When I read the news that Fred Halliday, an expert on West Asia, a scholar of international relations , who advocated justice, human rights and socialist democratic values , died of cancer, I remembered my young scholar friend, who shared my geographical and emotional space for few years in our university, before he moved on to a prestigious institute in the South.He is a scholar on west Asia and I felt that I must share this news with him. For a longtime since he left my place, there is not much contact.In the meanwhile, he got married and a son was born quickly and he got hijacked to family commitments.We were relegated to the background. Without hurting him, I lamented over the email that , “The days we spent together long long ago , some 17th or 18th century will never come back. Occasionally we should remember each other. I will read more on Fred Halliday's obituary.”
He replied back immediately. I am quoting below some excerpts in order to showcase his mastery over language as also the subject.
“It is indeed sad that Fred Halliday is no more but what makes the news shocking is its suddenness. Suddenly one fine morning we receive the news that Halliday is no more, while it was just the previous night that I had decided to pick one of his best books Middle East in International Relations. It is sad because in Halliday we have lost a saner liberal voice amid an atrocious cacophony that passes off as serious academic debate on West Asia these days. On my part, I have started praying, in all dearness, for long life of the few remaining ones like Chomsky, Fisk, Uri and others. However, I must really thank you for remembering me even with this not so pleasant piece of news.
You are right the time spent in Pondicherry will never come back. Now that I sit back and take a relaxed retrospective glance, I find that those days were definitely one of the best days of my life, although only I wouldn't go so far as to push them to 17th or 18th century for they are very much itched into the experiences of the 21st century itself.
You are right again that we should remember each other quite often. On remembrance, life since fatherhood has alerted me to this new but very perceptible development that I have realized of late. Earlier when you would charge me with forgetfulness, I used to take this accusation very lightly because hardly a week passes by and we haven't been either in Pondy or talking about it! How could I possibly be forgetful about it?
The situation is different today. Now I am getting around the idea what if it is true; what if I am indeed being forgetful about it after all. Perhaps the reason of this sudden bout of uncertainty is the fact that I am absolutely clueless as to how, since I have become a father, days have rolled into weeks and weeks into months. Now my worry is when these months will melt into years and years into decades, will it still be possible to remain as clueless in the end as when you had started with? That there exists this possibility explains these bouts of uncertainty, I guess.
Sir please don't get me wrong. This is not a pessimistic assessment of the situation but merely a theoretical exploration of that possibility which might lead the situation to a particular end. I am quite hopeful that my case has not gone beyond redemption simply for a reason that since I am aware of this possibility, I am also aware that this situation might take not a particular end but any end. I don't know what makes me write these things to you. I am extremely sorry if I have bored you with these self-doubts of mine.”
Life has become so fast faced, hectic and also chaotic that we have forgotten who we are, and why we are here. No close relation or friend shall be blamed for forgetting us or not remembering us, mailing to us or phoning up occasionally. We also don’t do the same. The fact that we all live in a world of pervading uncertainty, must eventually propel us to remember that on occasions at least we should remember. True love or friendship always gets locked up into the heart layers and molecules of brain, and let us not complain. We may not be more communicative or enterprisingly good with the computer, but we shall be more supportive of all those who are very near and dear to us. In a world where the change is the essence of life, sustaining old and freshly formed relationship demands a little bit effort, concern and emotional wave length. Literature is bristling with episodes where true friendship has flowered between people, even without seeing each other. Let not distance separate the mind.
He replied back immediately. I am quoting below some excerpts in order to showcase his mastery over language as also the subject.
“It is indeed sad that Fred Halliday is no more but what makes the news shocking is its suddenness. Suddenly one fine morning we receive the news that Halliday is no more, while it was just the previous night that I had decided to pick one of his best books Middle East in International Relations. It is sad because in Halliday we have lost a saner liberal voice amid an atrocious cacophony that passes off as serious academic debate on West Asia these days. On my part, I have started praying, in all dearness, for long life of the few remaining ones like Chomsky, Fisk, Uri and others. However, I must really thank you for remembering me even with this not so pleasant piece of news.
You are right the time spent in Pondicherry will never come back. Now that I sit back and take a relaxed retrospective glance, I find that those days were definitely one of the best days of my life, although only I wouldn't go so far as to push them to 17th or 18th century for they are very much itched into the experiences of the 21st century itself.
You are right again that we should remember each other quite often. On remembrance, life since fatherhood has alerted me to this new but very perceptible development that I have realized of late. Earlier when you would charge me with forgetfulness, I used to take this accusation very lightly because hardly a week passes by and we haven't been either in Pondy or talking about it! How could I possibly be forgetful about it?
The situation is different today. Now I am getting around the idea what if it is true; what if I am indeed being forgetful about it after all. Perhaps the reason of this sudden bout of uncertainty is the fact that I am absolutely clueless as to how, since I have become a father, days have rolled into weeks and weeks into months. Now my worry is when these months will melt into years and years into decades, will it still be possible to remain as clueless in the end as when you had started with? That there exists this possibility explains these bouts of uncertainty, I guess.
Sir please don't get me wrong. This is not a pessimistic assessment of the situation but merely a theoretical exploration of that possibility which might lead the situation to a particular end. I am quite hopeful that my case has not gone beyond redemption simply for a reason that since I am aware of this possibility, I am also aware that this situation might take not a particular end but any end. I don't know what makes me write these things to you. I am extremely sorry if I have bored you with these self-doubts of mine.”
Life has become so fast faced, hectic and also chaotic that we have forgotten who we are, and why we are here. No close relation or friend shall be blamed for forgetting us or not remembering us, mailing to us or phoning up occasionally. We also don’t do the same. The fact that we all live in a world of pervading uncertainty, must eventually propel us to remember that on occasions at least we should remember. True love or friendship always gets locked up into the heart layers and molecules of brain, and let us not complain. We may not be more communicative or enterprisingly good with the computer, but we shall be more supportive of all those who are very near and dear to us. In a world where the change is the essence of life, sustaining old and freshly formed relationship demands a little bit effort, concern and emotional wave length. Literature is bristling with episodes where true friendship has flowered between people, even without seeing each other. Let not distance separate the mind.
