KOCHI: "If you want to know how lucky or blessed you are, if you believe in God, you just need to visit the Regional Cancer Centre at Thiruvananthapuram. You will see several children and youngsters with cancer in the outpatient wing. I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 60. I consider my life until now as a bonus."
This was how ISRO Chairman S. Somanath responded when a student asked him about his feelings upon being diagnosed with cancer (stomach cancer), and that too on the day of the launch of Aditya-L1, India's scientific mission to study the Sun. He was answering questions from the audience after inaugurating 'CariToon 2024,' a cartoon festival organized by the Kerala Cartoon Academy in collaboration with the Kerala Lalithakala Akademy and the Chavara Cultural Centre at the Durbar Hall Art Gallery on Wednesday. "I didn't see it as something bad. I took five days off for the operation, and as you can see, I'm cheerful and have a positive outlook, not disheartened," the aerospace engineer said.
Somanath first revealed his cancer diagnosis on March 4 this year when he spoke about his operation followed by chemotherapy. "It was after the scan that I became aware of the growth in my stomach. I learned about it as soon as the launch took place. It was a hereditary condition. It was a shock for the family. But now, I perceive cancer and its treatment as a solution," he had said.
Earlier, Somanath, a cartoonist during his student days, was honored with the Kerala Cartoon Academy's distinguished membership.
The ISRO chief inaugurated CariToon, which will conclude on August 25, by drawing a cartoon. Cartoon Academy Chairman Sudheer Nath welcomed the gathering, and Murali Cheeroth, Chairman of the Kerala Lalit Kala Academy, gave the presidential address.