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Journalism of Courage
Death, they say, is a great leveller. I am not sure how valid this expression is, not after observing the deathly silence maintained by us on the demise of Dilip M. Salwi, the well-known science communicator, who wrote exciting fiction, plays, profiles of scientists and a series of quiz books for the young and thus made science that much more accessible and exciting.
He died on April 2, 2004 at the age of 52. Those who knew him and admired him for bravely pursuing the goal of promoting the scientific temper heard the news with a deep sense of shock. Not only because it was a personal loss which, undoubtedly, it was, but because of a question that rose in their minds: Who will provide children with exciting books on science now? This is not mere rhetoric. Salwi had written over 50 books on science before he had turned 50. He created a record when his work of science fiction, Fire on the Moon, sold more than three lakh copies. It was one that the Limca Book of Records took note of.
When we met, a few days ago at a science writers8217; workshop, he told me wistfully, 8220;There is so much to do and so little time to do it in.8221; I quizzed him on this and told him that he had years of productive work ahead of him. That8217;s when he shared his secret with me. His heart was in a pretty bad shape. I had hoped that modern science 8212; which he was passionate about 8212; would have a cure for him. That, alas, was not the case.
If the gods loved Dilip, the media seemed to have forgotten his existence. His death went relatively unnoticed. Perhaps, this was because he was not a film star or a cricketer. He was only a science communicator. Yet, therein lay the key to his greatness.
