Padma Bhushan Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed: The Father of Indian Dentistry
By
Saquib Salim, New Age Islam
25-05-2022
A True Patriot, Rafiuddin Donated The Calcutta
Dental College Established By Him To The West Bengal Government In 1949, So A
National Government Could Use It For The Welfare Of Indians In A Better Fashion
Dr
Rafiuddin Ahmed
----
‘‘Education
is the responsibility of the State; but if no one is willing to carry the
cross, I will, for as long as I can.’’ This is the idea of Dr. Rafiuddin Ahmed
who wore many hats yet his important introduction can be given as the Father of
Indian Dentistry.
Dr.
Rafiuddin Ahmed was born on December 24, 1890, in Bradhanpara (now in
Bangladesh). A bright student from the beginning he passed Higher Secondary
Examinations from Dhaka Madrasa in 1906 and was sent to Mohammedan Anglo
Oriental (MAO) College (now Aligarh Muslim University) at Aligarh. After his
graduation, Rafiuddin went to the United States of America in 1909 for higher
studies. He earned his Doctor in Dental Surgery (DDS) from Iowa School of
Dentistry in 1915 and worked in the USA till the end of the World War in 1919.
On return
to his motherland, Dr. Rafiuddin realized that in a country that had a history
of dental surgeries for centuries people were in dire need of dentists. It was
shocking that such a large country had no modern college to teach dentistry. He
took the initiative and in 1920, started teaching dentistry in Calcutta (now
Kolkata) to 11 students to establish the first College of Dentistry in India.
Kolkata dental College and hospital established by Rafiuddin Ahmed
----
The
experiment of teaching students proved successful as these trained dentists
started spreading out in the country and serving the Indians. Brigadier S.M.S
Nicholson, Major S.K Gupta, Colonel J.F Patel, Brigadier J.M Rao, and Fatima
Jinnah were few of the illustrious alumni of this college.
In 1928 he published the very first Students’
Handbook on Operative Dentistry, the same year when he established the Indian
Dental Association. Before that, he had already established the Bengal Dental
Association in 1925. Indian Dental Journal was also started by him in 1925 and
was edited by him till 1946. He also helped in drafting the Bengal Dentist Act,
1939, and India Dental Act, 1949. Indian Dental Council, when established in
1954, elected him as its founding President.
A true
patriot, Rafiuddin donated the Calcutta Dental College established by him to
the West Bengal Government in 1949, so a national government could use it for
the welfare of Indians in a better fashion. He was also a patriot who served
the Indian people as councillor of Calcutta Municipal Corporation from 1932 to
1944. After India received freedom he rejected the idea of Pakistan, remained
in India, and contributed as a Minister of Agriculture, Relief, and
Rehabilitation in the West Bengal Government headed by another medical man Dr.
B.C Roy. He remained a minister for 12 years from 1950. The Government of India
recognized his contribution by awarding him with Padma Bhushan in 1964 and
later on renaming the Calcutta Dental College after him. His birthday is
celebrated as National Dentists Day in India.
Source: Rafiuddin Ahmed: The Father Of
Indian Dentistry
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/padma-bhushan-rafiuddin-indian-dentistry/d/127084
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