SEPTEMBER 25, 1920 - SEPTEMBER 25, 2020
Prof Prabhakara V Choudary PhD FRSC (IISc Alumnus, MCBL), Professor Emeritus of Neuroscience and Psychiatry & Behavioral Science, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 USA.
EXCERPTS:
Thank
you for kindly reminding me about the happy occasion of Professor Satish
Dhawan’s 100th Birthday! I enjoyed reading Jyotsna Dhawan’s fitting
tribute to him – an illustrious story, very well narrated by Prof Dhawan’s
adoring daughter!
Several
people associated with Prof Dhawan, especially the young ones of that era,
share a deep sense of admiration for him. I happen to be one of them, with very
fond memories of Prof Dhawan as my hero and role model! I have yet to meet a
person that could match Prof Dhawan’s on-the-spot problem-solving ability,
superb leadership qualities, administrative acumen, and love for and dedication
to IISc, his colleagues and the IISc community at large, regardless of rank. He
was “One of a Kind, Indeed!”
Given
his extremely busy schedule as both a scientist and an administrator and his
many responsibilities that entailed extensive travel around the world meant frequent
and long absences from home, IISc. Upon his return, Prof Dhawan would promptly
take a walk around the campus, be it early morning or late evening, sometimes
with a short cane in his hand – probably as a pointer I would suppose, invariably
accompanied by Mrs. Dhawan and/or the Estate Officer. During these inspections,
he would recommend necessary changes/modifications/repairs as and where
required. Implicit in his instruction is that the assignment be completed ASAP
so that he could review and make changes as the work progressed. He was extremely
accommodative and open-minded, taking suggestions for the long-term benefit of
IISc’s sylvan surroundings for the community at large.
I
tumbled upon my first opportunity to experience, first hand, Prof Dhawan’s
dynamic management style, in the context of the construction of a new building
to house the offices and classrooms for the just-established Molecular Biophysics
Unit (MBU), led by the legendary scientist, Professor G N Ramachandran. Within
a few short months, a brand-new building came up in the parking lot across the
main street in front of the then Microbiology and Cell Biology Laboratory
(MCBL) building, and lo and behold - our parking space was lost!
As
a short-term solution, Prof Dhawan had instructed the Estate Officer to designate
the front port of our department building as a ‘temporary’ parking space for
two-wheelers and prepare the land on either side of the port for parking of
four-wheelers, until a permanent parking lot could be developed on the vacant
land adjacent to the new BMU Building on the same side of the street. However,
neither the Director nor the Estate Officer was aware that the MCBL Seminar Room-cum-Library was located
directly above the porch and that the noise from kick-starting two-wheelers
would disrupt on-going academic activities in the room above.
As expected, everyone
in MCBL was annoyed by the disturbance, following which I volunteered to broach
the subject with department officials, alas, in vain! It was then that I
decided to seek a meeting with the Director on this matter. My colleagues did
point out that – “We’re not too sure you’ll get an appointment”! Nevertheless,
I went ahead, met the Personal Assistant (PA) to the Director and explained to
him the reason for my seeking a meeting with Director. I. of course, never got
the appointment to meet the Director, but lo and behold, our grievance was
resolved. The following morning, two-wheelers looking for parking in the MCBL
porch were greeted with a “SILENT ZONE’ signboard, which also directed them to
an alternate parking facility nearby. This is just one small example of Prof
Dhawan’s quick thinking and decision-making, based on facts, even though it
meant reversing his earlier orders.
There
are several such examples that illustrate the rare qualities of Prof Dhawan
that set him apart from the rest of IISc “Scientist-leaders” of comparable
stature. In my opinion, it would be worthwhile to reminisce at an opportune
time our collective experiences with Prof Dhawan and compare them with our
experiences with some of his successors, and a predecessor, Sir CV Raman.
The last time I have
had the pleasure of seeing my revered friend and mentor was in 1988, at his
home. As usual, he was very gentle and kind, readily recognized me, enjoyed
recollecting our shared experiences, and promised to let me know whenever he
was in Delhi next, prompting that he was no longer a frequent traveler.
Unfortunately, I left India soon afterwards and hence could not see him
again. Nonetheless, I will always remember and cherish my good
fortune of my association with the proud and distinguished Son of India, Prof
Satish Dhawan, the ever-smiling personality, brimming with confidence and
encouragement!
With these delightful
memories, I join you and the millions of his admirers to celebrate Prof
Dhawan’s Birth Centennial.
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