Well known Mangalorean DR. MICHAEL LOBO’s new book released

Well known Mangalorean DR. MICHAEL LOBO’s new book released

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, Dec 27, 2011 : St.Aloysius College, the Alma mater of the well known Mangalorean Scientist turned historian, was the venue of the release of his two books on English music. The books: ‘Popular Music-Historical and Thematic Analysis’ and ‘A Thousand Pages of Music-With Historical Analysis’ were released on December 26,2011amidst a distinguished gathering of music and book lovers of the city. St Aloysius College principal Fr Swebert D’Silva made formal, introductory remarks. The  special guests on the occasion Marius and Veronica Barron couple from the UK, were of special significance; Veronica’s grandfather, from the ’Abreao family’ rooted in Mangalore and moved to the UK, had studied at St Aloysius College a good 128 years ago.

 

ROOTED in MANGALORE:
 
 Dr.Michael Lobo, was born in Mangalore on 12.September,1953 - his father a senior military officer, late CAJF. Lobo and mother late Maisie Fernandes, were a prominent family in Bijey Mangalore.  Young Michael finished his schooling  from Montfort, Yercaud in 1968 and graduated from  St.Aloysius College in 1972.  He was always a topper all around - in 1975 he was one of the ’National-A’ players in Chess, which meant being one of the country’s top 20! His mental prowess compelled him to go into academic and scientific research, a bonus in the 70’s. He obtained a PhD from IISc Bangalore in 1982, with applied Mathematics. His doctoral thesis on "Transonic Aerodynamics" an aviation science, earned him the coveted  "Young Scientist Award"  from the National Science Academy.
 
 Most top scientists of that era went abroad. Dr.Lobo  bagged a prized research  scholarship at the Cranfield Institute of Technology, England. Also he was a part time ’Don’ of  the institute, during this time he played a key role working with a consortium of British Industry which included Rolls Royce and British Aerospace which did pioneering research in aircraft engines and so on. Supervising PhD Students, he published several works (Ashgate Press); "A step-by-step Guide to flow solver" and did advanced work on ’Computational Fluid Dynamics’ and such subjects. He later lectured at the prestigious ’Instituto Politetechnico National’ Mexico City. (Please see the special box with pictures).      
 
 As off-shoots of his interests in writing,  Dr.Michael compiled a 1000-page Dictionary of words deriving from classical Greek - the work was well appreciated notably from Oxford University Press. During the years 1992-93 his interests in Music motivated him to prepare an ’Analysis on Pop Songs since early 1900’s’ - it being of encyclopedic size with narrow public interests was not brought out in print. By 1994 his love for past history, his home land and people came to the surface and was the focus of his commitment, his  true love took hold and he returned to Mangalore vaguely aware that his work was among it’s people and the land. 

 BACK in MANGALORE:

   It was 1994, he moved to Mangalore  and took up residence with his brothers in the sprawling hill side manor ’Camelot’ on Bijey church road, plunging into his dedicated work on his books and genealogy analysis. He is so engrossed in his work that he still remains an eligible bachelor. Travels a lot in connection with study and people oriented works - meetings, studying ancient records civil and church related, even the details on tomb stones.  Deeply involves discovering new angles of old history!  The three major publications are presently available and of great attraction are:

1. ’The Mangalorean Catholic Community - A Professional History/Directory’ (2002) - 1200 pages. A book giving valuable integral information on the Mangalorean Catholics over two centuries and more, by profession and employment. 

 2. ’Distinguished Mangalorean Catholics’ 1800 TO 2000 - 600 Pages. Where  basic information on prominent people categorised by family origin are given, upto the generation that is now 70 plus years old.

3. ’Mangaloreans World Wide’ - An International Directory’ (1999) - 360 pages. Giving the location details of a large cross section of identified Mangalorean Catholics Worldwide.

 All three books,are of valuable use in the reference of Kanara and it’s people, institutions, history and much more. In the decade gone by, he has closely associated himself with several facets of  community activity and is now a virtual ‘Social Scientist’. Note worthy is his association with CASK-’Catholic Association of South Kanara’.

 
 MAGNUM  OPUS:

    The ’Magnum Opus’  the grand tree of life - Dr.Lobo’s prime effort  is approaching its grand finale he says!  A tome that is expected to be 8 to 10 volumes, it has now crossed 7000 pages. Tentatively called, "A GENEALOGICAL ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF MANGALOREAN CATHOLIC FAMILIES", it covers over 1000 families. Researched as far back as possible from authentic records, complete with cross references allowing to find relationships/connections in all directions. It is a positive hope that the interest of young and old of the community spread across the world, will ensure success for the volumes! Success is a continuous journey.  Today the intermingling and integration patterns are giving rise to new visions, shapes and expectations particularly among the young!  Individual and collective identities are being lost and new ones formed.  Hopefully, Kanara and the Konkani community in particular will better recognize the toil and contribution of this unique scholar, an unsung super scholar, a jewel of  Karnataka! Dr.Lobo is an unsung hero of our land!    A surprise honouring of the author was organized quietly by his well-wishers in view of the fact that Dr.Michael would never consent to any such formality:

 

The text of the citation :

This citation is being presented to you in grateful appreciation of your yeoman service to the Mangalorean Catholic community and your passion for research into the ancestry of hundreds of Mangalorean Catholic families, thereby giving a strong sense of history and heritage to the present and future generations.

Your excellence in Mathematics and your research in the subject earned a Doctorate for you from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. Your bold decision to quit a prospective, and possibly a highly lucrative, career in England in the prime years of your life, to return to your roots in 1994 and undertake a comprehensive and fruitful research into the community’s genealogy certainly stands out as one of the rarest of rare cases in the contemporary world.

It may have been a loss to the world of Mathematics but it is certainly a considerable gain to the Magalorean Catholic community. With your magnum opus, the forthcoming genealogical encyclopedia, the Mangalorean Catholic community can boast of being the only community in the world to have an encyclopedia of this kind.

Your contribution to the world of letters, having authored five books of extraordinary content and quality and published them, besides publishing five books by other authors, also deserves high commendation and accolades.

Your other achievements in the fields like chess with a ranking of one of India’s top 20 in 1975, mountaineering, research into music and etymology and the like have remained without much publicity. You have never hankered after name or fame. Your single-minded mission has always remained unaffected by lack of appreciation and support.

Coming late though it may seem to be, the Mangalorean Catholic community acknowledges your genius, salutes your unwavering dedication to the cause of historical research, wishes you fruitful completion of your pet projects, and prays for more recognition to your yeoman service, and well-being and long life. May the community stand to benefit from your service in the ages to come.

Presented to you within the august portals of your alma mater, St Aloysius College, Mangalore, on Monday, December 26, 2011.