TRIBUTE TO PROF ANISUZZAMAN
The man who taught us the beauty of brevity of words
He always finished his speech much earlier than we wanted him to. His capacity to encapsulate all that he had to say in the fewest of words left us all, in his audience, gasping for more. After hour-long speeches that were our wont, the brevity of his address as the chair of the occasion kept us marvelling at his capacity to say so much in so few words. He taught us the beauty of brevity of words. Just as in his speeches so also in his writings -- literally not a word extra.
He was a person one would automatically respect just by being in his presence. He would not have to do anything or say anything. Just standing next to you, he would compel you to be awed by him. He would exude that unique affection, sophistication, decency and a special type of warmth that only a teacher could. The inner glow of his scholarship coupled with genuine humility would make a compelling case for a heartfelt respect for this soft-spoken man.
There was an open-arm aspect about him that would convince everyone that he would accept you not for what you represented or how powerful you were but for the very fact that you are someone who sought his counsel or guidance. He would never reject you, howsoever a bad student of his you were. Once in his presence you felt, howsoever undeservingly, respected and even welcomed and strangely safe, for you have reached a place from which you will return with dignity.
His voice was full of care and attention and had the ability of touching you deeply, very deeply. As he spoke, and he was not given to saying much, one would hang on to each and every word as if your life depended on it -- and often, if not life, but removal of much of yourconfusion did.
Those who were his direct students and many more others who were not -- including this writer -- we all received his love and support whenever needed them. At a time when celebrating Pahela Baishakh, Rabindra or Nazrul Jayanti or organising a simple musical soiree or a dance drama or holding a seminar or a debate was an act of defiance, teachers like Prof Anisuzzaman was our source of strength and guidance.
Our time at the Dhaka University -- from 1967 to 1972 -- was perhaps politically the most significant. Within those five years we saw the fall of the ironman Gen Ayub, the coming of another martial law under Gen Yahya, the student-led 11-point movement, the first general election in Pakistan's history, the rise of Bangabandhu to the pinnacle of his electoral victory, the most dramatic and unprecedented non-violent non-cooperation movement, the unbelievable spectacle of one man's voice holding sway over the mighty Pakistan army, the last few dramatic days of united Pakistan, the betrayal with the Bengalis by secret arms build-up while faking dialogue, the most brutal, vicious and barbaric genocide of our people, the tectonic shift in our movement from non-violent to armed one, the majesty of our people coming together in the struggle for independence, the magnificent victory and emergence of independent Bangladesh. Through these tumultuous times among the teachers who supported, encouraged, protected, enthused, and led us to war by example, Prof Anisuzzaman was one of the most enduring for he did all this with such endearing and genuine love for the students.
His was a voice for democracy, rights of all people and secularism expressed in the gentlest and kindest of manner. He was truly a scholar at the service of his people. During his later life there would hardly be any request for a book review, a blurb, a comment, an article or a request for presiding over a seminar that he would refuse, saying "I must encourage them all".
Though a school student in 1952, he became a language movement activist in the fifties. In the sixties, he joined every initiative against the military dictatorship of Gen Ayub and was a part of the group that formed the intellectual core that gradually took the nation towards the ultimate goal of independence. He was an integral part of the Mujib Nagar government and worked closely with the leaders there. His scholarly exposition of our cause for freedom helped to win over public opinion in India and abroad.
After liberation, he worked with Bangabandhu's government and was intimately involved in writing of the Bangla version of our constitution. He was a part of several education commissions and contributed to the formulating of education policies in the post-liberation era. He worked tirelessly for the reinstatement of the values and ideology of our Liberation War, actively supported the trial of the war criminals started by Sheikh Hasina's government and personally testified in the trials. These are but a very small sample of his many achievements.
Professor Anisuzzaman was a student's dream of a teacher. His openness was so welcoming and reassuring for anyone who would approach him with either a new idea or an interpretation of a literary text that she or he may have read. No opinion was for him unworthy of a discussion and no student was for him underserving of his personal time. He would always welcome each and every student who ever sought his guidance.
First was his warm voice and truly disarming welcome to his room as a teacher or his house. His soft-spoken words would soon encourage the student to feel at ease and discuss whatsoever s/he came to discuss with the venerable professor.
As soon as the discussion would start one could see that unique aspect of the professor's personality -- his patience. He would listen to whatever the student had to say without interrupting. At the end of it, he would, very softly and slowly, point out the flaws of what has so far been said and suggest some alternative ways of thinking.
There would never be a hint of intellectual superiority in this exchange. The respect and patience with which he treated each and every student was remarkable.
He did not know of any other world but that of a teacher. His writings and research were all meant for his students and for him to be a better teacher.
His humility was extraordinary. After his retirement, he would respond to literally everyone's request to grace their events as the chief guest. With no concern for his health, he would respond with his characteristic "yes" to attend seminars and book launches throughout the day. He continued this practice till his most recent bouts of illness, much to the concern of all those who loved him.
Like most freedom fighters, he did not like many of the aspects of today's Bangladesh. The inequality, the absence of justice, the lack of freedoms, the flouting of fundamental rights pained him enormously. But till the very end he remained optimistic about Bangladesh's future and rejoiced at its every victory however small or profound.
Every genuine scholar is unique and hence we will have to live with the fact that there will be none like him again, ever. So it will be our duty to build on the world that he left us -- a world of thirst for knowledge and intellectual rigour.
Post script.
It was tragic enough that we lost him. But it was deeply painful to endure the fact that we couldn't show our last respects to his mortal remains. It is so heart rending to see him being buried without the thousands of us showering flower petals on his remains, and crying our heart out as we would have buried him.
I can picture the Shaheed Minar where many of us would have gathered to have a last glimpse of his coffin, thousands others who would have carried his body on their shoulders as we would have moved towards the Azimpur graveyard where he was finally rested.
To grieve at his demise from a distance, to express our sorrow remotely, to pray for his Eternal Peace from our homes is not the way we would have liked to say goodbye to our beloved professor, our teacher, our guide, our friend and our guardian angel. What we failed to express today, we pledge to make up with our adherence to what he stood for. Our love for Prof Anisuzzaman will remain for as long as we live.