Refused a Nobel, This Unsung Indian Scientist’s Research Saved Millions of Lives
“De died in 1985 unhonoured & unsung in India’s scientific circles. That our Academies didn't see it fit 2 elect him to their Fellowships must rank as one of the most glaring omissions of our time.”
The Unsung Hero #SambunathDe
Sambhunath De (1/2/1915 – 15/4/1985) was a Bengali medical scientist and researcher, who discovered the #choleratoxin, the animal model of cholera and successfully demonstrated the method of transmission of cholera pathogen Vibrio cholerae.
Born at
Hooghly for a middle class family, De completed his matriculation by his uncle's support & higher education by Scholarship & support from a Seth who identified his zeal for studies.
De did his medical degree from Calcutta & finished his PhD from London.
In 1955 De became the
ಹೊಸ ಬಯಕೆಯ ಅಲೆಗಳು ಏಳುತ
ತರುವುದು ಪ್ರಣಯದ ಚಿಂತೆ
ರತಿಯೆ ಎದುರಲಿ ನಿಂತಿರುವಂತೆ
ಸನಿಹಕೆ ಸರಸಕೆ ಬಾ ಎಂದಂತೆ
ಅಂದವೆ ಕಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ
ಆನಂದವೆ ಬಾಳಲ್ಲಿ
ಮಲಯ ಮಾರುತ ಗಾನಾ...
ಒಲವಿನ ಬಲೆಯಲಿ ಸೆರೆಯಾಗಿರಲು
ಮೌನವು ಸಂಗೀತದಂತೆ
ಸ ರಿ ಗ ಮಾ - ಮ ಮ ಗ
ಮ ಪ ದ ನೀ- ನಿ ನಿ ದ
ಪ ದ ನಿ ಸಾ- ಸ ಸ ನಿ
ದ ನಿ ಸ ರೀ -ರಿ ರಿ ಸ
ನಿ ದ ಪ- ದ ಪ ಮ ಗ ರಿ
ರಿ ಗ ಮ ಪ- ದ ನಿ ಸ
ರಿ ಗ ಮ ಪ- ದ ನಿ ಸ
ಸ ನಿ ದ ನಿ - ದ ಪ ದ ನಿ ಸ
ಒಲವಿನ ಬಲೆಯಲಿ ಸೆರೆಯಾಗಿರಲು
ಮೌನವು ಸಂಗೀತದಂತೆ
ಮೇಘವು ಸುರಿಸುವ ಮಳೆ ನೀರೆಲ್ಲ
ಪನ್ನೀರಿನ ಹನಿ ಹನಿಯಂತೆ
ಕಾಮನ ಬಿಲ್ಲೆ ಬಳಿ ಕರೆದಂತೆ
ಪ್ರೇಮದ ಎಲ್ಲೆಯ ಪೂಜಿಸಿದಂತೆ
ಅಂದವೆ ಕಣ್ಣಲ್ಲಿ
Born as Munusami on this day in 1890, He quit school when there was an attempt to convert him and other students to Christianity. He was forced to repay the money the school had spent on his food.
Karapadi Swami in Vyasarpadi, advised him to work for the welfare of Dalits in
Chidambaram. It was he who named him Sahajananda.
He established a mutt and a trust in the name of Nandanar, a medieval Dalit devotee and one of the 63 Saivite saints, in Chidambaram in 1916.
He was a member of the Tamil Nadu Legislative Council between 1926 and 1932 and
again between 1936 and 1947. After Independence, he was elected to the Assembly from the Chidambaram constituency and continued as a member till his death in 1959.
He mobilised funds for the family of freedom fighter V.O. Chidambaram Pillai when he went bankrupt.