DR V S ALWAR

I am reproducing the obituary , published by Indian Veterinary Journal on the demise of Dr V S Alwar which rightly attributes his achievements to the profession. I am thankful to the Editor,Indian Veterinary Journal for enclosing this obituary for my blog. Afterwards is my personal meeting with Dr V S Alwar at Nagpur during IVA conference and gold medal award to my team for best paper.

A SAGA HAS COME TO AN END

OUR EDITOR DR V.S. ALWAR PASSES AWAY

We record with profound grief, the passing away of Dr V.S. Alwar, our beloved Editor, suddenly on Wednesday, the 19^th of June, 1996, in Madras at the age of 76. He is the first Editor of the Indian Veterinary Journal to pass away while in harness. Indeed, cruel death alone could succeed in separating him from I.V.J. – his heart and soul, a legacy which he leaves to the profession to enjoy forever.

Dr Villuppanur Sadagopan Alwar was born as the last child to his parents in the small village of Villuppanur near the famous temple town of Srivilliputtur at Kamarajar District in Tamil Nadu on October 31, 1919 in a family of traditional agriculturists. He was the only child of his generation to get university education.

Dr V.S. Alwar, after elementary education at his native village, had his high school education at Srivilliputtur and intermediate course in arts and science at the famous American College, Madurai. He entered the portals of Madras Veterinary College in 1938 and earned the GMVC and followed by the B.V.Sc degree from the University of Madras in 1943 in the first batch of the five year degree course. As a student, young Alwar presented indications of his love for a free India and patriotism in wearing Khadi apparels besides participating in freedom movement. He took part in the Quit India Movement. His love for Tamil, having come from the birth place of Goddess Andal, blossomed into the formation of Kalaimagal Kazhagam (Tamil Literary Association) at Madras Veterinary College Hostel which is being continued even today.

After serving in the then predominantly rural North Arcot District of Tamil Nadu as Veterinary Assistant Surgeon from 1943 to 1945, Dr V.S. Alwar was drafted to his alma mater to serve as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Parasitology. He was the second veterinarian to earn the M.Sc degree in Veterinary Parasitology from the University of Madras in 1955, working on Trypanosoma evansi with zeal and enthusiasm. He became Lecturer in Parasitology after the sudden and untimely demise of his mentor Dr Ramanujachari. After serving as Reader for a few years, Dr V.S. Alwar became the Professor and Head, Department of Parasitology, a position he held with great distinction until his superannuation in 1975. He was loved by his fellow-staff members as well as students despite his strict behavior. As a research scientist, he earned the name as a distinguished parasitologist of par excellence and was an authority on all veterinary parasites. As an astute researcher he had published more than 100 research articles of international standard. His research on Trypanosoma evansi, Schistosoma nasale and feather mites to name only a few, earned him continued international recognition as an eminent parasitologist, until his last breath. Laurels and responsibilities came abegging to this distinguished scientist and erudite scholar.

He was elected as the General secretary of the Indian Veterinary Association in 1960 which post he held till 1982 with distinction and glory. He was the Secretary of Research Council, DVER from 1969 to 1975, Editor, Cherion from 1973 to 1975, Vice President of MVC Association from 1968 to 1971, Co-ordinator of ICAR, AICRP on nasal schistosomes, from 1973 to 1974, recipient of Dr K.S. Nair Memorial Medal for best research article in 1972, Associate Editor of Indian Veterinary Journal from 1961 to 1987, regional representative (Asia), Commonwealth Veterinary Association from 1967 to 1979,        Member, Permanent Committee, World Veterinary Association from 1970 to 75, Member Animal Welfare Board, Government of India from 1962 to 1980, besides being Examiner for UG & PG classes for Veterinary Parasitology in most of the Universities in India, serving in the academic bodies of Universities of Tamil Nadu and Kerala and acting as Expert Member in Selection Committees for selecting veterinary parasitologists. He was invited as an expert by the Tamil Nadu State Planning Commission. He was a member of the expert committee to design the perspective Programmes of Tamil Nadu Veterinary and Animal Sciences University. He was mainly responsible for the Veterinary Council Acts of many states and the Indian Veterinary Council Act.

The yeoman services rendered by Dr. V.S. Alwar for the profession especially through the Indian Veterinary Association and also his relentless efforts from 1965 onwards for securing a permanent site for housing the Indian Veterinary Journal in its own premises deserve special mention. Both the Indian Veterinary Association and the Indian Veterinary Journal are indebted to him for all the services he has rendered. The Indian Veterinary Association rightly elected him as Fellow of the Indian Veterinary Association. He was elected, Fellow of the Indian Society of Parasitologists and as an honorary member of the Indian Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology. The association of Dr V.S. Alwar with the Indian Veterinary Journal can be traced to the late forties when Late Dr Pangal Srinivasa Rao was the Editor. He was the associate editor from 1961 and took over the editorship of the journal from Late Dr R. Krishnamurti in June 1987. If the Indian Veterinary Journal is being published without interruption for the past 50 years, it is largely due to the sweat and toil of Dr V.S. Alwar. His forceful editorials on various matters pertaining to the profession have been well received – to cite one example, his editorials on the extension of the non-practising allowance to all veterinary graduates employed in various sectors. Right from the beginning, he developed himself into a fire brand veterinarian, unable to swallow the injustice meted out to veterinarians. He was attending office, despite the objections from family members and keeping track of the entire plethora of work at the Indian Veterinary Journal and pulling it all alone.

Dr V.S. Alwar was happily married to Mrs Vembu Alwar and the lovable couple have five sons and two daughters. The Alwars not only educated their children, but also the children of many of their relatives and have helped many poor children get educated. Mrs. Vembu Alwar, the only lady of the family without a formal college education was the real force behind Dr V.S. Alwar and the education of the family. But for her, Dr Alwar could not have survived the stroke after typhoid, a bad bout of jaundice and many an occasion of emotional crisis.

Dr V.S. Alwar, a doyen among the doyens of our profession, was an erudite scholar of par excellence an exemplary teacher, a dedicated research worker and an extraordinary friend, philosopher and guide not only to his students in Parasitology but to many in different walks of life besides being an adroit and forceful writer.

Strange are the ways of destiny. The flower in its full blossom and rich fragrance has been plucked away from our midst. Dr V.S. Alwar’s loss is a personal loss to the Indian Veterinary Journal as he was deeply attached to it. We offer our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved members of the family.

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 It was in the year 1977 when I was doing my doctorate research work on heterologous schistosome immunity, I received a letter from Dr V S Alwar inquiring about my research work and also informing about All India coordinated research project of nasal schistosomiasis ,of which he was Project coordinator. By reading regularly Indian Veterinary Journal I was well aware about this distinct senior Parasitologist ( at that time, I was not aware that he has retired in 1975 from Professor's post ) and was overwhelmed by receiving his personal letter to such a junior Parasitologist who was in his early thirties Obviously ,I was too glad to forward my thesis summary and took opportunity to have his opinion on some aspects of schistosomiasis. That time only, I could feel how big personalities extend their hand of help to junior colleagues without having any other bond except professionalism.

The Indian Veterinary Association in the year 1982 organised its national conference in Gauhati , Assam and I was interested to attend and present my two research papers there. Our university, JNKVV, was facing financial crunch and reluctant to sanction our tour programs. Credit goes to the then Dean Faculty Dr B.S.Malik (who later became treasurer of National Academy of Veterinary Sciences) who allowed three faculty members (me,DR S K Pande,Surgery, Dr D N Shrivastava Pharmacology) to attend the conference but with second class rail journey ; it was greatness of this scientist cum administrator that he also choose to travel  in second class and accompanied us  to attend the conference. I was having a hidden desire to meet Dr VS Alwar there but unfortunately he did not turn up or departed just after inauguration. Even then our correspondence continued .I may emphasize that i have always received reply of my letter from Dr Alwar.

During these years my two review papers were published in international journals.  The first was on Stephanofilarial dermatitis in Elsiever Journal in 1984 and second was a review on Schistosoma incognitum in 1989 in Helminthological Abstracts. Enthused by these achievements , I expressed my desire to Dr VS Alwar to write a review on nasal schistosomiasis in his guidance as he has pioneered the work on this disease ( second was  Dr Dutt ,my teacher, who worked on S.nasale at IVRI but sadly he deceased in 1979 depriving us from his guidance). He very gladly accepted  this proposal , forwarded all the literature ,including reports of All Indian coordinated project, for my study and extended all the possible help in the matter. This has resulted in publication of our review article on nasal schistosomiasis in Helminthological Abstracts in 1992. It may be strange that still we have not met in person though he was extending all the help to me without any restrictions.

It was Dr Alwar who informed us first about our paper winning best paper prize of Indian Veterinary Association which was later confirmed in print by Indian Veterinary Journal. Actually this was the thesis work of my post graduate student Dr P S Banerjee ( who is presently Head of Parasitology ,IVRI) that culminated in this research paper. The national conference of IVA was organized in 1993 at Nagpur and we (me and Dr Banerjee) decided to attend this conference and to receive the medals in person.. And this was the first and last chance when we met in person with this great personality - Dr V S Alwar. When I introduced myself to him he smiled and took my hand warmly , exchanged affectionately .At that time he was having backache with problem in walking hence moving with the help of a person

Dr Alwar was an old timer Parasitologist who first received his diploma in Veterinary Science (GMVC) and later did BVSc and MVSc in Parasitology-a rare pursuit those days i.e. 1943 .. It was his seer interest in research which resulted in many important publications on checklist of parasites, trypanosomiasis and schistosomiasis ,particularly treatment of the infections.Otherwise, those days , generally professors were confined   to the teaching of the subject to under graduate and post graduates.

This doyen of the profession was duly recognized when Madras Veterinary College started DR V S Alwar lectures in his memory (sadly I could not see them on any website or blog)  IAAVP is awarding DR V S Alwar Gold Medal every year for the  best research paper published in Journal of Veterinary Parasitology.   His one son , Dr Shrinivasan is a Veterinary Parasitologist who has joined NDDB and presently providing his services to this organisation as Technical Adviser .

During a span of about twenty years , we have exchanged many letters and I have received his hand written letters . I have not realized importance of these letters and non is in my possession which i can scan and post to this blog. This is how many times we do not realize importance of the events which became important in its posterity.In my opinion, it will be a befitting tribute to Dr VS Alwar to edit and publish a book on the pattern which we are carrying for late Professor S C Dutt -this has been accepted by a Delhi publisher and hopefully will be published till January of next year..