I met him, his consultation fee was Rs 50, though many poor people still received free treatment as well.

He commuted on his humble Hero Splendour motorbike. When he stepped out of his clinic for a photo shoot, I witnessed the spontaneous love and respect he commanded among the people in the neighbourhood.

Dr Thiruvengadam was chosen as The Weekend Leader – VIT Person of the Year in 2018. The award included cash prize of Rs 25,000.


A week later, Dr Thiruvengadam promptly called me over phone and informed me that he had purchased some medical devices with the prize money and invited me to visit his clinic to check them out.

I remained in touch with him. He was a humble and affectionate person.

We will miss you, Dr Thiruvengadam.


The writer is Editor of The Weekend Leader

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