It was sometime in May 1998, I had completed making a list of 100 species of birds and was eagerly awaiting the reward for being able to identify all the birds I had seen. The promised reward came in the form a pair of binoculars and a book - “The Book of Indian Birds” by Salim Ali. I was overjoyed to see through the binoculars and to receive a copy of a book on birds. The book was signed as- ‘To: Geetha Nayak, Best wishes and a bright future, Keep your eyes, ears and mind open you will learn a lot by observing’ - S. A. Hussain, 23-06-1998. At that moment all that I could think about was to flaunt these gifts among my classmates and friends than to grasp the meaning of the words he had written.
Ever since my childhood, I have been curious about the life around me. I sat for hours watching parakeets feeding on Caesalpinia pulcherrima pods in my garden, pigeons nesting in the school buildings, crows and kites nesting on a large banyan tree close to my home, digging the ants’ nests and catching butterflies. I was very intrigued by their activities and wondered if they led a life like humans. I had no idea that studying life around me could very well be a profession.
It was during my pre-university days that I met SA Hussain after his talk on nature and birds. I was so fascinated by the photo slides he had shown. Like all the other students, I had too lined up to get his autograph. When I managed to get his signature and a pat on my back, I couldn’t contain my happiness and joy and immediately recounted the story to my father. It was a complete surprise when my father told me SA Hussain was his childhood friend and they were at school together. Initially it was hard to believe that my father and SA Hussain could have been childhood friends, but very soon a photo of my father, SA Hussain and Sanat (a businessman and a resident of Karkala) proved that it was indeed true.
After a week or so, I was thrilled to meet SA Hussain at my home in Karkala; my first meeting still remains vivid in my memory. I was a late riser, even on the day when S A Hussain came to visit my family, and the first thing he told me was that if the birds were to sleep so late in the morning, they would miss food for the entire day and that he would ask my mother not to feed me. Although I was embarrassed, the innate rebel in me reacted saying: ‘As a child even you would have been a late riser, but did your mother do that to you?’ and to this, his reaction was a loud laugh without either a hint of anger or frown and I was thoroughly pleased to see he wasn’t like any of the elders in my family or teachers in the school. SA Hussain loved children and believed that it was not a cudgel or a rebuke that would bring discipline to children but kindly words and pure affection. And for me, who always disliked following any rules or orders from elders or teachers, his kindness and friendly nature enabled me to bond instantly with him and he became my mentor, philosopher and a great friend for years from that day onwards. His wise words of advice (among many other) “Keep your eyes, ears and mind open you will learn a lot by observing” continues to guide me in all walks of my life, both professional and personal.
It was during this meeting that he encouraged me to watch birds and promised to reward me if I came up with a list of 100 species of birds. I was delighted by this offer and started spending a lot of my time on the banks of a lake close to my home, called Anekere. He told me to keep a note of all the birds I saw, with an illustration marking the colors. I thoroughly enjoyed this exercise and was intrigued by the variety of birds wading through the water in the lake. Every now and then I reported back to SA Hussain on what I had seen, and during one of the meetings he lent me a bird book (older version of “The book of Indian Birds” by Salim Ali) and asked me to identify myself all that I had seen. The first few species were easy to identify: Little Cormorant, Bronze winged Jacana, and Egrets. He appreciated me for my keen interest, and my patience for coming up with both the list and my (fairly) neat illustrations. As I went further, I came across a black-and-white bird in my notebook. I found to my dismay that there were several similar black-and-white species. I had no idea which one I had seen and had made a note of. I asked him to identify it for me, but instead of identifying it for me, he encouraged me to go back and find the bird again. Later, I found that the bird I had seen was a Magpie Robin but that there was another species which looked very like it (at least for a novice in the field). This one had a white eyebrow and was a Large Pied Wagtail. I was so fascinated by these variations; from then on, a parakeet was not just a parakeet, but a Rose-ringed Parakeet or a Blossom-headed Parakeet. I was completely hooked on birding. That spark of interest in birds made me think about a profession in ecology. When I look back, I feel those words of encouragement, appreciation and guidance are what helped me excel in my studies during my undergraduate years and to choose a profession in ecology. I owe him a great deal.
It was through SA Hussain, I met two other great teachers who gave direction to my professional career: Dr. KP Achar (my professor in undergraduate college), and Dr. Priya Davidar, (my PhD supervisor at Pondicherry University).
As a young girl, I used to be very outspoken and headstrong and that got me into trouble with family, peers and teachers every now and then. I always went to SA Hussain, who very patiently listened to me and helped me see through situations. He never judged me or anyone else, but always told me, “It’s all a passing cloud and things will always be clear with time”. There are many memories, and his advice I will treasure all my days. I feel very fortunate to be his protégé.
SA Hussain was also one of my most treasured friends, he was very critical (which helped me to see through my mistakes), he was saddened when things did not go well in my personal relationship, he was always concerned about my financial stability and he took utmost pride in seeing me complete my PhD. He always endured my tantrums and bad temper with good humor and he provided a strong emotional support when my father passed away. He was a great friend and always stood by me whatever the circumstances. He taught me to accept things and people as they were and he encouraged me to believe that there is always light at the end of tunnel. The lesson I have learnt from his life is to be patient through the pain and difficulties in life. I still feel his presence very strongly.
I finish with a particularly appropriate quote from Kathryn Patricia Cross, a scholar of educational research: “The task of the excellent teacher is to stimulate "apparently ordinary" people to unusual effort. The tough problem is not in identifying winners: it is in making winners out of ordinary people”. Thank you SA Hussain, Sir.
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I wrote this article for the in memoriam book-"Memories of S.A. Hussain". Some of my close friends know about him and his contribution to my life and career. He passed away on 31st December 2009, and at that time, I was going through a personal disaster and was very numb and oblivious to all that was happening around, but as the time passed by, I realize how much I miss him.
With SA Hussain in Kudremukh National Park in 1998
With SA Hussain at Kaliveli- a wetland in Tamil Nadu, where we went birding when he visited me during my final year of PhD at Pondicherry University in 2008
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