15 September, Engineers Day

15 September, Engineers Day - Remembering Bharat Ratna Sir MV: The Legendary Engineer and a Statesman Par Excellence, on his Birth Anniversary.

15 September is celebrated as Engineers Day in India in memory of the legendary Engineer, Statesman and a great nation builder, Bharat Ratna, Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya (Sir MV) who was born on this date in 1861 - as per the official records in his passport, some scholars say that he was born on 15th September 1860. The Government of India, in the year 1968, decided to befittingly celebrate the legendary Sir MV’s birth anniversary - 15 September, as the Engineers Day. Ever since, this day is celebrated as Engineers Day to honour and acknowledge the contributions of engineers in nation building, which Sir MV exemplified. 

I had the honour to lead the team in Visvesvaraya Museum, Bangalore, when I was posted as its Director, to curate an exhibition on the life and works of Sir MV, entitled ‘Sir MV: The Legendary Nation Builder’. The year 2011 was special. It was the sesquicentennial year of birth of Sir MV and also the fiftieth year of his punyatithi. This exhibition was opened at the Visvesvaraya Museum in August 2011. It received an outstanding media coverage a glimpse of which can be seen in the images which accompany this post. Subsequently, on my transfer from Bangalore to Mumbai, I had the honour to obtain financial support from JSW for publishing a well-researched and a richly illustrated exhibition catalogue, which I had the honour to author and publish in the year 2015. This exhibition was befittingly featured in the prestigious India Science Congress in Mumbai in 2015. Here is a link for downloading the soft copy of this exhibition catalogue.

https://www.nehrusciencecentre.gov.in/pdf/Sir%20M%20Visvesvaraya%20%E2%80%93%20The%20Legendary%20Nation%20Builder.pdf 

In the annals of human history very few people have had the honour of celebrating their own birth centenary; from amongst those few who have, there are no parallels to the veritable and a nation building life that Sir M Visvesvaraya lived for all of 100 plus years (died on 14th April 1962). His achievements as a nation builder both as an engineer and as an administrator, were truly incredible. Sir M Visvesvaraya, popularly referred to as Sir MV, was an engineer par excellence, statesman, visionary, a staunch votary for industrialization, proponent of education and women empowerment, a visionary who started the Mysore Bank - which later became the State Bank of India - the man who improved transportation, the father of planned economy etc. Sir MV has made enduring contributions, not just as a civil engineer with the British Government - two plus decades in the Maharashtra province - but also for the development of the state of Mysore, where he worked as the Chief Engineer and the Diwan of Mysore (1912-1918) and for his many other contributions in regions of the sub-continent including Karachi and Hyderabad, which are now in Pakistan and so also in Aden, which is now in Syria. Sir MVs works remain eternally etched in the annals of Indian history. There, are very few fields of thoughts and constructive endeavours, of technical advancement and nation building, in which Sir MV has not made a significant contribution in his nearly eight decades long service to the nation. 

It is therefore no wonder that Sir MV was bestowed with the highest national honours, the Bharat Ratna, in the year 1955, which he shared with Pandit Nehru and Bhagwan Das. 

Engineers are among those beautiful minds who harvest the applications of science for the benefit of human society, an exemplary evidence of which was demonstrated by Sir M Visvesvaraya. Interestingly ten years after the exhibition was opened in 2011 in Visvesvaraya Museum Bangalore, in the year 2021, suddenly I received invitations to deliver lectures on the life and works of Sir MV from different institutions – Department of Science and Technology, Government of India to deliver lecture on Sir MV during National Technology Day (May11, 2021) and another prestigious invitation to deliver the 17th VN Bedekar Memorial Lecture on 14 April 2021, whose abstract can be found here

http://www.vpmthane.org/VPM/Abstract_Shri.Khened_14.04.2021.pdf 

In the same year (2021), I penned a detailed blogpost while commemorating Engineers Day whose link is given below. 

https://khened.blogspot.com/2021/09/engineers-day-remembering-sir-mv.html 

Here is a link to my talk delivered for DST on 11 May 2011

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OUNqr6Feds

Images : Courtesy Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai and Visvesvarya Museum, Bangalore

7 August: Punyatithi of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore & Bangladesh

7 August: Punyatithi of Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore & Bangladesh

Today, 7 August, as we pay our Shradhhanjali to the Polymath, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore, on his 83rd Punyatithi (Tagore Died on 7 August 1941) it is poignant to bring out a profound connection that Tagore, Bengal (both West Bengal and Bangladesh), the Swadeshi movement, and a historic relation that India has with Bangladesh and how and why the events unfolding presently in Bangladesh and its impact is so important for us, India. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore holds a unique distinction that two of his poems have been befittingly chosen as the national anthems of India and Bangladesh - “Jana Gana Mana” & “Amar Sonar Bangla” respectively. Bangladesh achieved a unique Guinness book record feat of the most people (254,537) singing a national anthem simultaneously on 26 March 2014, at the National Parade Ground in Dhaka.

Interestingly a major event in the history of India and Bangladesh, the Swadeshi Movement, unfolded on this very day, 7 August 1905, whose primary objective was the opposition to the partition of Bengal. This movement was led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. Just two days ago, on 5 August 2024, Bangladesh witnessed an unprecedented event in its history. Sheikh Hasina, the PM of Bangladesh - the daughter of the founder of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rehman – was ousted from power just two days ago in Bangladesh and has been forced to flee the country and land in India. We will soon be witnessing a new era for Bangladesh, which is most likely not be to very friendly to India. Tagore and his Punyatithi and India have an immemorial connect with Bangladesh, which hopefully will continue in the future as well, with the changing times that we are witnessing in Bangladesh.

Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore was the first non-European and the first non-white person to be conferred with the coveted Nobel Prize, which he won for Literature in the year 1913. Tagore continues to be recognized globally as a creative genius and a polymath; a versatile poet, a par excellence short story writer, novelist, playwright, essayist, artist, and rationalist with a scientific bent of mind, as well as a talented painter, whose pictures with their mixture of representation and abstraction began to manifest late into his career. Tagore lived a creative life for eight decades until his passing away at 80 years and three months, on this day, 7th August 1941, at his ancestral home in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Here is a link to my Shradhhanjali paid to Tagore on his Punyatithi.

https://khened.blogspot.com/2022/08/rabindranath-tagore-tribute-to-polymath.html

The mortal remains of Tagore have been confined to the holy fire in the ceremonial Hindu traditions, but then Tagore, the genius, has left behind - for the world and India and Bangladesh - an unprecedented creative legacy and heritage that have remained etched in golden letters in the annals of Indian history, which no fire or any force can obliterate. India and the world are so very privileged to inherit and be inspired by the legacy that Tagore has left for all of us - his rich heritage of words, music, poetry, paintings, ideas, and ideals. Here is a link to my blog where I have paid tribute to the polymath, Tagore on his Jayanti.

https://khened.blogspot.com/2020/05/rabindrnaath-tagore-tribute-to-polymath.html

Tagore, as stated above, holds a unique distinction that two of his poems have been befittingly chosen as the national anthems of India and Bangladesh - “Jana Gana Mana” & “Amar Sonar Bangla” respectively. Here is my blog on the Indian National Anthem composed by Tagore. https://khened.blogspot.com/2023/12/27-december-jana-gana-mana-national.html

Tagore used colloquial Bengali language, deviating from well-established Sanskrit-influenced, to reshape Bengali literature and music by introducing new prose and verse forms that could connect easily with the masses in their mother tongue, across both West Bengal and Bangladesh.

It was on this day, 7 August 1905, that a formal announcement for the Swadeshi movement was launched in India to express public anguish against the British who had decided to partition undivided Bengal into East and West Bengal, at the instance of Lord Curzon. Although on paper, the decision to partition Bengal was made based on a purported administrative limitation for the British to govern a large Bengal province, in reality, the partition of Bengal helped the British to divide India into religious lines and create fissures between the Bengali Hindus and Muslims, who were bound by common culture, language customs, and traditions. The Swadeshi movement included boycotting British-made goods, using goods produced in India, and public burning of British-made goods. This movement, which was started by Bal Gangadhar Tilak was patronised by Indian National Congress.

Although INC and the Swadeshi movement were not successful in averting the partition of Bengal and that too on religious considerations and averting the division in Indian society on religious lines, it could foresee the machination designs of the British to divide and rule India, a policy which ultimately led to the partition of India and creation of Pakistan (East and West Pakistan) on religious lines. However, East Pakistan was short-lived, and in just 24 years since the formation of East Pakistan violence broke out in East Pakistan when the native Muslim population following their Bengali Culture was suppressed by the rulers from West Pakistan which ultimately led to the liberation of East Pakistan and formation of Bangladesh, in which India played a major role. Here is my blog on the Vijay Diwas and the liberation of Bangladesh

https://khened.blogspot.com/2021/12/16th-december-vijay-diwas-indian.html

Today when we look at the events that are unfolding in Bangladesh including the violence and loss of life and livelihood, belligerent mob vandalizing the large statue of Mujibur Rahman, their founder, burning temples, and killing of Hindus and other minorities, one shudders to imagine whether in the days, months and years ahead, Bangladesh is headed towards becoming another Pakistan or worse even Afghanistan and in the process forget the deep and profound historic connect that it has with India in general and West Bengal in particular. Time alone will reveal what the future holds for Bangladesh, a country that owes genesis to India and its national anthem to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore whose Punyatithi we are commemorating today. On this solemn occasion I hope and pray that better sense prevails over the people of Bangladesh and they don't become puppet in the hands of some vested interest people, who may be inimical to the interest of Bangladesh.

Long live Gurudev and the India Bangladesh connection.

जय हे, जय हे, जय जय जय जय हे।

Land Slide in God's Country: Are we responsible for Nature's (God) Fury?

 

Kerala, “God's own country”, with Wayanad as one of those idyllic tourist destinations, has been struck by a massive landslide, due to torrential rains. It was in the wee hours of early morning on 30 July, when massive landslides struck Mundakkai Kerala’s Wayanad District after the heavy rains had lashed the state of Kerala. Desperate scenes of human suffering have flooded the news and social media with rescue teams from Defence and other governmental and nongovernmental organisations trying their best to rescue people by reaching the destroyed houses and frantically searching for missing people. The reports of the death toll vary and range from 143 to 153, as I write this post with people still missing and feared to be buried under the debris of fallen buildings. Taking to X the Government of Kerala (CMO) announced a state holiday today and declared a two-day mourning period - starting today.

Can this tragedy of landslides be attributed only to nature's fury, because of the torrential rains which have lashed the district of Wayanad? May not be. It could be a combination of both nature and human greed which has led us to this disaster. Asserting his views on the eco-sensitive nature of the western ghats that have witnessed this disaster, the leading ecologist of India, Prof Madhav Gadgil, has blamed the government for ignoring ecological recommendations. The Hindu reported that; Mr. Gadgil criticised the State government for not adhering to the panel’s guidelines designed to prevent such disasters amid extreme climate changes.

Most ecological experts agree with the angst expressed by Prof Madhav Gadgil. They attribute the devastation of floods and landslides to the extensive quarrying, mining, mushrooming of high-rises on the hillside as part of tourism, and illegal encroachment of forestland by people who they term as environmental fundamentalists. We must hold these people, supported by political parties – cutting across party lines, who must be held responsible for the catastrophic consequences. They don’t understand the value of coexistence with nature. A closer look at the regions impacted by this unprecedented catastrophe shows that they are majorly part of the Western Ghats and most of these places are classified as ecologically sensitive zones (ESZs) by the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as the Gadgil Committee. 

The WGEEP panel under the chairmanship of Prof Madhav Gadgil, ecologist and founder of the Centre for Ecological Sciences at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, commissioned by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of India, painstakingly crafted their monumental report addressing some of the ecological consequences in the very regions that are now adversely affected by the landslide in subject. Prof Gadgil, in his preface to the report, says “the report embodies among other things (i) categorisation of the Western Ghats into three zones of varied ecological sensitivity, based upon careful analysis done by WGEEP, (ii) broad sectoral guidelines for each of these zones, and (iii) a broad framework for the establishment of the Western Ghats Ecology Authority”.

This report was submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests under the UPA Government in 2011. The report recommended that the whole of Western Ghat be divided into 3 zones and that no new mining licenses should be given in zones 1 and 2. It further said that the Government must stop all existing mines in Zone 1 by 2016 and it must also stop illegal mining activities immediately. Unfortunately, no action was taken on the report since the recommendations in the report were considered a bitter pill, which no Government would wish to swallow, particularly because the implementation of the report would hurt the powerful mining lobby of South West India with deep pockets and high-level political connections. Interestingly but not surprisingly, this mining body is patronised by both the leading political parties in Kerala – the ruling LDF and the opposition, UDF and therefore Madhav Gadgil's report was not acted upon and gathered dust and the ministry also did not release this report to the media for public discussion. An RTI activist from Kerala learned of this report and sought the report from the union Ministry under the RTI. The government did not furnish the information citing security concerns. Undeterred, the applicant agitated the matter right up to the CIC and finally, the CIC ordered the government to make the report public, which the Ministry earnestly followed. 

The Gadgil committee report sparked much controversy in Kerala, especially as the then-opposition CPI-M accused the report of being too environment-centric. This resulted in no action by the Government. The Supreme Court intervened in the matter and directed the government to act on the report. The result was the formation of another committee, the Kasturirangan Committee, which was set up to review the Gadgil Committee report and suggest changes so that the states can implement the recommendations of the Gadgil report, keeping in mind the welfare of the inhabitants as well.

Kasturirangan led-High Level Working Report (HLWG) was submitted in April 2013 to the Ministry of Environment. The Ecologists say the HLWG is a dilution of the Gadgil report and, therefore, unacceptable. There were agitations and protests even against the Kasturirangan report by quarry owners and farmers, especially in the Idukki and Wayanad districts, the very districts that are now worst affected. Political leaders and mining companies too joined hands to fight against the report resulting in hardly any action on either of the reports.

It is worthwhile to note that there are a few key differences between the Gadgil and the Kasturirangan report. Prominent among them is the extent of the area that should be awarded protection as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ). The Gadgil panel identified the entire Ghats as ESZ. However, the Kasturirangan panel used a different method, primarily because of the expertise of Dr Kasturirangan in the field of finer remote sensing technology with which he was very closely associated. Kasturirangan report, accordingly, removed cash crop plantations like rubber, agricultural fields, and settlements from ESZ. The Kasturirangan report suggested an ESZ area of 37 percent of the Western Ghats (still a massive 60,000 ha), which was much less than the 137,000ha proposed by Gadgil. However, what is alarming is that even after more than a decade of the report of Dr. Kasturi Rangan, neither of the reports has been completely implemented on the ground. Experts may debate on the two reports but what may be of essence is that we should learn lessons from this disaster and take corrective actions.

What may have been the consequences of the torrential rains, had the Gadgil report or even Dr Kasturirangan's Reports been acted upon is something which each of us is free to envisage and apply our minds to such thoughts. Well, my guess is as good as most of my friends. Professor Gadgil himself however feels the current catastrophe is man-made, which he emphatically has stated. It is of interest to note that both reports highlight the ecological sensitivity of the region, which is now struck by a landslide.

Today we witness a highly polarised polity who are bickering on every subject, and the divide is so vividly evidenced in the parliament, which is engaged in an animated budget discussion, which looks more like a political mudslinging match rather than a place for debate with great scholarship.  But strangely, when it comes to taking action and implementing either the Madhav Gadgil Report or Dr Kasturi Rangan’s report, there seems to be unanimity across party lines, and no one wants to bite this bullet to annoy their vote bank and the mighty environmental fundamentalists – the mining lobby.  

Six years ago, a similar situation played out in Kerala in August 2018, and the resultant floods caused a loss of more than 300 people but then we seem to have learned no lessons, and the UDF government, which is in power now and so also during the August 2016 flood, must not shy away from acting on the reports any longer and the NDA government must extend all possible assistance and support to Pinnarayi Vijayan’s  government not only to tide over the current disaster but also in implementing at least the Kasturi Rangan’s report to avoid any further disasters   

Let us hope that someone is listening.

Until then let us all put our hands together to raise in appreciation of the rescue teams who are doing extraordinary service to the nation.

Jai Hind

Wishing Prof Jayant Narlikar a very happy 86th birthday - 19 July, 2024.

Dr. Jayant Vishnu Narlikar, an internationally acclaimed astrophysicist & cosmologist who has made significant contributions to the field of theoretical astrophysics, particularly in the study of cosmology, black holes, and the formation of galaxies, turned 86, yesterday - 19 July, 2024. Narlikar is famously known as a leading expert who defended the Steady State Cosmology against the more Popular Big-Bang Cosmology. I like to take this opportunity to wish Dr Jayant Narlikar a very happy birthday (belated) and pray for his good health. 

 Dr Narlikar besides being a astrophysicist and a scientist of international repute was an extraordinary science communicator, which made him a role model for the science communicator fraternity in India, including yours truly. He was a prolific science writer in English and Marathi and also in Hindi. He served as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai and as the Member of the Governing Body of NCSM, an apex body of science centres and science museums, which administers most of the science centres and museums in India. The Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai therefore had innumerable opportunities to host Dr Narlikar at the centre not only for the meetings but also for lectures and interactions with students and public, a glimpse of which are seen in the images that accompany this birthday tribute to Dr Narlikar. Befittingly, one of the innumerable awards that Dr Narlikar received was the coveted UNESCO Kalinga Award, which is given to the leading science communicators of the world. 

 Dr Narlikar while receiving the prestigious UNESCO Kalinga Award in 1996 had articulated the reasons for his interest in science communication He had said; “I enjoy doing research in astronomy and astrophysics. My research supervisor Sir Fred Hoyle, who was himself is a Kalinga Awardee, was a successful science communicator i.e. he was able to communicate what he was doing to the layman in a very simple and easy manner. I thought that he was an example that I should follow”. 

Jayant Narlikar was born on July 19, 1938 in Kolhapur to his illustrious parents - Vishnu Vasudeva Narlikar, his father, a well-known mathematician, and his mother, Sumati Narlikar, a Sanskrit scholar of eminence. He received his early education at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus where his father was working as a Professor and Head of the Department of Mathematics. Young Jayant Narlikar had a brilliant career in school and intermediate. He obtained his BSc degree from the BHU in 1957. As was the case in those days with most brilliant students, Dr Narlikar too opted to pursue his higher studies at Cambridge, UK. He was a Wrangler and Tyson Medallist in the Mathematical Tripos, at Cambridge from where he obtained his degrees in mathematics, B.A. (1960), Ph.D. (1963), M.A. (1964) and Sc.D. (1976). He also distinguished himself at Cambridge with the Smith’s Prize in 1962 and the Adams Prize in 1967. He stayed back at Cambridge till 1972, as a Fellow of King’s College (1963-72) and Founder Staff Member of the Institute of Theoretical Astronomy (1966-72). It was during this period that Dr Narlikar laid the foundations of his research work in cosmology and astrophysics in collaboration with his internationally acclaimed mentor, guide and collaborator, Fred Hoyle. Incidentally Fred Hoyle is one of the ten eminent scientists featured alongside the greats like Einstein, Darwin, Kelvin, Linus Pauling by the highly acclaimed astrophysicist Mario Livio in his highly enlightening book, “Brilliant Blunders.” 

 One of Dr. Narlikar's most significant contributions, is his development of the "Hoyle-Narlikar Theory," also known as the "Quasi-Steady State Cosmology" (QSSC), which he proposed in collaboration with his illustrious mentor, Professor Fred Hoy. This cosmological theory proposes an alternative explanation for the origin and evolution of the universe, challenging the widely accepted Big Bang theory of that time. According to QSSC, the universe is in a constant state of expansion where new matter is continuously being created. This theory provided an alternative perspective on the formation of galaxies, the distribution of matter, and the cosmic microwave background radiation. While QSSC is not universally accepted, it did however stimulate new debates and avenues of research in cosmology. 

Dr. Narlikar has also made significant contributions to our understanding of the black holes. In the year 2020, three scientists, Sir Roger Penrose, Reinhard Genzel and Andrea Ghez were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in understanding black holes. Dr Narlikar developed the concept of "self-gravitating systems," which considers the gravitational effects of matter on the space-time geometry surrounding black holes. This work has enhanced our understanding of the behaviour of black holes and their role in the evolution of galaxies. His contributions have also extended to the study of active galactic nuclei, where he proposed the "magnetic field ejection model" to explain the observed properties of these energetic sources. 

Dr. Narlikar returned back to India from Cambridge, to join the Theoretical Astrophysics Group at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where he served for seventeen long years, from 1972-1989. This group, under the leadership of Dr Narlikar, expanded and acquired international standing for TIFR in the field of theoretical astrophysics, which TIFR continues to enjoy even today. In the year 1988, Dr Narlikar, was extended an invitation by the University Grants Commission (UGC) to set up the proposed Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), as its Founder Director. Today, IUCAA stands out as one of the institutions of excellence in teaching and research in astronomy and astrophysics not just in India but globally, and the ideals and the work ethics and culture, which Dr Narlikar instituted at this institution have continued to guide this institution, which has attained canonical heights. Under his leadership, IUCAA has nurtured numerous young scientists and contributed to the growth of astrophysics in India. Dr Narlikar held the Directorship of IUCAA until his retirement in 2003. Dr Narlikar continues to be associated with IUCAA as an Emeritus Professor. 

Dr Narlikar has also served as the President of the Cosmology Commission of the International Astronomical Union from 1994 to 1997. He has received several national and international awards and honorary doctorates. He is a Bhatnagar awardee, as well as a recipient of the M.P. Birla award, the Prix Janssen of the French Astronomical Society and a prestigious Associate of the Royal Astronomical Society of London. He is Fellow of the three national science academies as well as of the Third World Academy of Sciences. 

Jayant Narlikar, belongs to one of those rare breed of scientists, who notwithstanding their international stature, always finds time to connect Science with people, either through his popular science writings, fiction, both in English and most importantly in his mother tongue Marathi. It is therefore no wonder that most School and college going students from yesteryears to current times, have grown up reading Dr Narlikar’s writings, particularly his fiction works. Two examples of his fiction writing in Marathi, which he had written three decades ago, resonate with current times. ‘In his fictional story, titled Athenscha Plague’ (The plague in Athens), included in his book ‘Antaralatale Bhasmasur’ (Demons in the Space), Narlikar had written about the deadly viruses and how they pose danger to human society. His prophetic thoughts, which he penned as fiction became a reality which the world witnessed during the COVID 19 global pandemic. The word AI (Artificial Intelligence) is now ubiquitous. But then Dr Narlikar wrote about it in one of his fictional essays; Vaman Parat Na Aala’ (Vaman did not return). In this essay he writes about the possibilities of the aftermaths of the rise of a super-intelligent robots, a glimpse of which we are now witnessing in AI language modules like the Chat GPT. Dr Narlikar has also contributed many science articles in leading newspapers and has joined in radio/TV programmes for debates and discussion as a part of his science popularisation activities He has helped make complex scientific concepts accessible to the general public. In addition to his scientific contributions, Dr. Narlikar has made efforts to bridge the gap between science and philosophy. He has explored the concept of "cosmic censorship," which seeks to understand the limits of our knowledge and the fundamental nature of the universe. Dr. Narlikar's work in this area has stimulated interdisciplinary discussions and encouraged scientists and philosophers to engage in meaningful dialogues. 

For his stellar contributions to science communication and popularising science, Dr Narlikar was honoured by the UNESCO, in 1996, with the prestigious Kalinga Award for his extraordinary popular science works. Dr Narlikar is also the recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan award from the Government of India in 1965 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2004. In the year 2011, the Maharashtra government awarded him the state’s highest civilian award, the Maharashtra Bhushan. Dr Narlikar was also befittingly chosen to serve as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai, the centre, which I had the honour to head for two terms. 

I vividly remember one of the instances of my personal interactions with him. On behalf of the Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai, I had the honour to curate an exhibition on ‘100 Years of Nobel Prizes’ in 2001. We were so honoured that, Dr Narlikar had learnt of this exhibition and he shot out a letter to DG NCSM, and requested him that this exhibition should be presented at IUCAA. It was such an honour for us to present this exhibition at IUCAA Pune. I also had the honour to conduct a curated walk through this exhibition to Dr Narlikar and his colleagues. I had used a less heralded image in one of the exhibition panels of the exhibition to highlight the works of Prof S Chandrasekhar, 1983 Nobel laureate in Physics, under the section Nobel Indians. Interestingly there was tremendous pressure for me to remove this ‘unimportant’ image from this panel by my Director, which I desisted very strongly knowing well how important and inspirational this image was for Prof Chandra. The moment Dr Narlikar saw this image, he instantly asked, is this that image which immensely motivated Chandra, which he had put up in his office? That moment was as good as a moment of epiphany for me, coming from Dr Narlikar. 

Dr Narlikar has delivered innumerable lectures and conducted many interactions with students at the Nehru Science Centre. As Dr Narlikar celebrates his 86th birthday, I take this opportunity, on behalf of the science communicators community, to wish Dr Narlikar a very happy birthday and join the nation in praying for his good health and continuing contributions. May he continue to inspire young students to tread his path and let us hope that one or many of them go on to bring the coveted Nobel Prize for India, which Dr Narlikar always repented that, despite great work done by many scientists in India, the Nobel prize has eluded Indian scientists. Hope his wish comes true sooner than later. 

Wishing Dr. Narlikar a very happy birthday and may the legacy of Dr Narlikar continue to shape the field of astrophysics and inspire future generations of scientists to explore the unending expanse and mysteries of the cosmos, for benefitting human society with the untold applications, which come with our understanding of the universe.

Heroic Welcome Awaits the Indian T20 World Cup-winning Team.

 

Heroic Welcome Awaits the Indian T20 World Cup-winning Team.

The connection between Cricket and Political Class in India

The T20 World Cup-winning Indian team landed in India this morning. It will await a heroic welcome, which will commence with the team meeting with the Honourable Prime Minister. This will be followed by an open motor car ride for the team to a thunderous welcome in the city of Mumbai, which will remind us of those nostalgic memories of 2007 when India won its last T20 World Cup and the team received a mega welcome back to India in the city of Mumbai on an open car cavalcade.

The Heroic welcome back to India for the 2024, T20 World Cup-winning team was delayed due to the disruption in the travel plans of the team owing to Hurricane Beryl which struck West Indies. India's T20 Cricket World Cup winning team finally left West Indies yesterday by a special Air India charter flight AIC24WC - Air India Champions 24 World Cup – which had taken off from Bridgetown, Barbados around 4:50 a.m. local time on July 3 and arrived in Delhi this morning at 6 AM after a 16-hour non-stop journey. Even before the team met the PM, politics started immediately after the PM spoke to the winning team and congratulated them for their brilliant performance all through the tournament, special in the final match which they won against South Africa in a nail-biting finish.

The connection of Cricket with political class is not new in India. From its colonial origins to modern times, Indian cricket has carried the influence and power that politicians crave. It is not unusual to see political leaders harvest the benefits of the popularity of the game for their party's advantage.  Moreover, post the 1983 World Cup Victory and the dominance of India in the international Cricket administration, the political class is not only using cricket to connect with people but they have also taken over the running of the game in India, whether it is through a direct role at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) or through proxy figures. Therefore, it will be unfair for the opposition to politicise the congratulatory message of the Indian PM to team India or his meeting with the Indian team. Be it Pt Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Man Mohan Singh, or PM Modi, Sonia Gandhi, every one of them has had their share of hosting the Indian cricket team, which has populated social media.

Incidentally, I used this concept while curating two Cricket Connects exhibitions – Cricket Connects India – Australia and Cricket Connects India – UK – which were showcased in Australia in 2016 and in three cities in England in 2017, respectively. It was on July 3, 2017, that this exhibition was opened in Birmingham, an image of this accompanies this post. One of the sections in these two exhibitions was “Cricket and Indian National Consciousness”.

Cricket and Indian Cinema are the two main mass mediums, which besides providing entertainment, arouse passion, and nationalism and arguably also unite every section of the Indian society. Both Cricket and Bollywood transcend class and religious boundaries throughout the Indian subcontinent. Every Indian, irrespective of age and gender is fairly well-informed about the game of cricket and they come together to support their team with heightened patriotic feelings.  Bollywood exploited the links between nationalism and cricket with the movie Lagaan – Ashutosh Gowariker's Academy Award-nominated film. The film portrays a pre-independent India that depicts cricket as the unifying factor in developing the idea of a Nation and attempts to form a national consciousness.

Many scholars who have written on the rise of cricket in India have argued that the game is naturally suited to the Indian consciousness. Ashis Nandy, one of the scholars, goes a step further and comments that “Cricket is an Indian game accidentally discovered by the English.”  One of the main factors in the ever-growing link between cricket and National consciousness has been the political classes. Even before cricket took over from hockey as the most popular sport in India, Indian politicians have used this game to broaden their appeal. India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, played cricket and his daughter Indira Gandhi, also the Prime Minister of India, used photos of her father striding out to bat, and dressed in his cricket whites, on political pamphlets during the Emergency of 1975 for reaching out to the cricket crazy Indians.

Cricket in India reflects or maintains a strong collective psychology of the masses which gives rise to collective identities. Cricket has also been used to achieve political motivation. It is therefore no wonder that the Indian political class and the leaders have always been supportive of this game and at varying times the Indian leadership, across the range of the political spectrum, have always supported the game and have taken pride in hosting cricket players. Several cricket boards in India, including the all-powerful BCCI, have innate connections with the political class. Be it Indira Gandhi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sonia Gandhi, Man Mohan Singh, every one of them has had their tryst with the Indian Cricket team.

Some analysts argue that the relationship between Cricket and politics in India is mutually beneficial; Cricket needs politicians in India to get money and to overcome the red tape, bureaucratic problems, and issues and politicians use cricket and the players, who are idolised by the Indians, as a means of gaining popularity. It is not that this linkage is a post-independence or post-1983 phenomenon. The links between Cricket and our leaders were developed even before Independence. The BCCI was formed by the Maharajahs of the Princely States, and cricket boards have always been supported by the most powerful people in the area.

Another crucial factor that has increased the link between cricket and national consciousness is the popularity of the game post the 1983 Prudential World Cup which the Indians most unexpectedly won. India by then had just begun its colour transmission, on the National TV Channel, Doordarshan, with the opening of the Asian Games in Delhi in 1982.  The economic liberalization that began in 1991 was a blessing in disguise for the popularity of the game. One of the major sectors which were benefitted from the economic liberalization included the Television Industry, which was deregulated in 1993 leading to an exponential rise in the private TV Channels. The success in the World Cup in 1983, ten years earlier, combined with the spread of new television stations brought cricket to whole new audiences throughout India. The Indian audience could now view their favourite sports sitting in the comforts of their living rooms.

The Australian media mogul Rupert Murdoch's Star Sports and ESPN channels became the mainstay for bringing cricket to an ever-widening audience. Radio, and more particularly television, and in recent times, the Internet, has helped make cricket the most popular game in India. Men, women, and children who were inimical to the game and had no interest in cricket earlier have now become ardent fans – all because of its broadcast by radio, television, and the Internet. The One Day Cricket (50 overs game) and the T20 and IPL on television are a boon for advertisers because commercials can be shown every five minutes or so, after each over. This, combined with the need for new channels to fill their schedules, meant more and more matches being shown. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) entered India as the Indian economy opened up and they needed brand ambassadors with whom the population identified. Cricket players provided the perfect vehicle for this growth which in turn boosted the popularity of the star players. MNCs have exploited the subcontinent's love of cricket, and also of Bollywood. Using movie stars and cricketers to advertise their products, MNCs gained an extraordinary reach in the subcontinent – in India, billboards with cricketers like Tendulkar or Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan holding a Pepsi or Coca-Cola became ubiquitous. 

With time the effects of economic liberalization brought in 'big money' and a proportion of the population had more and more money to spend. The developments also brought about a growing middle class who became the prime movers of national consciousnesses. The ever-growing middle classes in India are the standard bearers of nationalism and encourage the links between cricket and national consciousness.  The media has deepened this link between cricket and nationalism. This hyper-nationalism comes to the fore particularly when India plays Pakistan in cricket, which was witnessed when India played Pakistan in the league T20 World Cup and also during the ICC World Cup 2023 which was played in India at the Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad. In the run-up to the India/Pakistan matches the media goes into overdrive portraying this as a virtual war of some sort.

As India continues to dominate the world of cricket so will be the potential for the political class to continue to be connected with the game of Cricket. Who wins or loses or whether both win, is for the people to decide and so be it.

Images: Courtesy Getty and Internet

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June 25, Emergency Never Again.

 June 25, Emergency Never Again. Appeal to our Parliamentarians for Democratic Integrity and Constructive Governance

June 25 marks an aberration day in the history of our democracy, reminding us of the resilience and strength of the Indian democracy notwithstanding the onslaught that it faced on this day in 1975. Today, we enter the fiftieth year of the declaration of the Emergency in India. It was on this day in 1975, that India experienced one of its darkest hours in our cherished democracy, when the then then-prime minister, Mrs. Indira Gandhi, imposed an Emergency on the nation. As we reflect on this period, it becomes imperative to reassess and renew our commitment to the democratic values and principles of our nation and ensure that June 25, 1975, happens never again.

 Unfortunately, the happening unfolding - a saga of parliament disruptions and slogan shouting with the holy book of the constitution of India in the hands of the parliamentarians - even before the swearing-in of the newly elected members to the 18th Parliament is completed, does not augur well for the Indian democracy. What is so embarrassing is the very party that imposed the Emergency on this nation is unabashedly using slogans like the death of Democracy to instigate the ruling party, which would create a crevice unbridgeable between the ruling and the opposition parties, which does not augur well for Indian democracy.

 The 18th Parliamentary elections, the greatest of the global spectacle that heralded the democratic traditions of independent India, will soon be completed with the newly elected members of the Parliament completing their constitutional obligations of taking their oath and expressing their allegiance to the Constitution of India.  The acrimonious debate, allegations, and counter allegations, the exit polls and the heat and dust that they generated and so also a narrative of unsafe EVMs are all past. It is time for everyone to let bygones be bygones believe in the great Indian democracy and respect and uphold the will of the 640 million plus people who have endeared the scorching heat to go out and vote for the government they wish to govern them.

 The people of India have spoken their minds and whether one likes it or not, NDA has been given the mandate to govern the nation with vastly reduced numbers for the ruling party. The united opposition under an innovatively crafted acronym INDIA, which was led among others by Rahul Gandhi and his Congress party, has made impressive gains and Congress has just missed the three-figure mark while the INDIA block has managed to win a creditable 235 seats including a landmark victory in Ayodhya. This mandate by the people mandates the opposition – INDIA block - to play a responsible role of the opposition, which must be respected and played constructively.

 

In recent times, with Prime Minister Modi in power, there has been growing rhetoric, particularly from the opposition, suggesting that India under the current government led by Mr. Narendra Modi, is experiencing an "unwritten emergency." This narrative persists despite the clear mandate given by the electorate for the third consecutive term. The elections are over, the results are and it is now time for both the ruling party and the opposition to transition from campaign mode to governance mode, focusing on serving the people of India.

 The role of the opposition is crucial in a democracy. A healthy, functioning democracy relies on a responsible opposition that holds the government accountable while respecting the electorate's verdict. However, the current behaviour of boycotting sessions and creating disruptions even before the first session of the new government begins undermines this responsibility. This not only insults the mandate given by the people but also weakens the democratic fabric of our nation.

 Similarly, the ruling party must show magnanimity and respect towards the opposition. Effective governance requires collaboration and constructive dialogue. Ignoring or dismissing the opposition leads to a polarized political environment, hindering progress and innovation. This adversarial behaviour serves no good to the people of India and distracts from the real issues at hand. Today, India stands at a pivotal moment on the global stage. As a rising power with a promising future, any internal political discord can have far-reaching consequences. Disruptive behaviours by both the ruling and opposition parties can deter foreign investments and weaken global confidence in our stability and governance. This is a critical time for India to project unity and a commitment to democratic principles.

 As we mark the beginning of the fiftieth year of Emergency in India, I join my fellow countrymen (women included) to plead with both the ruling party and the opposition to make amends and prioritize the nation's welfare above partisan politics. It is time to end the rhetoric and work together for the greater good. The people of India deserve a government that respects their mandate, upholds democratic values, and works tirelessly for their prosperity and progress.

 As custodians of democracy, all politicians must honour the trust placed in them by the electorate and perform the responsibility they are vested with by the people of India, admirably so that the slogan for “Emergency Never Again” reverberates in the hearts and minds of everyone.  

 Let us learn from our past, respect the present mandate, and work towards a future that strengthens our democracy and promotes the well-being of all Indians. Unity, respect, and constructive engagement are the pillars that will support India’s journey to becoming a global leader.

 

The Great Indian Democracy : Judgment Day of the 18th Parliamentary Elections.

 

The 18th Parliamentary elections, the greatest of Global spectacle that herald the democratic traditions of independent India, are over and the vituperative debate, allegations and counter allegations and the so called exit polls and the heat and dust that they generated including making the coalition that was predicted to be a big timer loser becoming hyperactive to ridicule and rubbish the exit polls and have their own convictions of coming back to power by winning 295 seats are all now done and dusted and are past as we now headed towards the D day of counting 4 June, 2024, which will commence in 8 hours hours from now. It is time that everyone one of us let bygones be bygones and believe in the great Indian democracy and the will of the 640 million plus people who have endeared the scorching heat to go out and vote for the government they wish to govern them. 

Therefore, let us raise in attention to salute the Indian electorate and respect the people’s mandate when results are announced and not play politics and blame and tarnish the Election Commission and its paraphernalia that include the EVMs and the faceless hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers of the Election Commission who have tirelessly worked towards making this Himalayan task a grand success time after time and election after elections. Let us remind ourselves of the scorching heat during which the electioneering happened when the leaders and the people who went to listen to them endeared this heat and went out to exercise their franchise true to the great democratic traditions of our nation. Democracy in India has gained from strength to strength and has made much progress over the decades. When we attained independence and declared ourselves Republic in 1950, our erstwhile rulers, the British and the rest of the world, were highly cynical about our survival, let alone the survival of our democracy. From the first elections in 1951-52 to the current 18th  election in 2024, we have come a long way and our democracy has grown from strength and the world now treats Indian democracy as a triumphant role model, which is studied by many democratic countries. Let us cherish our democratic traditions and let us not demean the institutions which make this happen by making false and baseless allegations, which can serve as an ammunition to those who want India to fail.

Notwithstanding the naysayers and losers allegations regarding the so called rigging of EVMs, or such other blames, we the electorates must trust the Election Commission, and its unprecedented machinery comprising of tens hundreds of thousands of workers, who work as an the Institution to serve the nation incredibly for the success of our democracy. This is borne out from the recent Supreme Court Judgment that found no substance in the allegations levelled against the Election Commission. Speaking of the elections and the EC, I am reminded of the statement made by our former President, Dr Pranab Mukherjee, who had praised the Election Commission for conducting the 17th Lok Sabha polls in a “perfect” manner. He had gone on to say “If we want to strengthen institutions, we have to keep in mind that institutions are serving well in this country, and if democracy has succeeded, it’s largely due to the perfect conduct of elections by all Election Commissioners starting from Sukumar Sen to the present Election Commissioners”. So irrespective of who wins the 18th Parliamentary elections, the NDA as predicted by most exit polls, or the INDI Alliance, or the results throw out a hung parliament, we must all collectively respect the results as a true mandate of the people and not play politics over the results and blame the Election Commission (EC) or any other institutions and the EVMs. 

Ever since the era of TN Seshan, in the early 1990s, the EC, like the Indian Army, has arguably become our respected institution, barring a few aberrations. The respectability of the EC can further be appreciated when we realise that the EC has helped several other nations run their elections better. EVMs have played a significant role in this transition, which has seen a drastic reduction in voting malpractices. Therefore, all those who either blame the EC or the EVMs and demand a rollback to paper ballots, I strongly feel are grossly wrong. I do agree that the Murphy’s Law has its own standing and no technology is infallible and therefore credible allegations of EVM tampering or any other malpractices must be taken seriously and we must also appreciate that the EC does take all such allegations seriously and therefore believe in their conduct. Demand for rollback to ballot box or dumping the EVMs is like forcing us to go back to horse drawn carriages. Can any of us even imagine doing so. Despite the real risks of road accidents, we don’t abandon motor vehicles, do we? Instead, we implement safety measures like speed limits, seat belts and helmets and so should it be for the EVMs and introduction of the VVPAT is a step in that direction. 

Central to the beauty and vibrancy of the Indian democracy are the Indian electorates - the rich and mighty, the powerful and powerless, the poor and the insignificant, the lettered and unlettered, sheltered and unsheltered, the males, females and the transgender’s, the believers and non believers, Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, religious and non religious, young, middle aged, old and the very old - all standing as equals, each rubbing shoulders with one another, in the true spirit of equality and humanity first, who make our democracy thrive. They have all voted in scorching heat conditions and rightfully deserve to get the government that they have voted, so let there not be any politics over the results and let us not believe or encourage the losers who are likely to blame and shame the EVMs and the conduct of the Election Commission. Have we all not heard this idiom  “bad workman blames his tools”.

Incidentally, allegations of vote fraud through tampering of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) is not new to the parties or the candidates or only to this election. This tradition began right from the very first instance of the use of EVMs, when the Election Commission tried out a pilot project of use of EVMs in Indian elections during the Kerala assembly elections way back in 1982. The case went right up to the Supreme Court, which in 1984 had ruled against the EVMs. However the ruling of the Supreme Court was based on the legal technicality, and not about the functionality or the fundamental suitability of the EVMs. This technical flaw was corrected by a 1988 amendment to the RoP Act, which provided  the legal framework for the use of EVMs in Indian elections. Ever since the EVMs have served us very well.

Let us earnestly hope that the will of the people, as expressed through their ballots, is known when the results are announced tomorrow there will be no more politicking on this issue. Let naysayers continue to crib, which the losers will, but let us all rejoice the Indian democracy that the world acclaims and accept the will of the people and let the party or coalition voted to power govern us and let us hold them accountable to their election manifesto.

Jai Hind and Jai Indian Democracy.