The Physics Society

About our Founder & President Prof.R.Ananthan
— A personal Note from C.S.Ravi Shankar, Secretary

I have been with Prof. Ananthan for about 17 years. It would not be an exaggeration if I say that I have learnt all my physics from him. I have been attending the weekly meetings from the year 1992 when I was a B.Sc. Physics student. It is a matter of pride that I have missed only about 25 and odd meetings in all these years and that I am the only member to have been attending the weekly meetings for such a long span of time. My relation with Ananthan is more than that of a student-teacher relationship. He has been my friend, philosopher and guide. It is only apt that I utilize this opportunity to tell something about this man and his vision!

Born in the year 1934, in a simple Hindu family, he completed his schooling in 1951. However, fate has its own cruel ways. Family circumstances forced him to discontinue his studies and take up a job as a lower division clerk in the Revenue Department. It is indeed difficult for me to imagine the torment his heart and mind would have gone through during those years. One needs to bear in mind that the concept of distance education did not exist those days. The fact that he could not pursue his interest in physics did trouble him a lot. But, fortunately, nature is not all that cruel. Miracles do happen! He was able to continue his studies after a break of 7 long years! With great difficulty (he was too ‘old’) he joined The Venkateswara College of Arts and Sciences, Tirupathi. He was 24 then. And no one is expected to do P.U.C. at such an age. The one and only person to encourage him was his elder brother. There was no stopping him from then on. He joined the Annamalai University where he did his B.Sc. and M.Sc. In 1965, he joined the D.G. Vaishnov College, Chennai, as professor, where he served for 28 years before retiring in 1992.

I wish to place on record that though Prof Ananthan did go through years of University education like a majority of us, his knowledge is mostly original. The unfortunate thing is that no one would believe this. After all, we need a teacher to teach us, is it not? And our idea of learning is to listen with obedience what the teacher reads out! Being a school teacher in an International setting, I can very clearly see where he would have been if he had chosen to look for opportunities outside India. I can’t avoid feeling that this man is ‘the right man in the wrong country’. Even at the age of 75 he still retains the undiminished energy and enthusiasm to share his knowledge with students and teachers. It is my hope that our society will, at least now, use him to the fullest.

I was fortunate to be under his tutelage in the last year of his service. In a sense, it was the only year I learnt physics in college!

Prof. Ananthan has been my source of inspiration. To him, I owe all that I know in Physics. He is a person whom every one must meet at least once in life.