It is farewell time: in memory of Professor Anisuzzaman

Shantishri McGrath
Published : 24 May 2020, 00:54 AM
Updated : 24 May 2020, 00:54 AM

I first met Professor Anisuzzaman in the summer of 2009. Rezwana Choudhury Bannya had come to the beautiful outdoor garden of the Sri Chinmoy Centre to give a concert. Sri Chinmoy, philosopher, poet, musician and artist, was born near Chattogram in 1931. From 1964, until his passing in 2007, his headquarters were in New York. The Centre is in a neighbourhood with a large Bangladeshi population. Many of them came that day to hear Bannya sing, and we assumed the elderly gentleman was one of them. But when Bannya saw him, she came and touched his feet. Who was he! We wondered. New York-based journalist Fahim Reza Nur introduced us. This was Anisuzzaman, a Bangladeshi legend: scholar, elder statesman who had been involved in drafting the Constitution of the new country. At a later date I had the opportunity to ask Professor Anisuzzaman what his role had been in drafting the Constitution. He told me that he had been an advisor, and that his principal responsibility was to produce the Bengali version of the document.

That day I learned of his greatness. Over the coming years I would get to know his goodness.

Our next meeting was on Christmas Day 2010. The Faculty of Fine Arts of Dhaka University presented an exhibition of Sri Chinmoy's paintings at their gallery, and we invited Professor Anisuzzaman to officially open it. Two thousand people attended the exhibition that day, partly because there was a rock concert going on nearby, and the concert-goers trooped into the gallery whenever there was a break in the music. This is when I became aware of Professor Anisuzzaman's humility and openness. Here was this great man, revered throughout Bangladesh, taking the time to open our exhibition, then staying for hours, viewing the paintings and chatting—quite at home as the young people milled around him. No airs or graces—he was friendly and accessible to all.

I also learned that he was an art lover: the walls of his living room are covered in the works of contemporary Bengali artists. We presented him with a print of one of Sri Chinmoy's paintings, which he kept hung at his Dhaka University office.

In the fall of 2015, while attending a folk music festival at the Army Stadium, I saw Professor Anisuzzaman enter. I ran over to say hello, not expecting him to remember me, but he was most friendly and kind. He invited me to his house. I visited his home on four occasions altogether, where I met his sweet wife Siddiqua Zaman, and, one Eid morning in 2016, met his entire family. As his son and the others came forward to touch his feet, he said to me, "This is one of our Bangladeshi customs, perhaps you will not understand." "I do understand, and I think it is beautiful," I told him. "You are a great man—I should join them!"

In January 2016 we launched Premaloker Kanan, a book of Sri Chinmoy's poems and songs in Bangla and English. Again we exploited Professor Anisuzzaman's kindness by asking him to speak at the event. Again he graciously accepted. This is when I learned another aspect of Anisuzzaman's character—one that is very rare among Bengalis—he was scrupulously punctual. I remember Sri Chinmoy used to joke with us, "Do things in a timely fashion—not in 'Bengali time!'" Our programme was scheduled for 6pm but everyone told me, "Don't worry. No-one will come before 6:30." "Okay," I said, "perhaps no-one will come early, but let's be ready by 6pm just in case." At exactly 6pm Anisuzzaman arrived—to an almost empty hall. How embarrassing! The professor gave a very thoughtful speech, and recited some of Sri Chinmoy's poems, including Bidai Bela:

It is Farewell Time/ The play of the heart will now begin . . . .

Professor Anisuzzaman penned a preface for the second edition of the book. He wrote: "In diction, metaphor and metre (these verses) remind the reader of the tradition of Bengali mystic poems.…." Sri Chinmoy had told us that metre in Bengali poetry is complicated, and that his brother Chitta had taught him its principles. I feel that Sri Chinmoy's spirit, and Chitta's, must have felt a thrill of excitement that their efforts were recognised by no less an authority than the President of Bangla Academy!

Gratitude—giving thanks—is one of the cornerstones of Sri Chinmoy's philosophy. He encouraged us to spend some time in meditation every day, but he always said that one minute of pure gratitude, if it comes from the heart, is worth more than an hour of ordinary meditation. In 2018, our Sri Chinmoy Centre in Dhaka wanted to celebrate the American holiday of Thanksgiving by inviting Professor Anisuzzaman and Siddiqua. We wanted to thank them for the unstinting encouragement they had given us over the years. Once more they delighted us by accepting our invitation. I was learning something more about Professor Anisuzzaman: where others take pleasure in saying "No!"—in refusing, denying and dashing hopes, he liked to say "Yes!"—to be affirmative, encouraging, and self-giving.

Dr Bidushi Khan, who wrote her thesis on Sri Chinmoy, opened the programme with a short talk on gratitude followed by a performance of Sri Chinmoy's poetry and songs. Professor Anisuzzaman was kind enough to say, "Your performances are full of life, full of love, full of passion."

A slideshow featured the deep connections our Centre has forged with Bangladesh—from Sri Chinmoy's meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the United Nations, to meetings with numerous Bangladeshi diplomats, musicians, sportsmen and media figures.

We presented medals to both the professor and his wife. Siddhiqua was particularly thrilled, because, she told us, her husband had received many such awards, but this was the very first she had received!

Professor Anisuzzaman received his graciously, commenting, "The pictures [in the slideshow] remind us that there are people in the world who share with Sri Chinmoy his devotion to the cause of humanity, for world peace and harmony. Their efforts will never fail."

Professor Anisuzzaman is one such person. His devotion to the cause of humanity for world peace and harmony will remain a beacon for ages to come.

Alongside our sorrow for a dear friend lost, is our gratitude that such a man ever walked this earth—a patriot, a lover of his mother language, a profound thinker, an activist for liberty and justice—humble, generous, tolerant and life-affirming. He is Bangladesh's pride, and her priceless gift to the world.