When Galileo entered in the courtroom for his trial against the priests who believe the whole universe rotate around earth there was murmur. The head priest asks “Do you deny the gospel of the religious scripts”. Galileo lifts his head and looks blank towards the priest. The priest roars again to Galileo with the question “DO YOU ADMIT”. The silent courtroom was rocked by the priest voice. Galileo quietly replied “no”. A huge crowd resounds “Punish Him...” “Punish Him...” this happened in the days when religious belief had an upper hand on science. Since then mankind and science has passed many tests in their journey to seek and unfold the truth.
But did we really pass those days?
Not very far, a few years back in the 70’s the same happened once again in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta in India) to a doctor we call him Subhash Mukherjee.
From Galileo to Subhash they paid the price for uttering or thinking against the society whose thoughts and believe have boundaries.
“Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness “— George Orwell
I cannot forget the film “Ek Doctor Ki Maut” by Tapan Sinha which was based on the life of Dr. Subhash Mukherjee.
Dr. Subhash who was an honors degree in physiology from the Calcutta National Medical College was the first physician in India (and second in the world after British physicians Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards) to perform the In vitro fertilization resulting in a test tube baby "Durga" (alias Kanupriya Agarwal) on October 3, 1978.
On his claim there were so many speculations on that time and he was summoned by a committee to justify his research. So, when the justice was predetermined it needs no mention that every debate in that day was stuck in a carefully woven diplomatic net.
Sadly, bureaucratic negligence, insult from the then West Bengal government and refusal of Government of India to allow a researcher to attend international conferences and adding the adjective “fraud” in front of his name led this man to commit suicide in his Calcutta residence on 19th June 1981.
The hierarchical structures in all aspect of human life are a truth in India and this fosters nepotism, false sense of entitlement and concentrates all power at the top. Energy is spent on fighting this structure instead of doing something constructive.
Every day passed silently with an insult, it is correctly said there is a dawn after every dark night. It took us more than a decade to recognize him in open public when Dr. T.C Anand Kumar, former Director of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has supported his works and rubbished that he was fraud. He mentioned Dr. Mukherjee as the architect of first human test tube baby
In the history of science the list for deprivation is long. But the people who never give up to unfavourable situation proved their character as true devotees to their work. But in future we may not be able to see such characters around us anymore.
Dr. Subhas Mukherjee-- Ahead of his time:
Jan.16, 1931: Born in Hazaribagh, Bihar.
1955: MBBS from Calcutta National Medical College. Receives the Hemangini award for his outstanding performance; also finishes BSc (Hons) in Physiology from Calcutta University.
1958: PhD from Calcutta University in Reproductive Physiology
1960: Marries Namita
1961: Sent by the West Bengal government to the UK to study endocrine physiology. Works at the Clinical Endocrinology Research Institute in Edinburg.
1964: PhD from Edinburgh in Reproductive Endocrinology. Develops method of estimation of LH (Luteinising hormone), the surge of which leads to ovulation.
1967: Joins Sir Nilratan Sarkar Medical College, Calcutta as lecturer. Later, becomes reader and professor of physiology.
1976: Transferred to Bankura Sanmilani Medical College, Calcutta.
Oct. 3, 1978: India’s first test tube baby born. Doordarshan flashes the news at 11.44 am.
Oct.19, 1978: Subhas’s team submits its report: Transfer of in-virto fertilised frozen thawed human embryo” to the West Bengal government.
Nov.18, 1978: An “expert” committee of the West Bengal government, headed by a professor of radio physics and assisted by a gynaecologist, a physiologist and a neurophysiologist, and having no expertise in reproductive technologies, denounces Subha’s claim.
Dec. 28, 1978: The director of health services forbids Subhas from attending any conference without permission from a competent authority.
1979: Invited to Kyoto, Japan to discuss his work; appoies for permission.
1979: Permission refused. Letter directs him not to leave the country without prior clearance from the government.
1980: Suffers a heart attack.
1981: Request for special leave declined .But a request for transfer is accepted; shifts to Regional Institute of Ophthalmology as professor of electrophysiology – not his expertise.
1981: commits suicide.
1982: Indian Cryogenics Council sets up annual lectures in his name.
1985: Prof. Ashok Mitra inaugurates Dr Subhas Mukherjee Memorial reproductive Biology research Centre, Kolkata.
1991: Filmmaker Tapan Sinha directs “Ek Doctor Ki Maut” a film based on Subhas’s life.
1997: Dr. T.C. Anand Kumar, former director of ICMR, Mumbai, publicly declares Subhas as the pioneer of India’s first test tube baby.
2002: Kumar convinces ICMR to acknowledge Subha’s contribution in its National Guidelines for Accreditations, Supervisions and Regulation of ART clinics in India.
But did we really pass those days?
Not very far, a few years back in the 70’s the same happened once again in Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta in India) to a doctor we call him Subhash Mukherjee.
From Galileo to Subhash they paid the price for uttering or thinking against the society whose thoughts and believe have boundaries.
“Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness “— George Orwell
I cannot forget the film “Ek Doctor Ki Maut” by Tapan Sinha which was based on the life of Dr. Subhash Mukherjee.
Dr. Subhash who was an honors degree in physiology from the Calcutta National Medical College was the first physician in India (and second in the world after British physicians Patrick Steptoe and Robert Edwards) to perform the In vitro fertilization resulting in a test tube baby "Durga" (alias Kanupriya Agarwal) on October 3, 1978.
On his claim there were so many speculations on that time and he was summoned by a committee to justify his research. So, when the justice was predetermined it needs no mention that every debate in that day was stuck in a carefully woven diplomatic net.
Sadly, bureaucratic negligence, insult from the then West Bengal government and refusal of Government of India to allow a researcher to attend international conferences and adding the adjective “fraud” in front of his name led this man to commit suicide in his Calcutta residence on 19th June 1981.
The hierarchical structures in all aspect of human life are a truth in India and this fosters nepotism, false sense of entitlement and concentrates all power at the top. Energy is spent on fighting this structure instead of doing something constructive.
Every day passed silently with an insult, it is correctly said there is a dawn after every dark night. It took us more than a decade to recognize him in open public when Dr. T.C Anand Kumar, former Director of ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) has supported his works and rubbished that he was fraud. He mentioned Dr. Mukherjee as the architect of first human test tube baby
In the history of science the list for deprivation is long. But the people who never give up to unfavourable situation proved their character as true devotees to their work. But in future we may not be able to see such characters around us anymore.
Dr. Subhas Mukherjee-- Ahead of his time:
Jan.16, 1931: Born in Hazaribagh, Bihar.
1955: MBBS from Calcutta National Medical College. Receives the Hemangini award for his outstanding performance; also finishes BSc (Hons) in Physiology from Calcutta University.
1958: PhD from Calcutta University in Reproductive Physiology
1960: Marries Namita
1961: Sent by the West Bengal government to the UK to study endocrine physiology. Works at the Clinical Endocrinology Research Institute in Edinburg.
1964: PhD from Edinburgh in Reproductive Endocrinology. Develops method of estimation of LH (Luteinising hormone), the surge of which leads to ovulation.
1967: Joins Sir Nilratan Sarkar Medical College, Calcutta as lecturer. Later, becomes reader and professor of physiology.
1976: Transferred to Bankura Sanmilani Medical College, Calcutta.
Oct. 3, 1978: India’s first test tube baby born. Doordarshan flashes the news at 11.44 am.
Oct.19, 1978: Subhas’s team submits its report: Transfer of in-virto fertilised frozen thawed human embryo” to the West Bengal government.
Nov.18, 1978: An “expert” committee of the West Bengal government, headed by a professor of radio physics and assisted by a gynaecologist, a physiologist and a neurophysiologist, and having no expertise in reproductive technologies, denounces Subha’s claim.
Dec. 28, 1978: The director of health services forbids Subhas from attending any conference without permission from a competent authority.
1979: Invited to Kyoto, Japan to discuss his work; appoies for permission.
1979: Permission refused. Letter directs him not to leave the country without prior clearance from the government.
1980: Suffers a heart attack.
1981: Request for special leave declined .But a request for transfer is accepted; shifts to Regional Institute of Ophthalmology as professor of electrophysiology – not his expertise.
1981: commits suicide.
1982: Indian Cryogenics Council sets up annual lectures in his name.
1985: Prof. Ashok Mitra inaugurates Dr Subhas Mukherjee Memorial reproductive Biology research Centre, Kolkata.
1991: Filmmaker Tapan Sinha directs “Ek Doctor Ki Maut” a film based on Subhas’s life.
1997: Dr. T.C. Anand Kumar, former director of ICMR, Mumbai, publicly declares Subhas as the pioneer of India’s first test tube baby.
2002: Kumar convinces ICMR to acknowledge Subha’s contribution in its National Guidelines for Accreditations, Supervisions and Regulation of ART clinics in India.
