OBITUARY – DR MANEK PHIROZE BHARUCHA

Dr Manek Bharucha, an extremely valuable member of the Indian Psychoanalytical Society, Bombay chapter, tragically passed away at the age of 67 in  2016 after a brief and sudden illness.

Manek, who qualified in India as MD in Psychiatry, earning a gold medal, went on to spend many years in London, UK, studying and working at the Tavistock Clinic where he qualified as a child psychotherapist. He met his wife Aiveen while studying on the course and they have two daughters, Tehmina and Aoifa. After 17 years living in London he and his family decided to settle back in Bombay, India where he and his wife qualified as members of the Indian Psychoanalytical Society.

His move was fortunate for the Bombay group of analysts. Manek could have continued his stay in London where he would have been professionaly comfortable, in a place where psychoanalysis has respectability and intellectual excitement; but instead he chose to shift to India to meet the challenges of the pioneering spirit of psychoanalysis in India.

Soon after he joined our group in Bombay he created what he called “the Tavistock model baby observation course”.  He thought it would be a way of creating an interest and a wish to know more about psychoanalytic theories of the mind along with generating an interest in the training on offer. He was right. We came more under the public eye. We began admitting a number of students in the observation course and their interest grew to the uniqueness of close and detailed observation which only psychoanalytic insights can obtain. This in turn led to an increase in people wanting to undertake the psychoanalytic training.

It is difficult to fully express how much the Bombay group of analysts owes to Manek – for his original and creative ideas for our professional growth in the last 20 years. It has been a great priviledge to have known him as a colleague and as a close friend. In private Manek was a kind, warm and generous person, extremely helpful and humourous. all of us will miss him immensely – and he will not be forgotten.

Mr. Sarosh Forbes

Mrs. Minnie Dastur

Indian Psychoanalytical Society, Bombay chapter.