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By:

Bhalchandra Chorghade

11 August 2025 at 1:54:18 pm

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker,...

Healing Beyond the Clinic

Dr Kirti Samudra “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This thought by Mother Teresa finds reflection in the life of Panvel-based diabetologist Dr Kirti Samudra, who has spent decades caring not only for her family but also thousands of patients who see her as their guide. As we mark International Women’s Day, stories like hers remind us that women of substance often shape society quietly through compassion, resilience and dedication. Doctor, mother, homemaker, mentor and philanthropist — Dr Samudra has balanced many roles with commitment. While she manages a busy medical practice, her deeper calling has always been service. For her, medicine is not merely a profession but a responsibility towards the people who depend on her guidance. Nagpur to Panvel Born and raised in Nagpur, Dr Samudra completed her medical education there before moving to Mumbai in search of better opportunities. The early years were challenging. With determination, she and her husband Girish Samudra, an entrepreneur involved in underwater pipeline projects, chose to build their life in Panvel. At a time when the town was still developing and healthcare awareness was limited, she decided to make it both her workplace and home. What began with modest resources gradually grew into a trusted medical practice built on long-standing relationships with patients. Fighting Diabetes Recognising the growing threat of diabetes, Dr Samudra dedicated her career to treating and educating patients about the disease. Over the years, she has registered nearly 30,000 patients from Panvel and nearby areas. Yet she believes treatment alone is not enough. “Diabetes is a lifelong disease. Medicines are important, but patient education is equally critical. If people understand the condition, they can manage it better and prevent complications,” she says. For more than 27 years, she has organised an Annual Patients’ Education Programme, offering diagnostic tests at concessional rates and sessions on lifestyle management. Family, Practice With her husband frequently travelling for business, much of the responsibility of raising their two children fell on Dr Samudra. Instead of expanding her practice aggressively, she kept it close to home and adjusted her OPD timings around her children’s schedules. “It was not easy,” she recalls, “but I wanted to fulfil my responsibilities as a mother while continuing to serve my patients.” Beyond Medicine Today, Dr Samudra also devotes time to social initiatives through the Bharat Vikas Parishad, where she serves as Regional Head. Her projects include  Plastic Mukta Vasundhara , which promotes reduced use of single-use plastic, and  Sainik Ho Tumchyasathi , an initiative that sends Diwali  faral  (snack hamper) to Indian soldiers posted at the borders. Last year alone, 15,000 boxes were sent to troops. Despite decades of service, she measures success not in wealth but in goodwill. “I may not have earned huge money,” she says, “but I have earned immense love and respect from my patients. That is something I will always be grateful for.”

Georgia’s Crossroads

A nation torn between its European dream and its Soviet shadows grapples with an uncertain future.

Georgia’s Crossroads

In Georgia, a simmering political crisis has erupted into fiery protests, laying bare the fault lines of a nation caught between aspirations for European integration and the gravitational pull of its Soviet past. The conflict pits Salome Zourabichvili, the country’s pro-European president, against Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze and his ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party, accused of steering the South Caucasus nation toward an authoritarian, pro-Russia trajectory.


The immediate flashpoint is the government’s decision to suspend European Union accession talks, a dramatic volte-face that sparked fury among the 80% of Georgians who favour EU membership. Since independence in 1991, Georgia has pursued a path toward Europe, culminating in its EU candidate status last year. But the GD’s decision to delay negotiations until 2028 has unravelled years of diplomatic progress and unleashed a wave of nationwide protests.


These demonstrations—marked by EU flag-waving crowds chanting “Russian slaves” and violent police crackdowns—reflect deeper grievances. Critics accuse GD, in power since 2012, of consolidating control over institutions and veering away from democratic norms. Founded by Bidzina Ivanishvili, a billionaire with ties to Moscow, GD has introduced laws eerily reminiscent of Russian autocracy, including a “foreign agent” statute targeting civil society. The party’s critics allege electoral fraud in its recent victory, leading the European Parliament to call for a rerun and impose sanctions on Georgian officials.


Georgia’s flirtation with authoritarianism has profound historical underpinnings. The country’s post-Soviet journey has been shaped by its fraught relationship with Russia. The 2008 Russo-Georgian war, which left 20% of Georgian territory under Russian occupation, cemented deep public distrust of Moscow. Yet, GD’s actions, from stalling EU accession to welcoming fleeing Russian conscripts after the invasion of Ukraine, have fuelled fears of creeping Russification. Meanwhile, many in Tbilisi and beyond worry that the government is prioritizing oligarchic interests over the democratic will of its people.


The EU’s response has been unequivocal. Brussels condemned the elections as fraudulent and the government’s suppression of protests as anti-democratic. The United States has suspended its strategic partnership with Georgia, warning of “direct consequences” if the country continues its backslide. Prime Minister Kobakhidze’s rhetoric—accusing the EU of “blackmail” and portraying Georgia as a victim of Western manipulation—rings hollow to a population weary of seeing its European aspirations thwarted.


This turmoil is playing out against a backdrop of geopolitical tension. Russia has long sought to maintain influence in its former Soviet periphery, viewing Georgia’s EU aspirations as a direct challenge to its sphere of control. For the Kremlin, a Georgia destabilized by political discord and diminished Western ties is a strategic victory. Meanwhile, the West faces the challenge of ensuring that Georgia’s democratic backsliding does not embolden other pro-Russia regimes in the region.


For the West, Georgia’s trajectory offers a stark lesson in the limits of soft power. While Brussels and Washington have sought to promote democratic reforms through incentives like EU membership, they have struggled to counter Moscow’s influence in the region. The Kremlin, adept at exploiting divisions within post-Soviet states, views Georgia’s turmoil as a strategic opportunity. Should GD succeed in consolidating power, it would mark another victory for Russian authoritarianism in the post-Soviet space.


The protests are unlikely to subside soon and whether they yield substantive change remains uncertain. With the GD digging in its heels and Zourabichvili largely sidelined, the risk of prolonged instability looms large. As Georgia teeters on the edge, its people must decide: will they march toward Europe or retreat into the past? For it is in this choice lies the fate of a nation’s identity, freedom, and future role in the international order.

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