On Abhee Dutta Mazumdar

More to Science than Research

by Tushar Chakraborty

Professor Abhee Dutta Mazumder passed away on 15th December 2013 at the age of 45. He was suffering from cancer detected at a very advanced stage. Professor Dutta Mazumder was one of the most distinguished Scientist and Activist of our time. He used to enjoy doing both and thus became a major mover and shaker in long stagnating West Bengal . A brilliant student, he completed his PhD from Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP) in 1998 . After doing post doctoral work in Canada, he returned to join SINP as a faculty in the High Energy Physics Division. His achievement in the field of High Energy Physics is outstanding. But, at the same time, the desire to change the living condition, culture and intellectual horizon – which reached near collapse situation in West Bengal and India in recent time – led him to form several organizations and platforms to fight back such degeneration. Forum Against Monopolistic Aggression (FAMA) was one such platform. As a good analyst, writer , orator and organizer, Professor Abhee Dutta Mazumder led protest movements against SEZ, Chemical hub, Nuclear Power Plants, GM food and agriculture and FDI based programmes of mal-development. Soon, Abhee became a powerful weapon of mass attraction! He could destroy strongly held and popular myths by presenting facts and evidence, in these protest movements. Actually, very well knew the trick, how to do meaningful challenging work in an apparently effortless way. Through all such struggle, he developed a great understanding of the society, and identified his role in it.

A wide spread misconception is that, scientists are naturally loner. But, outstanding scientists in most path-breaking areas require outstanding social skills as illustrated by Professor Abhee Dutta Mazumder and others. Both Science and activism needs maintaining trustful relationship with wide varieties of people and personalities, particularly the young ones. By doing this skilfully, Professor Abhee Dutta Mazumder earned the trust and love of so many friends, colleagues, comrades - both young and old .

In a very difficult time, we lost an exceptional friend, leader, teacher and helmsman who showed us that there is more to science than doing only research . He left his wife Mala, a noted physicist, his very young daughter and ailing father. We too share their grief and loss .