11 August, 2026 – Patiala : The legendary 1974-75 bhangra team of Government Medical College, Patiala, was honoured at the 48th Annual Conference of the Patiala Medical College Alumni Association (PMCAA), USA, held in Santa Barbara, California, last week, with its original members recreating their iconic performance nearly five decades later.
The reunion was a highlight of the conference as the former team members performed together again, reviving memories of one of the most successful cultural chapters in the history of Government Medical College, Patiala.
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The team was dressed and captained for six years by orthopaedic surgeon Dr JPS Walia, who represented Punjab at several events and received the Roll of Honour from Government Medical College, Patiala, during the 1974-75 academic year.
Reflecting on the reunion, Dr Gurcharan Syan, a cardiologist based in Toronto, said, “At this age, when many of us have retired or are nearing retirement age, it was super fun to perform our traditional dance with the same spirit that we had during our college days.”
The team members went on to establish distinguished careers in medicine across the world. Dr Sulakshan Tewari is a psychiatrist based in Bathinda, Dr Gurcharan Syan is a cardiologist in Toronto, Dr Satnam Singh is a cardiologist in the US, Dr Harpreet Grewal and Dr Ajit Pal Singh Tiwana are family medicine specialists in the US, while Dr Jagmohan Bhinder is a paediatrician in the US. All members were awarded college colours by Government Medical College, Patiala.
The 1974-75 team holds a unique place in the college’s history. It won the Zonal Youth Festival and Inter-Zonal Youth Festival before representing Punjabi University at the Inter-University Youth Festival, where it was crowned overall champion. The achievement remains an unmatched record in the history of Government Medical College, Patiala.
Adding to the nostalgia was the presence of the team’s original dholi, Lal Singh Bhatti, popularly known as “Lalli”, from Jalandhar. A celebrated dhol player during the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, Bhatti represented Punjab at several national and international youth festivals and sporting events, including Olympics-related cultural festivals. He has been settled in the US for three decades.
The event was also attended by Dr Narinder Grewal, a pain management specialist, and Dr Satish Singla, an oncologist, both based in the US.
The Tribune