This is the third biography of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose that I have come across. The first one, of course, is the most famous one by Patrick Geddes titled, The Life and Work of Sir Jagadis C Bose, published in 1920 by Longmans in London. This biography was written during Bose’s lifetime by an Englishman, scientist and urban planner. It presents the trials and tribulations of Bose’s life in graphic detail and Indian readers can immediately relate to and are inspired by the goodness of Bose as an individual and his merit as a scientist. That Geddes was himself a great fan of Bose apart from being very observant in noticing in him the streaks of greatness, is very much obvious in his writing.
The second biography that I read was recently published in 2022 written by Prof Kunal Ghosh, a former professor of IIT Kanpur, and published by Aleph Book Company. It is titled, Unsung Genius: A Life of Jagadish Chandra Bose. This too is a well-written documentation of Bose’s life that draws attention towards the credits and recognition that Bose deserved but was not given. This book is again a tribute to the great scientist and pioneer who set the trends of Indian science and took it to the international platforms. Presently, I got to review this third book written by Meher Wan with an interesting title.
There are at least a dozen biographies of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, written by authors in a span of hundred years from 1920 to 2023, in addition to umpteen entries in encyclopedias around the world regarding his life and research (see box). Still, it is very strange that there is a lack of information and awareness among the Indian civil society about Bose’s exemplary life. Despite his great achievements which could make any Indian feel proud, his public popularity has not gone up.
During a quiz competition in a city college, the undergraduate students of BSc could recognise the portraits of Newton and Einstein but failed to identify those of Jagadish Chandra Bose and Prafulla Chandra Ray — two Indian scientists of international repute. This is nothing untoward, as images of Newton and Einstein have been so frequently used in different media and even in commercial merchandise that everyone is familiar with them. However, we are hardly introduced to the lives and work of great Indian scientists, not even through the government sponsored textbooks. This omission seems glaring when we think of the significant research these scientists have done, the respect they commanded at the global level, the exemplary principled life they led and the path they carved for Indian science.
It is this omission which the book in hand, The Scientific Sufi undertakes to correct.
Dr Meher Wan, a scientist at CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research, has delved deep into the rich archives of Professor Bose’s work at the Bose institute to bring forth this biography which, ‘highlights the spirit of one of the greatest people of Indian history, whom we have almost forgotten’.
There are many ways in which a biography can be narrated, it can be a factually correct but dry report of occurrences in a person’s life or it can be an insightful account bringing about the nuances of the personality in a sensitive way. However, Dr Wan differs from the other authors who have earlier attempted to write about Bose’s life, in fictionalising the biography. He does not write the back story of a great scientist but the story of the protagonist Jagadish, a simple rural boy, with a busy, hardworking father, and a doting mother who harbours great aspirations for her son. As Dr Wan builds up the story, we can see the boy growing up immersed in a completely indigenous milieu. Most of us can relate to the travails of Jagadish when he moves from Bangla vernacular school in small town Faridpur to English speaking St Xavier in Calcutta. How he overcomes his fear, insecurities, health issues to study Physics in premier institutes of London to his unrelenting struggle against British imperialism, petty egotist bureaucratic hassles to finally emerge as the world famous Professor Bose — the whole story has been narrated in a lucid, conversational and interesting way.
The author’s interspersed comments bring a warm and personal touch to the narrative. In 18 creatively titled chapters, the author elucidates the life of Bose in a very intimate way. Another interesting aspect is the title of the book, where the word ‘Sufi’ along with the word ‘scientific’ presents a contradiction. A Sufi is a mystic in the Islamic school of religious practice that emphasises the inward search for God and shuns materialism. Bose himself admitted that he was not a staunch Hindu but his humanistic worldview and value based conduct made him a pious man. Though the author has not explicitly explained his reason to call Bose a scientific Sufi, the epithet does give a rare insight into the virtuous personality of Bose.
A few little known aspects of Bose’s life have also been brought to the fore, and certain known incidents have been given a fresh perspective in the book. That Bose agreed to drop his plan for foreign education because his mother did not give her consent or that Bose paid off his father’s debt in a very dignified manner makes him a very family oriented individual — a true practitioner of core Indian values. Bose adored the character of Karna, the wronged hero from the Mahabharata, and identified with his unwavering stand on the principles, which Bose too followed in his own conduct.
The story also tells about the accolades that Bose received on the world stage, the greatest of the great with whom he mingled with ease and the reverence of his countrymen to his inspiring journey. And it also narrates the egotist, petty and unjust treatment that he was meted out by the authorities, and administration. Inclusion of letters written by different scientists to Prof Bose, poems written about him by Rabindra Nath Tagore, the science-fiction short story written by Prof Bose are some of the added bonus for the readers which makes reading the book a delight.
Had the author included detailed stories of Bose’s experiences as a teacher or as a science populariser, it would have given the biography a deeper and more holistic dimension. Though Bose’s journey to Gangotri has been included in the book, other travelling adventures of Bose could have given a glimpse of the scientist as an ardent traveller too. Also, Bose’s ideas about India’s status on the modern Science platform are very original and powerful.
Bose being one of the pioneer modern Indian scientists, has blazed the trail and charted a novel direction for Indian Science. These discussions could have enriched the canvas. Though the brevity and fresh style of the author, sans any lacklustre inclusions, did make the book an easy and interesting read for everyone. The author acknowledges very humbly and rightly that, ‘The life of such a great man cannot be compiled in a few hundred pages’. These gaps should therefore be seen as an opportunity to write a more comprehensive, and detailed volume on the life and works of Bose.
Nine photo-plates in the book showcase some rare pictures of Bose. More than one hundred and fifty references in the book make it easier for the conscientious readers to go for further reading. The hardback has been beautifully designed in black. The visage of Jagadish Chandra Bose peers at you from the front cover and his piercing eyes seem to look directly at you. The book needs to be read by students, teachers, scientists, citizens — everyone — and a copy should be acquired by all school and college libraries.
The author writes in the preface, ‘I have wept, been thrilled, and got goosebumps numerous times when I was researching and writing this book’. I think the book should also be read by film producers, for the life of Bose has elements of surprise, suffering, tension, drama, pathos, rebellion and victory — all that is required for a great film. Perhaps, after watching such films, our students will be more likely to identify the images of our scientists and know deeply about their research.
In Box:
Biographies of Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose, from 1920 to 2023
1. Wan, Meher, The Scientific Sufi: The Life and Times of Jagadish Chandra Bose, Penguin Random House, Gurugram, India, 2023,
2. Ghosh, Kunal, Jagadish Chandra Bose: The Unsung Hero, Aleph Publications, 2022.
3. Salwi, Dilip M, Jagadish Chandra Bose, The First Modern Scientist, Rupa & Co. New Delhi, 2002.
4. Dasgupta, S, Jagadish Chandra Bose and the Indian Response to Western Science, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1999.
5. Nandy, A, Alternative Sciences: Creativity and Authenticity in Two Indian Scientists, Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1995 (2nd edition).
6. Sen, D, The Indian Science Pioneer Jagadish Chandra (in Bengali), Indo-GDR-Friendship Society, Calcutta, 1984.
7. Basu, SN, Jagadish Chandra Bose, National Book Trust, New Delhi, 1970.
8. Bose, DM, Jagadish Chandra Bose in Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the National Institute of Sciences of India, Vol. 1, National Institute of Science of India, New Delhi, 1966.
9. Singh, Jagajit, Some Eminent Indian Scientists, Publications Division, New Delhi, 1966.
10.Gupta, Manoranjan, Jagadish Chandra Bose: A Biography, Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, Bombay, 1964.
11.Geddes, Patrick, The Life and Works of Sir Jagadish C Bose, Longmans, Green & Co. London, 1920.
*The author teaches at Panjab University, Chandigarh.
