Rudranath and three other boys peered over the lone reader on their desk at the back of the class. Classes in the Canadian Mission School in Chaguanas were overcrowded. Apart from the Presbyterian pupils, Hindus also attended the school. Rudranath was one such pupil. His father was none other than "Pundit Capildeo". He was a Brahmin. He hailed from a clan of princelings who owned several villages around Gorakhpur. This was a city in Northern India. In Chaguanas, Pundit Capildeo was the head of an eminent Hindu family.

He was brought to Trinidad, from Calcutta, as an indentured labourer. After his indentureship he was awarded a small plot of land. He worked the land, married and fathered nine children. Rudranath was the last. He was born on Carnival Tuesday, 1920.

His father died when Rudranath was only five. As a boy he helped in the family store - The Lion House. At home he learnt Hindi and Sanskrit. At school he performed well, thanks to Mr. Ramoutar, one of his teachers.

One day, Rudranath's mother, Sogee, boldly approached the principal of Queen's Royal College in Port of Spain. In those days East Indians rarely entered secondary schools. Rudranath's mother, nonetheless, was determined that her son be admitted to Queen's Royal College. She asked for Rudranath's admission. Impressed by her determination, the principal agreed.

Rudranath entered QRC in 1931. He was taught briefly by Eric Williams who was about to leave for Oxford University, England. Determined to win a scholarship, Rudranath studied up to 16 hours a day at times. In 1938, he succeeded. His mark in Mathematics was the highest ever in an island scholarship.

Rudranath was admitted to the University of London. During a period of illness, he underwent a change. Normally shy, he became more inquisitive. He began to understand that Mathematics and Science were not just subjects you learnt at school. They were a real part of everyday life. He developed a new interest in Mathematics and Science.

In 1943 he was awarded a B.Sc. in Mathematics and Physics. Two years later he obtained a M.Sc. in Mathematics with a distinction. Eventually he got his Ph.D. in Mathematical Physics. He then became Doctor Capildeo. Consequently, he began to rank with Britain's leading scientists.

Lawyer and politician, as well as scientist, his was the theory of Democratic Socialism. He was indeed a man of whom we can all be proud.

Capildeo died in London in 1970.

TOP