This is by no means the first biography of Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, one of India’s most admired scientists. There are many books about him, including that of Patrick Geddes, Scottish polymath, friend and admirer of Bose’s work.
The key message in unsung geniushowever, revolves around Bose’s enthusiasm for bringing the study of science to the masses and his passion for science education and public speaking, despite his failing health.
The book contains a healthy dose of controversy: the key question it raises is whether Marconi and Braun deserved the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1909. And now the saddest part – Bose wasn’t even in the running for it. The reasons for the same are explored in detail – you are likely to feel extremely uncomfortable in certain parts.
Five things that struck me:
1. If we consider the book’s argument that every attempt has been made to cast aside the genius of Bose, then the question arises: how many other geniuses have suffered the same fate? The book explains that in Victorian times, Calcutta was the capital of British India and that Bose, who lived there, was discriminated against. He was denied fair pay upon his appointment as a university professor. Life for native scholars working under British rule was clearly difficult; to what extent did race and colonial prejudice interfere with a fair assessment of his research contributions?
2. It takes a genius to celebrate another—in 1900, Bose wrote a letter to Rabindranath Tagore from London and asked him, “Why do you write poetry in a language that is untranslatable into another language?” However, your news is another matter. , I will publish them in this country.” Bose was very keen that the genius of his literary friend be presented to the world. Tagore sent Kabulwala, Chuttiand Dan Pratidan and pretty soon those stories were translated and made available to many more people.
3. Bose had many fans because his work was respected. A letter from an admirer in America says: “It seems to me imperative that if we are to have something like the national science movement in India, paralleling the religious movement of Swamiji (Swami Vivekananda), it is good to start now, when we have you to lead it. And so I want to create a fund for the foundation of an Indian laboratory and a fund to support staff and students. If instead of fighting for political freedom, we can advance a new school of Indian research and discovery, so that in 20 years much more will have been done for freedom than a direct attack.” he idea of linking scientific progress to freedom is powerful, and the naivety of this letter and its pure intentions ironically highlight the fact that figures linked to the nationalist movement were the subject of espionage during the British era.
4. There is an interesting chapter “Marconi and Bose – Paths Cross” which begins with a letter from Silvanus P Thompson, Professor of Physics and Fellow of the Royal Society. Thompson said he was extremely unhappy with Marconi’s practice of not acknowledging the work of his predecessors. A heated exchange of letters between them is documented in the book.
5. The book pays tribute to several unsung heroes – maharajas, businessmen and Indian and foreign sympathizers who contributed to the development of early scientific research in India. The role of pure science in the development of humanity is a conversation we need to bring back to the mainstream; science is not an eclectic pursuit for the few but a necessity for the progress of mankind.
The book features drawings of Bose’s and Marconi’s experiments, and lays out certain timelines that make the reader think seriously about the allegations. It’s a great tribute to the man who helped the world better appreciate plant life. It’s also a celebration of friendship, acknowledging the roles of Bose’s two biggest supporters – Sister Nivedita and Sara Bull. The latter paid for Bose’s rescue operation in 1900 and helped him to fully recover.
Yes, Bose received many accolades in his lifetime, except for the elusive Nobel. The unmissable “appendix” features the handwriting of Sir Jagdish Chandra Bose and his British and American patents – what better and more fitting tribute could there be?
— The author, Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, is a columnist, biographer and bibliophile. She is the originator of the internationally renowned Red Dot experiment, a ten-year study conducted in six countries on the impact of “culture on communication”.
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