Dr Salimuzzaman Siddiqui Scientist by Dr Ahmed S
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DR. SALIMUZZAMAN SIDDIQUI 19 October 1897 - 14 April 1994 ABC CERTIFIED www.technologytimes.pk THEMATIC SUPPLEMENT OCTOBER 19, 2011 Our own Einstein: A visionary Dr Salimuzzaman Siddiqui scientist By Dr Ahmed S. Khan man of the drafting committee many national and internation- Khan to establish the drug re- value systems and peace in Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui, HI, MBE, SI, D.Phil, of the Pakistan Science Com- al academic honours. search institute in Tibbi Col- modern times, he observed, was a leading Pakistani scientist in Natural IF YOU are thinking a year ahead, mission, Chairman of the Paki- The eminent scientist was lege, Delhi. During his 10-year At the end I would like to cite sow seed. If you are thinking 10 stan Council of Science and born on October 19, 1897, to tenure as the director of the a verse from the great poet-sage Products Chemistry. As the founder director of years ahead, plant a tree. If you are Technology, Director of the In- Chaudri Muhammad Zaman. institute, he carried out exten- of ShirazSheikh Saadi: Bani thinking 100 years ahead, make stitute of Chemistry, and His elder brother, Chaudhri sive research studies on the Adam Aazai yak Digarand (the H.E.J. Research Institute of Chemistry, he people aware. By sowing seed once, founder of Hussain Ebrahim Kaliquzzaman, a prominent isolation and chemical struc- children of Adam are like limbs you harvest once. By planting a Jamal (H.E.J.) Research Institute Muslim League leader, was one ture of alkaloids and other of one another). If there is any revolutionised the research on pharmacology tree, you will harvest tenfold. By of Chemistry, University of of the founding fathers of Pa- physiologically active constitu- place for the simple wisdom of opening the minds of people, you Karachi. He was elected as a kistan. After graduating from ents of a number of plants used this verse in modern times, it of various domestic plants found in South Asia will harvest a hundredfold. fellow of the Royal Society of Aligarh in 1919, Dr Siddiqui for medicinal purposes by the may serve to keep to the irra- Chinese proverb London in 1961. He published attended the University of Hukaamah. tional component of the hu- to extract novel chemical substances of Indeed, people who look over 400 research papers and Frankfurt am Main from 1921- He believed that a scientist man psyche under control, al- 100 years ahead build institu- must study history, literature lowing the peaceful operations medicinal importance. In addition to his tions and spread awareness. Dr and philosophy, in order to of science to overcome the Salimuzzaman Siddiqui played At the end I would like to cite a become a sophisticated thinker baneful influences of material scientific talents, Siddiqui was also an avid a pivotal role in the promotion or acquire high language profi- and ideology on mankind. and propagation of scientific verse from the great poet-sage of ciency. Dr Siddiqui conducted In Pakistan, the state of painter, a poet, and a great connoisseur of music education and research in Pa- ShirazSheikh Saadi: Bani Adam extensive research on Neem science and technology educa- By Mohammad Ayaz Abdal his lab where he was totally Born in a well known family kistan. One of the famous stu- (Melia azadirachata) and other tion and research is stagnant, immersed in his work and los- of Subeha (Barabanki District) dents of Albert Einstein, Dr Aazai yak Digarand (the children of bitter plants. In the 1990s he even deteriorating. Many sci- IT WAS in the wee hours of ing all context of time. near Lucknow on 19 October Raziuddin Siddiqui, while pay- was still isolating new com- entists in Pakistan claim to morning that the telephone This story has been narrated 1897, he received his early edu- ing tribute to Dr Siddiqui, ob- Adam are like limbs of one another). pounds from Neem. When have published hundreds of rang. I am talking about the to me by my late grandmother. cation in Urdu and Persian. He served, There are not many asked about his perseverance, research papers, but yet their late 50s when having the land- I was just a twinkle in my fa- also developed interest in liter- instances in the history of sci- If there is any place for the simple he humbly recited Faiz: contribution towards the ad- line telephone was a sign of thers eyes. ature, poetry and calligraphy ence where great research work- Kai bar iss key khatir zurreh vancement of knowledge re- luxury. My grandfather picked I was reading an interview from his father Sheikh Moham- ers are also great organisers and wisdom of this verse in modern ka jegar cheerah / Magar chash- mains insignificant. Academia up the phone waking up from of Dr. Siddiqui where he men- mad Zaman. His elder brother promoters of the subject. But, may-haran key haraney nahein in Pakistan needs to acknowl- deep sleep and with a fear in tioned the importance of hard Choudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman as with other such rules, there times, it may serve to keep to the jahtee (Many times I have sliced edge the great services ren- his heart that something has work and research and narrat- was a famous leader of the Pa- are honourable exceptions in irrational component of the human the core of the particle / But dered by Dr Siddiqui by edu- gone wrong somewhere. ed an event when one of the kistan Movement. The young this one also, Dr Siddiqui the curiosity of my curious eyes cating the young generation The voice on the other side scientist was disheartened as Salim uz Zaman and his family belongs to this category of ex- psyche under control, allowing the never vanishes). and by establishing scholar- pleaded to him, Salam, for he/she was doing research for have been mentioned affection- ceptions. Then he recited Ghalib: ships, science projects and Gods sake bring him back over one year on a certain as- ately by QuratulAin Hider in He made significant contri- peaceful operations of science to Kaya khoob hay ka sub koo chairs in his name. Nowadays, from the lab. He is there for signment which was not going her autobiography Kar-e-jahan butions in developing the sci- milay aik sa jawab / aaoh kay Islamabad needs a visionary the past four days. anywhere. Dr. Siddiqui ex- Daraaz Hai as they were quite ence and technology infrastruc- overcome the baneful influences of hum bhi sair karain koh-e-toor key. and pioneer like him, who can Within five minutes, my plained his own experience known in Lucknow society. Af- ture in Pakistan. He laid the (It is not necessary that every- revive the declining state of grandfather was in his Morris when he worked for years and ter getting his graduation in foundations of research and material and ideology on mankind. one finds the same answer / science and technology educa- Minor driving down to Karachi finally found out his original Persian and Philosophy (a very development work in Pakistan come lets visit Mount Toor tion and research, and bring University. The person on the premises was not correct. The interesting choice for one of the by establishing PCSIR research Dr. Salimuzzam Siddiqui (Sinai). them to a par with interna- other line was the German wife job of the scientist, he argued, brightest minds of chemistry), labs in Karachi, Lahore, Islam- Dr Siddiqui believed in the tional standards. of Dr. Salimuzzaman Siddiqui. is to dedicate himself to pure he proceeded to England to abad, Dhaka, Rajshahi, and application of science for the Dr Ahmed S. Khan is a profes- When all things fail, she used research and hard work. No- pursue medicine. Chittagong. Dr Siddiqui was was granted 50 patents. Dr Sid- 27. After completing his doc- service of mankind. In an arti- sor in the College of Engineering to call my grandfather to prac- body can control the results. However upon the advice of the founder of the Pakistan diqui, in recognition of his con- toral degree, he returned home cle titled, Contribution of sci- & Information Sciences, DeVry tice his fine arts of persuasion His life was a true embodi- his elder brother to study Chem- Academy of Sciences, Chair- tributions to research, received and was asked by Hakim Ajmal ence in the context of human University, Addison, IL,US. to bring Dr. Siddiqui out of ment of this principle. Continued on page 02 An eminent chemist, Pakistan Biotechnology a diversified personality Information Center (PABIC) EARLY LIFE: Siddiqui was to study chemistry. In 1924, he PIONEERING RE- treatment of mental disorders University of Karachi born in Subeha (Barabanki married his German classmate, SEARCH: Siddiqui's first and cardiovascular ailments, District) near Lucknow on 19 Ethel Wilhelmina Schneeman. breakthrough in research came especially as antiarrhythmic October 1897. He received his He received Doctor of Philos- when he successfully isolated agents in Brugada syndrome. early education from Lucknow, ophy under the supervision of an antiarrhythmic agent in DISCOVERIES FROM both in the Urdu and Persian Prof Julius Von Bram in 1927. 1931 from the roots of Rauwol- NEEM: Siddiqui was the first languages, and soon developed On his return, he established fia serpentina. He named the scientist to bring the anthelm- The Pakistan Biotechnology Information Center (PABIC), located at interest in literature, poetry, the Ayurvedic and Unani Tibbi newly discovered chemical intic, antifungal, antibacterial, Latif Ebrahim Jamal National Science Information Center, is a first and calligraphy from his father Research Institute at the Tibbia compound as Ajmaline, after and antiviral constituents of Sheikh Muhammad Zaman. College Delhi, under the guid- his mentor Hakim Ajmal Khan the Neem tree to the attention national non-profit organization under the patronage of International He graduated in Philosophy ance of Hakim Ajmal Khan.