CV Raman’s plan to bring Jewish Scientists to India…
Professor Max Born was the mentor of the likes of Fermi and Oppenheimer. Heisenberg was once his assistant!
In 1933, just one month after Hitler became Chancellor, Born was fired by his university because he was Jewish. He fled to England taking a temporary position.
CV Raman was then the director of IISc Bangalore. He wrote to Born (both knew each other well in context of Raman Effect) - to join IISc as a professor and head of a new department Raman was setting up — and at a salary that would be higher than what he was getting in England!!
Raman used his connections with Mysore state to arrange money initially for a 6 month paid visit to familiarize Born with India. He also got a job for Born’s young nephew as an architect for Mysore state.
Born family did live in India and wanted to settle down here, but the British did not let it happen.
Raman did similar maneuvering for bringing many other Jewish scientists and engineers from Europe to India in backdrop of Nazi policies - finding positions for them not only at IISc but various other universities, and using his own students and other connections in European universities to convince these scientists.
British did not like any of it - and they cut short Raman’s plans. Most Jewish scientists were hired by UK or USA universities.
This picture in quoted tweet with Born couple in Indian clothes is from early 1936.