This was the first time I came across a book which is a part of a series on great Indians, written for children. Before I start with the book under review, I must appreciate the initiative of the publisher to have come out with such a series mainly because of the great Indians they have chosen. ‘The Incredible Life’ series covers somewhat obscure Indians like Jhalkari Bai, Anandabai Joshee, Arati Saha, Savitribai Phule as also Birsa Munda, Milkha Singh, Bhagat Singh and now Prof Satyendranath Bose.

Admittedly, many grown up Indians may not have heard of Prof Bose till a few years ago when the Black Hole experiments were in the news and Prof Bose, who had collaborated with Albert Einstein, was back in the focus as the Pride of the Nation. Yes, suddenly questions were asked as to why he was not awarded for the Nobel Prize (I learnt from the book that he was considered but not awarded).

Prof Bose, alongwith Jagadish Bose, P C Ray, Meghnath Saha and others have been a part of the Bengali culture for decades and revered by Bengalis on both sides of the border. The scientific community across India too have been in awe of the monumental work done by him. He has been an internationally respected scientist and this book will certainly bring him back in focus to Indians as a whole. 

Prof Bose was a people’s scientist. He was accessible and otherwise lived a simple life in the very same house where he grew up. I had often escorted my grandfather, who was a friend of his to his Ishwar Mill Lane house which smacked of all the qualities of an iconic North Kolkata residence. His unkempt flowing hair gave him the look of a philosopher than a scientist. He had a child like smile and I was always apprehensive that he may ask me how I am doing in my studies!

Swati Sengupta’s book, written in a style which any child who is 10 years or above will easily understand, is beautifully crafted, moving his life story from phase to phase from his childhood. His academic performances and the way his getting 110 on 100 in an examination was presented was inspirational. Almost all of it was information for me, particularly the way the academic environment of the city (and of Dhaka) was narrated. 

Prof Satyen Bose is a matter of folk lore. The great Bengali comedian Bhanu Bannerjee who was his student in Dhaka would often drop by at his house with a packet of malpuas. At times he would even drag his fellow colleagues from the film industry aling with him to pay respects to his mastar moshai. His collaboration with Einstein is certainly a matter of pride for any Indian.

Sadly, such names are slowly losing relevance in the public domain and I sincerely hope that the entire series and the ones to come are there in every school bag in India.