He’s taller than the Prize

S Gurumurthy
First Published : 09 Oct 2009 11:50:00 PM IST
Last Updated : 09 Oct 2009 12:40:08 AM IST

Nobel Indian’; ‘From physicist to Nobel Laureate in chemistry’; ‘Nobel Laureate keeps his home links’; ‘Keeps in touch with Vadodara’; ‘listens to music’. This is how the media generally captures Ramakrishnan Venkatraman, the Tamil Nadu-born Indian who, along with two others, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for chemistry. ‘Venky’ as he seems to be known to his peers, is today a Nobel Laureate, yes. He is now the toast of his school and college, of Tamil Nadu and of India.

He is the fourth in the list of Indian-born scientists, the first three being C V Raman, S Chandrasekhar, and Har Gobind Khorana, who have won the Nobel Prize. But there seems to be much more in the man than the media seems to see in him. The first glimpse of the deeper man in Venky is perhaps in the headlines of this newspaper that ran ‘TN-born American bags Nobel, with humility’ — note the last word ‘humility’.

This seems to give the first clue to something more profound in the man. Most want to see ordinary things in great people — what sari or dog one likes. Many want to look for great qualities in ordinary people — like a poor person donating a capital sum. In the search for the ordinary in the extraordinary, and for the extraordinary in the ordinary, the elevating profoundness that is in many is missed. Here is an attempt to get at that profounder element of ‘Venky’.

The bio-profile of Ramakrishnan Venkatraman does not look extraordinary at the start. Born in Chidambaram in Tamil Nadu in the year 1952, he was schooled in ‘Ramaswamy Chettiar Town Higher Secondary School’ — the only school in the temple town. He did his pre-university course in Annamalai University, in the same town, and his BSc in physics from Maharaja Sayajirao College in Vadodara in Gujarat in 1971. The media reports say that in his school days he was ‘sincere, loyal’, ‘above average’ and ‘was among the top 10’, and so not the topmost. According to the media, his professors at Vadodara recall him as a ‘shy’ student, who would never ‘talk’, but ‘very disciplined’. He is described as god fearing and his family as followers of the Kanchi Mahaswami who lived till 1994.

The first major clue to the firm mind behind the shy and soft exterior of Venky seems to come from the way he kicked away the most covetous medical career that was inviting him, in favour of physics. Reports say that after his pre-university, he passed the medical entrance examination, but flatly refused to become a doctor, and had resolved to pursue physics. This is not what a shy or soft person would do. The second clue came from the way he dropped his pursuit of physics after taking his doctorate in physics from Ohio University in 1976 and within two years thereafter, took to molecular biology as his field of research. This finally landed him in the Nobel Club. This is the history of how the inherent skill and talent hidden from Venky himself first seem to have been unfolded to him in the course of his own search for knowledge. But the profoundness of a person, in contrast to the deficiencies of the un-profound one, manifests in how he reacts to great success or great failures. See how Venky reacts to his success.

The India Abroad News Service quoted him as saying to the BBC Hindi service, that the Nobel Prize “is a great honour”, adding quickly, “I think it is a mistake to define a good work by awards. This is a typical mistake that the public or even the press make.” None of you called me about my work even two days ago… right?”, he asked. “I think people have to do what interests (them) and then pursue it.... That’s the way to do important work. Whether prizes come your way or not, it’s really not so important”.

Does this ring somewhere? “Work, but, without expecting rewards”, Sri Krishna told his disciple Arjuna in his discourse in Bhagavad Gita, that is to keep the work above reward, as the essence of Karma Yoga. That Venky kept his work above the award shows that this spirit of Karma Yoga was inherent in his deeper consciousness. Otherwise, within minutes of scaling the Everest of glory any scientist longs for, Venky could not have shown such spontaneous detachment from the glory that the award could otherwise mean to him. His instant response is the expression of the elevating profoundness of his inner consciousness.

More shockingly, he indicates in a manner that clearly differentiates him from those for whom the Nobel Prize becomes the very soul of their life, that the Prize is after all not the test of one’s excellence. Speaking about Indian scientists, “There are lots of good scientists in India, but I notice the press is hung up about these Western prizes like the Nobel Prize instead of appreciating the excellent work they (scientists) are doing within the context of India” This statement sets him apart completely. Only an award winner who, out of sheer love of his work, is totally detached from the glory of the award could have made this statement.

His message to the Indian scientists is equally profound. “Don’t look at the Nobel Prize as the recognition of your excellence. Your work is more valuable; more profound” This, he does, by clearly discounting the value of the Nobel Prize to him. Contrast Venky with the award winners who flaunt their awards at their compatriots and build an awesome brand for the Prize and for themselves. See his message to the Indian students. Asked whether Western countries are still the destination for Indian students aspiring higher research, Venky says, “No, no, I don’t feel it is necessary more. There are lots of good labs in India where they can do excellent work.” Comparing the state of affairs in 1971 when he left India, he says, “I have been to India several times since and these days there are some really fantastic places in India like the Indian Institute of Sciences and several others … those are very good places and have very good scientists”. Each statement takes him to a higher altitude. His humility is virile, not servile.

Yes. Venky deserves a higher award for defining the Nobel Prize; what it is and what it is not; and how Indian science and scientists should see it. But there is no award, which is greater, and has greater credibility, than public recognition. Venky will have public recognition of the elevating profoundness in him. He is taller than the Nobel Prize, undoubtedly.

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About the author:

S Gurumurthy is a well-known commentator on political and economic issues