Remembering Dr. Abdus Salam and his interaction with the famous scientist Oppenheimer, the renowned musician Shehzad Roy recently shared a historic video on Twitter featuring both of them together.
Dr. Abdus Salam can be seen alongside Julius Robert Oppenheimer, the famous American theoretical physicist known as the “father of the atomic bomb.”
Roy’s tweet aimed to highlight the need for Pakistanis to recognize and appreciate the genius Abdus Salam on par with the rest of the world.
The post was part of Roy’s show, “Wasu Aur Mein,” where he emphasized how Dr. Abdus Salam’s contributions are celebrated worldwide, including in neighboring Bangladesh.
Roy’s message served as a call to challenge prevailing mindsets and prejudices that hinder scientific innovation and progress in the country.
About Dr. Abdus Salam
Dr. Abdus Salam was born in 1926 in Jhang, British India. Despite being treated as a superior being by his family, Salam’s childhood was not luxurious.
Yet, despite all odds, he showed brilliance at a young age.
He gained exceptional skills in mathematics and physics, which led to a scholarship at Cambridge University, where he became one of the few South Asian faces at the time.
Meeting Oppenheimer
At the age of 33, Salam became one of the youngest elected Fellows of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1959. He met J. Robert Oppenheimer during his fellowship at Princeton University and discussed research work on neutrinos and electrodynamics.
Protests Against Abdus Salam
Unfortunately, he faced undeserved state-sanctioned discrimination, which made him leave the country for Europe in protest.
In 1979, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for his groundbreaking research in theoretical physics.
Upon his return to Pakistan, Dr. Salam faced opposition and disruptions during commemorative events due to protests by politico-religious parties.
He passed away in 1996 and was buried in Rabwah without a state funeral, with the word “Muslim” removed from the epitaph at his grave due to court orders.
The story of Dr. Abdus Salam serves as a poignant reminder of the need to overcome discrimination and recognize the contributions of brilliant minds to the progress of science and humanity.
As of today, we barely get to hear about his work, and it’s high time we start cheering for our heroes who worked tirelessly to make the nation proud.
