One of the greats

An illustrated career it was

Amidst unconscious mechanistic institutionalized human functions, I saw a conscious man – an eccentrically individualistic rebel, Mirza Athar Baig. Or maybe, that is how I see him. He recently said goodbye to his second home Government College University, Lahore. Those outside the world of GCU know him as the author of Ghulam Bagh, esteemed unanimously as the chef d’oeuvre of modern Urdu literature, and those within GCU make him out as an uncanny, eerie haired exceptionally genius professor of Philosophy, scholarly attired. Mirza Athar Baig ruled the department of Philosophy in GCU for more than twenty five years with astounding abilities and never satisfied himself with mere teaching honors. Satisfaction hampers the urge to go a notch above, to transcend your standing, to augment your flight and that is why he never satisfied himself as the one among all too many organized functions.

How much does it take for humanity to recognize an achievement? For some a moment of sheer brilliance is enough and for others a whole lifetime of proficient extraordinaire may seem a little less. The man I am endeavoring to speak here falls moderately in the middle of these two categories. He is venerated to the status of a mentor in some circles while hardly given the acknowledgement he deserves in others, partially owing to his reserved and introvert nature. I am privileged to be a part of the former group of people who have witnessed his talent in person and I can safely say that he is the most splendid amalgamation of expertise in literature, psychology, science and philosophy that I have come to witness in my six years life at Government College University, Lahore.

Mirza Athar Baig is immaculate a teacher, impeccable a scholar, unblemished a writer and a remarkable human being. Taking the chance of occasion, it would be suitable a strive to define him as a teacher, which is what he is to me primarily. Whatever the topic and whoever the philosopher, he had the skill to detach himself from his personal views and present a neutral picture. In my two years as his student I never found out, despite unremitting inquisitiveness, what philosopher or school he belonged to or revered the most. While teaching Kant, he would behave like a Kantian and when indoctrinating Nietzsche, he would become a Nietzschean despite the fact that both have an essential contrariness in their philosophies. He would be as much objective as humanely possible and leave the rest on us. The most appreciating attribute of his teaching was his appreciation for creative skills; the more you employed your skills creatively, the more you were rewarded. That is how he used to enhance the realm of our knowledge and horizon of our understanding.

He would entice the listeners’ attention to the most bland and tasteless philosophies through his command on the subject, language and whole environment of the class. He was intrinsically translucent in his expression and eloquently congruous in his communication, a seldom concoction of dexterities which cannot be purchased in the market. And this too only tells a sinfully scant story of his titanic career.

Although I am not qualified enough to talk about his literary skills but I would state daringly that what Jean-Paul Sartre was to French Literature, sir Baig has been to modern Urdu literature. There is, comparatively, nothing as much deep, immense and universally appealing in Urdu literature these days as the works of Mirza Athar Baig. He has meticulously carved out a connection between academics and aesthetic-o-social philosophy and dealt with it through his literary works the same way Sartre did it half a century ago for the French people. It was admired as a great service on Sartre’s part and gradually and slowly, the same is being attributed on sir Baig’s part. We may yet have to wait a decade or so when common man will completely grasp and realize the value of his work in literature.

Few months back I asked him about his plans ahead and he said he wanted to write something in English, maybe go international. Considering his track record in mind, of always striving to make it a notch above, he might as well grab an international award or two and receive the recognition that he deserves so genuinely.

The writer is an academic.