Racing against time and cancer, scholar at 60 completes his viva

CHENNAI, OCT 6: His is literally a race against time. Not because it has taken him six years to complete his PhD thesis, or he is nearing ...

CHENNAI, OCT 6: His is literally a race against time. Not because it has taken him six years to complete his PhD thesis, or he is nearing 60 years of age. R Ranganathan sought advancement of his viva-voce date by a month because he has just 60 days to live.

When Ranganathan presented himself on Thursday morning at the Department of Defence and Strategic Studies (DDSS) for his viva, nothing but the quiver in his voice belied that he was suffering from cancer.

On August 17, doctors at the Cancer Institute, Adyar, detected that Ranganathan was suffering from thyroid cancer. When this was conveyed to him, the first thing that struck him was that he might not live to complete his thesis on Induced Instability in the Indian Ocean Region,’ on which he had toiled for six long years.

“Doctors have given me a couple of months. Time enough to present my thesis,” says Ranganathan. He approached the DDSS head of the department Gopalji Malaviya for advancing his viva. The Madras University gave special permission to the department to conduct a public viva-voce for Ranganathan with the former head of the department F V A Scudder as the external examiner.

Says Gopalji Malaviya, “As he was going for a chemotherapy session from October 9 we decided to have the viva today.” Speaking about the thesis, Scudder said, “The 371-leaves bound thesis looks voluminous and frightening, but its content is exhaustive with data from 46 countries.”

Ranganathan, who retired as a wing commander, joined the Air Force during the Chinese aggression. A reason why, perhaps, he decided to study Induced Instability in the Indian Ocean.’

While in service he completed his MBA, obtained a Master’s and M Phil in Defence Studies. His thesis for M Phil, Indian Naval Strategy for 2000 AD’, was published earlier.

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The former Air Force wing commander, won the medal from the Chief of Air staff for his role in saving the lives of Sikhs in the 1983 New Delhi riots (after the assassination of former prime minister Indira Gandhi).

After retirement, he taught management in many colleges. “I am still on the rolls as head of the department for MBA in S R M Engineering College,” he says.

Ranganathan isn’t alone in his quest for knowledge. His family shares his passion. His wife, Sashi, completed her degree in Sanskrit, a few years ago, and even won a gold medal. His son in the US is a research scholar. His daughter is pursuing Master’s in law. And Rangnathan is leading by example.

Ironically, a man who has not heard of Emily Dickinson shares more than her thoughts. He too writes poetry. And like the poetess, “could not stop for death”.