Hero

Today I will share with you the glimpse of the story (as experienced by me) of a real-life hero who is admired for his outstanding achievements in scientific research, noble qualities as an administrator and courage to stand by what he believed was correct. It is none other than Dr. Pushpa Mitra Bhargava, who was, by all means a hero for those in the area of basic research in the field of modern biology and Biotechnology. He was a renowned Scientist and a visionary. He envisioned the need for a dedicated research centre for Research in modern biological sciences and was successful in achieving his dream. The establishment of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, (CCMB) Hyderabad, was his outstanding achievements.

CCMB which was carved out of Biochemistry division of erstwhile Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), presently Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT). This division which was headed by Dr. Bhargava eventually was given the status of a full-fledged National Laboratory in 1981-1982, under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) with him as the Director.

I had the good fortune of working in CCMB during Darbhanga’s tenure. The institute was small and closely knit at that time , may be about 80 scientific staff were there. I had come across a classified advertisement, in a newspaper, about the recruitments in CCMB, around late 1982. I was already working in another central Government organization and therefore the application had to go through proper channel. While forwarding the application, my boss there told me, “It is very difficult to get a call from this institute. Even if you get an interview call, you may not get the job or you may be offered a laboratory Assistant’s position and don’t hesitate to accept it.” I was among the first batch of recruits selected for the post of Scientific Assistants, the entry level position into the research team and also the position for which I had applied.

The interview itself was memorable and intimidating. The interview was held by about eight interviewers looking highly intellectual, in a big board room with elegant antique wooden furniture, which made me feel diminutive. After several questions in the subject, finally one person asked me,” what are the names of different stops where the bus that you had travelled to this place stopped?” The next question after I answered it was,” What could be the size of this room”. I gave a number and he asked,” How did you come to the number” I replied,” Our house is newly constructed, and my father often discusses about rooms& sizes, based on which I had guessed it.” Everybody laughed. I heard the name and met Dr.Bhargava for the first time only after I joined CCMB. To my shock, the interviewer who asked all those questions was none other than him and rest of them were senior scientists from the institute. He was meticulous about carefully choosing the people, no matter at what level and building his teams. He dislike being addressed as Dr.Bhargava nor did he approved anyone else being addressed as “Dr”. Everyone addressed others with their first name, which resulted in a sense of unity and closeness and team spirit. He was PMB for the entire CCMB and to many of his near and dear outside. He was a humble human being and would not hesitate to taste from our lunch box occasionally. There are many examples of his humble, unassuming nature, looking beyond his position and would put at ease, people of any cadre.

He believed in inculcating scientific temper and inquisitiveness and included everyone in the weekly scientific meetings, various seminars and lectures. Voice of the junior most was also heard, and we were fortunate to get the exposure to several Nobel Laureates like David Watson & Charles Crick (Discoverers of DNA double helix structure), Cesar Milstein (inventor of monoclonal antibody technology) and many more. He used to take every opportunity to expose his staff to eminent personalities and used his good offices to bring them to visit CCMB. It was highly motivating to the scientists and research scholars.

Eventually present independent CCMB complex was completed around 1984 and dedicated to the nation by Rajiv Gandhi. The laboratories were state of the art with latest equipment made available to us. Everything including the curtains in the offices, canteens and other aesthetic details were carefully planned and the end result was remarkable and ahead of its times. The inauguration, a ten-day affair, itself was memorable with lectures by nationally and internationally reputed scientists during the day and cultural activities in the evenings.

He would spend most of his wakeful time in the institute, as he also lived in the staff quarters. To him CCMB was second home and the staff his extended family. He was aware of everything happening in the institute and was a good administrator. Dr. Bhargava was an ardent supporter of art, Indian Music, Dance and loved handlooms. It is evident from the shirts he wore, mostly Kalamkari and Ikkats. He facilitated, many workshops for painting and sculpturing, with prominent personalities in those field. We had the privilege of watching M.F. Hussain making a mural at the front area of CCMB. He believed in wholistic development of everyone. He shared with us, a relationship of “Guru” and “Sishya” rather than that of a Boss and subordinate. He inspired and motivated us to grow in all aspects to add new dimensions to our outlook, We developed maturity, confidence and scientific approach and independence beyond our level of education. He being a visionary, achiever and down to earth was a hero of not only scientific fraternity but entire staff of CCMB. He carved a special place in the scientific community and will always be remembered for his contributions to the modern Biology with reference to India and Sciences in general. This is my perspective about him as a novice entrant into the scientific community and had the good fortune to evolve, realize and achieve the complete potential in me, under the umbrella of his influence. This is a humble tribute to his towering personality.