Thatte revealed this at a literary gathering organised by publishing house Granthali last Sunday. The occasion saw the release of two Marathi books: Dr Thatte's Manoos Navache Jagane (A Living called Human Being) and Dr Sharadini Dahanukar's Aushadh Ani Aapan (Medicines And Us). Thatte was also felicitated for the ad hominem (for the person only) honorary degree which he will formally receive at the Royal College of Surgeons at Edinburgh this week.

Thatte's Manoos Navache Jagane is his third book based on Sant Dyaneshwar's teachings, the first being Jaaneev and the second the highly successful Mee Hindu Zhalo (I became a Hindu). In his third venture, Thatte detailed the influences of Dyaneshwar's philosophy on his person, especially histeaching of simplicity in every day life and traced Dyaneshwar's all-inclusive, universal definition of "Hinduism".

While the author had not used the word "Hindu" to connote the current politico-religious scenario, he was once sarcastically congratulated for being "a Hindu" and not a "being a human being". Thereafter followed his third book. "While working as a doctor, several questions about life and death surrounded me. And Dyaneshwar has helped me to find the answers. I believe that for any pursuit of modern day knowledge, every person must have a philosophical backing."

Dr Dahanukar also elaborated on the rationale behind her book on medicines, which maps the history of modern medicines, their making and side-effects. "I find that patients treat medicines very lightly. They proudly pop in tablets like lemon drops. Therefore, the book demonstrates the correct attitude towards modern medicines." Surgeon V N Srikhande said both the books were welcome and significant in the light of the much-felt need tomake medical and technical information available in Marathi and other Indian languages. He said medical knowledge can be best applied practically only if it is available in the mother tongue.

Dr Srikhande pointed out that the literary works of Thatte and Dahanukar were even more commendable as both function in an administrative hospital framework and yet find time to educate their patients. While Thatte is a honorary professor in the Lokmanya Tilak hospital at Sion, Dahanukar is affiliated to KEM. "It is not easy to work in a public hospital and be creative at the same time," joked Dr Srikhande. He said both the doctors should be emulated in their painstaking effort to question the establishment.

"Science thrives on doubt, and doctors like Dr Thatte always question and doubt the prevailing scenario, which is why they are awarded the FRCS degree. But most of us do nothing more than harbour misconceptions like `Indians are the best doctors in the world' or `The American software industry runs on theshoulders of Maharashtrians'. Let us shed these notions and get to work."