This series contains interviews with the creators or donors of archival records deposited at the Archives at NCBS, to better understand the provenance of the material.
Dipankar Vasumallik is a retired professor from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore and also a historian of science. He was born on 19 September 1946 in Kolkata, India. He grew up on the campus of College of Engineering and Technology in Jadavpur, where his father, Prabir Chandra Vasumallik, was the registrar.
He completed his schooling in Kolkata in 1963. Developing an early interest in stars and in physics, he joined Presidency College (University of Calcutta), where he earned an honours degree in Physics in 1966. He went on to complete a Master's degree with a specialisation in Nuclear Physics from the University of Calcutta in 1968. He received his PhD in 1973 from the Department of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his doctoral research focused on gaseous nebulae.
Following his PhD, he joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, formerly the Kodaikanal Observatory, and settled in Bangalore, India. His research has primarily centred on interstellar matter and astrophysics of nebulae. He is the co-author of KS Krishnan: His Life and and Work, written along with Sabyasachi Chatterjee, after several years of research on materials that now form a physical collection at the Archives at NCBS.
Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.
Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives, National Centre for Biological Sciences. The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use. See
K S Krishnan Papers: DCV Mallik Session 01
Access Level 1: Online. See
Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives, National Centre for Biological Sciences. The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use. See
Dipankar Vasumallik is a retired professor from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore and also a historian of science. He was born on 19 September 1946 in Kolkata, India. He grew up on the campus of College of Engineering and Technology in Jadavpur, where his father, Prabir Chandra Vasumallik, was the registrar.
He completed his schooling in Kolkata in 1963. Developing an early interest in stars and in physics, he joined Presidency College (University of Calcutta), where he earned an honours degree in Physics in 1966. He went on to complete a Master's degree with a specialisation in Nuclear Physics from the University of Calcutta in 1968. He received his PhD in 1973 from the Department of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where his doctoral research focused on gaseous nebulae.
Following his PhD, he joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, formerly the Kodaikanal Observatory, and settled in Bangalore, India. His research has primarily centred on interstellar matter and astrophysics of nebulae. He is the co-author of KS Krishnan: His Life and and Work, written along with Sabyasachi Chatterjee, after several years of research on materials that now form a physical collection at the Archives at NCBS.
In this interview, Mallik shares about his own early life and how he came to closely know KS Krishnan through his lasting friendship with his grandson, Vijay Thiruvady. He describes growing up on the campus of College of Engineering and Technology in Jadavpur University, in a deeply intellectual environment among many scholars who were his father's acquaintances and colleagues. He recollects meeting Joseph Needham, SN Bose, and KS Krishnan in his pre-teen years.
He speaks of how he developed an interest in stars as a child and eventually pursued higher education in physics, specialising in nuclear physics and gaseous nebulae. He recollects memories from his school time, college, and his Master's and shares how he decided to apply for a PhD abroad. He elaborates on navigating the political upheaval as a student in both Kolkata in the 1960s and in the United States in the 1970s. Following his doctorate, he joined the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore in 1974.
Soon after returning to India, he shares how he first met Vijay Thiruvady and how their relationship grew over time. He shares about Vijay Thiruvady's great attachment with his grandfather, KS Krishnan, and his concern for the preservation of his papers. He speaks of his own interest in the histories of science and how it conflated with their combined desire to write about KS Krishnan and his life. He describes the process of writing the biography along with Sabyasachi Chatterjee and the events leading up to its publication. He closes by sharing how they chose to archive the papers at the Archives at NCBS. (00:01:05) Early childhood of the speaker in Jadavpur, Kolkata in the 1950s and growing up around famous scholars on the campus of College of Engineering and Technology.
(00:06:03) His first meeting with KS Krishnan when he was being awarded an honorary doctorate.
(00:09:10) Growing up in a deeply intellectual environment and the first inkling of his career choice in astrophysics.
(00:15:33) Recounting his disappointment with science education in school, appreciating his college education and choosing nuclear physics during his bachelor's and master's.
(00:22:09) Remembering the political upheaval in Kolkata in the late 1960s, how it affected his studies, his own political inclination and overall withdrawal from participation.
(00:28:47) His decision to pursue a PhD in the US, choosing to study astronomy at the University of Wisconsin, learning to use telescopes and doing public outreach as a graduate student.
(00:38:35) Political upheaval in the United States in the 1970s due to withdrawal from the Vietnam war, bombing of the Physics department in his university, and navigating its aftermath as a student.
(00:46:19) His specialisation in gaseous nebulae during his PhD, completing his degree and returning to India and joining the Indian Institute of Astrophysics in Bangalore.
(00:54:52) His connection with Bangalore and his lasting friendship with Vijay Thiruvady.
[00:56:57 - 00:58:07 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in] [00:58:56 - 01:00:27 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in]
(01:02:37) The origin of his foray into the histories of science, and his father's influence on his interest in history.
(01:05:20) Vijay Thiruvady's attachment with his grandfather, his worry around his papers and works, the disappearance of KS Krishnan's diary and its recovery, and sharing the papers with the speaker.
(01:18:14) Discovering several connections with KS Krishnan through his papers and writing a biography of KS Krishnan with Sabyasachi Chatterjee.
(01:24:18) Writing a seminal paper on Krishnan's diary in 1999, describing the events leading up to the publishing of the biography of KS Krishnan and how the book was received by the audience.
[01:28:33 - 01:28:53 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in]
(01:34:44) Meeting Indira Chowdhury for the first time, Vijay and himself looking for a place to house KS Krishnan's papers and finalising the Archives at NCBS.
[Archivist's notes and errata for audio file:
Mallik refers in the interview to S Chandrashekar as 'Chandra'.
Interviewer, Venkat Srinivasan, erroneously refers to the 'Center for Backyard Astrophysics', as the 'Center for Backyard Astronomy'
In the audio interview, Mallik describes his father's (Prabir Chandra Vasumallik) ideological leanings and makes an incorrect attribution regarding his father's association with the Communist Party of India.
In the audio interview, Mallik describes his father's (Prabir Chandra Vasumallik) meeting with Joseph Needham. Upon review, Mallik and the Archives at NCBS cannot verify any specific incident of their meeting.]
Laxmi Murthy is a journalist and researcher based in Bangalore. She is the Director of the Hri Institute for Southasian Research and Exchange and serves as a Consulting Editor with Himal Southasian, Kathmandu. Active in the women's movement since the 1980s, she was closely associated with Saheli, an autonomous women's collective, for over two decades. Her work with Saheli centred on research and advocacy around women's health. She is also the co-author, along with Rajashri Dasgupta, of Our Pictures, Our Worlds: A Visual Journey Through the Women's Movement, a book that captures a visual history of the Indian women's movement.
Vani Subramanian is a documentary filmmaker and women's rights activist. She has been associated with the feminist collective Saheli since the late 1980s. She is the Creative Director of reFrame Institute of Art and Expression, a platform dedicated to engaging with contemporary social and political challenges. Her filmmaking explores the relationship between everyday life and broader political realities, addressing themes such as gender and space, sex-selective abortion, and communal intolerance, among others. Her film Meals Ready (1996) received the Second Best Film Award at Film South Asia 1977 in Kathmandu. In addition to her creative work, she has served as visiting faculty at several academic institutions, including Cornell University and the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
Vineeta Bal is an immunologist and women's rights activist. She is a scientist at the National Institute of Immunology and an Honorary Faculty Member in the Department of Biology at IISER, Pune. She completed her MBBS from the University of Poona in 1979, followed by an MD in Microbiology from the University of Bombay in 1982, and went on to undertake postdoctoral research at the Haffkine Institute in Mumbai and at the University of London, UK. Associated with Saheli since 1990, her work there has focused on women's health. In addition, she has also been examining inequalities faced by women scientists in their professional careers. She was part of the Task Force on Women in Science set up by the Government of India.
Collection is open for access unless mentioned in specific folders of the finding aid.
This interview serves as a provenance record of the Saheli Papers deposited at the Archives at NCBS. In this interview, Laxmi Murthy, Vani Subramanian and Vineeta Bal, speak of their involvement with Saheli and the beginning of their association with the group.
They speak about Saheli's organisational structure, informal membership, and broad focus in areas of women's rights, education and health. They describe work at Saheli and early campaigns, including the involvement of all three in Saheli's health group which focused on reproductive rights and reproductive technologies. They trace the Saheli's impact and influence, and the slowing down of the organisation's activity in recent years amid a shifting landscape for activism.
The discussion moves to the intention, approach and action behind storing Saheli's documents, and the kinds of documents maintained by Saheli. The three speakers highlight how damage from a fire affected the material stored in their office, and share the reason for making some of the material available in a public archive in Bangalore, Karnataka.
(00:00:30) Background of the speakers and their association with Saheli
(00:01:04) Laxmi Murthy introduces herself and shares the beginning of her association with Saheli in 1987.
(00:07:50) Vani Subramanian introduces herself and how she began working with Saheli in 1986.
(00:11:11) Describing changes in perspective of the members on issues, for example regarding women's representation in the media, including a law on Indecent Representation.
(00:13:18) Work and areas of focus in Saheli in the 1990s, Vani's interest and reasons for joining the group.
(00:17:39) Vineeta Bal introduces herself and her inclination towards joining Saheli in the 1990s.
(00:22:13) Discussing the health group of Saheli, work around report writing and information collection critiquing research in health.
(00:31:40) Different approaches like Nukkad Natak (street play) for spreading awareness about topics like hazardous contraceptives.
(00:36:43) The period of influence of Saheli, the period after liberalisation, privatisation of healthcare and shrinking of autonomous women's groups in the aftermath.
(00:41:40) Shifts in Saheli's organisational activity and programme activities since the 1990s-2000s.
(00:51:11) Approach, policy and intention around documenting Saheli's work, institutional periodic archiving of perspectives through reports, souvenirs and newsletters.
(01:01:09) Uneven documentation across activist groups and between members within an organisation, blurred boundaries between personal and activist time and space, also resulting or reflecting in the incidental documentation.
(01:05:38) Recounting the fire incident at the Saheli office in 2011 and the damage that resulted from it.
(01:16:50) Gaps in the documented material.
(01:22:05) Rationale behind donating the organisation's material on health to a public archive in Bangalore.
[01:27:38 - 01:27:57 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in] [01:30:25-01:30:49 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in]
Saheli Papers: Laxmi Murthy, Vani Subramanian, Vineeta Bal Session 01
Laxmi Murthy is a journalist and researcher based in Bangalore. She is the Director of the Hri Institute for Southasian Research and Exchange and serves as a Consulting Editor with Himal Southasian, Kathmandu. Active in the women's movement since the 1980s, she was closely associated with Saheli, an autonomous women's collective, for over two decades. Her work with Saheli centred on research and advocacy around women's health. She is also the co-author, along with Rajashri Dasgupta, of Our Pictures, Our Worlds: A Visual Journey Through the Women's Movement, a book that captures a visual history of the Indian women's movement.
Vani Subramanian is a documentary filmmaker and women's rights activist. She has been associated with the feminist collective Saheli since the late 1980s. She is the Creative Director of reFrame Institute of Art and Expression, a platform dedicated to engaging with contemporary social and political challenges. Her filmmaking explores the relationship between everyday life and broader political realities, addressing themes such as gender and space, sex-selective abortion, and communal intolerance, among others. Her film Meals Ready (1996) received the Second Best Film Award at Film South Asia 1977 in Kathmandu. In addition to her creative work, she has served as visiting faculty at several academic institutions, including Cornell University and the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi.
Vineeta Bal is an immunologist and women's rights activist. She is a scientist at the National Institute of Immunology and an Honorary Faculty Member in the Department of Biology at IISER, Pune. She completed her MBBS from the University of Poona in 1979, followed by an MD in Microbiology from the University of Bombay in 1982, and went on to undertake postdoctoral research at the Haffkine Institute in Mumbai and at the University of London, UK. Associated with Saheli since 1990, her work there has focused on women's health. In addition, she has also been examining inequalities faced by women scientists in their professional careers. She was part of the Task Force on Women in Science set up by the Government of India.
Access Level 1: Online. See
Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives, National Centre for Biological Sciences. The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use. See
This interview serves as a provenance record of the Saheli Papers deposited at the Archives at NCBS. In this interview, Laxmi Murthy, Vani Subramanian and Vineeta Bal, speak of their involvement with Saheli and the beginning of their association with the group.
They speak about Saheli's organisational structure, informal membership, and broad focus in areas of women's rights, education and health. They describe work at Saheli and early campaigns, including the involvement of all three in Saheli's health group which focused on reproductive rights and reproductive technologies. They trace the Saheli's impact and influence, and the slowing down of the organisation's activity in recent years amid a shifting landscape for activism.
The discussion moves to the intention, approach and action behind storing Saheli's documents, and the kinds of documents maintained by Saheli. The three speakers highlight how damage from a fire affected the material stored in their office, and share the reason for making some of the material available in a public archive in Bangalore, Karnataka.
(00:00:30) Background of the speakers and their association with Saheli
(00:01:04) Laxmi Murthy introduces herself and shares the beginning of her association with Saheli in 1987.
(00:07:50) Vani Subramanian introduces herself and how she began working with Saheli in 1986.
(00:11:11) Describing changes in perspective of the members on issues, for example regarding women's representation in the media, including a law on Indecent Representation.
(00:13:18) Work and areas of focus in Saheli in the 1990s, Vani's interest and reasons for joining the group.
(00:17:39) Vineeta Bal introduces herself and her inclination towards joining Saheli in the 1990s.
(00:22:13) Discussing the health group of Saheli, work around report writing and information collection critiquing research in health.
(00:31:40) Different approaches like Nukkad Natak (street play) for spreading awareness about topics like hazardous contraceptives.
(00:36:43) The period of influence of Saheli, the period after liberalisation, privatisation of healthcare and shrinking of autonomous women's groups in the aftermath.
(00:41:40) Shifts in Saheli's organisational activity and programme activities since the 1990s-2000s.
(00:51:11) Approach, policy and intention around documenting Saheli's work, institutional periodic archiving of perspectives through reports, souvenirs and newsletters.
(01:01:09) Uneven documentation across activist groups and between members within an organisation, blurred boundaries between personal and activist time and space, also resulting or reflecting in the incidental documentation.
(01:05:38) Recounting the fire incident at the Saheli office in 2011 and the damage that resulted from it.
(01:16:50) Gaps in the documented material.
(01:22:05) Rationale behind donating the organisation's material on health to a public archive in Bangalore.
[01:27:38 - 01:27:57 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in] [01:30:25-01:30:49 – Restricted access. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in]