This Commentary entitled "Victimization of CSIR Scientists for writing an HONEST Report" by Dr. D. Sardana was received on December 11, 2009 by Freedom for Science.
Mr. Brahmachari, DG CSIR, has not given any answers to the basic questions of CSIR leadership’s inadequacies put forth by me and my co-author Shiva Ayyadurai in our document distributed on October 19, 2009 (entitled CSIR-TECH: The Path Forward - available on this blog.)
In spite of our repeated requests for an open public forum to discuss
our basic questions and newer ones (e.g. OSDD, Soleckshaw, TCGA, CSIR University) as raised in the Nature India article entitled Innovation Demands Freedom, a massive and conscious campaign of defamation and disinformation to demolish us has been unleashed.
We came to India, leaving our homes, friends, family, security, comforts and many opportunities for one reason: to serve India, our motherland. We published our document as a part of our job – to contribute to CSIR. We raised important questions as a part of our job. We were ready to receive any and all feedback, positive or negative, and update the document as a part of our job.
Why were we given a Gag order within 72 hours of publishing this draft report? Was the report not distributed internally, to our own scientists and directors, simply seeking their feedback? What was wrong with the document? If there were any errors, we were willing to make corrections and resubmit as a part of doing my job.
India’s pre-eminent scientist, Dr. P.M. Bharagava, founder director of the CSIR’s CCMB said our Report, was “… a very honest report and accurately identified the challenges within [CSIR].”
Why then has my co-author been so brutally treated, including: 1. Eviction from his house with less than six (6) days notice, 2. Bogus withdrawal of his offer, and 3. Threats to his continued stay in India ?
What gain did Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai have in risking his wonderful bungalow in South Delhi, car, amenities and prestige as one of the youngest to be appointed at the Additional Secretary Level? How many would have taken such a risk?
Dr. Killiguddi Jayaraman published Report Row Ousts Indian Scientist in Nature India. Dr. Jayaraman received significant backlash. Nature India’s Editor, Ms. Priyardarshini Subhra then graciously offered Mr. Brahmachari opportunities to write a rebuttal commentary. Mr. Brahmachari vociferously refused.
Following publication of Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai’s commentary entitled Innovation Demands Freedom, we have witnessed a vindictive campaign of defamation and intimidation including:
1. A systematic and well-orchestrated use of disinformation and defamation Blogs
2. Fraudulent assignment of Dr. Swapan K. Das and Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai’s names to such blogs
3. Attacks on my co-author’s credentials, disseminating doubts of his being a Faculty Lecturer at M.I.T. Is this CSIR Leadership’s procedure, i.e. to check credentials after terminating, instead of at the time of recruitment? Did they not ask for 10 reference letters prior to offering the STIO/H (i.e. outstanding scientist)post?
4. Misappropriation of statements to others. Entire paragraphs
have been attributed to Dr. Swapan K. Das, who had earlier resigned from IGIB after a dispute with Mr. Brahmachari, when he has unequivocally stated he did not post such comment.
5. Attack on Nature India’s blog within days of the Commentary’s release. Was this coincidental?
6. Sudden termination of Internet access to Shiva Ayyadurai’s business in Chennai within 24 hours of publication of Nature India article and lack of access to www.vashiva.com for nearly 1 day, forcing relocation to U.S. servers. Another coincidence?
7. Multiple direct and indirect threats including incarceration and withholding of passport & visa if Shiva Ayyadurai went to press.
8. Communication from a former colleague at CSIR HQ that I should be ready for “the consequences” if I went public.
All of the above are verifiable through independent inquiry and in an open public forum, only more such examples of CSIR Leadership's ongoing victimization of other scientists using their tactics cover up's, denials, lies and manipulation, as stated in our Report, will come out.
That Nature India Commentary only requested an open public forum with press and media and posed other questions for CSIR leadership. I had truly hoped the Commentary would have resulted in a peaceful and transparent way to reach definitive conclusions, particularly given CSIR’s own homepage prominently displays the National Integration Pledge: “I further affirm that I shall never resort to violence and that I will continue to endeavour towards settlement of all differences and disputes … by peaceful and constitutional means.”
Why has our October 19, 2009 draft report led to all of this, if there is nothing to hide? We did our jobs, and so have the media.
Is it not also odd, as exemplified in the last paragraph in New York Times article Some Indians Find it Tough to Go Home Again written by Heather Timmons, a similar intimidation style of Mr. Brahmachari gets reflected?
Even less than 24 hours ago, why has CSIR leadership threatened and asked Nature India to remove the Commentary published on their web site?
Dr. Bhargava has stated that he “…has seen many cases of vindictiveness in the CSIR, but this is the worst.” (ANI, Nov. 10, 2009)
We have done everything possible on our parts to redress this matter. At this point, we must move on and get our lives back in order.
Dr. Shiva Ayyadurai and I remain deep in our love for India, our people, innovation and science and are only saddened by the havoc that the behavior of CSIR leadership has caused.
Only the Government of India and the mass of scientists at CSIR can now pursue and resolve this matter given Mr. Brahmachari’s continued recalcitrance. If and when that happens we will be happy to participate in the open forum discussion and “independent and impartial inquiry”.
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4 comments:
1. Anonymous said...
I am new entrant to this debate. I have gone thro' debates and comments. What I find is not to pertinent to the point. We have to analysis the consequence on both sides.
Dr.Shiva ayyaduarai is wrong when he published something about his former employer DG CSIR. He has complained to PM and Minister . It is alright. He has to wait for the disposals from PM and minister for his complaints. Then he approach the court. This is the set up at CSIR. Everybody knows, he will not get justice and cover ups only we expect from the higher places. It is the CSIR. If he could cop up with these master slaves, he can be there as their boss,otherwise he can be there in Boston as American. What about our Prof.Samir Bramachari, Director General of Scientific and Industrial Research (DGSIR) CSIR . He is a very silly personality and he used pull down safety clothing of his enemies or rivals in the open place when he gets a chance to do it. A year back he visited one CSIR laboratory where one of his IISC senior colleagues was working as the Director of that Institute. Samir did not like him and wanted to boss over him by showing authority. Somebody from that lab had sent anonymous petitions with forged signatures of 13-14 persons from the lab against the Director to DGSIR alleging that the Director has a daughter thro' his illegal wife etc etc . Samir brought that letter to that lab and asked all persons whose signs found in that letter to come to Guest house. There were 50 people in the guest house. He asked one of the persons to read the letter loudly in the presence of that Director. Then he asked them to verify their signature in that letter. All the persons there denied having signed such letter. They started begging the DG to ask the Director not to take any action or vindictive action. The Director, old man, was about to weep. He was brought up in a very disciplined family and he was "SHISYA" of Prof.CN.RAO and had his blessings. Prof.Samir hurted and humiliated both the sides . He knew pretty well that there is no truth in the particular allegation against the Director. He also knew that it is a forged document and that the scientists who alleged to have forged their signatures are also innocent people. Then why he made such a drama? What is the motive or his action were motiveless?. He has taken vengeance against the old man who is about 10 years senior by age and position at IISC. It is the work of vigilance (CSIR) people. Everything should be handled in a confidential way by proper authority and means. An academically top scientist like SAMIR should not .....have behaved like this . The director of lab, it is learnt, now in IISC back as its professor.
Reproduced from From ABI’s NANOPOLITAN BLOG
please read the correct working link about the former DGSIR (RA MASHELKAR) colloboration with RSS chief .. fotos
http://docs.google.com/View?id=dc7gzkdw_0fqzbh2
Human genome mapping: Scientists question claim
Bangalore, Dec 12 (IANS) Sections of the Indian scientific community say the claims on mapping the genome of an Indian are vastly exaggerated though many agree it is a step forward.Many scientists are also surprised that the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) opted to announce its research to journalists through parliament before first publishing its findings in a peer-reviewed journal as is customary. Pushpa Bhargava, founder of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad, told IANS on telephone, “These are the sort of statements that will bring down the credibility of Indian science.” “I was amused when I read the news reports that India has joined ‘elite’ league of countries like the US, Britain, Canada, China and (South) Korea.” Science Minister Prithviraj Chavan said in parliament that India has made a “unique achievement” by sequencing the complete genome of an Indian. Chavan went further saying “medicines based on sequencing will prolong life by 30 years.”
At a press conference Tuesday, CSIR director general Samir Brahmachari announced that the sequencing feat by his scientists has “bridged the technology gap, setting the stage for affordable healthcare and predictive medicine, besides giving rise to possibilities in diagnostics, treatment and personalised medicine.” Brahmachari did not reply to questions whether the quality and accuracy of the genome data generated by the CSIR was validated by independent scientists and why the work was announced to the lay press before being published in a science journal. Scientists say sequencing is not a big deal considering that the service is now commercially available and anyone can have his or her genome sequenced for a fee. The human genome was sequenced and published seven years ago. “You see companies advertising on the internet regularly and the costs are coming down rapidly,” a scientist at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bangalore told IANS, not wishing to be identified.
Some scientists are also amused by Chavan’s comparison of the CSIR work with India’s Chandrayaan-I mission to the moon. “Our space scientists used their own rocket and satellite to go to the moon,” one of them said. “The technology used by the CSIR for sequencing was licensed from the UK company Illumina Cambridge Ltd (formerly Solexa Ltd) and not developed at the CSIR.” G. Padmanabhan, a leading biochemist and former director of IISc, says the CSIR announcement could have waited until “something striking or unique” was found during analysis of data. Not everyone is critical though. “It (genome sequencing by the CSIR) is indeed a very significant event,” Raja Mugasimangalam, CEO of Bangalore-based Genotypic Technology (P) Ltd who had earlier collaborated with Brahmachari, told IANS. “It is not a big jump for (Indian) mankind, but it is very important that we went ahead and did it early enough.”
Equally enthusiastic is Aravinda Chakravarti of Johns Hopkins University in the US and past president of the American Society of Human Genetics. “It is good to see the progress to human genome sequencing in India and I am eagerly waiting to see the results published rapidly,” Chakravarti told IANS on e-mail. “However, we have a long way to go to catch up with the others.” Chakravarti however said the claims by the CSIR on the health front are “exaggerated.” “In the long term it is unknown whether healthcare costs will be reduced, but it’s always true that the more we understand (the genome) the better.”
Read more: thaindian.com/newsportal/sci-tech/human-genome-mapping-scientists-question-claim_100288051.html
Read more about Plagiarism of DIRECTOR of CSIR, but uncared by DGSIR , past glories in the link:
http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0B9gZGLlbsWVuZTk5YTE1MGYtNjUwNi00ODZlLTlhMjAtNzZjMWYxYjc1MjNm&hl=en
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