Empire, Good Ideas

Communist, Scientist, Activist and Dreamer Daya Varma (August 23, 1929 – March 22, 2015) : Harsh Kapoor

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Guest Post by Harsh Kapoor

Dr. Daya Varma, life-long communist, scientist, activist, dreamer, pharmacologist, professor emeritus at McGill University, Montreal, passed away on 22 March 2015 in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada. Former member of the undivided Communist Party of India, founder of Indian People’s Association in North America (IPANA) and the International South Asia Forum, founding member of CERAS (Centre d’Étude et Ressources d’Asie Sud) and was on the board of of Alternatives, a progressive think tank in Canada, He also founded and edited the INSAF bulletin. Many in India remember how when the 1984 Bhopal Union Carbide industrial disaster struck,where thousands died, Dr. Varma spearheaded a study to monitor the effects of MIC on pregnant women whilst participating in activities aimed at supporting their compensation claims.

(Read the complete text here : http://www.sacw.net/article10894.html)

3 thoughts on “Communist, Scientist, Activist and Dreamer Daya Varma (August 23, 1929 – March 22, 2015) : Harsh Kapoor”

  1. I heard about Dr. Daya Ram Varma in 1970 from the late Dr. Sudarshan Punhani in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA when I was at Purdue University. The more I heard about him, the more I wanted to meet him. I got that chance in March 1976 when I visited Dr. Punhani in Montreal and was fortunate to have a long discussion with Dr. Varma about various issues. Dr. Varma was a true supporter of the downtrodden and maintained his faith till the end. He will be missed by all of us who knew him.

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  2. I am stunned to hear the sad news. He was a life-long friend, much loved, a man of many parts, kind, generous. We are all bereft. Vithal Rajan

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