Science, Struggle, Impact: Janaki Ammal Against the Flow

Science often serves the pursuit of curiosity, of the natural world, but for some, it also becomes a tool for driving societal change. Dr. E. K. Janaki Ammal was one such scientist whose contributions came at a time when India desperately needed them. India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, recognized her extraordinary vision and invited her to lead the Central Botanical Laboratory. Under her leadership, she safeguarded India’s indigenous biodiversity, documented plant varieties, and developed new genetic strains of crops to combat famine and starvation. The story of this woman has to be reshared multiple times for her perseverance and the way she used her voice.

Janaki Ammal, Photo Credits to Geeta Doctor

Born in 1897 in Tellicherry (now Thalassery), Kerala, Janaki Ammal grew up in a large family of 19 children. Her father, a judge and naturalist, fostered her love for the natural world. She grew up in privilege in a large family that lived in a house called Edam, which served as the center of her life.  Janaki was born into Kerala's Thiyya community, considered socially backward under the Hindu caste system. However, her upbringing at Edam shielded her from much of this prejudice, at least in her childhood. Unlike many of her sisters who entered arranged marriages, Janaki chose the path of education, earning degrees in botany from Queen Mary’s College and Presidency College in Madras. Her pursuit of higher education was groundbreaking, especially during a time when fewer than 1,000 Indian women studied beyond high school.

A Barbour Scholarship took her to the University of Michigan, where she became the first Indian woman to earn a doctorate in botany in 1931. Her research focused on plant cytology and hybridization, leading to the development of interspecific and intergeneric hybrids. She published her Ph.D. thesis, 'Chromosome Studies in Nicandra Physaloides', in 1932. Upon returning to India, she joined the Maharaja’s College of Science, Trivandrum, as a professor of botany and taught until 1934. She then became a geneticist at the Sugarcane Breeding Institute in Coimbatore, working alongside Charles Alfred Barber. At the institute, she developed cross-bred sugarcane varieties that were sweeter and more resilient, reducing India’s reliance on imports. Her work also helped map the geographical distribution of sugarcane varieties across India, earning her the nickname "the woman who sweetened India's sugarcane."

In 1935, the renowned scientist and Nobel laureate C.V. Raman founded the Indian Academy of Sciences and selected Janaki Ammal as a research fellow in its inaugural year. However, as a single woman from a caste considered 'backward', Janaki faced irreconcilable challenges among her male peers in Coimbatore. The discrimination compelled her to leave for London, where she joined the John Innes Horticultural Institute as an assistant cytologist. From 1940 to 1945, amidst the chaos of German bombings in London, Janaki's resilience shone through. She would dive under her bed during night bombings but return to her research the next morning after brushing broken glass off the shelves, choosing the risks of war and chaos over the stifling inability to work in a patriarchal environment.

In England, she co-authored 'The Chromosome Atlas of Cultivated Plants', a seminal work, and became the first salaried woman scientist at the Royal Horticultural Society in Wisley. Her studies in polyploidy (Condition of having more than two paired sets of/homologous chromosomes in the cells of an organism) led to the creation of the Magnolia kobus Janaki Ammal, a flowering shrub that immortalizes her name.

Janaki recognized the importance of addressing gender inequities in academia. She envisioned a pan-Asian sisterhood of scholars where Indian, Chinese, and Japanese students could exchange ideas and cultures. Despite financial challenges, she strongly advocated for such academic networks and even received an invitation to teach botany at a college in China.

Janaki’s foresight into biodiversity preservation was remarkable for her time. Returning to India in the 1950s, Janaki reorganized the Botanical Survey of India and championed the preservation of native flora. She was deeply concerned about the deforestation caused by government food production campaigns and incorporated traditional knowledge into conservation efforts. At the Botanical Survey of India, she encountered resistance from male colleagues unwilling to acknowledge her leadership. What is most admirable about her is her grit in challenging the hierarchy and patriarchy in her field during the 20th century, using her explorations as a means to break free from societal constraints. In 1948, she undertook a historic plant-hunting expedition to Nepal, a region she described as one of Asia's most botanically unique landscapes. According to the author of  the biography of Janaki Ammal 'Chromosome Woman, Nomad Scientist' - Savithri Preetha Nair-  the mobility of Janaki Ammal was her idea to "break free from the tyranny of hierarchy, patriarchy, and pseudo-science she encountered in the male bastions of state science such as crop breeding stations."

Biography of Janaki Ammal, Routledge Media Company

Her commitment to environmental preservation culminated in her involvement with the Save Silent Valley Movement. At nearly 80 years old, she conducted a chromosomal survey of the threatened forest, which contributed to its designation as a national park. By this time, she was an established figure in Indian science and held the title of scientist emeritus at Madras University’s Centre for Advanced Studies in Botany. She believed it was essential to undertake daring scientific efforts, such as surveying the forest trees of the Silent Valley, to prevent the loss of biodiversity to deforestation.

As a woman, it is often difficult to recognize and harness the power of one’s position in society. Janaki Ammal was an exception to this rule. Her legacy is woven into India’s landscapes, from the sweetness of its sugarcane to the untouched beauty of the Silent Valley. Her life’s work, a blend of scientific innovation and environmental advocacy, continues to thrive, reminding us of the enduring impact of one determined scientist. Sharing Janaki Ammal's story helps challenge Eurocentric narratives in feminist history. Highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of Indian and Asian women in science is a vital step toward inclusivity.

Written by Janaky S. and edited by Parvathy Ramachandran @ThinkHer

References
1. Chromosome Woman, Nomad Scientist: E. K. Janaki Ammal, a Life 1897-1984, Savithri Preetha Nair, 2023.
2.https://www.mpg.de/19967547/janaki-ammal
3. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-63445015
4.https://feminisminindia.com/2018/03/19/janaki-ammal-first-doctorate-botany/