Impressions left by an achiever

The young man whose reputation had preceded him was none other than Amartya Sen.

“My father felt I could learn something about life in Cambridge from him. Amartya had just got his doctorate from the university, had been elected fellow of Trinity College and bagged the prestigious Adam Smith and Stephenson prizes for economics. I was totally in awe of him although he was only about five years elder to me,” remembers Narlikar.

The first impression that Sen had on Narlikar was one of an achiever. “He told me that I would have to work hard at Cambridge, no spoon-feeding, or resting on one’s laurels, he warned me.” In Cambridge, Narlikar met up with Sen later that same year. Their association grew over the next year till Sen left for Harvard. “We would have long chats together. He came across as a very informal person. Always full of ideas, he was interested in a range of subjects like those of social interest,” recalls Narlikar.

Although he does not remember any special incident, what struck Narlikar about the economist throughout their association was Sen’s natural and easy method of talking. “He talks freely about whatever interests him to those around him. Amartya is genuinely concerned with the humane aspect of economics not merely in profit, loss, market economy and concepts like that. Problems of human development do preoccupy him,” he says.

How does Narlikar feel about his friend getting the Nobel prize for economics? “I have long been an admirer of his and feel that although this recognition is belated, it is one he thoroughly deserves. His work speaks for itself. He has made his country proud”.

Narlikar has not met Sen in recent years. “Our paths would usually just miss each other” but the association between the two has fond memories for Narlikar.