Interviewing a legend of the Indian Science and Technology

With Dr. Anil Kakodkar

It was the summer of 2023- mid-May. I was working on a project to make a documentary on Dr. Bibha Chowdhury, a pioneering and remarkable Physicist. This was under an initiative to produce documentaries on Indian Scientists by the Science Media Centre at IISER Pune. During the research work, I would talk to several scientists who had worked in a similar domain to that of Dr. Chowdhury. One of them was Prof. Sunil Gupta, a renowned cosmic ray physicist who was instrumental in setting up the largest, indigenously built cosmic ray GRAPES -3 experiment in Ooty. While describing his research, he mentioned Dr. Anil Kakodkar, as his inspiration for leading self-reliant technological advancement in the country. It was a casual mention, not at all connected with the story I was working on, yet somehow, that sentence stayed in my head. I had heard about the highly secretive Pokhran nuclear tests and Dr. Kakodkar since my school days. He was like a scientist superhero to me and I had an earnest desire to meet him since then. 

Within the next few days, the Director sent an email about the 10th convocation ceremony of IISER Pune to all the IISERites. And guess who the chief guest was- none other than, Dr. Anil Kakodkar. I was thrilled and wanted to give it a shot. I spent the next few hours watching his online interviews and trying to somehow connect him with my current story. Soon, I had drafted a convincing email requesting his time for an interview during his stay on campus. I read the email over and over again. Although it did sound genuinely convincing, I did not expect a reply. Having worked on a critical project of national significance, he was a man of immense repute, the mastermind for our country to be a nuclear weapon state and a firm force that gave even George Bush a sleepless night during the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement. Nevertheless, I sent it out.

Within the next two days, I had an answer- he agreed to record the interview after the convocation ceremony. I still have that email archived. Our team hurried through the interview preparations. We only had 3 days remaining with 2 other events lined up at the same time- a science journalist’s roundtable that we were hosting and the convocation ceremony.

Just 2 days before, I issued his autobiography-‘Fire and Fury: Transforming India’s Strategic Identity’ from the library. On Saturday, we worked late in the evening for the roundtable, so I only had Sunday with me. I didn't sleep that day, read the entire book, and tried to frame some questions. Reading the book made me respect him even more. The next day, my colleagues reviewed those questions and I did rehearsals with them while the interview set-up was being done. Cameras, lights, reflectors, and mics all were in place for the interview.

He was to arrive on the evening, a day before the convocation. The guest house manager informed me that he had left from the airport and was expected any moment. When I told him about our interview scheduled the next day, he said that if I wanted to talk to him today, I could do it during the 5 minutes when the tea would be served in his room. It sounded like a good idea and I waited in the guest house foyer. His car arrived, the registrar was accompanying him. He stepped out of the car and walked in a simple, calm yet firm manner. He looked a little old, his face had a bright glow and his disposition conveyed that he was in control of everything, yet disconnected with the events happening around him. The registrar left after escorting him to his room and the director was expected any moment. I waited nervously while the tea was being prepared. I rehearsed the sentences I was to say to him again and again in my mind. As I walked to his room, behind the housekeeper who took the tea, I was suddenly totally aware. I noticed things that I usually didn't- the upward thrust of the elevator, the movement of my legs, and the silence across the hallway to his room. While something important is about to happen, awareness dawns naturally. Unlike the other usual times where we have to struggle to be in the present. When we knocked at his door, I thought I wanted to run away, adrenaline does strange things. He opened the door in the same calm and composed manner with which he’d walked across the foyer. The keeper went inside with the tea while I stood still at the door. Dr. Kakodkar looked at me quizzically. I greeted him and introduced myself, giving a reference to the email which I’d sent. He immediately recognized and smiled, which made me relax a bit. I showed him the interview questions- 2 sets were prepared, a shorter one and a slightly elaborate version, depending on the amount of time he had. I told him that I’d used the autobiography as a guide. He said that the video should not be too long, for the audience to watch it and that he would be available the day after from 4 to 5 pm. I thanked him. Once he’d closed the door, I ran to the office. It was done. This meeting made me feel more confident about facing him the next day in front of the camera.

The convocation ceremony went on till late in the afternoon. Our team was working there and we only had a little time for lunch before the interview. Moreover, our boss wasn’t happy with the set-up and decided to change it at the last minute. At quarter to four, I went to call Dr. Kakodkar. After the convocation lunch he had gone to visit some of the labs and other science centres in the institute. But when I called him, he was ready to come along. This wasn't a surprise, after you read about the kind of work he has accomplished, you know he never rests. While walking to the studio, he asked me about my educational background and whether I was a student of IISER. When we arrived, I introduced him to the other team members. While the audio was being tested, he looked at the book I had used. There were too many marker notes in between the pages, looking at them he exclaimed, ‘I hope these are not the number of questions!’   

We started recording the interview. I began with a slightly louder and high-pitched tone. But when he started talking, his voice was much softer than mine. Hence, I thought of bringing down mine too- that’s the sudden difference audible in the video. This was the first interview I conducted. My colleague, who had some experience in this, advised me not to think much about the planned structure and let the interview take its flow. Once, I asked him the first question, I didn’t have to worry about the next one. The way he ended the previous answer, usually gave a cue for the next question. Also, his slow-paced and lucid manner of narration kept me totally in the moment. The questions took longer than we had anticipated, and a few of them had to be skipped. There was too much information and insight into the topics he described. Each nuclear reactor and every project he had led could be an interview in itself. We were running overtime, so the rapid-fire questions had to be quickly covered, I didn't want to let go of them.  

Once the interview was over, we invited him for tea at the office. Although he had very little time, before leaving for the airport, still, he agreed to come. He inquired about what kind of projects we undertake and expressed his opinions on the significance of science communication. He spoke in such a light-hearted manner. At that moment, I could not relate to him as the man who stood fearlessly firm during the Indo-US civil agreement to protect our country’s nuclear capability and safety. Yet, he’s been both of them.

We took a group picture with him. He shook hands with each one of us before leaving. I escorted him to the guest house foyer where the registrar waited for him. As he sat in the car, I waved him goodbye. I held back my tears so that no one else could see them. It's not every day that I come across a man who is fully alive.

The post-production of the interview took a lot of time. It underwent multiple rounds of edits- mixing the two camera angles, adding visual effects, and working on the audio. This one was my favorite among all the videos I’d edited until that point. We also tried to develop illustrations and animations for some of the concepts he had explained. I had the initial visuals run by him through email, for which he gave appropriate feedback and suggested changes. The final YouTube video link was shared with him which he also shared in some of his groups.

I admire all the teamwork that went into this. And I can’t but wonder at the chain of events that led to fulfilling a tiny childhood wish of meeting Dr. Anil Kakodkar.

©Neha Kanase 

Interview link: https://youtu.be/c30O3qILck8?si=Cvo4NEXutROoYqfr

 

https://www.anilkakodkar.in/blog/fire-and-fury-transforming-indias-strategic-identity/

 

 The Unbreakable Code

Imagine solving a complex equation without knowing the format of the final answer: you will never know when you have arrived at a solution! I read this cool tech-fiction by Dan Brown called 'The Digital Fortress'. It's among his very old works that I came across in one of the local libraries. It is based on the story of a code-breaking machine called TRANSLTR hosted by the National Security Agency of the United States for decrypting messages to safeguard national integrity. This machine makes it possible to break every complex code and makes critical information accessible. But the catch over here is that to decode information that might be a potential threat to the US, TRANSLTR has access to several other transactions as well. This means that regular communications like emails and messages between ordinary citizens are also decoded. US citizens are unaware of TRANSLTR's existence. Although for the NSA this is a routine, many cryptographers, including a few of the NSA's employees, consider this as a breach of privacy. Ensei Takando, a former NSA employee resolves to reveal TRANSLTR to the world by threatening NSA. He pursues the NSA into believing the existence of a rotating cleartext code he developed. According to the fiction, rotating cleartext is an algorithm that in addition to encrypting, shifts the decrypted cleartext over a time-variant. This is a fictional concept according to which the computer will never locate a recognizable pattern to break the code even though it might arrive at the right key in between the shifting letters.

The NSA's deputy director is persuaded to let the code into TRANSLTR and bypass the virus filters. He works on a master plan of creating a back door to the so-called digital fortress code after getting hold of the pass key (that only Ensei Takando and his partner N Dakota possess). After doing so he would reveal TRANSLTR to the world and falsely declare to the public that digital fortress is an unbreakable code. This code when connected to a computer installed on a chip would make TRANSLTR difficult to intrude on peoples' communications. But actually, the NSA would have access to all the communications through the code's back door.

However, soon it is reveled that N Dakota never existed. It is just an anagram of Ensie Takando. He used another email ID to mislead the NSA into the conversations between himself and the virtual N Dakota. The original pass key for Digital Fortress is only with Ensie and is engraved on his ring. Ensie is soon killed and NSA get hold of the ring. 

The end is slightly disappointing where its is revealed that the code isn't a rotating cleartext but a computer worm that destroys TRANSLTR. However, in order to save the databank that contains critical security information, the pass key has to be entered. It is engraved on the ring in the following format.

 PFEESESNRETMPFHAIRWEOOIGMEENNRMAENETSHASDCNSIIAAIEER BRNKFBLELODI

These alphabets when arranged in the groups of four, give the following pattern

FEE SESN RETM MFHA IRWE OOIG MEEN NRMA ENET SHAS DCNS IIAA IEER BRNK FBLE LODI

This is a perfect square 64, when arranged in 8 rows of 8 gives a Caeser box. Julius Caeser would send messages by arranging random letters which had to be decrypted by arranging them in a square and reading the alphabets from top to bottom.

After reading from top to bottom we get the following sentence

PRIME DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ELEMENTS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIROSHIMA AND NAGASAKI

This turns out to be the difference in the atomic numbers of the two elements used in the bombs used on Hiroshima and Nagasaki: Uranium-235 and Uranium-238: 238-235 = 3. The pass key is 3. It is entered just in time to save the database. 

The book contains a lot of drama based on the emotional dynamics of complex relationships between people, which is slightly out of place in a book based on a logical sequence. While studying prime numbers at school, I never knew they had such wide-ranging applications. They are everywhere: in encrypting messages, online transactions, and quantum computing technologies. 

©Neha Kanase