Professor B. Sheik Ali lived an active and purposeful life

• by admin
• September 5, 2022

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Sir, The death of my dear friend Prof. B. Sheik Ali on September 1st was a shock to me. By all accounts, he was a remarkable person and lived an active life until the end, except for a few days of sudden health complications when he passed away at the age of 98. At old age when most people suffered from several ailments and losses. many physical faculties like problems with hearing, memory, eyesight, lack of interest in intellectual pursuit, etc., he was a complete contrast living an active and purposeful life. It sent me down a memory lane recalling my experience with him. The two of us, along with Dr. GV Gopinath (former director of AEC), were three alumni who had been going for walks in Manasagangothri regularly for several years. I had known him since 2002 as he was a member of the Mysore Agenda Task Force when I took him in my car for meetings. When we went for a walk, we took turns holding her hands. He was very picky in his habits. He left his house to be at my house at 6:30 sharp in the morning. I took his hands and walked to Manasagangothri where Dr. Gopinath would join us. We must have taken a pretty picture and a lot of people would ask us to pose for the picture. There were several groups of runners gathering at the clock tower and asking us to join for a group photo. As we walked we discussed many topics and it was such a lively time. Dr. Gopinath is a good writer in Kannada and he would regale us with stories. Professor Sheik Ali was telling a lot of Shairies in Urdu while I was singing Kannada songs. Among us, no subject was taboo. Politics was of course a frequent topic of our discussions. For summons or any other function, I would go with him. I also accompanied him when he went to Ramakrishna mission to give lectures. I have been invited several times as a guest of honor at his school. His kindness is that he would recognize in his book any little information I provided. Since many aspects have already been covered in SOM, I wouldn’t want to repeat them. Professor Sheik Ali has never used a computer or a typewriter and wrote everything by hand. When he writes, it’s like hieroglyphics, so perfect. He said this was because he used the quill to write as a child. Few people know that the seven printed volumes of “History of Karnataka” were written by his hand! Moreover, he said that he was the person who introduced Kannada in history class. Just before Covid, she was advised not to walk around as her bones are brittle. Confined to the house, he was active. We visited him frequently. I can only say goodbye my dear friend and rest in peace. – HR Bapu Satyanarayana, Saraswathipuram, 1.9.2022 You can also send us your views, opinions and stories at [email protected]

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[ad_1] Sir, The death of my dear friend Prof. B. Sheik Ali on September 1st was a shock to me. By all accounts, he was a remarkable person and lived an active life until the end, except for a few days of sudden health complications when he passed away at the age of 98. At…