29-09 2022 09:55
wrote:
A Shradanjali to Dr Leslie D Swindale
It was very shocking to hear of the sad demise of Dr Leslie D Swindale, Former Director General, who served ICRISAT with distinction, and I had the honor to work under his exemplary leadership between 1979 to 1993. May the God rest the departed soul in peace and, give strength to his family to bear this irreparable loss. To pay a fitting tribute to his excellent leadership at ICRISAT, I would like to mention a few interactions I have had with Dr Swindale, which will bear a testimony of his able leadership to serve the poor farmers in the Semi-Arid Tropics.
In 1983, his office phoned the then Unit leader of Cereals Entomology, that he would like to see my experiments in Sorghum Entomology. While explaining the progress made in identifying and developing sorghum midge-resistant varieties, he suddenly asked me, “What we can do to reward educated and hard working regular work force (RWF) ?”. I indicated to him that those having a matric certificate and more than 5 years experience can be made field or lab attendants. That will distinguish these people from the large uneducated labor force. He then left for office/lunch, and created a new category for the educated labor force. He must have had several suggestions, but the very thought of having input from a fresh scientist like me, as I had never met him before personally, speaks of his keen interest in independent opinion, and the concern for the employees.
Dr Swindale was asked to come back as interim DG. While coming out of the auditorium after research planning meeting of the Governing Board, he asked the then Chair of the Governing Board, whether he knows me and introduced me as one of the finest scientists of ICRISAT, and that he has great expectations from my work in future. I was surprised with his comments.
Later in October 2001, I received an email from Dr Swindale, congratulating me for having won the “Excellence in Science Award of CGIAR”, showing his keen interest in ICRISAT’s progress. These examples, though personal in nature, speak volumes of Dr Swindles knowledge and interest in welfare of ICRISAT employees, and the progress in R4D to improve the lives of poor farmers in the Semi-Arid Tropics.
My last interaction with him was in 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii. We had gone there to attend the 17th International Plant protection Congress. Dr Swindale had settled in Hawaii after retirement. He invited us for a dinner, and asked us to order the food that each one of us would like to have, but indicated that he will order the desert for all, which will represent the local food of Hawaii. Dr Swindle was kind enough to drop us in the hotel before going to his home.
He discouraged the scientists from writing funding proposals. His dictum was that ICRISAT scientists must focus on research and that it is his duty to see that the scientists have sufficient funds to do the research. And he did that excellently well during his tenure at ICRISAT. Similarly, he also stregthened the ties with NARS scientists to take the technology to the farmers.
Most of the progress in developing high yielding varieties of ICRISAT mandate crops, and crop and nutrient management technology was developed during this golden period of ICRISAT, as were my own contributions in developing insect-resistant cultivars.
And I dedicate these R4D contributions at ICRISAT to Dr Swindale, and other luminaries.
“May the God rest the departed soul in peace”.
Hari C Sharma
President, Council of International Congress of Entomology (ICE).
Governing Board Member, International Association of Plant Protection Sciences (IAAPS).
29-09 2022 09:55
wrote:
A Shradanjali to Dr Leslie D Swindale
It was very shocking to hear of the sad demise of Dr Leslie D Swindale, Former Director General, who served ICRISAT with distinction, and I had the honor to work under his exemplary leadership between 1979 to 1993. May the God rest the departed soul in peace and, give strength to his family to bear this irreparable loss. To pay a fitting tribute to his excellent leadership at ICRISAT, I would like to mention a few interactions I have had with Dr Swindale, which will bear a testimony of his able leadership to serve the poor farmers in the Semi-Arid Tropics.
In 1983, his office phoned the then Unit leader of Cereals Entomology, that he would like to see my experiments in Sorghum Entomology. While explaining the progress made in identifying and developing sorghum midge-resistant varieties, he suddenly asked me, “What we can do to reward educated and hard working regular work force (RWF) ?”. I indicated to him that those having a matric certificate and more than 5 years experience can be made field or lab attendants. That will distinguish these people from the large uneducated labor force. He then left for office/lunch, and created a new category for the educated labor force. He must have had several suggestions, but the very thought of having input from a fresh scientist like me, as I had never met him before personally, speaks of his keen interest in independent opinion, and the concern for the employees.
Dr Swindale was asked to come back as interim DG. While coming out of the auditorium after research planning meeting of the Governing Board, he asked the then Chair of the Governing Board, whether he knows me and introduced me as one of the finest scientists of ICRISAT, and that he has great expectations from my work in future. I was surprised with his comments.
Later in October 2001, I received an email from Dr Swindale, congratulating me for having won the “Excellence in Science Award of CGIAR”, showing his keen interest in ICRISAT’s progress. These examples, though personal in nature, speak volumes of Dr Swindles knowledge and interest in welfare of ICRISAT employees, and the progress in R4D to improve the lives of poor farmers in the Semi-Arid Tropics.
My last interaction with him was in 2011 in Honolulu, Hawaii. We had gone there to attend the 17th International Plant protection Congress. Dr Swindale had settled in Hawaii after retirement. He invited us for a dinner, and asked us to order the food that each one of us would like to have, but indicated that he will order the desert for all, which will represent the local food of Hawaii. Dr Swindle was kind enough to drop us in the hotel before going to his home.
He discouraged the scientists from writing funding proposals. His dictum was that ICRISAT scientists must focus on research and that it is his duty to see that the scientists have sufficient funds to do the research. And he did that excellently well during his tenure at ICRISAT. Similarly, he also stregthened the ties with NARS scientists to take the technology to the farmers.
Most of the progress in developing high yielding varieties of ICRISAT mandate crops, and crop and nutrient management technology was developed during this golden period of ICRISAT, as were my own contributions in developing insect-resistant cultivars.
And I dedicate these R4D contributions at ICRISAT to Dr Swindale, and other luminaries.
“May the God rest the departed soul in peace”.
Hari C Sharma
President, Council of International Congress of Entomology (ICE).
Governing Board Member, International Association of Plant Protection Sciences (IAAPS).
