How many of us do that? Can do that? Go try.
It, the condition of the Complete Generation, was never far away from his mind. That fact he enjoyed very diverse company notwithstanding. He had very diverse colours to his personality but there was a dominant colour. And the constant worry about the Complete Generation was that colour. Its expression, the expression of that worry, was in the form of Aligarh Movement by being a part of it.
Some will concur that he was an insignificant part of this movement.
We hope so. That will push the headline out of the way. Wasn't he a mere brick in the lowest part of the edifice? Miyan was aware of such things. When a bitter dispute was waging around another institution belonging to the same complete generation he remarked that there were two people who had completely spent their life in building. Vagaries of being a genuine person. Who will tell us of those things now. History is merely an impression. It does not record everything. There is a school of thought, which perhaps is the dominant school, that history should not be written too close to the period that is being written about. To get the real historical perspective.
And who told about this theory to his friends? Miyan.
"His main work is on Urdu journalism," said Miyan when the talk turned to Dr Nadir Ali Khan Sahab. Who can tell that? Only a man who knew that. Not impressed? Good take a paper and pencil and tell about the specializations of the people in the next department. That is if you are an academician. It takes effort to become a living encyclopedia. By the demise of Miyan we Aligs are left a lot poorer.
A senior Alig writes that :
(1) he noticed Miyan in late sixties to mid seventies of twentieth century.
That is long back from the point of view of human life span.
(2) Miyan was a sherwani wearing person without cap,a khadi bag on his shoulder. This was his trademark.
So Miyan had a trade mark that long back!
(3) He was fond of good food.
Yes that was his weakness. Even when doctors were decidedly after him, that is, after his food. More about that later, Lord willing.
(4) he never used any kind of transportation except walking.
True. Miyan's cousin, who is a rather young man, told that whenever he visited them in Delhi Miyan will make this young man walk through the lanes of old Delhi. "You shall never know these places if you are on a transport," Miyan said to him. Does it remind us of Aasar-us-Sanadeed? Who will tell us of following the foot steps of Sir Syed in old Delhi, now that Miyan has made it to the other side.