I visited National Institute of Amateur Radio (NIAR) this week, incidentally on the birth anniversary of Marconi, the inventor of Radio. Why? Because I was reading this Science Fiction book — “Contact” by Carl Sagan — and I got curious about learning more about radios (the protagonist in the book works on radio astronomy). Some google search led me to NIAR, which is actually just 5km away from my house. So less I know of my city!
NIAR was started by a passionate person Shri. Sriramamurthy Suri (VU2MY) with the initiative and support of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (VU2RG). Rajiv Gandhi was also an amateur radio operator (nicknamed as HAM) and wanted to promote this scientific hobby in India. Apparently, he broadcasted through his HAM just before his assassination as well.
There are about 50,000 HAMs in India, which is a very less number. Japan has about 3.5 lakhs. Suri draws a correlation between number of HAMs and the development of Science and Technology in a country. It could be a causation because I see it as a cost-effective way of introducing Physics to children, hands-on.
If you’re in Hyderabad, you can visit NIAR on any weekday. They are welcoming and will tell you everything about being a HAM operator in India. Anyone above the age of 12 can become one. There is an exam that we have to write. I’m considering giving this exam.
Telugu speakers can watch this video for more context — Devulapalli Bharathi (VU2RBI) Interview (She is one of the earliest HAM operators of India)
We did a screening of our short film at Ravindra Bharathi. Some of this interaction is captured here: Video
I’m conducting one writing session tomorrow for HWC.
I also wrote one short story, based on a few real incidents :’)
Going back to the HAM thing. I first knew about HAMs when I was at NITK. My Professor Dr. K.V Gangadharan (VU2TAO) was a HAM and I heard of how HAMs are useful during emergency scenarios (when regular modes of communication don’t work). But that’s what it stayed as a piece of information. As I was reading Carl Sagan’s “Contact”, I got emotionally invested to learn more about the subject. Probably, I would not have gone to NIAR had I read a technical know-how of an Amateur Radio.
Stories evoke emotions and emotions make you take action. This is also the premise of this book — Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason and the Human Brain. The author, a neuroscientist, basically argues that a rational person would be able to analyze a problem (give pros and cons etc.). But to make a decision and take action, emotions are needed.
Art is a way to evoke emotions and if it is left to people who don’t do science (going by the way our education system separates Arts and Sciences streams), I don’t know how we can inspire people towards Sciences. So, thank you Carl Sagan for disobeying this Arts-Science separation and writing this wonderful Science fiction!