From Tenali to India’s greatest leather scientist

A commerce lecturer from Tenali, P Vishnu Murthy, was greatly inspired by the Indian leather scientist of the area Dr Yalavarthy Nayudamma. He wanted to bring the scientist to his native village but lost the chance as Dr Nayudamma died in the tragic Kanishka air crash on June 23, 1985. Vishnu Murthy was upset with the tragic death of one of the world’s greatest scientist and he decided to keep the scientist alive for the future generations. In just one year, Vishnu Murthy founded the Dr Y Nayudamma Memorial Trust and constituted an award to honour eminent Indian personalities in science and technology.

“I have not seen Dr Nayudamma but his work had inspired me to start this trust,” says Vishnu Murthy. The first award was presented to the then Andhra Pradesh Electronics Development Corporation chairman and managing director UV Warlu on March 5, 1986. Since then, Vishnu never looked back in bringing some of the best and acclaimed personalities from the fields of science and technology to the small town of Tenali.

Until now Vishnu Murthy has honoured the then chairman and managing director of HMT, MR Naidu, agriculture scientist Dr M S Swaminathan, former Union Minister Prof. M G K Menon, Planning Commission former member Dr SZ Qasim, India’s milkman Dr Verghese Kurien, Indian Space Research Organisation former chairman Dr K Kasturi Rangan, Planning Commission member Prof.

JS Bajaj, Atomic Energy Commission former chairman Dr R Chidambaram, National Knowledge Commission former chairman Dr Sam Pitroda, Radiation Oncologist Dr Nori Dattatreyudu, ‘BrahMos’ man Dr A Sivathanu Pillai and many others. Bringing these eminent scientists and experts and giving a chance for the people of Tenali to listen to them has been his lifetime activity for all these years.

“Two things are involved here. One is to keep the memories of these scientists alive for many to get inspired from. The other aspect is to give a chance for the people of this area to see and listen to the greatest scientists of the nation,” Vishnu Murthy asserts.

He begins the selection of scientists who will receive the award for the year as early as June and zeroes in on a name by end of December. Once this process is completed, he then moves on to planning and organising the award presentation in February-March.

“Dr Nayudamma’s contribution to India cannot go unrecognised. The country’s science and technology department may keep his memories in their records, but it is not enough. He should be introduced to the people as a man from a remote village wgi had become such a great scientist,” Vishnu Murthy tells about his mission to organise Dr Nayudamma Memorial Awards every year.

A man who had never seen Dr Nayudamma and is no way related to the scientist is wedded to keep the scientist’s greatest works alive and afresh. Though he had retired from teaching profession in 2005, he hasn’t taken time off from the laborious task of holding the annual event and honouring a scientist in this town.

But for Vishnu, Tenali would have by now forgotten the world’s greatest scientist that the area had ever produced. Dr Nayudamma, a revolutionary in science and technology, who gave global status to leather tanning, is remembered every year in the International Development Research Center, Canada, for which he was Governor, the Nayudamma Information Bank, Canada; Nayudamma Memorial Science Foundation, Chennai and Central Leather Research Institute, Chennai. However, it is Dr Y Nayudamma Memorial Trust, led by Vishnu Murthy, the only private organisation that keeps the greatest scientist afresh.

By:D Gopi