Basiswar Sen

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Basiswar Sen, c. 1923

Basiswar "Boshi" Sen (1887 – 31 August 1971) was an Indian agricultural scientist. He was a pioneer of the

Vivekananda movement, as well as with Jagadish Chandra Bose, the Indian scientist, and Sister Nivedita, the writer, orator, freedom fighter and direct disciple of Swami Vivekananda.[1] The Government of India awarded him the third-highest civilian honour of Padma Bhushan in 1957.[2]

Early life

Sen was born in

Sri Sarada Devi
.

At this time he also came in contact with

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose for several years in Bose Institute and even accompanied him to London. In 1923, he travelled to the United States on invitation of an American scientist, Glen Overton. After his return to India, Boshi wanted to do independent research, and he parted from Dr. J.C Bose and founded his own laboratory in a small kitchen in Bosepara Lane, Baghbazar, where he was staying. The laboratory was named after Swami Vivekananda
. Boshi met
Vivekananda with him. He met Albert Einstein in 1930 in Berlin and had discussions on Science and Religion.[1][4]

In 1924 Sister Christine or Christine Greenstidel a direct American disciple of Swami Vivekananda had come down to India and took up her accommodation with Boshi. Boshi relocated to Almora where he set up his laboratory in Kundan House, rented with the money of Josephine MacLeod, and Sister Christine stayed there with him for two years. In 1928 Boshi accompanied Sister Christine to New York to help her recover from a failing health, where she died.[5] In Almora Boshi he met Gertrude Emerson, an explorer, writer and founding member of Society of Woman Geographers.[6] She was a graduate of Chicago University, a fellow of Royal Geographical Society and also editor of the Asia Magazine. In 1932 Boshi and Gertrude were married to each other. She became Gertrude Emerson Sen. They had many diginataries as their acquaintances in Kundan House, the most notable among them being Rabindranath Tagore, the mystic poet and Nobel laureate, Jawaharlal Nehru, Julian Huxley, note danceuse Uday Shankar, Swami Virajananda, the then head of Ramakrishna Order, Carl Jung etc.[7]

Kundan house, residence of Dr Basiswar Sen

Scientific research

The Great

Uttar Pradesh Government in Hawalbagh. In 1959 his Laboratory was transferred to U. P. Government, and it allotted 215 acre land for scientific research.[10]

Other activities

In 1939, Sen and Gertrude took initiative in setting up Uday Shankar Cultural Centre at Almora. But the centre lasted only for five years. Sen was also deeply spiritual in nature. He was inspired by the monks from Ramakrishna Math. He had nursed Swami Sadananda during his last days and was also initiated by him. Sen was also close to Swami Brahmananda, the first president of the Ramakrishna Mission.[1] He wrote at least one article, titled "Science and Religion".[11]

Later life

Sen died on 31 August 1971 in Ranikhet Military Hospital, Almora. After his death, Vivekananda Laboratory was absorbed into Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) as an autonomous unit in 1974, and had a leading role to play in resolving the food crisis of India through Green Revolution. It was renamed as Vivekananda Paravatiya Krishi Anisandhan Sanstha.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Boshi Sen—Scientist and Karmayogi, by Hironmoy Mukherjee, Bulletin 2009, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture
  2. ^ "Padma Awards" (PDF). Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2015. Retrieved 21 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Sri Sri Matri Mandir::". www.rkmjoyrambati.org. Archived from the original on 24 November 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  4. ^ Prophets of New India, by Romain Rolland, page 453
  5. ^ Sri Sarada Society Notes, Sprint 2008
  6. ^ Reporter, B. S. (18 March 2007). "A possible spirituality". Business Standard. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  7. ^ "Two Almora Lives - Indian Express". www.indianexpress.com. 31 March 2007. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  8. ^ "Swami Brahmananda, a Spiritual Dynamo" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 May 2014. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  9. ISSN 0002-1962
    .
  10. ^ "History: Vivekananda Laboratory". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  11. ^ "Science and Religion, by Boshi Sen". The Forum. December 1935.

Books

Nearer Heaven Than Earth: The Life and Times of Boshi Sen and Gertrude Emerson Sen, by Girish N Mehra,

ISBN 9788129110923

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