top of page

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.”

‘Traitors of Maratha Empire trump locals’

Rohit Pawar smells Rs 5K-cr land-scam in Navi Mumbai by minister

Mumbai: In an explosive allegation, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit R. Pawar has accused Urban Development Minister Sanjay Shirsat (Shiv Sena) of plotting a land scam of around Rs 5,000-cr intended to benefit a clan that once supported the British against the Maratha Empire.


A grand-nephew of NCP (SP) President Sharad Pawar, Rohit Pawar said that the controversial Bivalkar family of Ratnagiri was originally gifted over 4000-acres land by the British rulers for helping them vis-à-vis the Maratha Empire.


Over decades since, under various laws and land reforms, the property was taken over by the state government, but the present title holder, architect Yashwant Bivalkar and his elder brother Gangadhar Bivalkar have locked horns with the authorities.


“However, despite this, the Bivalkar family attempted to reclaim those lands by manipulating records, filing court petitions and political lobbying. Their applications were rejected repeatedly in 1994, 1995, 2010 and 2023. But when Shirsat took over as CIDCO Chairman last year, he made the impossible as possible” claimed Rohit Pawar.


Displaying a bag filled with fake currency notes before media-persons, the NCP (SP) MLA alleged that “this was the style of ‘bag politics’ adopted to seal the deal”, implying cash transactions.


He added that in the very first CIDCO meeting as Chairman, Shirast cleared around 15 acres of prime land (at Ulwe) in Navi Mumbai to the Bivalkar family worth a staggering Rs 5,000-cr, in the vicinity of the new Navi Mumbai International Airport.


“This land parcel was reserved for constructing 10,000 affordable homes for the poor, but now a luxury building project is likely to come up there, sidelining the common masses,” pointed out Rohit Pawar.


Contending that there were several layers to the whole scam, Rohit Pawar said the Bivalkars – got the land gift (inaam) around 1816 - exploited legal loopholes since 1952 to convert a ‘political inaam’ into a ‘personal inaam’ and declaring parts as ‘reserved forest’ to skirt the Land Ceiling Act.


After the Maharashtra Private Forests Act of 1975 transferred the lands to the state, the Bivalkar family fought in the court and in 2014, the Bombay High Court gave a favourable verdict including a compensation amount, ostensibly due to a weak defence by the state, but later the CIDCO secured a stay from the Supreme Court.


“Despite the detailed history of repeated rejections, overlooking the fact that local project-affected farmers are fighting to get their rightful share of 12.5 pc land, the state government chose to hand it over to the descendants of the traitors of the Maratha Empire. This is committing a treachery against Maharashtra’s sons of the soil,” Rohit Pawar thundered.


The sensational allegations sparked widespread political outrage and other Opposition parties demanded an immediate rollback of the land dole to the Bivalkar family and resignation of Minister Shirsat.


Simultaneously Rohit Pawar has threatened to carry out an agitation with farmers and activists at the CIDCO headquarters on Aug. 20 (Wednesday) where they would grill the officialdom over the purported mega-land scandal.

Comments

bottom of page