Short History of Pavlov Institute
Dr. Dhirendranath Gangopadhyay (1911-1998) was India’s only follower of Russian Nobel Prize Winner and one of world’s best physiologists I. P. Pavlov (1849-1936). It was in 1936 that Dhirendranath came to know Pavlov suddenly in Australia through Dr. Bethune. Prior to this he had heard about Pavlov like other students but was get yet to understand the importance of his work. He came to know of it from the works of Pavlov that Dr. Bethune left behind on his way to Russia to attend the funeral of the former. Incidentally Dhirendranath stayed in the same house where Dr. Bethune stayed when he had gone to Australia to learn the process of manufacture of powdered milk. There he read the works of Pavlov and came to know the importance of research on neurophysiology which was to change the course of his desired career in life.
On his return from Australia he contacted the Russian Embassy to get hold of Pavlov’s research works and pursue his studies in that direction. At that time he was urged to do something with his social consciousness which was developed with the integration of Pavlovian second signaling system and Marxian dialectical materialism and that prompted him in his choice to practice psychiatry. That apart he nurtured some boyhood hobbies like drama. He wrote many plays and organized a play-group to stage those plays. We may now call those plays as India’s first qualitatively composed psychodramas. He also decided to bring out a Bengali journal dedicated to the emancipation of the working class through the individual emancipation of people in the perspective of Marxian social science, social workers and the front runners of the party, educated in the modern trend. So in 1961 under his editorship was published quarterly Manabmon. It must be mentioned that the name Manabmon came from Dhirendranath’s young poet friend Arunachal Bose.
In midst of all such activities he organized many seminars, discussions, published books and himself participated in those. That undoubtedly spread the name and scientific works of Pavlov on Indian soil. He was a practicing psychiatrist and regularly practiced Pavlov’s hypnotic suggestion therapy. But it was not supported at that time by the Western educated psychiatrists of our country. Pavlov’s scientific discoveries, therefore, faced ridicule which was uncalled for Dhirendranath, in spite of his powerful influence and abilities, was not serious enough to establish the great scientific mind of Pavlov to psychiatrists of India to counter the ridicules that they hurled at Pavlov’s thoughts unnecessarily.
Dhirendranath was publicly honoured for his works in 1986 and the mental hospital at Gobra was named Pavlov Hospital, Kolkata and he was named the Chairman of the advisory council.
In our poor and backward country it is now our duty to properly preserve the fruits of research and present that to the mankind. Still we shall carry on the work of establishing with honour the names of Pavlov and Dhirendranath as great scientists of higher nervous system.