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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.”

The Arakan Army: India’s Strategic Ally?

Arakan Army

As Bangladesh grapples with economic challenges and rising radicalism, a new crisis along its Myanmar border is contributing to the chaos. The Arakan Army, a formidable ethnic insurgent group from Myanmar, had recently mounted a significant incursion into Bangladesh’s southern regions, allegedly capturing areas along the border. While the development has alarmed Dhaka, it raises questions about whether this is a fortuitous development or a carefully calculated strategy by India to manage instability in its eastern neighbourhood.


Bangladesh’s internal situation has been deteriorating rapidly ever since the toppling of Sheikh Hasina’s government, which was well-disposed towards India. Economic woes, violent atrocities against minorities, and the radical hostility of Islamist groups — particularly those allegedly aligned with Jamaat-e-Islami and Al-Qaeda — have created a toxic mix. The situation is exacerbated by the leadership of Muhammad Yunus, whose policies are viewed as fostering Islamist sentiments. This environment not only destabilizes Bangladesh but poses a direct threat to India, especially in its border states.


Enter the Arakan Army, an insurgent group that has been steadily gaining ground in Myanmar’s Rakhine State. With its control over vast stretches of the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, the Arakan Army’s rise could serve India’s strategic interests in neutralizing the threats emanating from an increasingly unstable Bangladesh. Reports suggest the Arakan Army has declared its opposition to jihadist groups operating in the region, accusing them of atrocities against Buddhists and Hindus and collusion with international terror networks.


This aligns well with India’s broader security concerns. By supporting or tacitly enabling the Arakan Army’s operations, India could achieve multiple objectives, namely curtailing Islamist extremism.


The Arakan Army’s campaign could weaken the influence of radical groups such as the Rohingya Solidarity Army and Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, which are reportedly using Bangladeshi soil as a base for operations against India. By bolstering the Arakan Army’s control over the Myanmar-Bangladesh border, India could create a buffer zone that reduces the spillover of jihadist violence into its territory.


A destabilized Bangladesh under Yunus’s leadership makes it harder for India to maintain regional stability. The Arakan Army’s presence could give India leverage to counterbalance any anti-India policies emanating from Dhaka.


Speculation is rife about whether India’s National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, known for his unconventional strategies, is behind this development. India has long maintained strategic ties with various ethnic armed groups in Myanmar, including the Arakan Army. Given the current geopolitical scenario, it would not be surprising if India were providing covert support—logistical or intelligence—to the Arakan Army as part of a larger game plan to safeguard its eastern flank.


Doval’s focus has often been on pre-emptively neutralizing threats rather than reacting to them. Supporting the Arakan Army fits this modus operandi. It allows India to weaken Islamist networks without direct intervention, keeping its hands ostensibly clean while achieving strategic goals.


The Rakhine region, where the Arakan Army has established dominance, holds immense strategic importance. It not only serves as a corridor for China’s Belt and Road Initiative but also impacts India’s connectivity projects like the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project. A weakened Myanmar military and a strengthened Arakan Army could give India greater access and influence in the region, countering Chinese designs.


If Ajit Doval’s fingerprints are indeed on this development, it could go down as one of his most effective manoeuvres — a masterstroke in securing India’s eastern frontier while subtly reshaping the geopolitical balance in South Asia.

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