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H. Narasimhaiah

(Redirected from H.Narasimaiah)
Dr. H. Narasimhaiah

Dr. H. Narasimhaiah (6 June 1920 — 31 January 2005) was a physicist, eminent educator, freedom fighter and rationalist from Bangalore. He was popularly known as HN.

Table of contents

Career

He had a humble family background, He joined the National High School in 1935, reaching the school by walking 85 kilometers by foot in two days. He received his Master's degree in Physics with first class from Central College, Bangalore, and his PhD degree in Nuclear physics from Ohio State University the year 1946. The same year Narasimhaiah started his academic career as a lecturer in National College, Bangalore. During 1961–72 he worked as a college principal. He was a Visiting Professor at Southern Illinois University. In 1962, he founded the Bangalore Science Forum, which conducts a weekly series of public lectures on science topics.

As the Vice-Chancellor of the Bangalore University from 1971–77, he introduced psychology, social work, drama, music and dance as subjects. He went on to head and retire from the National Education Society; serve the State Legislative Assembly; and in 1984, received the Padma Bhushan from the Indian Government.

A Man of Simplicity

For more than five decades, a room in National College Hostel has been his home. First as a schoolboy, then as a lecturer, then as the principal and lastly as the president of the National Education Society. The room is spartan — a couple of folding metal chairs, a fan and a telephone. His lean, tall figure, always clad in a white Khadi dhoti-Jubba and Gandhi topi, could be seen walking about the campus.

Contributions

As a Freedom Fighter HN is among the people who have had an opportunity to interact with the Mahatma. For a staunch Gandhian, the crowning point of his life and a cherished memory must have been the moment when he translated Mahatma Gandhi’s Hindi speech into Kannada, when the latter visited the National High School here.

Quenching scientific thirst with a Spirit of inquiry “Do not accept anything without questioning”was his way of life. Keeping with this, his office is adorned with a quotation of Albert Einstein on the wall “Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds” and a question mark-signifying a spirit of inquiry. His curiosity could not be satisfied. Questions continued to haunt him. He wanted this curiosity to be inculcated among children.

After he returned to National College with his doctorate degree from the US, with the help of friends from NAL, IISc., and elsewhere he started The Bangalore Science Forum. This non-profit organisation has already conducted more than 1,800 popular science lectures by eminent scientists and over 525 popular science films so far. These events have not only helped popularise science but also has kept people informed about the latest developments in various branches of science.

As an Eminent Educationist In an age when the term “educationist” stands devalued to mean one who starts schools and colleges which are money-spinners, he headed with distinction, the City’s premier educational institutions run by National Education Society for many years. His promotions for basic science education and creating a scientific temper in society continued unabated till the very end. His dedication, contributions and services as an Educationist has been outstanding.

As a Rationalist During his tenure as Vice-Chancellor, he constituted and chaired The Committee to Investigate Miracles and Other Verifiable Superstitions, to scientifically investigate claims of miracles and paranormal phenomena. The committee challenged the claims of Sathya Sai Baba, one of the most prominent godmen of India, who said that he could materialize holy ash and gold chain from nothing. A public controversy ensued, causing some of the godman's followers to desert him. The committee was also involved in a controversy with Sai Krisha of Pandavapura (a tiny village near Mysore), a mini-avatar and an alleged protégé of Sathya Sai Baba.

A Hindu by birth, Narasimhaiah often refused to follow religious beliefs blindly. He refused to tonsure his head when his father died and more famously, ate food during a solar eclipse to show it does not cause indigestion, a reason for which some hindus go on fasting.

Awards

Dr. H.Narasimhaiah was conferred the Padmabushana, one of the top civilian awards instituted by Government of India for his services in the field of education. He received the Tamrapatra award for his participation in the Indian Freedom Struggle. For his contribution to the popularisation of science he won the Sir M Visvesvaraya Award. He was also the only Indian Fellow of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP International) set up by Prof.Paul Kurtz in the USA.

References

  • Haraldsson, Erlendur Ph.D. Miracles are my visiting cards ISBN 81–86822–32–1, published by Sai Towers, Prashanthi Nilayam (1997) chapter 21 The Critics
  • Narasimhaiah, Dr. H. (Editor) Science, Nonscience and Paranormal, Bangalore Science Forum (1987)

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