4 days ago
Jayant Narlikar, the storyteller who brought the stars closer to India
Some people do not come in through the door but rather jump through the roof. Jayant Narlikar was one of them. In 1964, when Fred Hoyle and he announced in Cambridge University their new theory of gravity, suddenly Jawaharlal Nehru's modern India found a hero in science. It is therefore no surprise that Narlikar became a household name overnight in a country seeking its bearings in the world of science and technology.
He passed away peacefully in his sleep, just two months short of his 87th birthday on July 19, marking the end of an era. He doesn't leave behind a vacuum but a thriving world-class institute in the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA); a galaxy of young women and men inspired by his work and books; and millions of admirers all over the globe. He has 'curved' a special place for himself in 'time'. That would be the right way to remember him and a fitting tribute.
Today, we should celebrate the life of a great human being, committed to science and its propagation, a man who personified excellence in whatever he indulged in. It is a matter of great privilege for some of us who had the opportunity to work with him at various levels. He had the uncanny knack of getting the best out of everyone by sharing and involving them in things.
Narlikar was an outstanding student at Cambridge, winning laurels, including the coveted Adams Prize, which he shared with Roger Penrose, who went on to become a Nobel Laureate.
He was among the front-ranking researchers of his time. The Hoyle–Narlikar theory was developed in support of the steady state theory of cosmology, which proposed that the universe looks the same from every point in space and at all times, and that it has no beginning or end. However, this theory eventually fell out of favour as astronomical observations provided strong evidence that the universe had a definite beginning, marked by a massive explosion known as the Big Bang. The term 'Big Bang' was actually coined by Hoyle — ironically, one of the main proponents of the steady state theory. Narlikar was, in fact, among the last prominent supporters of the steady state model.
He was a brilliant researcher and had the conviction and courage to ride against the tide and still be held in the highest esteem even by his academic opponents. The distinguished visitors to IUCAA, including Nobel laureates, bear testimony to this fact.
IUCAA was his greatest gift to science and the nation. He wanted to facilitate research in astronomy in universities. It is gratifying to see university students and faculty doing pathbreaking research and publishing their work in front-ranking journals. This is what would have pleased him the most. The thing that stands out most is his missionary zeal to communicate science and its method to young students and ordinary people through his innumerable public lectures and science-fiction books. It would be no exaggeration to say that it is this aspect that strongly endeared him to people. There are many renowned scientists in the country, but none have attained his kind of popularity and respect.
To this end, let me recall an incident from 1997 when he had organised Penrose's lecture in Pune's Balgandharva theatre. Such was the demand to listen to him that there was nearly a riot-like situation with people who could not get in shouting and banging at the gates, and, from the other side, Shriram Lagoo was pacifying them, saying that it was their very own Narlikar's event.
The ultimate value of one's work and contribution is how far and how well it is remembered. Besides his scientific work, the two things that will keep his memory alive will be the institute, IUCAA, and his popular writings and science fiction. I am sure that even after 50 years or more, one would certainly come across people who had been motivated by him.
Let me end on a personal note. In 1965, three of us travelled from Vallabh Vidyanagar to Ahmedabad to listen to Narlikar's lecture in the Atira hall. Little did I know then that I would end up spending over half a century intimately interacting and working with him. That is something I will always treasure.
The writer, a former director of IUCAA, was Narlikar's colleague for five decades
