2022-09-29 08:03:29 wrote:

Any demise is a sad occasion, so is the case with the demise of Dr LD Swindale in spite of him reaching the Lord at the ripe age of 94 years. When I learnt about this unfortunate event today afternoon, I was saddened and a lot of memories started flooding in my mind. Dr Swindale was an ‘institute builder’. After consolidating and strengthening the institute in India, he started the establishment of regional centers in Africa. Establishment of the ICRISAT Sahelian Center (ISC) at Niamey in Niger was a big feather in his cap. Other outreach programs were set up in Mali, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Nigeria, and Sudan in West Africa and Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi and Zimbabwe in Southern and Eastern Africa. A program was started in Mexico to improve highland sorghum and in Pakistan to improve kabuli chickpea in the region. He made the institute truly international. This was further reflected in the composition of internationally recruited staff (IRS). There were more than 28 nationalities represented in the IRS cadre of the institute. Dr Swindale was a very effective and successful fund raiser. I very vividly remember one incident that happened with me. I had returned from Malawi in 1986 to the headquarters in India to take charge of groundnut breeding unit. One day he called me in the afternoon to inform that he would like to visit my fields the next day. Next morning I picked him up from his office in my car and showed him groundnut fields for almost two hours. After the field visit, I brought him near the Field Medical Unit and we started walking in the corridor towards his office (which used to be called by some as green carpet area). As I had more operational funds in Malawi than what I had at the headquarters, very hesitatingly I mentioned to him of my limited budget and requirement of more resources for my unit. He wasn’t happy with my statement and said that getting funds was his job and my job was to focus on research. He kept scientists free from administrative chores so that they could focus on research, which was their primary job. After this episode I never talked to him about resources for my unit. Another incident, which came to my mind, was my annual appraisal meeting with him. My supervisor had given a few adverse remarks on my non-scientific outputs. One day, Mr Balasubramanian (we all used to call him Balu), Administrative Officer in DG’s office, informed me that the DG would meet me on the coming Saturday in Kaliva (DG’s official residence in town) to discuss my annual appraisal. At the appointed hour I reached Kaliva and the DG showed me my appraisal form and the comments of my supervisor. When I started explaining my response to those comments, he asked me to go back and discuss them with my supervisor as he was not in agreement with them. My supervisor had taught me in undergraduate and he still treated me as his student whereas I was his colleague now. I was hesitant to go back to my supervisor to discuss his adverse comments on my non-scientific outputs. Dr Swindale insisted that I go back and confront my supervisor, which I did on the coming Monday. The long meeting with my supervisor helped to remove many misunderstandings between us and our relations subsequently became very cordial. Dr Swindale would read all tour reports submitted by the scientists and would call them to discuss his queries and seek clarification on their reports. There are many such incidents, which exhibit Dr Swindale’s leadership qualities and administrative acumen. I will always cherish his memories. May his soul rest in peace.