Subject:
From:
Date:
To:
Re: Sad Demise of Prof. A. Srikrishna, Department of Organic Chemistry
"Goverdhan Mehta" <gmehta43@gmail.com>
Wed, January 23, 2013 9:04 am
sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Dear Professor Bhattacharya;
I learnt about this sad and sudden happening on 20th late afternoon. It is so untimely and
tragic that I find it difficult to find words to express my sense of sorrow. As you know
Srikrishna carried out his doctoral research with me was a very bright and productive
collaborator. I therefore harbour a sense of personal loss.
We can now only pray for the peace of the departed and solace for the family.
Please accept my heartfelt condolences.
Best wishes,
G. Mehta
Professor G. Mehta, FNA, FRS
National Research Professor and Lilly-Jubilant Chair
School of Chemistry
University of Hyderabad 500046
INDIA
Tel: +91-40-23010785
Tel: +91-40-23134848
e-mail: gm@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
gmsc@uohyd.ernet.in
Subject:
From:
Date:
To:
RE: Sad Demise of Prof. A. Srikrishna, Department of Organic Chemistry
"S.N. BALASUBRAHMANYAM" <snobchem@hotmail.com>
Tue, January 22, 2013 1:04 pm
"sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in" <sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in> (more)
Dear Colleagues,
I share with you my profound sorrow in learning of the passing away of Professor SriKrishna.
Situated as I am, I found many logistical difficulties in trying to be on time to attend the
tributes paid to Prof. SriKrishna on his last journey.
I pay my silent homage.
S. N. Balasubrahmanyam
Subject:
From:
Date:
To:
"ASK" & "SP"
"S.N. BALASUBRAHMANYAM" <snobchem@hotmail.com>
Tue, January 22, 2013 12:56 pm
"allfac@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in" <allfac@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
2013 has begun for me on a devastating note. At the end of its first week, in a sudden event, I
lost Dr. Sunkada Prahlada Rao (“SP”), a beautiful person whose work for the Ph. D. degree I
happened to mentor.
On Monday morning (Jan. 21), Mr. Raphael of the office of Organic Chemistry gave me
news of the second event, the equally sudden demise of Professor SriKrishna (“ASK”). Mr.
Rapheal exercised great caution and much hesitancy in letting me have the news, wondering,
perhaps, what effect it would have on an old man like me.
On many of my visits to the Institute main library I used to meet SP and at times he would
reveal to me some small details of the latest project he was working on in relation to his
lucrative consultancy practice. He had a deep interest in teaching organic chemistry to young
people. On what turned out to be just about the last occasion I met him, SP had promised to
send me the correspondence on what he had taken up with "higher" authorities regarding the
atrocious mistakes he had found in the chemistry textbooks he was forced to use for classes
he wanted to handle just out of that interest (Glorious). I was supposed to take the matter
further (Laughable). All that is not to be, now.
Professor Suryaprakash Rao, another person whose Ph. D. Work I mentored, has a written a
beautiful tribute to SP, giving his life’s details. I have sent its text, as an attachment to this email.
ASK, a creative thinker, researcher and esteemed colleague of mine, has authored many
brilliant papers, one aspect of which, among many others, related to the synthesis of natural
products through planning based on clever retrosynthetic analysis. ASK was a well-deserved
recipient of the S. S. Bhatnagar award.
ASK has written a well-researched biographical sketch of our senior colleague, the late
Professor G. S. Krishna Rao (available in the Department) and a tribute to the extensive work
of Dr. Sukh Dev [ARKIVOC pp. 1-7 (2003 issue iii)].
One of the more amusing aspects of ASK was his inability to keep his hands off from a
disarranged Rubik Cube – he would solve the puzzle in a matter of seconds, probably faster
than one of those computer-aided Rubik cube-solving robots. One matter I failed to confront
him with was the following question: Let’s take a solved Rubik Cube. Interchange any two of
the colours (some versions of the cube have peelable plastic stickers on the faces of the
‘cubes’ that would allow the interchange of colours) and then disarrange the cube. Can the
puzzle be solved now? Does this question hide some deep mathematical (topological)
problem?
Professor I. N. Narayanan Namboothiri has just sent me an e-mail detailing an experience
that reflects the personality of ASK.
I reproduce a part of it: "He wanted to take fresh students after all his existing students
graduated. His last student joined our group as a postdoc three weeks ago. When I came last
year for his another student's viva (I gave a talk as well that time and you had come), he came
to the airport to 'receive' me and 'escorted' me to the IISc guest house which was very
embarrassing for me!
It is difficult to find someone who was so systematic, knowledgeable, dedicated and
disciplined as Prof Srikrishna.
He had strong opinions about everything and he supported me when I started my independent
career."
In my case these events could mean: If you live long enough you may be unfortunate enough
to standby and watch younger people pass away.
S. N. Balasubrahmanyam
Subject:
From:
Date:
To:
Re: Sad Demise of Prof. A. Srikrishna, Department of Organic
Chemistry
"kailasam venkatesan" <kvenoc15@yahoo.com>
Mon, January 21, 2013 8:07 pm
"sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in" <sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
Dear SB
Very sad to learn about srikrishna's passing away. May GOD give peace to his wife and
daughters.
Regards
KV
Subject:
Prof. A. Srikrishna
From:
Date:
To:
Cc:
"Hema Sundar" <shemamal@yahoo.com>
Tue, January 22, 2013 4:57 am
"sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in" <sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
"scn@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in" <scn@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in> (more)
Dear Prof. Bhattacharya,
I am saddened and shocked to learn about the untimely death of Prof. A. Srikrishna.
I worked with him as a PhD student from 1986-1992. I wish to express my heartfelt
condolences to his family and the faculty of the Department of Organic chemistry.
Sincerely,
Hema Sundar.
Subject:
From:
Date:
To:
Cc:
Prof. Srikrishna
"DR M V RAJA SEKHARAN" <mvrsc@uohyd.ernet.in>
Mon, January 21, 2013 6:22 pm
sb@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
akbsc@uohyd.ernet.in (more)
Dear Prof. Bhattacharya,
We were all shocked and pained to hear about the sudden and untimely passing away of Prof.
Srikrishna. Prof. Srikrishna was the first student to graduate with a Ph. D. degree from our
School. I am told that he was the first Ph. D. from the University of Hyderabad. He continued
to have a strong relationship with our School and we fondly cherish our association with him
which henceforth we can only reminisce about.
With regards,
Rajasekharan
M. V. Rajasekharan
Dean, School of Chemistry
University of Hyderabad
Hyderabad - 500046
Phone: 91-40-23134857
From: Viresh Rawal <vrawal@uchicago.edu>
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2013 09:32:07 -0600
Cc: Uday Maitra <maitra@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
To: prasad@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Dear Prasad,
Thank you for your note. I had meant to write to you today as I was informed late yesterday
by TJ Reddy of this tragic news. I want to express my sorrow and condolences to your and
other faculty at IISc. Srikrishna was a prolific and creative scientist, and his absence will be
felt by all. I have always felt a strong bond with him, given his studies at Chicago, his
postdoc with Stork, and that his graduate student, Reddy, was a postdoc with me.
Kind regards,
Viresh
Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2013 11:40:11 +0530
Subject: From Radhakrishnan, CSIR-NIIST, Trivandrum
From: "Dr. K. V.Radhakrishnan, CSIR-NIIST" <radhu2005@gmail.com>
To: Uday Maitra <maitra@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
Dear Prof. Uday Maitra
Yesterday, I came to know about the sudden demise of Prof. Srikrishna. I am herewith
conveying my condolences to his family and the department of chemistry, IISc.
With best regards
Radhakrishnan
Dr. K. V. Radhakrishnan
Scientist, Organic Chemistry Section
NIIST-CSIR (formerly RRL, TVM)
Trivandrum-19, Kerala
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2013 12:22:31 -0800 (PST)
From: Jayaraman Chandrasekhar <jc61023@yahoo.com>
Subject: Prof Srikrishna
Dear Uday,
I heard the shocking news about Prof Srikrishna through Sunoj. Kindly convey our
condolences to Mrs Srikrishna from Syamala and me.
JC
From: Laurence M. Harwood <l.m.harwood@reading.ac.uk>
To: prasad@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 8:56 PM
Subject: Professor Srikrishna
Dear Professor Prasad,
I have just received an Email from Dr Haak at Thieme in which she copied in your
message informing her of the sudden and tragic death of Professor Srikrishna.
This is very sad news indeed. As you know, we were personally acquainted and he was
a stalwart supporter of Synlett.
Please pass on the expression of my deep regrets to all of his colleagues at the IISC.
Sincerely,
Laurence Harwood
-- Laurence M. Harwood MA (Oxon), BSc, MSc, PhD (Manch), CSci, CChem FRSC,
Professor of Organic Chemistry,
Departmental Director of Enterprise,
Department of Chemistry,
University of Reading,
Whiteknights, READING RG6 6AD UK
From: Martin E. Maier <martin.e.maier@uni-tuebingen.de>
To: prasad@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 10:08 PM
Subject: Re: Sudden demise of Prof. Srikrishna
Dear Prasad,
I came to know from Satya about this. I was very shocked and I feel sorry for you.
Unfortunately, I never was able to meet Prof. Srikrishna in person. I appreciate his
work very much.
With best regards,
Martin E. Maier
-- ****************************************
Prof. Dr. Martin E. Maier
Universitaet Tuebingen
Institut fuer Organische Chemie
Auf der Morgenstelle 18
72076 Tuebingen
GERMANY
phone: (+49) 7071-29-75247; fax: (+49) 7071-29-5137
e-mail: martin.e.maier@uni-tuebingen.de
From: Hans-Joachim Knölker <hans-joachim.knoelker@tu-dresden.de>
To: prasad@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 9:49 PM
Subject: Re:
Dear Prasad,
I was shocked when I was reading your mail. This are very sad
news!
Joachim Knölker
From: Philip Eaton <eaton@uchicago.edu>
To: prasad@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2013 9:38 PM
Subject: Re: Sudden demise of Prof. Srikrishna
I am very, very saddened by this. Srikrishna was a fine scientist and a
good friend. My wife and I will miss him greatly.
With sincere condolences,
Prof. Eaton
From: Surya Prakash <gprakash@usc.edu>
To: prasad@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 7:36 AM
Subject: Re: Sudden demise of Prof. Srikrishna
Dear Prasad,
Please accept my condolences and also pass on my condolences to the
bereaved family of Srikrishna. Srikrishna was an outstanding organic
chemist and his untimely death is great loss to world's organic chemistry
community. He was a good friend and will dearly miss him. It is a pity
that I could not see him at my daughter's wedding last August.
Piece of advice: Get regular medical check ups!
Take care,
Prakash
From: "Krishnan, Kathiresan" krishnan@wustl.edu Subject: Prof. Srikrishna
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2013 17:40:35 +0000; To: Uday Maitra <maitra@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
Dear Sir,
I just learned through a friend the sad news that Prof. Srikrishna passed away! My heartfelt
condolences to his wife and children. Looks like I worked with him just yesterday. Even now,
I could recall all the discussions we had over two decades ago! To tell a few, how he solved
some puzzling NMRs of unusual products I obtained in an enol-ene reaction and an
unexpected product formed during a "lactonisation reaction" in the thapsane project. It will
take a while for me to accept the reality that he is no longer with us as he is always there
in my thoughts.
Affectionately yours,
Kathiresan Krishnan PhD
Staff Scientist,
Washington University in St. Louis.
Date: Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:48:07 +0530
From: "P. Babu" <babup@ncbs.res.in>
To: Uday Maitra <maitra@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
Subject: Condolence message
Dear UM,
We just got to know from IISc website that Prof. Srikrishna passed away recently. Please
convey our condolence to his family and students. He has been an inspiration to us during our
graduation.
May his sole rest in peace.
Kind regards,
Babu and Vijayalakshmi
P. Babu, Ph. D.
Head, Glycomics and Glycoproteomics Core
& Biologics Characterization Facility
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms
NCBS-TIFR, GKVK Post
Bangalore 560065 INDIA
Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 21:32:30 +0530
From: Samrat Mukhopadhyay <samrat.iiser@gmail.com>
To: Uday Maitra <maitra@orgchem.iisc.ernet.in>
Dear UM:
We were very sad to know the untimely demise of Prof. Sriksrishna. I saw him briefly during
my last Bangalore trip in early January and couldn't believe the news when Ramshastry
mentioned to me. It's been a big loss of OC and IISc (and of course Indian organic
chemistry). In 1999, he had taught us NMR, and that course was extremely useful
throughout my PhD career.
Sincerely,
Samrat
------------------------------------------------------------------Samrat Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor,
Department of Biological Sciences & Department of Chemical Sciences
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali.