This year’s Onam is just over. The boozers of the state brought some relief to the empty coffers of the Kerala government by making a collective ‘contribution’ of a mind boggling seven hundred crores of rupees in less than a week’s time. This is more than the cost of the Chandrayan-3 programme by a neat 100 crores! To me, as one who never celebrates any of the festivals, this Onam too would have passed off as a sedate one, but for a very special gift I received from one of my old students. A gift I will cherish forever.
Nizy Mathew. That’s her name. She was my student during 1999 – 2001 for her PG in Applied Physics. On completion of her PG studies from the CMS College, Kottayam, she along with her class mate Sheena Solomon proceeded to Germany to do another PG in Environment Science. After that I did not hear anything from her.
On the Onam eve I had a phone call with Nizy at the other end. I felt very happy to hear her voice after some twenty two years. Even though she sounded very upbeat I had no inkling of what she was going to tell me. When I showed interest in knowing what she was doing all these years, she told me:
“Sir, I am working in Thiruvanandapuram for the past twelve years and at present I am in Bangaluru in connection with the Chandrayan Project”
Chandrayan Project? Did I hear it correctly? After a moment of disbelief, chaos in thoughts and of course ecstasy, I expressed my joy and I don’t remember what all I told her.
Nizy after her environmental studies did a PhD in Microwave Remote Sensing and was settled in Germany, with her post-doctoral research. Seeing her published papers, a senior scientist at the VSSC contacted her and told her that she can join them if she was interested. She could not ask for more. Perhaps she might not have realised at that time that she was asking for the moon!
The girl who touched the Moon
Yes, Nizy is now the girl who touched the moon. Indeed she touched the moon surface without ‘burning her fingers’ at 50 degree Celsius. Nor did she freeze while probing the moon slightly below the surface at minus 10 degree Celsius. Yes, we can be proud of our scientists. They are made of sterner stuff.
Nizy was the leader of the team that fabricated the equipment used for physically ‘measuring’ the temperature of the moon. She was also assigned the task of analysing the signals received after such ‘measurements’.
Nizy was upbeat over the phone. She had all the right to be so. I could gather from her conversation as to how scientists work round the clock at the ISRO. Passion, dedication, determination, endurance greed to excel all rolled into one; that perhaps defines our scientists at the ISRO. Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Engineering; they have excelled in everything. They have mastered very high temperatures as well as very low temperatures. They have made 1.4 billion Indians proud. With this soft landing they have helped India crash-land on to the higher rungs in the elite list of nations with space technology at their disposal. Yes, the Rover is merrily engaged in 'Moon Walk' yet wisely avoiding those craters with deceptive looks, where no other nation ever dared to even peep into.
Nizy, after our telephonic conversation I am in a state of wild excitement, rapturous joy and my mind is in a chaotic state. I cannot concentrate even while praying. Don't blame me. I have every right to be mad! I am proud of you. Your Alma Mater is proud of you. The CMS College is yearning to receive you here at your earliest convenience. Your presence here will motivate the students to dedicate themselves to learning with an irresistible will to excel in life and be a part of the solemn duty of nation building, the way you and all the scientists at ISRO strive 24X7.
A big salute to the scientists at the ISRO. And thank you Nizy, for remembering me after all these years. Thank you Nizy, for remembering me even when you were there, ‘On The Top Of The World’. Don’t know how to congratulate you. Words become too insufficient to express oneself in such situations. God bless you.
