Personality Of The Week
Chandrayaan-I mission director Annadurai during his visit to a primary school at Kothawady near Coimbatore. He did his initial schooling in that school. When US sent its astronauts to the moon, news spread like wildfire to all corners of the world, including Kothawady, a small village near Coimbatore. Among the avid listeners of the radio (which brought in the news) was an 11-year-old boy, who was always glued to the radio to learn new things. Little did he know that over four decades later, he would spearhead his country’s maiden mission to the moon. That’s the earliest memory that Chandrayaan-1 mission director M Annadurai has about the influence of the moon in his school days. Over the last two weeks or so, he has been besieged by well-wishers in his hometown who are eagerly lapping up every detail about the moon mission and his role in its fructification. Last Saturday, for instance, despite the pouring rain, school and college students were all ears for Mr Annadurai who spoke at a public function at a colony here.
“It speaks volumes for the popularity and attention given to the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) for successfully completing the mission,” Mr Annadurai said. Typical of any scientist from a strong organisational culture like Isro, Mr Annadurai frequently referred to his team and organisation during a discussion that followed. For him, it is a personal mission to highlight Isro’s achievements and draw more youngsters towards scientific research. “There is definitely a shortage in this field and we are looking for more talent,” he said. In fact, the resumes, from India and abroad, haven’t stopped flowing in since the mission blasted off successfully last month.
About the applicants, Mr Annadurai says, “they will be an asset to us, because they have already honed their skills in specified fields.” Annadurai’s entry into Isro, itself, was the fulfilment of a promise made to his father, more than his personal keenness. He belonged to a family of weavers, for whom landing a job with a government organisation would, in itself, be a measure of success. “My father named me after Dravidian leader Annadurai and wanted me to take up literature. But I took science in my intermediate. He wanted me to do pure science for graduation but I preferred engineering. So, when it came to a job, I agreed to my father’s suggestion to work for an Indian company and, if possible, a public undertaking,” he said.
After a short stint at consumer electronics company BPL, he joined Isro, to help make satellites that would beam programmes and images to television sets across India. Prior to his Chandrayaan assignment, Annadurai was the mission director for India’s National Communication Satellite (INSAT) missions. “From then, there was no looking back. Though I got a lot of offers, I was so obsessed with Isro that I didn’t look beyond,” he said. The 50-year-old scientist is ready to man another three moon missions, Chandrayaan-II, III & IV, before he hangs up his boots.
Dubbed the “moon man” by the locals here, he wants to complete his tenure with Isro and use all his time for more moon odysseys. According to him, an alternate habitat, unlike the space station, can be formed on the moon and can be used by all travellers to the moon. “A natural habitat, something like a lava flown tunnel type of thing can be set up on the moon. Svailability of water and oxygen is an added advantage,” he said. Today, surrounded by sophisticated instruments at Isro, Annadurai is hardly the 11-year-old boy who excitedly heard the radio for all the recent updates around the world.
