Archiving the Cancer Institute, Women's Indian Association

The Cancer Institute (Women’s Indian Association) at Adyar, Chennai is a pioneering institution, among the first centres of oncology in India. It is a rare instance of a medical institution combining advanced technology with a focus on subsidized care for the poor. Established in 1952 by Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddi, the distinguished social reformer and legislator, it was steered for many years by Dr. V. Shanta. Dr. Muthulakshmi campaigned on many issues concerned with women’s rights and welfare. Under the aegis of the Women’s Indian Association, she campaigned for a centre exclusively to treat cancer. Embedded in the ethos of the independence movement, and reflecting elements of Gandhian philosophy and Nehruvian framework of science for development, the Institute has expanded the notion of cancer treatment into a holistic notion of care, drawing upon a gendered approach to health, well-being and care giving.

Dr. Muthulakshmi  had lost her sister to undiagnosed and untreated cancer and this bereavement was the primary motive for her herculean efforts. She roped in her son Dr. S. Krishnamurthi to help her. Initially reluctant, his devotion to his mother brought him around and he soon became the chief force in building up the Institute. His colleague Dr. V. Shanta drew upon her own memories of sacrifice and selfless caregiving by her mother for the large joint family. She  transformed the prevalent notion of cancer treatment by putting the patient in the centre, and developing a care ethos even while acquiring advanced technology and building treatment protocols. The inner world of  passion, devotion, loyalty and care giving, as feminists argue, has the power to shape the ethos and energy of macro institutions.

The Adyar Cancer Research Collection emerged out of AWA’s (Dr. Avabai Wadia and Dr. Bomanji Khurshedji Wadia Archives for Women) vision to document women’s contribution to health and medicine The project created an archive of the Institute’s documents (15 files with 160 documents,209 newspaper cuttings, 49 Annual Reports, and  779 photographs) and generated fresh material through recording oral narratives of key persons (14 interview sessions. Collection is located  in the Research Centre for Women’s Studies (https://www.sndt.ac.in/index.php/rcws/awa/access-to-awa-collection).

Selections from the Archive

My Writings on the Cancer Institute