Science can harmonise society, says scholar

In his talk titled ‘Experiencing the oneness of Science, Spirituality and Service’, R Balasubramaniam spoke about his journey — graduating from a medical school, working with the tribal communities in rural Mysuru, and finally, deciding to walk the path of service through medicine.

Science has the potential to shape a harmonious society that rises above its internal differences, noted public policy advocate and development scholar R Balasubramaniam here on Monday.

He was delivering the 49th Gandhi Memorial Lecture (GML), jointly organised by the Raman Research Institute (RRI) and the RRI Trust.

In his talk titled ‘Experiencing the oneness of Science, Spirituality and Service’, Balasubramaniam spoke about his journey — graduating from a medical school, working with the tribal communities in rural Mysuru, and finally, deciding to walk the path of service through medicine.

“We must all consider science or medicine as powerful instruments or tools to serve and establish the oneness between communities and the society. Oneness exists in integration and not stereotyping people or their qualifications,” he said. During the talk, he evoked the ideas of tyaga, seva, ahimsa and satya put forth by Swami Vivekananda and Mahatma Gandhi.

The talk was delivered in the presence of RRI director Prof Tarun Souradeep and eminent scientists, including former Indian Space Research Organisation chairman A S Kiran Kumar, National Institute of Advanced Studies director Shailesh Nayak, and Indian Institute of Astrophysics director Prof Annapurni Subramaniam.

GML was instituted, in 1959, by the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi. RRI founder Sir CV Raman started the annual lectures and himself delivered them until his demise in 1970.

GMLs are lectures delivered at the RRI by a person of high eminence on October 2, marking Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday, or on some occasions, on the day of his martyrdom.

Previous speakers include economist and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, jurist Fali S Nariman, cosmologist Hermann Bondi, dancer Mrinalini Sarabhai, cartoonist R K Laxman, and filmmaker Shyam Benegal.