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Obituary
This article was originally published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow and was migrated to Scientific Scholar after the change of Publisher.
- Anju Sharma (1957-2023)
Late Editor-In-Chief of Indian Journal of Medical Research.
Beware.
This soul is not to be pitied.
Lest you risk trivializing her strength.
Dr. Anju Sharma’s name is popularly and synonymously associated with her philosophical baby, the Indian Journal of Medical Research (IJMR) to the very many people who had the pleasure of knowing and getting associated with her. Dr. Anju did her M.Sc in Biochemistry from G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. After completing her PhD in Biochemistry from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, she went on to undertake her Post-Doctoral research from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi. She joined the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), New Delhi in 1988 as a Research Officer in the then Division of Publication & Information.
In addition to being an avid reader, she also engaged in writing articles on scientific topics for newspapers and was a poetry aesthete. She wrote poetry in English and Hindi languages. With years of association with IJMR in various capacities, she was instrumental in the big switch of the Journal from the traditional offline mode to a hybrid mode of publishing. The Journal also saw its first jump beyond impact factor 2 under her Editor-ship in 2013. Dr. Sharma strove towards elevating IJMR by delving into its promotion at various conferences as well as Editors’ meets, which significantly increased the number of submissions to the Journal. By the end of 2016, Dr. Anju served as the Editor-In-Chief of the Journal and the Head of the then IJMR Unit. Post-retirement, with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and despite her thwarting health concerns, she continued to work diligently as an Emeritus Scientist of ICMR and ushered me to tread the routes of facilitation of IJMR subtly. She left the Journal in mid-2022 at its first ever and an all-time high impact of 5.274 and passed the baton on to the present Editor-In-Chief, Dr Samiran Panda with whom she worked closely during the trying times of COVID.
A eulogy of a non-conformist
Although she led her life in a simple way, for those of us, who knew Dr. Anju closely have also known her to be a clear-headed disciplinarian. She was a non-conformist Editor and a stoic boss who emanated nothing less than strength for an aura.
A flash of flaming yellow silk fabric with a red border, an attitude as heavy as uranium and a signature limp tore its way through the frigid unforgiving air of the first floor corridor of ICMR. That’s my first memory of the former Editor-In-Chief of the Indian Journal of Medical Research, Dr. Anju Sharma. From then on and for the next few years, I grew to love to be piqued by her.
Being stationed beside this intimidator, like many others, I too bore the whiplash of her scourge for a tongue. A hostile time keeper, with her favorite round-gold wall clock, which not only showed her time but faithfully sang stories of late-tales of each of her team members to her.
With steaming mugs of hot tea frequently making their way into her veins, this task master monitored the functions of her beloved publication arduously with the diligence of an ant, the ferocity of a boar and the tenacity of a beaver, all wrapped up in beautiful crisp and starched sarees all through summer and silks during winter.
I often felt battered about how severe a critic she was. Never too satisfied with the lengths I went above any reason to perform, never acknowledging or appreciative of the efforts made. But she never discouraged me from engaging in debates related to the planning and challenges associated with the Journal. It is only during the pandemic with her deteriorating symptoms did I realize, that by not acknowledging my efforts, she instilled a hunger in me to perform. By engaging with me in those debates, she instilled a sense of ownership for the activities I was associated with. When she was severe, she was preparing me for the ugly realities I would have to eventually face. When she withdrew, is when I realized that all the while, she was preparing and mentoring me for entrusting her prized possession.
Her telephonic conversations served as an immense support in the midst of the oblivion I was left to work in. Unknowingly I became a confidante, to whom she knew she could talk about her worldly pains, without receiving any sympathy, for I grew to mirror her personality. My last conversation with Dr. Anju was in the month of April 2023, but there was not a single day since where she was not ardently remembered and missed. Her aura only imparted me strength to withstand adversities. From painful arthritis-stricken knees to going through with her umpteen tests and treatments in her last couple of years, Anju Ma’am is a testament of strength who bore all the worldly pains like a warrior, as she did in her life and work.
On December 4th 2023, at least three people strangely felt determined to fix her gold rimmed clock that wasn’t working since a while. I am guilty of having deterred them to do so for reasons unknown to me.
She was relieved of all her pains at 4:14 PM on December 4, 2023.
I speak to my mentor directly now,
As for conformity, I will conform to the font, style and the grammatical correctness of this write up. I will proof it myself, for if you read this, you may find no fault in your invested efforts.
As for the content, I know you would only care for the righteousness of the quality, so will I.
As for your last rights, I will work. For it’s what you would demand of me. Work for the stable haven you dreamed this publication would turn out to be one day.
As for your clock. I will fix it.
Dr. Anju Sharma is undoubtedly a hefty loss to her family and to many of us, but I strongly believe, she is a worthy gain to the force of nature.
Albina Arjuman
Assistant Editor
Indian Journal of Medical Research