Scottish Connection with India

Wed, Nov 18th 2020 at 1:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Krishna's Career talk with views on medicine in India and UK

‹ › ×

Club members please log in for more information.

The weekly meeting of the Rotary Club of St Andrews continues to be held online, with a good proportion of members participating in this new format, thus maintaining some regular contact under the chairmanship of President Hamish Tait. The latest speaker was Rotarian Bangarpet Krishnaswamy – known to many as ‘Krishna’. He graduated in medicine in Bangalore before coming to the UK in 1971, working in a number of different locations in England before setting up his own medical practice in the then new town of Glenrothes. The practice grew from just 85 patients at the start to nine thousand, cared for by six partners, upon Krishna’s retirement.

Krishna spoke about the long established and extensive connections between his native and adopted countries. Scots contributed to life in India through commerce, education and engineering. The Governor-General, 1807-13, was the Earl of Minto, from the Borders, and Scots Architects left their mark in Indian cities with projects such as the Gate of India in Mumbai designed by George Wittet, who became the first president of the Indian Institute of Architects. The benefits were reciprocal: the import of jute from India gave rise to major industries in Dundee and Paisley and Scotland manufactured the locomotives used by the East Indian Railway Company.

An active sportsman, Krishna has played cricket for Kirkcaldy and squash for Victoria hospital. During questions he admitted that he never managed to reach a century in cricket but has had plenty of centuries on the golf course! The vote of thanks was given by his good friend, Jack Daniels, who has himself established close ties with, and affection for, India.

As a GP in the UK and a Rotarian for many years, Krish has a unique insight into medicine in India as well as the UK. A member of Glenrothes Rotary Club for many years Krishna transferred to St Andrews when he retired.