The first time I travelled to Wick in the Northern Highlands, I remember my friend Eswyl speaking warmly of Mr Pradip Datta and the town’s proud squash tradition when she guided me through the Wick Heritage Museum. I never had the chance to meet Mr Datta myself – he died in 2022 before I discovered this peaceful refuge – yet his name is still spoken with deep respect throughout the area, whether for his sporting achievements or for his remarkable contributions to the medical profession, both locally and internationally.
I listened to Mr Datta talking about his life in the Wick Heritage Museum’s Wick Voices recording. A young doctor from Kolkata, India, he and his wife moved to the Highlands in 1980 when he found a job working at Bignold Hospital, and later at Caithness General Hospital. His voice may have been slightly shaky at 81 years old, but one could feel the deep steadiness of his love for Wick and for the NHS.
The immigrant who trained generations of surgeons
Much has been written about Mr Datta and his many achievements. A legendary consultant surgeon, he was celebrated for training thousands of young surgeons from across the world. He wrote a book, The Naked Mountain Lands, about his life and work in the NHS. In 2008, he was awarded an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for his services to surgical training, being recognised for the exceptional pass rates obtained by the junior doctors he mentored. My friend, Eswyl, used to host some of those young students and remembers how he insisted that they wear suits and demanded utmost dedication to their studies.
Beyond medicine:sport, charity and social integration
Mr Datta was also a passionate squash player who not only won championships himself but also inspired a lasting love of the sport within the local community. His work with both local and international charities was equally impressive, reflecting a lifelong commitment to improving the lives of others. Even in retirement, he used the sales from his autobiographical book, The Naked Mountain Lands, in which he reminisces about his life and work in the NHS, to continue supporting these charities..
What fascinated me most however, was the social context in which it happened. This was a remote corner of Scotland where people from Wick – only half-jokingly – considered those from Thurso, a mere 20 miles away, to be foreigners.Yet a ‘brown’ man arrived there and managed to integrate so effortlessly into the community, loving his adopted home so deeply and being as deeply loved by those around him.
At a time when immigration is, too often,used as a toxic word, and people of foreign appearance are blamed for the consequences of decades of austerity policies and lack of investment in public services, his example offers a gentler and more hopeful lesson: that communities are strengthened not by fear and division, but by openness, contribution and mutual respect.
“More a coach than a teacher”
Mr Jay Khastgir, a student of Mr Datta’s and now a urologist practicing in Wales, has very fond memories of his former mentor. “He was more a coach than a teacher”, he said, “he would not only teach us the subject matter but also went to great lengths to instruct us on how to dress, behave and respond to questions during examinations”. This guidance by “Master-ji”, as Mr Jay spoke of him, was invaluable, especially for foreign-born and culturally different students.
Despite there being considerably less diversity in the Highlands at that time, Mr Khastgir feels that there was an absence of racism in Scottish society. If one was willing to talk and engage, one was welcomed, irrespective of the colour of one’s skin. He believes that he and Mr Datta, as doctors, were easily integrated into the community because of the care services they provided. The absence of divisive rhetoric and well-funded and widely accessible public services also meant there was little stress in the quest for wellbeing. Specifically, in Mr Datta’s case, his work put Wick on the map for medical training, attracting many young people, which benefitted the local community and fostered tremendous goodwill.
What Mr Datta’s legacy suggests about integration policy
There are important lessons in Mr Datta’s story for the integration of immigrants: it requires mutuality of both the host and the newcomer. The soil must be prepared to receive the new seed and not be hostile, and the seed must work to germinate and grow as an independent plant within its new ecosystem, while also contributing to soil health. Unfortunately, in the current climate, where public service resources are scarce and blame is placed on immigrants – rather than on valuing their potentially considerable contributions – and where there is little political will to implement bold remedies for years of gush-up economics, immigration will continue to generate toxic discourse rather than acting as a force for societal wellbeing.
The good news is, as Mr Datta’s experience shows, positive and mutually beneficial integration has been done before, and it is both possible and straightforward to put in place, if only we choose to do so.
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