In the early 1970s, M A Vijayalakshmi or Viji as she is fondly called took her first ever flight to France. It was indeed a huge step in her life. Those were times when even women venturing out of home was against the norm. Yet, Viji boldly decided to travel abroad to hone her skills in chemistry.
With a base in France, Viji spent close to 40 years abroad specialising in proteins separation. She then decided to shift base to India and set up the Centre for Bio Seperation lab in VIT, Vellore. This is the only lab in a private institution to have received an Advanced Centre Tag from Government of India.
She holds several credits to her name and prestigious awards like Pierce Science award and Chevalier award adorn her walls. Yet her striking simplicity, mother like nature to nurture her students, sticking strictly to wearing a saree and entrenched Indian roots make her a distinct combination. Stanford University had rated her as one among the top 2 per cent of global scientists in her field, and her contributions spans over 200 publications, 15 international patents (as an individual scientist), and several books. Even with a receding eye sight due to a kitchen mishap that left her vision affected, Viji had took the world of science head on. She is an inspiration for women to pursue their careers of choice, come what may. In a freewheeling chat, the world-renowned scientist shares her views on what life has taught her.
WHAT WERE THE DEFINING MOMENTS in your journey?
The defining moments in my journey have been when my personal and professional life intersected, and I found a balance between the two. Each degree I earned, helped me overcome the emotional obstacles I was facing in my personal life. I have always been addicted to work and learning, which has been a positive outlet for me. They were like drugs, but safe ones as they neither hurt me nor others.
TELL US A MAJOR CHALLENGE THAT YOU FACED.
One of the biggest challenges I have faced is loneliness, which can be hard to explain to others. I believe our society is becoming more rigid and closed off, making it difficult for people to connect and communicate openly. I think it’s important for people to be more open and listen to each other, like in the European community. We must not brush away the despair of loneliness but talk it out.
WHAT ARE YOUR VIEWS ON RESEARCH IN INDIA?
I believe that India has a lot of potential for education and research, but we often mix up issues and fail to give them the importance they deserve. Private and public education systems have different levels of execution and outcomes, and our society needs to understand the value of education beyond just copying from other sources. We should focus on teaching logic, self-discipline, freedom with responsibility and make philosophy a part of the foundation. Philosophy is usually associated with religion. However, it is not so; missing out on this aspect is a significant lacuna. Although there are some improvements, it will take time to see considerable progress. The first duty of any country is to ensure education and health for its people. We are on the right path to some extent, but a lot more needs to be done.
HOW DO YOU SEE WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE?
In India, we have achieved professional equality but not social equality. While everyone has the same 24 hours a day, women often bear sole responsibility for household chores. The number of women in the workforce dwindles as they approach the glass ceiling. As a society, we need to recognise that men and women are complementary and possess unique strengths that should be shared appropriately. Women should not feel compelled to replicate men in all aspects, as many qualities are subtle and complementary. For example, wearing saris, flowers, and jewelry should not detract from a woman’s competency. Another significant issue is caste, which should be eliminated. I think that these two will be achieved only in the next two generations.
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Challenge the Challenges Viji’s life has indeed been a roller coaster. At every twist and turn she ensured to hold on tight and keep moving forward. If not for that will, science would have missed a great researcher. Tracing her journey, Viji’s biography aptly titled Challenge the Challenges authored by CA V Pattabhi Ram and Jayanthi Raghunathan was released by Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways along with Dr T Ramami, former Secretary, Department of Science and Technology. With foreword by G Viswanathan, Chancellor of VIT, the book captures Viji’s various phases of life and how she boldly faced challenges head on. Fighting misogyny and racism in an unknown land, Viji held on strongly to her values of truthfulness and sticking to righteous principles. The book is a must read for women and everyone who is in search for inspiration to move on to the next stages in their lives. |
WHERE DO YOU FORESEE THE FUTURE?
I believe that in terms of technology we will continue to advance, but I also see a problem as a teacher. Today’s students are knowledgeable but may not be fully utilising their capacity. We are becoming increasingly dependent on technology, which is a concern. We must maintain balance. While I also use technology as a scientist, it is essential to use it mindfully.
ARE THERE ANY LESSONS FROM YOUR LIFE FOR THE PRESENT GENERATION?
The first lesson is to never give up, even in the face of adversity. A story that impressed me 35 years ago involved a man who fell into a well to escape a tiger. He was shocked to see the well filled with snakes. He was determined to survive and held on to a small piece of grass. While it is easy to say ‘never give up’, it is necessary to pratice this principle in order to survive.
The second lesson is to learn to negotiate and find a middle ground. Had I not negotiated with my grandfather, I would not have become the first undergraduate in my family. If I had not negotiated with the French authority, I would not have gotten my work permit and degree. Had I not negotiated with the Indian government and my university, I would not have set up the research center. I want to tell the younger generation that there is more than just a yes or a no. There is always a ‘maybe’ in any negotiation.
The third lesson is never to shy away from asking significant questions and to do so politely. It is essential to recognise that one does not know everything and needs to be humble enough to ask. For example, I am partially blind and cannot read. I am not afraid or shy to ask someone to read something for me. When one needs to fight, one should fight, and when one needs to beg, one should beg. One should live their life for themselves.
PLEASE TELL US MOMENTS THAT YOU FELT THANKFUL FOR.
There are several. Sometimes you get into a situation without expecting where it will take you. I have had countless such moments in my life. For example, a top cop said he would give me my work permit in France, provided I let him come to my house. Of course, I did not entertain him. But at the same time, I badly needed the permit. Only he had the authority to grant it. I ran all around and found that all the roads led to him. So I looked for options. One way out was to register for studies and renew my stay every three months. I decided to take this route, but the university said I could register for DSc only if I guaranteed not to submit my thesis anytime soon. I agreed as I was not interested in the degree. The situation continued like that, but I thrived well.
Finally, the university’s president said he wanted my thesis as the hundredth. He stopped all others until I submitted mine, and the event became international. The whole situation was funny because, ultimately, everything fell into place. I feel that God was by my side, and I had good friends to support me throughout.
DO YOU HAVE ANY REGRETS?
No regrets. In this context, I would like to quote Edith Piaf’s song ‘Non, rien de rien. Non, je ne regrette rien.’ It means neither the wrong thing that people have done nor the excellent thing that could have happened to me, I don’t regret anything. This is my policy.
