I am in shock. This is a time of mourning. I don’t know what to write, and how.
Today, Prof Mohiuddin Bhat Sahib, Ex Director IoT Zakura, succumbed to Covid-19 illness after fighting this devastating disease for more than 3 weeks. In his death I lost an elder brother, one could always look up to for guidance, moral support, and advice; a compassionate and sincere friend, and a competent, honest and upright colleague.
I have innumerable memories of him, which will require pages and pages. He was a family friend and a close associate for the last 28 years. We met at AMU in 1993. A tall, well-built, warm and charming personality as he was, he attracted my attention at the very first meeting and we became friends for ever. He was perusing his M.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering at the Zakir Husain College of Engineering & Technology, and I was perusing my MSc in the Department of Chemistry. Later on he did his Ph D from the same college and I too joined the same college for my PhD in the Department of Applied Chemistry.
At AMU, we had a close association with many other young friends from Kashmir and Kerala, wherein he would mentor an informal circle of young students and guide us in organization of various educational, cultural and societal programmes. He was a thoroughly religious soul, possessing a socially conscious mind. In fact, he had played a leading role in construction of the Jamia Mosque in Kashmir University and another in the Mirza Bagh Residential campus of the Kashmir University. He would always walk an extra mile to help anyone in need. It was only Prof Bhat who motivated and guided me to join Kashmir University in 2004, in spite of my initial reluctance, as I was already settled professionally and was working in Govt Degree College Baramulla as lecturer.
Professor Mohiuddin Bhat was born on 1st February, 1964 at Chewa locality of Safapur, a small township at the banks of world famous Mansbal Lake, some 30 km from Srinagar city. He did his MSc from PG Department of Electronics in 1987 and was appointed lecturer in the same Department in 1988. Subsequently, he rose through the ranks and became Professor and Director University Science Instrumentation Centre (USIC). He worked as the founder Director Institute of Technology, Dean, School of Applied Sciences &Technology, HoD Electronics & Instrumentation Technology, HoD Electronics and Communication Technology.
Prof Bhat was an institution unto himself. He was instinctively an institution builder. He single handedly founded and developed the Institute of Technology (IOT), Zakura and also the Government College of Engineering & Technology (GCET) at Safapora, for which he laid the foundations. I have closely seen him working as Director, engineer, mason, carpenter, and mechanic – all-in-one, and simultaneously, in the college for providing efficient, transparent and prompt administration, also proper maintenance of the institute. He would very often work till past midnight, sometimes upto 4am, to the discomfort of his family, for writing proposals, notes and papers for the expansion and development of the IoT Zakura campus of the University. I would always see lights-on in his office chamber till late night, and when I would draw his attention towards his duty to share quality time with family, he would simply deflect my pleas with a smile. His energy, enthusiasm and commitment for work though unparalleled, his positivity, forward looking attitude, courage and perseverance was God gifted. More importantly, he was a self-made and self-motivated leader with simple and modest lifestyle and a down-to-earth friendly attitude for all. His integrity and honesty was gracefully uncompromising and impeccable in all circumstances.
He was a technocrat by training and a great proponent of technopreneurship, innovations and inventions. He was an engineer by natural instinct and had a great passion for technology. We would have countless discussions and debates with each other on the “Spirit and “Essential Motivation” for Science, Technology and Innovations, wherein I would argue in favour of doing the Science for the sake of science itself, but he would forcefully refute my assertions in favour of “the Idea of Pursuit of Science” for solving the societal problems by way of technological advancements, innovations and inventions. In the end, I would always concede before his forceful arguments and passionate love for technology and societal uplift. He had little interest in “Theory” but great passion for “Experimental Science” and applied technology. He was techno savvy to the extent that he would spend a lot of money on purchase of any new gadgets he came across. He installed electronic security systems and automation facilities based on new technologies in his house and residential quarter long before they became known to anyone else in the state.
Having himself several patents to his credit, he had a missionary zeal for popularizing the cultural of Patentable Research and grassroots innovations, which led him to create platforms like TePP Outreach–cum-Innovation Center, NIF supported Grassroots Innovation & Augmentation Network (GIAN), DST supported Entrepreneurship Cell (EDC) and Technology Incubation Centre at Zakura. He searched for, and assembled all the Grassroots Innovators and young innovative minds from Gurez and Karnah Valleys to Rajouri and Poonch regions at one platform, and helped them in showcasing their innovations, development of prototype models, technology incubation and marketing of their inventions. He forged many MoUs with many industrial houses and established institution-industry partnerships within and outside J&K. He would periodically organise workshops and short term training programmes for imparting short term technology training to unemployed youth to make them self-employable and self-reliant. He would make Padd-Yatra to far flung areas of Kashmir along with teams of NIF and would give lecturers in schools, colleges and universities towards popularization of grassroots innovations and collection of folklore wisdom and knowledge of medicinal herbs, heeling practices and other obscure knowledge of various aspects of life. He would mentor a large group of enthusiastic youth for this mission, apart from his formal PG and research students.
In conclusion, today the University of Kashmir lost a compassionate, enthusiastic, highly energetic and creative personality in Prof Gh Mohiuddin Bhat, who made remarkable and unforgettable contributions to the academic and corporate life of the University.
Prof Altaf Hussain Pandith is a professor at Department of Chemistry, University of Kashmir