He wafts into Manipal Goa Cancer Hospital room, a la-RobinWilliams in Patch Adams, kissing children, hugging grandmas, distributingsweets, singing and even breaking into an occasional jig but unlike Adams, DrShekhar Salkar does not have to act before these cancer patients fighting tolive their lives. His association with the dreaded disease is one of alifetime.
“I had a choice of treating children as a Pediatrician, Ihad even completed a six month diploma but in 1984 I got this break into TataMemorial Cancer Research Centre and life never was the same” says the stockyman as he slips into his. In the theatre, his hand glides smoothly throughrecesses of human body as he spots a lump of cancerous growth in the abdomen ofa stage 2 patient and clinically excises it out. “Times have changed sorapidly, people are more aware, come forward early and we are able to exciseout the dreaded disease”, he sums up, suturing the patient’s abdomen. Out ofthe operation theatre, he chats with the anxious looking patient’s kin. Thewords of assurance from the dotor is word of God for them.
“My relationship with cancer is personal. My mother wasgetting operated for colon cancer when I was appearing for my standard 12examination”, reminisces Goa’s most celebrated cancer surgeon. He lost hismother six months later, but the decision to take on the dreaded drug turnedinto a lifelong mission. Along the way, he lost the chance to pursue his otherpassion “ cricket. Young Shekhar scored a swashbuckling 100 against anAzharuddin captained Hyderabad side in the C K Naidu under 22 trophy. “Yearslater when my son asked me if I had regrets missing out that moment, I told himI never did”, he says, with no regrets. He took his passion as a cancer surgeoninto the game.
Known otherwise as the man who hit the mighty DayanandNarvekar, former Goa Cricket Association President, out of the ground for asix, Salkar has no regrets for not using his legendary friendship with ChiefMinister Manohar Parrikar to ascend GCA’s Presidentship. He recollects, “I wasexpelled from GCA during Parrikar’s tenure as CM and was offered a return as atruce by Narvekar but I refused. It is so strange that he approached Parrikarthis time for me to compromise. I politely declined”. Cancer should not becontained, it should be exorcised, as Salkar continues to clean up Goa’scricket of corruption.
For the Man who featured everywhere from the Washington Postto The Guardian, from Ashai Shimbun to Der Speigel for having brought themighty Amitabh Bachchan, King Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn to their knees, forbeing wrong role models by smoking in films, Dr Shekhar Salkar lives life withno regrets and prefers battles that have to be ended.
