Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi

Anandibai Gopalrao Joshi (Marathi: आनंदीबाई गोपाळराव जोशी) (31 March 1865 – 26 February 1887) was one of the earliest female Indian physicians. She was the first woman of Indian origin to study and graduate with a two-year diploma in medicine in the United States. She is also believed to be the first Indian woman to set foot on American soil. 

Early Life Style

Joshi was born at Yamuna, in Kalyan of the Thane district, in present-day it belongs to Maharashtra. Her family had been landlords in Kalyan but had lost their economic wealth. As that was the practice at that time, Anandi was married at the age of nine to Gopalrao Joshi, a widower almost twenty years her senior, due to pressure from her family.

After marriage, her husband renamed her Anandi. Gopalrao Joshi worked as a postal clerk in Kalyan. Later, he was transferred to Alibag, and then, finally, to Calcutta (today, Kolkata). He was a progressive thinker, and supported education for women, which was not very prevalent at the time.

At the age of fourteen, Anandibai gave birth to a boy, but the child lived only for ten days because the medical care necessary for his survival was unavailable. This situation proved to be a turning point in Anandibai's life, and inspired her to become a physician.

Towards A Medical Career

Gopalrao encouraged Anandibai to study medicine. In 1880 he sent a letter to Royal Wilder, a well-known American missionary, stating Anandibai's interest in studying medicine in the United States, and inquiring about a suitable post in the US for himself.

Wilder published the correspondence in his Princeton's Missionary Review. Theodicia Carpenter, a resident of Roselle, New Jersey, happened to read it while waiting to see her dentist. Anandibai's desire to study medicine, and Gopalrao's support for his wife, impressed her, and she wrote to them offering Anandibai accommodation in America.

While the Joshi couple was in Calcutta, Anandibai's health was declining. She suffered from weakness, constant headaches, occasional fever, and sometimes breathlessness. Theodicia sent her medicines from America, without results. In 1883, Gopalrao was transferred to Serampore, and he decided to send Anandibai by herself to America for her medical studies despite her poor health. Though apprehensive, Gopalrao convinced her to set an example for other women by pursuing higher education.

A physician couple named Thorborn suggested that Anandibai apply to the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania. On learning of Anandibai's plans to pursue higher education in the West, orthodox Hindu society censured her very strongly.

Anandibai addressed the community at Serampore College Hall, explaining her decision to go to America and obtain a medical degree. She discussed the persecution she and her husband had endured. She stressed the need for Hindu female doctors in India, and talked about her goal of opening a medical college for women in India( Anandibai medical college). Her speech received publicity, and financial contributions started pouring in from all over India.

In America

Anandibai travelled to New York from Calcutta by ship, chaperoned by two female English acquaintances of the Thorborns. In New York, Theodicia Carpenter received her in June 1883. Anandibai wrote to the Women's Medical College of Pennsylvania, asking to be admitted to their medical program,[8] which was the second women's medical program in the world. Rachel Bodley, the dean of the college, enrolled her.

Anandibai began her medical education at age 19. In America, her declining health worsened because of the cold weather and unfamiliar diet. She contracted tuberculosis.[6] Nevertheless, she graduated with an MD on 11 March 1886; the topic of her thesis was "Obstetrics among the Aryan Hindus". On her graduation, Queen Victoria sent her a congratulatory message.

Return To India

In late 1886, Anandibai returned to India, receiving a grand welcome. The princely state of Kolhapur appointed her as the physician-in-charge of the female ward of the local Albert Edward Hospital.

Anandibai died of tuberculosis early the next year on 26 February 1887 before turning 22. Her death was mourned throughout India. Her ashes were sent to Theodicia Carpenter, who placed them in her family cemetery in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Legacy

The Institute for Research and Documentation in Social Sciences (IRDS), a non-governmental organization from Lucknow, has been awarding the Anandibai Joshi Award for Medicine in reverence for her early contributions to the cause of advancing medical science in India.

In addition, the Government of Maharashtra has established a fellowship in her name for young women working on women’s health.

On March 31st, 2018, Google honoured her with a Google Doodle to mark her 153rd birth anniversary. 

भारत की पहली महिला डॉक्टर आनंदी गोपाल जोशी की 153वीं जयंती पर गूगल ने डूडल बनाकर सलाम पेश किया है. आनंदी गोपाल जोशी की कहानी दिल को छू लेने वाली है. उनका नाम आनंदी बाई जोशी था, ब्याह के बाद उनका नाम आनंदी गोपाल जोशी पड़ा. जयंती के मौके पर पढ़ें, डॉक्टर बनने की उनकी कहानी...

भारत की पहली डॉक्टर महिला थीं आनंदीबाई जोशी

डॉक्‍टरी की डिग्री लेने वालीं पहली भारतीय महिला आनंदीबाई जोशी थीं. पुणे में जन्‍मी आनंदीबाई जोशी की शादी नौ साल की उम्र में करीब 25 साल के गोपालराव जोशी से हुई थी.

मराठी उपन्यासकार श्री. ज. जोशी उपन्यास ‘आनंदी गोपाल’ में लिखते हैं...

गोपाल को ज़िद थी कि अपनी पत्नी को ज़्यादा-से-ज़्यादा पढ़ाऊं. उन्होंने पुरातनपंथी ब्राह्मण-समाज का तिरस्कार झेला, पुरुषों के लिए भी निषिद्ध, सात समंदर पार अपनी पत्नी को अमेरिका भेजकर उसे पहली भारतीय महिला डॉक्टर बनाने का इतिहास रचा.

— ज. जोशी

ज. जोशी उपन्यास में लिखते हैं, गोपालराव की आनंदी से शादी की शर्त ही यही थी कि वे पढ़ाई करेंगी. आनंदी के मायके वाले भी उनकी पढ़ाई के ख़िलाफ थे. ब्याह के वक्त आनंदी को अक्षर ज्ञान भी नहीं था. गोपाल ने उन्हें क,ख,ग से पढ़ाया.

ज. जोशी ने लिखा, नन्ही सी आनंदी को पढ़ाई से खास लगाव नहीं था. मिथक थे कि जो औरत पढ़ती है उसका पति मर जाता है. आनंदी को गोपाल डांट-डपट कर पढ़ाते. एक दफा उन्होंने आनंदी को डांटते हुए कहा, तुम नहीं पढ़ोगी तो मैं अपना मज़हब बदलकर क्रिस्तानी बन जाऊंगा.

ज. जोशी ने लिखा, अक्षर ज्ञान के बाद गोपाल, आनंदी के लिए अगली कक्षा की किताबें लाए. फिर वे कुछ दिन के लिए शहर से बाहर चले गए. जब वापस लौटे तो देखा कि आनंदी घर में खेल रही थी. वे गुस्से से बोले कि तुम पढ़ नहीं रही हो. आनंदी ने बड़ी मासूमियत से जवाब दिया, जितनी किताबें थी सब पढ़ चुकी.

आनंदीबाई मेडिकल क्षेत्र में शिक्षा पाने के लिए अमेरिका गईं और साल 1886 में (19 साल की उम्र में) उन्होंने MD की डिग्री हासिल कर ली. वो एमडी की डिग्री पाने वाली और पहली भारतीय महिला डॉक्‍टर बनीं. डिग्री लेने के बाद आनंदीबाई वापस देश लौटीं. लेकिन उस दौरान वे टीबी की शिकार हो गईं. दिन पर दिन सेहत में गिरावट के चलते 26 फरवरी 1887 को 22 वर्ष की आयु में आनंदी का निधन हो गया.

उपन्यास ‘आनंदी गोपाल’ मराठी साहित्य में ‘क्लासिक’ माना जाता है और इसका अनुवाद कई भाषाओं में हो चुका है. आनंदीबाई के जीवन पर कैरोलिन वेलस ने भी 1888 में बायोग्राफी लिखी. जिसपर 'आनंदी गोपाल' नाम से सीरियल बना और उसका प्रसारण दूरदर्शन पर किया गया.

-साभार