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Science and politics

The organizers of the Astronomy Olympiad this year decided to suspend Israel from participation over its military actions in Gaza (1). I learnt from someone that a similar decision suspending Russia was taken in the previous edition following Russia’s war against Ukraine. A group of scientists have complained to the Prime Minister of India (2). They urged the PMO to take swift action urging the government to step in and create clear guidelines to prevent future events from being politicised. My personal view on this topic is that Scientists should raise above the differences that erupt between nations from time to time and continue people to people interactions. Not only science, sports, arts and all other activities that involve participation from the public should continue as much as possible. Banning cricket with Pakistan is invariably done all the time by BCCI and Indian Government. I was lucky to have had a chance to visit Karachi to attend a scientific conference in 2014. I enjoyed my visit and found that people there are very much like us.

I have been an Editor for the Journal of Molecular Structure. After the Ukraine war, the group of Editors of this Journal decided to ban articles from authors with Russian affiliation. I strongly objected to this and asked them if they considered any such action when the US started an unprovoked war against Iraq. There was no response to this pointed question. Significant majority of the Editors were from Europe and with a majority decision, the Journal stopped accepting articles from Russia. The publisher Elsevier did not follow this policy. They permitted the Editors to reject papers from Russia, as Editors make the final decision about accepting a manuscript. None of the other Journals published by Elsevier did this. Though, I objected, I let the majority decide and did not handle manuscripts from Russia. After sometime, Editors decided to stop this ban. Both announcements were made in public in the Journal website and I am not disclosing any private information (3).

Despite my personal views on this, I find the letter written by 300+ scientists as the real, narrow political activism and not the decision by Olympiad. As mentioned above, the same organization has suspended Russian participation after the Ukraine war. Firstly, the letter misleads the Government by claiming some Indian scientists hijacked the forum and took this action to embarrass the Government. This is a very difficult conclusion to reach given the history of the organization. The event this year happened in TIFR. However, the Olympiad organization has representatives from many countries. They have released a statement clearing the air (4), which reads as follows : “The resolution to suspend Israel from future International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) editions over its military actions in Gaza was taken by an overwhelming majority of the international board consisting of over 120 individuals from 63 different countries”. They were worried about the starvation and genocide in Gaza and decided that they should take some action. On 10th August 2025, an emergency security council meeting of the UN has warned Israel from taking over Gaza (5). Clearly, the Astronomy Olympiad was not acting in isolation driven by any ideology. Perhaps, acting on humanitarian considerations and worrying about mass murder are some condemnable ‘ideology’ for the group of scientists who have condemned the faculty members from India and complained to the PMO. None of them had any clue that within a short period, Indian PM will attend the SCO meet in China and join the condemnation of US and Israel for their unprovoked attack on Iran (6).

The action by the Indian scientists is rather unfortunate. Should scientists have any consideration beyond their work? There is no right answer to this question. Saha felt Scientists should be active in nation building and join the freedom fight. He wanted to write a science policy for India before independence. Raman felt it was not for scientists to do this and was focusing on his work. The book by Abha Sur titled Dispersed Radiance discusses this in detail (7). Einstein wrote to the US president persuading US to work on nuclear bomb to stop Germany. He would not have imagined that Germany would stop before the nuclear bomb and use of nuclear bomb on Japan may not have been necessary to stop Japan which was already down. It is very difficult to justify the second bomb on Nagasaki. I did visit Hiroshima and one becomes numb looking at the museum there. Nuclear bombs are the result of chain reactions but the chain reaction this created in pushing more and more nations to go nuclear is extremely dangerous. Though Einstein wrote to the US President to go nuclear, I am not sure if he wrote to any Government urging them to take action on any other scientist. The American Chemical Society had concerns about the role played by Peter Debye in Germany and contemplated withdrawing his name from the award given for contributions to physical chemistry. The award continues in Debye’s name. I had written an article on Debye in Resonance which gives some references to this (8).

I read the letter and none of the accusations would stand any scrutiny. The Olympiad released the statement taking responsibility for the action. South Africa was practicing apartheid and international boycatt did help in bringing an end to the apertheid. India played the first cricket match with South Africa when the apartheid and boycatt ended.

I joined the International Advisory Board of the Horizons in Hydrogen Bond Research Conference in 2011, just after successfully completing an IUPAC project to redefine hydrogen bond. When I joined the board, most of the members were from Europe with few from the USA and one from Japan and none from India. I have been attending this biannual conference without fail ever since. The series of conferences goes back to 1977 and was started by Prof. Lucjan Sobczyk in Poland. This year it will be in Germany (9). In 2015, the conference was held in Poland and there was a felicitation of Prof. Sobczyk. I was moved by his talk after the felicitation. He mentioned that scientists used this conference to meet continuously during the cold war. The conference alternated between East and West Europe and was never held anywhere else in the globe. In 2011, I volunteered to organize this in India and the committee turned it down. I realized the reason when I was listening to Prof. Sobczyk. Everything changes with time and in particular politics. India will host this conference in 2027 with Prof. Aloke Das of IISER, Pune as the convener. I only wish the Scientists from India did not write any such letter to PMO accusing the fellow scientists and showed some maturity.

References:

  1. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/astronomy-olympiad-held-in-mumbai-this-year-suspends-israel-from-future-editions/article69954499.ece (accessed on 2 September 2025)
  2. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/israels-ouster-from-mumbai-event-splits-indian-scientists/articleshow/123574227.cms (accessed on 2 September 2025)
  3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/journal-of-molecular-structure/about/announcements (Accessed on 2 September 2025).
  4. ‘https://sciencechronicle.in/2025/08/31/ioaa-statement-clears-the-air-on-israels-suspension-from-future-astronomy-olympiad-events/ (Accessed on 2 September 2025).
  5. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/04/1161816 (accessed on2 September 2025)
  6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/international/india-joins-sco-nations-in-condemning-israel-u-s-pahalgam-finds-mention-in-tianjin-declaration/videoshow/123632965.cms (Accessed on 2 September 2025).
  7. https://navayana.org/books/2012/10/10/dispersed-radiance-caste-gender-and-modern-science-in-india/?v=13b5bfe96f3e
  8. E. Arunan, “Peter Debye” Resonance, Journal of Education December 2010 http://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/reso/015/12/1056-1059
  9. https://hbond2025.desy.de/ (Accessed on 2 September 2025)
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Even by crossing the oceans, chase wealth!

I suspect anyone who has seen the title and decided to read this blog could guess what I plan to write. Fulfilling an election promise, Trump decided to deport illegal immigrants from various countries in an army flight. Columbian President Gustavo Petro posted bravely lecturing Trump and within a few hours had to toe the line. He decided not to let US deport Citizens of Columbia in an Army flight as criminals and arranged Columbian flight to bring its citizens back with some diginity. An army flight from US deported 104 Indian citizens and the men among them were handcuffed and chained during the long flight that landed in Amritsar. Some are pointing out that the illegal immigrants have indeed committed a crime and deserved the treatment. Opposition parties are appalled at the inhuman treatment of Indian citizens. External affairs minister has pointed out that US has been deporting our citizens periodically and about 15000 have been deported since 2009, when the second UPA term started. I do not have any comments about the reactions of the ruling or opposition parties. I was thinking about my flight to USA in 1986, when I went to the Kansas State University to do my Ph. D and some of what I have read in Tamil.

During the mid 1980s, there used to be email groups in the USA, named soc.culture.xxx where members could exchange emails among themselves. This could be the earliest avatar of social media, like Facebook, Twitter or WhatsApp. I joined the soc.culture.india. I found one email with a title ‘x+1 syndrome’. It discussed about the life of a typical graduate student, like me, coming from India. I could relate to some parts of the article. When one reaches US, take some photographs in front of the University/Department and send it by airmail to the family to be received in typically 2 weeks time. The first car, first snow, and many other things are recorded in a film, devloped into a photo and sent by airmail. In a few years, the student would be informed by the parents that a suitable girl could be found for him to be married. Student goes home, gets married and returns to US with the bride. In due course, wife is expecting. The next sentence I read, hurt my pride: No right thinking parents in law would like to have their grand kid born in India, given the American alternative. I did not like this. I found out that I did not follow some of the typical characteristics given of a graduate student from India. My answer about ‘what would you do after studies?’ did not change throughout my stay there: Return to India. The article points out how it changes over a period of time. The main theme of that article was that no one returns from US and they keep saying they would return in the x+1 year with x changing always. I did get married and fortunately for me, my wife was also keen on returning home. I was prepared to accept a job wherever I would get. IITs, IISc, State Universities, Colleges, high schools wherever, as decision to return was final. It did not depend on what job I might get. We returned in 1994 and lived here since then. I have no regrets. I read news about some parents opting for pre-mature delivery, just in case Trump would bring in a law that would forbid their kids from being citizens of US. As I mentioned in a WhatsApp group, this is where the line dividing desire and greed blur. Greed could lead to disaster.

There is a proverb in Tamil which says ‘திரை கடலோடியும் திரவியம் தேடு’ (thirai kadalodiyum thiraviyam thedu) which roughly translates as the title of this blog. Literally ‘Run through the ocean and search for wealth’! Of course no one can run through the ocean and I am sure everyone gets the essence of this proverb. Wealth is important and only the super rich can say ‘money does not bring happiness’. Everyone else needs money to lead a dignified life. Most would like to find an honest way to earn what is needed. Those who are unable to earn what they consider as ‘enough’ where they are born, go wherever required to earn more. It could be to the nearby or far away cities in India or Abroad. This has been happening for several millennia. Columbus wanted to go to India through West and ended up in West Indies, which he was convinced was India until he died. There is a good satire by Trevor Noah, about Columbus’s confidence which comes naturally for the rich and affluent (1). Poor may be more doubtful about what they do.

Large number of Keralaites have gone to Arab nations in the recent decades leaving the family in Kerala with the hope of raising the standard of their families. Canada has a significant number of Sikhs. US had 5.1 million people of Indian origin, 1.47 % of its population in 2023 according to Wikepedia now (2). Gujarat and Panjab used to dominate the list of immigrants in the past and in recent decades people from Andhra, Telengana, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala are migrating in large numbers. Most readers may have heard about ‘ABCD’ meaning, American Born Confused Desi. One of my friend told me about ABCDEFGHIJ, American Born Confused Desi Emigrated from Gujarat Housed in Jersey. A Chemistry Professor from Rutgers University gave a seminar in our Department and showed the ballot paper from New Jersey which had the names of the candidates in Gujarati and English. Tamils have migrated to many places in the World over centuries: Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, South Africa, Canada, France and USA and settled there for good. Tamil is one of the four official languages in Singapore. The great Tamil Poet Bharathiyaar has a poem lamenting the conditions of Hindu workers, from Tamil Nadu, in sugarcane fields in Sri Lanka:

கரும்புத் தோட்டத்திலே – அவர் karumbuth thottaththilae – avar
கால்களும் கைகளும் சோர்ந்து விழும்படி kaalgalum kaigalum sornthu vizhumbadi
வருந்து கின்றனரே! ஹிந்து varunthu kinranarae! hindu
மாதர்தம் நெஞ்சு கொதித்துக் கொதித்துமெய் maathartham nenju kodhithuk kodhithumei
சுருங்குகின்றனரே – அவர் surunguhinranarae – avar
துன்பத்தை நீக்க வழியில்லையோ? ஒரு thunbaththai neekka vazhiyillaiyo? oru
மருந்திதற் கிலையோ? – செக்கு marunthithark killaiyo
மாடுகள் போலுழைத் தேங்குகின்றார், அந்தக்… maadugal poluzhaith thaenguhinraar, anthak …

In 14th Century, Pattinathaar lived in Kaveripoombattinam in what is Tamil Nadu today. He hailed from a rich mercantile family. He sent his son in a ship and asks him to bring weath. The son brought only sacks filled with paddy husks. Pattinathar got upset and angry and locked his son in a room. He went to the harbor and threw the sacks with paddy husks. He saw that they were all gold flakes/dusts and precious gems were hidden inside. He rushed back to the room where his son was locked. Son was not found and only a palm-leaf with a sentence written in Tamil ‘காதற்ற ஊசியும் வாராது தான் கடை வழிக்கே’ (Transliteration: kaathatra oosiyum vaaraathu thaan kadai vazhikae, Translation: Even an earless needle will not come with you in your final journey). In this story, the son is thought to have been divine and Pattinathaar realizes the futility of material life and renounces everything to become a Sanyasi (a Monk). While such stories tell us about some hard facts in life, we cannot forget that living in this world requires money / wealth. I remember another proverb in Tamil which says “பொருள் இல்லார்க்கு இவ்வுலகம் இல்லை, அருளில்லார்க்கு அவ்வுலகம் இல்லை” Porul illaarkku ivvulagam illai, arul illaarkku avvulagam illai, which means ‘this world is not for people without materials, that world (heaven, God’s abode?) is not for people without divine blessings’. (Added on 25 Feb 2025. Following a post by Kathir Krishnamurthy, I realized that this proverb has its origin in Thirukkural, verse 247 which is hardly a surprise: அருளில்லார்க்கு அவ்வுலகம் இல்லை பொருளில்லார்க்கு
இவ்வுலகம் இல்லாகி யாங்கு)

As a Scientist who has no understanding of God, I am not sure if that world exists. We do exist in this world and it is important to earn enough to lead a life with dignity. If one has not learned to earn and lead a life in ‘this world’, perhaps they can go to Himalayas and live alone in search of the other World. There is a popular song in Tamil from the movie Chandrodayam in which MGR and Nagesh act “காசிக்கு போகும் சன்யாசி உன் குடும்பம் என்னாகும் நீ யோசி”, ‘kaasikku pogum sanyaasi un kudumbam ennaagum nee yosi’ which translates into ‘oh monk on your way to Kaasi, did you think about what will happen to your family? My previous blog discussed my views about a Family. For most of us, it is important to find a way to earn and live within our means. I do hope everyone finds a way to lead a life with dignity. One needs to have some desire to earn and improve our lives and be supportive of our family. It is very important not to become greedy. It may be difficult to find out when our desire becomes greed. The recent movie ‘Lucky Bhaskar’ has a story which has the hero realizing this and leading a good life.

References:

  1. Trever Noah, “Where was I” Standup comedy show.
  2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Americans accessed on 8 February 2025

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