Brij Raj Chauhan: A Personal Tribute

Space and Culture, India (ACCB Publishing, England; Open Access online quarterly, ISSN: 2052-8396), vol. 9 (1), June 2021: pp. 149–156, 2021

This report-cum-appraisal of the life and works of (late) Prof. Ravi S. Singh (1971-2021), a senior Professor of Geography at Banaras Hindu University, who died so young, narrates the academic story, lifeworld and the research themes dealt with him (that covered 8 books and anthologies, 108 research and appraisal papers, 25 book reviews, 6 INSA evaluation reports of Cultural and Historical geography, and some popular articles), which includes geographical thought, status of geographical teaching, intricacies and fallacies of geography in higher studies in India, and several innovative ideas that would be taken in future. Full list of all his publications is also enlisted.

India Quarterly: A Journal of International Affairs, 2020

He left Jamia Millia Islamia in 2005 and returned to Calcutta University, although he remained close to us at the Academy and came whenever invited to participate in the numerous conferences and workshops we organise.

Ravi S. Singh: Legacy & Memorials, 2021

This report-cum-appraisal of the life and works of (late) Prof. Ravi S. Singh (1971-2021), Professor of Geography at Banaras Hindu University, narrates the academic story and the research themes dealt with him (covering 8 books and anthologies, 108 research and appraisal papers, 25 book reviews, 6 INSA evaluation reports of Cultural and Historical geography, and some popular articles), which includes geographical thought, status of geographical teaching, intricacies and fallacies of geography in higher studies in India, and several innovative ideas that would be taken in future. Full list of his publications are also presented.

The Book Review, 2010

A summary of the profile of KN Raj as a scholar and a person

The Bombay Technologist, 2019

Having been brought up in a society with the prevailing norms: “मात-पिता-गुरु आज्ञा माने, अपना भला इसी में जाने । संतोषी हों, रहे सुखारी – जगदीश्वर यह विनय हमारी ॥” Māţ-piţā-Guru āgyā māné, apnā bhalā isee mén jāné । Sanţōshi hōn, rahén sukhāri – jagdeeshwar yah vinay hamāri ॥ (O Lord ! we pray Thee to make us obedient to our mother, father and the teacher. Bless us to be contented and happy.” ॐ गुरुर्ब्रह्मा ग्रुरुर्विष्णुः गुरुर्देवो महेश्वरः । गुरुः साक्षात् परम् ब्रह्म तस्मै श्री गुरवे नमः ॥ Ōm gurur Brahmā, gurur Vishņō, gurur dévō Mahéshwarah । Guruh sākshāţ param Brahma, ţasmae shree guruvé namah ॥ (Guru is Brahmā - the creator God, Vishņu - the protector God and Mahéshwar - the annihilator God Shiva. Guru is the absolute Brahma, hence I bow to him.) And, according to great Hindi poet-cum-saint Kabir: "गुरु गोबिंद दोऊ खड़े, काके लागूं पांय । गुरु बलिहारी आपनी, जिन गोबिंद दियो दिखाय ॥” Guru, Gōvind dōu khadé, kāké lāgoon pāny । Guru balihāree āpnee, jin Gōvind diyō dikhāy ॥ (Both the Guru and the God appear before me simultaneously. Whom should I bow down first? Ō Guru ! I am grateful to you for showing God to me.) I am also reminded that even in Islam there is mention in holy Qur’an: “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.” Author is also impressed by Dr. Allama Iqbal’s verse: “Khudi ko kar buland itna, ki har taqdir se pahle । Khuda bande se yeh poonchhe, Bata teri raza kya hai ?” (Elevate yourself so much, that before writing your destiny, God himself asks for your opinion) and frames one’s own philosophy - ‘go on hitting to make the iron hot’ against the prevailing proverb ‘hit when iron is hot’.) With such bent of mind, I offer my tributes to all my teachers / mentors, guides and well- wishers who moulded me in scaling the heights in my career and life. There are many such instances when I was moved by many of the dignitaries mentioned in my narration. Few exemplary narrations have been also mentioned in the biography of my father [ Ref. 5: He asked me to report to him at the earliest available opportunity even if I commit anything wrong which was not in his notice. He added that if I fail in doing so and by the time he gets information through a third source, it may be too late to save me. He often emphasized that he does not expect any material thing or favour from me, as he could not do so to his own father due to his early departure. He only expected two things from me: never to speak a lie and attaining the greatest height in my career. He reiterated that he does not know anything that may help me in my career, but he ever wished that I should stand second to none. ] Finding two works of my teacher (Dr. Kripa Shankar Shukla of Lucknow University in the personal library of Nobel Laureate Prof. Abdus Salam, Founder Director of his research institute (ICTP) in Trieste (Italy) in 1981 definitely impressed me. Similar were occasions to meet a medical doctor (from Sudan) in Asmara (Eritrea) and a stranger in market of Adama (Ethiopia) with the same name (Abdul Lateef) did remind me about my own beloved teacher who taught me in Primary School, Semrai as well as in Junior High School, Gola Gokarannath. Incidentally, it is the centenary year of my two teachers (Prof. Dr. Ratna Shankar Mishra, my Ph.D. supervisor and Prof. Dr. Kripa Shankar Shukla) hence they amply deserve for dedication of this article. Recently, a valuable elder (Italian) colleague: Prof. Dr. Franco Fava, who invited me to visit his Department for over a dozen times, breathed his last at the ripe age of 98 so a page in Memoriam is assigned to him. Thereafter, the contents are divided into six sections, the first of these detail all the teachers who taught me academics during school to University stage as well as language courses and in Workshops. The next section includes two persons who introduced Gāytri mantra and Indian astrology to me. The third section, finally details all those, who out of their shear modesty and magnanimity ever granted their patronage, blessings and kindly helped me to rise in my career. References to few of them are also given for details. The author could never compensate for their invaluable help except exhibiting his unfading gratitude and loyalty towards them. The kindness and generosity of author’s two elder and senior colleagues at the University of Allahabad: Professor Hira Lal Nigam and Dr. Shree Ram Sinha are noteworthy who provided an academic uplift to the author which he had been seeking from his own community. It is interesting to note that the author could hardly derive any benefit from his own community due to malefic tendency of Jupiter planet in his horoscope. On the other hand, the exalted Venus always provided the desired opportunities through the benevolence of others even with different religious faiths. The author also believes that the associations of past lives might have brought him in contact with people from distant lands especially Professor Franco Fava, Nobel Laureate Prof. Abdus Salam and Prof. A.R. Kidwai. I pray to the Almighty to grant eternal peace to all such departed noble souls. What a divine gift to have recently discovered my second teacher (Shri Raj Kumar Misrà) who still enjoys a sound health at 92. Incidentally, the first teacher (Shri Avadh Bihari Misrà) of author’s wife is also alive. Both of them hailed from the same village (Ratasia) in Lakhimpur-Kheri district. Not many but 23 people (marked with a red asterisk sign *) in this narration are still believed to be alive. Long cherished life is prayed for them. The last three sections deal with the abbreviations, references and photographs of people directly or indirectly connected to my narration.

2019

MLA Citation: Chauhan, Abnish Singh. "CL Khatri: In Conversation with Abnish Singh Chauhan." Creation and Criticism, vol. 4, joint issue nos. 14-15, July-Oct 2019. Web Page: http://creationandcriticism.com/c_l_khatri_in_conversation_with_abnish_singh_chauhan.html (ISSN: 2455-9687)

The article Indian Scholar that was delivered as Purohit Swami Lecture in B H U in 2001 discusses Indian cultural realities and posits attributes that constitute Indian cultural and intellectual make up even after multiple interventions in its tradition.