Subject: Re: Sad Demise of Prof. A. Srikrishna, Department of Organic Chemistry From: "Goverdhan Mehta"
Dear Professor Bhattacharya; I learnt about this sad and sudden happening on 20th late afternoon. It is so untimely and tragic that I find it difficult to find words to express my sense of sorrow. As you know Srikrishna carried out his doctoral research with me was a very bright and productive collaborator. I therefore harbour a sense of personal loss. We can now only pray for the peace of the departed and solace for the family. Please accept my heartfelt condolences. Best wishes, G. Mehta Professor G. Mehta, FNA, FRS National Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant Chair School of Chemistry University of Hyderabad 500046 INDIA Tel: +91-40-23010785 Tel: +91-40-23134848 e-mail: [email protected] [email protected]
Subject: RE: Sad Demise of Prof. A. Srikrishna, Department of Organic Chemistry From: "S.N. BALASUBRAHMANYAM"
Dear Colleagues,
I share with you my profound sorrow in learning of the passing away of Professor SriKrishna.
Situated as I am, I found many logistical difficulties in trying to be on time to attend the tributes paid to Prof. SriKrishna on his last journey.
I pay my silent homage.
S. N. Balasubrahmanyam
Subject: "ASK" & "SP" From: "S.N. BALASUBRAHMANYAM"
2013 has begun for me on a devastating note. At the end of its first week, in a sudden event, I lost Dr. Sunkada Prahlada Rao (“SP”), a beautiful person whose work for the Ph. D. degree I happened to mentor. On Monday morning (Jan. 21), Mr. Raphael of the office of Organic Chemistry gave me news of the second event, the equally sudden demise of Professor SriKrishna (“ASK”). Mr. Rapheal exercised great caution and much hesitancy in letting me have the news, wondering, perhaps, what effect it would have on an old man like me.
On many of my visits to the Institute main library I used to meet SP and at times he would reveal to me some small details of the latest project he was working on in relation to his lucrative consultancy practice. He had a deep interest in teaching organic chemistry to young people. On what turned out to be just about the last occasion I met him, SP had promised to send me the correspondence on what he had taken up with "higher" authorities regarding the atrocious mistakes he had found in the chemistry textbooks he was forced to use for classes he wanted to handle just out of that interest (Glorious). I was supposed to take the matter further (Laughable). All that is not to be, now.
Professor Suryaprakash Rao, another person whose Ph. D. Work I mentored, has a written a beautiful tribute to SP, giving his life’s details. I have sent its text, as an attachment to this e- mail.
ASK, a creative thinker, researcher and esteemed colleague of mine, has authored many brilliant papers, one aspect of which, among many others, related to the synthesis of natural products through planning based on clever retrosynthetic analysis. ASK was a well-deserved recipient of the S. S. Bhatnagar award.
ASK has written a well-researched biographical sketch of our senior colleague, the late Professor G. S. Krishna Rao (available in the Department) and a tribute to the extensive work of Dr. Sukh Dev [ARKIVOC pp. 1-7 (2003 issue iii)].
One of the more amusing aspects of ASK was his inability to keep his hands off from a disarranged Rubik Cube – he would solve the puzzle in a matter of seconds, probably faster than one of those computer-aided Rubik cube-solving robots. One matter I failed to confront him with was the following question: Let’s take a solved Rubik Cube. Interchange any two of the colours (some versions of the cube have peelable plastic stickers on the faces of the ‘cubes’ that would allow the interchange of colours) and then disarrange the cube. Can the puzzle be solved now? Does this question hide some deep mathematical (topological) problem?
Professor I. N. Narayanan Namboothiri has just sent me an e-mail detailing an experience that reflects the personality of ASK. I reproduce a part of it: "He wanted to take fresh students after all his existing students graduated. His last student joined our group as a postdoc three weeks ago. When I came last year for his another student's viva (I gave a talk as well that time and you had come), he came to the airport to 'receive' me and 'escorted' me to the IISc guest house which was very embarrassing for me!
It is difficult to find someone who was so systematic, knowledgeable, dedicated and disciplined as Prof Srikrishna. He had strong opinions about everything and he supported me when I started my independent career." In my case these events could mean: If you live long enough you may be unfortunate enough to standby and watch younger people pass away.
S. N. Balasubrahmanyam
Subject: Re: Sad Demise of Prof. A. Srikrishna, Department of Organic Chemistry From: "kailasam venkatesan"
Dear SB
Very sad to learn about srikrishna's passing away. May GOD give peace to his wife and daughters.
Regards
KV
Subject: Prof. A. Srikrishna From: "Hema Sundar"
Dear Prof. Bhattacharya,
I am saddened and shocked to learn about the untimely death of Prof. A. Srikrishna. I worked with him as a PhD student from 1986-1992. I wish to express my heartfelt condolences to his family and the faculty of the Department of Organic chemistry.
Sincerely,
Hema Sundar. Subject: Prof. Srikrishna From: "DR M V RAJA SEKHARAN"
Dear Prof. Bhattacharya,
We were all shocked and pained to hear about the sudden and untimely passing away of Prof. Srikrishna. Prof. Srikrishna was the first student to graduate with a Ph. D. degree from our School. I am told that he was the first Ph. D. from the University of Hyderabad. He continued to have a strong relationship with our School and we fondly cherish our association with him which henceforth we can only reminisce about.
With regards,
Rajasekharan
M. V. Rajasekharan Dean, School of Chemistry University of Hyderabad Hyderabad - 500046 Phone: 91-40-23134857
From: Viresh Rawal
Dear Prasad,
Thank you for your note. I had meant to write to you today as I was informed late yesterday by TJ Reddy of this tragic news. I want to express my sorrow and condolences to your and other faculty at IISc. Srikrishna was a prolific and creative scientist, and his absence will be felt by all. I have always felt a strong bond with him, given his studies at Chicago, his postdoc with Stork, and that his graduate student, Reddy, was a postdoc with me.
Kind regards,
Viresh Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:40:11 +0530 Subject: From Radhakrishnan, CSIR-NIIST, Trivandrum From: "Dr. K. V.Radhakrishnan, CSIR-NIIST"
Dear Prof. Uday Maitra
Yesterday, I came to know about the sudden demise of Prof. Srikrishna. I am herewith conveying my condolences to his family and the department of chemistry, IISc.
With best regards
Radhakrishnan
Dr. K. V. Radhakrishnan Scientist, Organic Chemistry Section NIIST-CSIR (formerly RRL, TVM) Trivandrum-19, Kerala
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:22:31 -0800 (PST) From: Jayaraman Chandrasekhar
Dear Uday,
I heard the shocking news about Prof Srikrishna through Sunoj. Kindly convey our condolences to Mrs Srikrishna from Syamala and me.
JC From: Laurence M. Harwood
Dear Professor Prasad,
I have just received an Email from Dr Haak at Thieme in which she copied in your message informing her of the sudden and tragic death of Professor Srikrishna.
This is very sad news indeed. As you know, we were personally acquainted and he was a stalwart supporter of Synlett.
Please pass on the expression of my deep regrets to all of his colleagues at the IISC.
Sincerely,
Laurence Harwood -- Laurence M. Harwood MA (Oxon), BSc, MSc, PhD (Manch), CSci, CChem FRSC, Professor of Organic Chemistry, Departmental Director of Enterprise, Department of Chemistry, University of Reading, Whiteknights, READING RG6 6AD UK
From: Martin E. Maier
Dear Prasad,
I came to know from Satya about this. I was very shocked and I feel sorry for you. Unfortunately, I never was able to meet Prof. Srikrishna in person. I appreciate his work very much.
With best regards,
Martin E. Maier
-- **************************************** Prof. Dr. Martin E. Maier Universitaet Tuebingen Institut fuer Organische Chemie Auf der Morgenstelle 18 72076 Tuebingen GERMANY phone: (+49) 7071-29-75247; fax: (+49) 7071-29-5137 e-mail: [email protected] From: Hans-Joachim Knölker
Dear Prasad,
I was shocked when I was reading your mail. This are very sad news!
Joachim Knölker
From: Philip Eaton
I am very, very saddened by this. Srikrishna was a fine scientist and a good friend. My wife and I will miss him greatly.
With sincere condolences,
Prof. Eaton
From: Surya Prakash
Dear Prasad,
Please accept my condolences and also pass on my condolences to the bereaved family of Srikrishna. Srikrishna was an outstanding organic chemist and his untimely death is great loss to world's organic chemistry community. He was a good friend and will dearly miss him. It is a pity that I could not see him at my daughter's wedding last August.
Piece of advice: Get regular medical check ups!
Take care,
Prakash From: "Krishnan, Kathiresan" [email protected] Subject: Prof. Srikrishna Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:40:35 +0000; To: Uday Maitra
Dear Sir,
I just learned through a friend the sad news that Prof. Srikrishna passed away! My heartfelt condolences to his wife and children. Looks like I worked with him just yesterday. Even now, I could recall all the discussions we had over two decades ago! To tell a few, how he solved some puzzling NMRs of unusual products I obtained in an enol-ene reaction and an unexpected product formed during a "lactonisation reaction" in the thapsane project. It will take a while for me to accept the reality that he is no longer with us as he is always there in my thoughts.
Affectionately yours,
Kathiresan Krishnan PhD Staff Scientist, Washington University in St. Louis.
Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:48:07 +0530 From: "P. Babu"
Dear UM,
We just got to know from IISc website that Prof. Srikrishna passed away recently. Please convey our condolence to his family and students. He has been an inspiration to us during our graduation. May his sole rest in peace.
Kind regards, Babu and Vijayalakshmi
P. Babu, Ph. D. Head, Glycomics and Glycoproteomics Core & Biologics Characterization Facility Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms NCBS-TIFR, GKVK Post Bangalore 560065 INDIA Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 21:32:30 +0530 From: Samrat Mukhopadhyay
Dear UM:
We were very sad to know the untimely demise of Prof. Sriksrishna. I saw him briefly during my last Bangalore trip in early January and couldn't believe the news when Ramshastry mentioned to me. It's been a big loss of OC and IISc (and of course Indian organic chemistry). In 1999, he had taught us NMR, and that course was extremely useful throughout my PhD career.
Sincerely, Samrat ------Samrat Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences & Department of Chemical Sciences Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali.