Well I will never forgive myself, if I don't pen an obit on revered Islamic scholar Asghar Ali Engineer who passed away recently in Mumbai. I first met him at AMU Aligarh in early eighties where I was an undergraduate student of History.
He was lecturing at the Kennedy Hall and some friends told me about his. My knowledge about Islamic history was zero and I just curiously went to hear him. He was quoting from the Islamic literature his speech bounced over my head but I am indebted to him as he opened up the horizons of my knowledge.
I remember vividly how he described about his Bohra community's politics. The diktat of the spiritual head of the Bohra community Mr. Syedna, how he was attacked inside the mosque when he resisted his fatwas. I owe all this knowledge to him. That conversation continued much after his lecture and this happened more than 30 years ago, I remember it, the memories are still fresh.
After that I started reading him mainly in Mainstream then edited by Nikhil Chakravartty, and Seminar edited by Romesh Thapar. Those were the days I was preparing for Civil Services exam in JNU. I was as well researching on the theme The Demand for Partition of India - http://www.amazon.com/demand-partition-India-British-policy/dp/8170998689
It was also those turbulent years of Ayodhya - Babri Masjid controversy. There were riots after riots happening in the country, the Babari Masjid demolition, the Mumbai riots, the bomb blasts in Mumbai was all a sequel of communal politics that was happening in India at that point of time. Asghar Ali Engineer was not only chronicling that event but was resisting the politics of hate and revenge.
His ideas on communalism and secularism were so profound that I remained deeply engrossed reading his comments on this subjects. He is the first person in this country to highlight the menace of communal riots in the country. He use to visit those where the communal riots had taken place and his fact finding reports from different riot torn places were revealing.
It's only after that the so called national media that parroted the police version of the riots and blamed Muslims, were forced to take a balanced view for the simple fact of being exposed of saffron biases.
My next encounter with him was in Chennai in 98-99, when I went to interview him as a reporter of a local daily. He was talking at the Anna University, after which I had an opportunity for to talk to him at length on the subject of communalism in this country. My interview centered on the perils of communalism and his prognosis how to uphold the values of democracy with secularism as its sheath anchor.
During my conversation I found him to be an embodiment of Knowledge. He was pursuing the cause of serving the humanity with utmost conviction. He was not simply an armed chaired theoretician but also a grassroots worker who actually saw the developments on the ground and made his observations and comments. This makes his position much above the scholars of any subject.
I must pay him my deep respect and sincere gratitude for imparting me a few piece of wisdom. Even though he is no more among us, his writings continue to inspire millions of people in the country. He was bacon of light.
There can be no one like Asghar Ali Engineer but I am sure many in the country after reading him and hearing him aspire to tread his path. He upheld the secular values at time when communalism was making an onslaught. This was his greatest contribution to Indian society.
I am sure all those who have read and heard Asghar Ali Engineer will never forget him. He will live in their hearts as long they are alive - JAB TAK HAI JAN.
As far I am concerned, I am proud to say that I met Asghar Ali Engineer and shook hands with his and have absolutely have no doubt in saying he was of the finest human beings who walked on this earth.
I just like to end up my obit with William Shakespeare's punchline in Julius Caesar - His life was gentle; and the elements so mixed in him, that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, THIS WAS A MAN!
Syed Ali Mujtaba is journalist based in Chennai. He can be contacted at syedalimujtaba@yahoo.com
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