MUMBAI: For the first time in recent years, Mumbai hosted an event on Sunday to honour a Pakistani scientist. The occasion was the birth centenary of Nobel laureate Abdus Salam and the event was an online lecture by eminent nuclear physicist Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy, who spoke from Islamabad.The presentation, “The Truth About Abdus Salam: Science, Faith moved to and the Atom Bomb,’’ was organised by the Mumbai sub-regional council of the Indian Association of Physics Teachers. The audience comprised mainly physics teachers from different Mumbai colleges and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). The interaction comes ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Civilisational Dialogue in Delhi in late Nov at which the federal Pakistani minister for climate change is expected to be present.Hoodbhoy, who described Salam as an ambassador for goodwill between India and Pakistan, stressed that while he was glad that the celebrated scientist was being recognised in India, it was not the same case in Pakistan as he belonged to the Ahmadiyya sect. “This is sad because there is no real role model for the youth of…
Mumbai physics forum hosts online lecture by Pakistani nuclear scientist
In short
Organized by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers' Mumbai sub-regional council, the event drew educators from local colleges and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Speaking from Islamabad, Pervez Amirali Hoodbhoy compared Abdus Salam to icons like C.V. Raman and Jagdishchandra Bose while detailing his early contributions to Pakistan's nuclear program under Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. Hoodbhoy also addressed the domestic marginalization Salam faced in Pakistan due to his Ahmadiyya faith, contrasting it with the respect he receives in India.
Key points
- Cross-border academic events continue to provide a rare channel for collaboration and int…: Cross-border academic events continue to provide a rare channel for collaboration and intellectual exchange between Indian and Pakistani institutions.
- Abdus Salam remains celebrated in India alongside regional scientific pioneers, yet his r…: Abdus Salam remains celebrated in India alongside regional scientific pioneers, yet his recognition in Pakistan is curtailed by his Ahmadiyya faith.
- Bilateral scientific and institutional dialogues occur against a broader backdrop of upco…: Bilateral scientific and institutional dialogues occur against a broader backdrop of upcoming diplomatic engagements, including the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation dialogue in Delhi.