Chandra-A biography of S Chandrashekhar.

CHANDRA

It was a great experience to read   'Chandra-A biography of  S Chandrashekhar'. This book was for long on my list of "to read". I did not have any great expectations from a biography as compared to a work of fiction which is likely to be more engaging.

 But then, what an experience it was! I do not claim to have read many biographies, but I found this to be a class in itself. Well, I am not going to review it but instead, narrate how it was a revelation to me about many things such as :-

1. The social fabric of the society in the pre independence era in Madras, especially in the traditional Brahmin families.

2.Although bound by such rigid customs, how Chandra's family rose above them.....Even Lalita's (Chandra's wife) grandparents broke all social taboo associated with a child widow in their family.Just remarkable.

3. Psychological influence of Mathematician Ramanujam on the educated youth of that time.

4. How Chandra, in his maiden visit to UK, grappled with extreme loneliness, alien surroundings/climate/food.

5.In what way  Chandra ,who had already had already achieved a high stature in the scientific  community at home, felt utterly dwarfed  by the Giants in the world of science when he entered the Cambridge university .

6. Chandra's emerging field i.e. astronomy and astrophysics was  treated as 'second class 'by the physicists at that time as physics was considered the main stream.

7. Chandra's views about God and on being an Atheist.

8. Groupisms and parochialism in the scientific community in India in those times ( sadly, may be true even now).

9. How science research and teaching was gradually built up in the USA (It was considered infra dig to work in USA compared to UK and Europe at that time).How the New World (as the USA was referred to then) gradually built up its position of eminence in scientific fields.

10.How Chandra took up the responsibility of the editorship of scientific journal and brought it to its zenith of respectability without diluting his activities in his research work and teaching.
11.In 1930's Chandra made a major discovery ( he was only 19 years old then ) and was all set to announce it in the Royal Astronomical Society meeting. All along, his mentor who was a stellar figure in the field, appeared to be supporting his views. But at the meeting he not only rejected his hypothesis ,but  even ridiculed him. Chandra was devastated. Other scientists, though convinced that Chandra was being treated unfairly, did not come to his rescue, due to the stature of his mentor His views were upheld almost 40 years later.

12. The problem of McCarthyism in 50's and how public felt a sense of relief on the victory Democrats and JFK.

13. Compelling circumstances under which Chandra had to take a painful decision to embrace US citizenship.

14. His views on whether India should invest in pure science.

15.Chandra's impressions about his meetings with Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Homi Bhabha.

16.His  firsthand experience about the state of science and scientists in the USSR.

17. Racial prejudice faced by him and how he coped with it.

18.It was heartening to note that without exception ,everyone with whom he had come in contact, be it the scientists, the students, the editorial staff ,the friends and even the children , had a very high opinion about his integrity, sense of fairness, knowledge, humility and kind and affectionate nature.
19. His tender feelings about Lalita who was herself a physicist.

20.His attitude towards life when he had to undergo difficult cardiac surgeries.

21.The book is not only about serious scientific matters .There are some interesting personal anecdotes too. For example, once he had to travel in a train from Delhi to Madras ( pre- Independence period) in a first class compartment with a European couple who were horrified to find a 'native' as a co-traveler. The situation turned quite messy but Chandra handled it admirably retaining his self respect. In another case, he found himself in a piquant situation having to share a cabin in a ship voyage with three European ladies. How he came out of it make a very interesting reading.

22. Finally, it gives an insight into the 'Man' behind this Nobel Laureate. By the way, he used to feel terribly uncomfortable if someone referred to him as one.