Guided by the wings of wisdom: My journey with Dr Salim Ali

Today is the 128th birthday of my beloved teacher, Dr Salim Ali.

I recall a vivid memory from 1986 when Dr Ali accompanied me to the Vice-Chancellor's Building at Bombay University for my PhD viva. Someone asked him, "Where are you going?" With his signature humour, he replied, "I'm taking Anwar to tear him to pieces." His words eased my nerves and helped me embrace the moment. That rare and priceless moment still fills me with excitement.

My research focused on studying the ecology of the laughing thrushes in the Kodaikanal and Nilgiris in southern India and the Nainital area in the Himalayas. I still remember the first time I met Dr Ali in 1982. He said, "I wish I had done this work myself." 

I understood the depth of his message. Whenever there was a delay in submitting my field reports, a postcard would arrive at the beginning of each month with his familiar, reassuring words: "Anwar, I hope you're well and your work is going well."

When I began my PhD research under Dr Ali, he was not only the National Professor of India but also the President of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Admired as the "Birdman" of India, Dr Ali's contribution to the country's forest, wildlife, and nature conservation has shaped what India has achieved today.

It was truly awe-inspiring to witness how, even at that age, Dr Ali completed every task with such precision and perfection. I learnt from him, and I believe I was able to meet, to some extent, his high standards.

I was working as an intern on a UNESCO fellowship at the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC., when Dr Salim Ali accepted me as a student, based on the recommendation of Dr Ali Reza Khan, my teacher at Dhaka University. 

Encouraged by my father, I made the bold decision to resign from my government job in Bangladesh to work with Dr Salim Ali. Dr Khan, the first Bangladeshi student of Dr Salim Ali, had been recommended by our teacher, Professor Kazi Zaker Husain. This beautiful tradition of mentorship created a seamless link in the chain of knowledge.

In 1965, Dr Salim Ali, on his own initiative, established the 'Salim Ali-Loke Wan Tho Ornithological Research Fund' at the BNHS to support advanced research on birds. The fund was named in honour of both Dr Ali and his late friend, Loke Wan Tho, a fellow bird enthusiast from Singapore. I was fortunate to receive a grant from this fund for my research work.

Dr Salim Ali began his writing career in 1926 with scientific papers on the breeding of crows and black kites. However, it was his book 'The Book of Indian Birds', published in 1941, that established him as a leading figure in the field of natural history of India. 

Later, from 1968 to 1974, Dr Ali and his friend Dr Sydney Dillon Ripley, the then Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, co-authored the 'Handbook of the Birds of India and Pakistan', a ten-volume work published by Oxford University Press. This comprehensive reference is regarded as the gold standard for bird studies in the subcontinent.

From the moment we met, I noticed that Dr Salim Ali had begun writing his autobiography. It was probably the most difficult task of his life. I would often ask, "How far have you come, sir?" To which he would reply with a smile, "Pray that I may finish it before it finishes me." In 1985, 'The Fall of a Sparrow' was finally published by Oxford University Press. Dr Ali sent me a copy of the book as a gift on 6th September 1985, accompanied by a note of good luck written in his pearly handwriting.

India as well as the international community honoured Dr Salim Ali in numerous ways. However, his deep commitment to work sometimes prevented him from receiving awards in person. In 1976, for example, the Honourable Ambassador of India to the United States accepted the 'J. Paul Getty Award' on his behalf, as Dr Ali was occupied with birdwatching in the Himalayas. 

Similarly, he was unable to travel to Bangladesh to receive the Gold Medal from the Bangladesh Asiatic Society, which was later presented to him by the Honourable High Commissioner of Bangladesh in Delhi. Dr Salim Ali is still remembered with profound respect across India for his immense contributions to the field of natural history.

I was Dr Salim Ali's last student. He personally visited my research sites in the hills of southern India and even took me to the Himalayas. We spent nights together on the same bed, shared time in the forest, and he personally requested many forest officials to support my work.

I completed my PhD under Dr Salim Ali's supervision in 1986. He passed away on June 20, 1987, at the age of 91. Even now, I find it hard to accept that Dr Salim Ali is no longer with us.

The man, higher than the Himalayas, himself became an institution and transformed the 141-year-old Bombay Natural History Society into a centre of excellence. I once dreamed of becoming like Dr Salim Ali. Though I could not, and cannot, achieve that, I remain hopeful that I can honour his legacy by dedicating the rest of my life to fulfilling that dream.

Sketch:TBS

Dr Md Anwarul Islam is a Former Professor at the Department of Zoology, University of Dhaka and the CEO of WildTeam.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard