Dreams Seller Dr James David in my eyes...

Dr Shivakumar Magada

Dr James David, M.F.Sc., Ph.D. (       -2019) one of the bright alumnus of the College of Fisheries, Mangalore.

He completed his degree in the year 1982 and Masters in the year 1987 and worked on “Effect of Fertilizing Fish Ponds with Poultry Manure in Split Doses” under the guidance of Dr T J Verghese. He was pursuing PhD at UAS, Bangalore under the guidance of my friend Dr Mahadevaiah in the Department of Agriculture Economics. During this time, he used to meet me very often at UAS, Bangalore and discussed many things, anything but science.

He was Graduate Assistant and an Instructor in the late 1980s. Later he moved to private sector worked all over the country. He was very passionate about science, research, trekking, reading, travelling and anything and everything. He was the person who had pets like python and crocodiles at college. He used to like my drawings in the taxonomy classes but charge me for wrong doings. The strongest words that he used to scold was “A Joker..”. His class on “Rampani-a shore net” operation at Shashihitlu beach was one of the events that I remember like a cinema. In a field, he was psychologist, sociologist, an engineer, curator, scientist, an artiste and ultimately a dream seller.

Dr A E Eknath and family with Dr James: See the Joyfullness

Thirty years before the release of a movie “Life of Pie”..he explained us about the emotions of animals. He said, we only see our emotions in the animal’s eyes. When I was watching this movie, I recalled his statements three decades ago. The pond in front of the college, there used to be an adult crocodile. He used to get inside a pond to feed it. He used to play with it. On one Sunday myself, sanju and vinay informed the James that the crocodile was making lot of noise. He said smilingly...it is its breeding season man..let’s find him a partner. But next day, it was escaped and went to the valley along the rail track in the campus. We all went and brought it back. But Dr James suggested us to leave it in the Kadri Park where the zoo was at that time (Now shifted to Pilikula)

He was the first one to come to college and last to go. Most of the time, he used to be in the library. Suppose, he gets some doubt in the night, he used to get up and go to lab. Of course, most of the fishcos were nocturnal those days. I was fortunate enough to listen to his lectures, go trekking and walking with him. At first no one used like him...but once you know about him, you cannot forget him for a lifetime. That was the magnetism of his personality where one used to be impressed with his knowledge on anything he speaks. He used to keeps the things at little low profile when it comes to family details. Three years back, I met him at Bangalore and asked him to take care of his health. He said so convincingly that he was not afraid of death. Yes, of course..he delayed it by his strong optimism. Consciously, I have chosen his optimism in my life. Yes..James continues to live in our hearts..and actions.

My classmate Mr M R Ramesh with Dr James David

Boban Verghese and Dinesh K N with James