A doctor's casual remark about comparing the sizes of male cadaver private parts during a comedy show has ignited a fierce debate on sensitivity and respect. The comment, made by Dr. Sejal Pawar on a live show hosted by comedian Pranit More, drew widespread backlash for being deeply insensitive towards body donors. However, this incident also serves as a stark reminder of India's little-known history as the world's largest exporter of human skeletons.
Kolkata's Dark Past: The Human Skeleton Trade
For nearly two centuries, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) was the epicenter of a macabre trade that supplied human skeletons and skulls to medical institutions worldwide. Between 60,000 and 65,000 skeletons were exported annually from the city. This trade, which thrived during the British colonial period, saw bodies exhumed from cemeteries and unclaimed cadavers from hospitals processed and shipped abroad, often without consent.
The Colonial Roots
The demand for anatomical models in Europe and North America outstripped local supply, leading British companies to source skeletons from India. In Calcutta, a London company found a ready workforce among the Doms, traditional keepers of the dead. Grave robbers excavated bodies from cemeteries in Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, which were then processed and exported, often via Nepal.
The Young Brothers and the Trade's Peak
One prominent firm, Young Brothers, founded in 1980, marketed itself as a leading supplier of medical education models. The Los Angeles Times reported in 1991 on Bimalendu Bhattacharjee, whose family sold human skeletons for nearly half a century. Numerous Calcutta families earned millions of dollars supplying skeletons to universities and high schools in the West.
Repatriation and Remains
The Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford houses 213 Naga human remains, which were taken under duress and are now being repatriated to India. This highlights the ongoing ethical issues surrounding the acquisition of such remains.
The Ban and Its Aftermath
The Indian government first banned the trade in 1976 during the Emergency, following complaints from neo-nationalists and Calcutta's Muslim community, who feared grave theft. However, it was not until 1985 that a complete ban was enforced, with workers being offered jobs in hospitals and medical colleges. By then, Kolkata had exported an estimated 2.4 million skeletons and skulls over 40 years, worth nearly $1.5 million just before the ban.
A Recent Reminder
In 2023, students at a German school buried a skeleton used in biology class after discovering it was a real person's remains, likely a woman from India. The skeleton had been purchased in 1952.
Thus, when a doctor jokes about cadavers, it is essential to remember the countless families who never found their loved ones' bodies, stolen and exported. Rather than trivializing their remains, one should reflect on their lives and the journey that brought them to a medical table.
