That a significant proportion of highly qualified professionals or those
who belong to more advanced and applied fields face multitude of complicated
problems or mostly encounter dead ends in Kashmir is a known fact. While there
can be no disagreement on responsibility of concerned nationals to talk about
them and seek potential solutions, it becomes imperative to have these
conversations in right perspective. A recent write up (A Trali @ Harvard) in
this newspaper tried to highlight predicaments people involved in advanced
scientific research face while trying to get a professional foothold in
Kashmir. As a student of science I found it necessary to talk about a topic or
two that have been used to bolster weight of the highlighted problem. This
seemed unavoidable for reason that a misunderstanding or incorrect
interpretation might prove discouraging to people passionate about science especially
those planning to pursue science as a career.
Research publications that have a real impact in terms of discoveries or
inventions or an advancement to what is already known aren’t something that
come in huge numbers and frequently, especially when a researcher is still taking
baby steps. There are rare exceptions, but is not a norm. Norm is
infinitesimally small success at cost of substantial human contribution. It is
a completely disproportionate relationship. Publications are one’s contribution
to present and future and be they a critical advancement, a pioneering
discovery, a technological innovation, a seminal contribution or even a Pico
scale level contribution, all need a great human effort and most of the times
personal sacrifices. These publications mostly come after continuously working
of one’s butt, during course of which literally and figuratively one breaks
her/is back, is in perpetual mode of head scratching with no guarantee of
success. At an early scientific career stage it is improbable to think of
publications in ‘dozens’ and even if they are and are path breaking in their
effect, a trivial and superficial reference gives an appearance of them being
an off shoot of a scientific career. A sense of smooth and hassle-free
attainability is generated. This downside prospect of easy attainability, combined
with dejection of not being able to pursue a career where one would want to or
is compelled to can be a serious dampener for a science career enthusiast. It
needs a balancing act between highlighting a flawed system and detrimental
costs of increased stakes, especially in educationally developing places.
Awards and recognitions follow greatness and is not vice versa; greats pursuing
awards or wanting to be judged by ability to be an awardee. Creating a piece of
art appeals an artist, a musical note a musician, a couplet a poet and so on
and so forth. It is restlessness and inner urge of self-satiation that drives
them. A scientist like-wise is passionate and hard-wired about understanding, finding
out, betterment and advancement. Paths chosen, hardships endured, ability to
persist and be resilient are traits that define and make or mar an individual
and this applies to everyone, in all aspects of life. Apply them to a
scientific career and they become determining features of one’s existence and
survival.
In modern times of cutting edge research
and cut throat competition, a scientist’s ability to pursue ideas at a
place of choice with some visible outcomes and garner a sustainable research
grant is in itself an achievement. Numbers have a great value in day to day
life and in scientific research and in its evaluation they become all the more
important. Scientific successes usually occur in small fractional increments
and ability to succeed has not necessarily be measured by ability to be a Nobel
laureate. Nobel Prize or no Nobel Prize, contributions always matter and are
always counted. Barbara McClintock, the 1983 Nobel laureate in medicine
received Nobel more than three decades after her contribution to the field. It would be a huge surprise even if a budding
geneticist or even a high school student of science won’t be familiar with her
name but perhaps all won’t be knowing about her award. Rosalind Franklin is
every time talked in the same breath as the famous DNA double helix duo of
Watson and Crick in spite of her unlike the other two not having received Nobel.
This is not to diminish the value of Nobel Prize because that is a pinnacle, a
zenith and making that a benchmark might turn away even the toughest of hard
cores.
A flip side that scientists working primarily for recognition or seeking
to be judged by their capacity to get recognized can create unhealthy trends.
In last few years and one very recently controversies around stem cell research
have come to fore and easily a reason of fast recognition can be assigned. Alan Guth a Professor of Physics at MIT and
one of the first proponents of ‘inflationary universe theory’ in a recent interview
in New York Times said that he didn’t expected confirmation of his ideas in his
life time. His generated idea of cosmic inflation in 1979 had first confirmable
proofs observed very recently only few months back by astronomers from Harvard-Smithsonian
Center for Astrophysics. This is an example of a scientific contribution that
was driven from analysis and correct interpretation and waiting for a proof. Such
high points are akin to embodiment of one’s own thought, one’s ability to
create or one’s ability to rationalize. Like a good musical note or an artistic
masterpiece nothing can be more self-satisfying and gratifying than seeing them
‘in flesh’. Awards in such circumstances might only serve as icing on cake.
Mr.Trali apparently has all ingredients of passion, hard work and
resilience that have helped him learn, train and work at few of the best places
in world and these are testament of his ability. Even if at this stage he had
only ‘half to one dozen’ and not ‘dozens’ of research articles and not any
Potential Nobel Laureate billing from his peers he is good enough to be a role
model. Hope the travesty of his fate is
reversed soon and he gets to do what he has been good at. Sadly, opportunities which
some time back used to be differentiated by being in west or east are now being
determined by being part of a developed or a developing country. And on these
indices Kashmir falls at lowest scales. India, under whose administrative
control Kashmir is so far doesn’t have a university to show among top 100 of
the world so how much advancement trickles in to Kashmir can be anybody’s
guess. As long as there aren’t any drastic changes in understanding and
priorities, Mr. Trali and many like him who want to return will continue to
suffer.
http://kashmirreader.com/harvard-and-kashmir-10187
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