Appreciations
|
|
|||
Radiant
and serene in death as she was in life As dusk settled, she had said her prayers and walked across next door to her second daughter's house, where she had her dinner as usual and returned home. But a few minutes later, a sudden pain hit her and she passed away peacefully, whilst the members of her family attended on her amidst shock and prayers. It is truly significant that she passed away on the first day of the month of Zul Haj, which is an important day in the Islamic calendar. Radiant and serene she was in death, as she was in life. After all, she had led a noble life, and duly fulfilled her tasks in this world. Our grandmother was a great personality. Our grandfather had passed away years before, leaving her with the task of bringing up ten young children - two boys and eight girls - which she dutifully and beautifully carried out. She was a cultured mother and as a result of her devotion, her children and grandchildren are doing extremely well today, in their chosen fields. She stood for a united family and would often emphasize the importance of being together. This was no easy task, in a family with members actively committed to divergent political activities. It is here that Rajumma excelled by cultivating a balanced relationship amongst all. Our grandmother greatly valued demure conduct and would urge us to stay away from gossip and back-biting. She had a quiet dignity. Though soft-spoken, there was an inner strength, which came to light when needed most. She realized the importance of education and would constantly encourage us to pursue our studies with vigour. In her hometown of Kahawatte, she would always help the less privileged, not just in monetary terms but also with kind words. The month of Ramazan was always an excuse for her to give to the poor. She strove to be of help to everyone, and her presence was always uplifting for she never hurt others. She lived a complete and happy life, and had nothing to regret. She loved people and people loved her because of her pure and gentle heart. We, who learned much from the life she led - less by words and more by example - sadly miss her. Her death has left a gaping void in our hearts. She was the pillar that kept all of us happily united. Her moments with us were memorable and enduring, joyful and uplifting. May Allah grant her entry to the beautiful gardens of Jennathul Firdouse. Ayesha Zuhair Driving
force behind revolutionary history is no more Two books grew from their research, Against The Stream and War And The International (both 1986), chronicles of British Trotskyism from 1924 to 1950. They received sparse recognition from labour historians and only gradual appreciation on the left. In 1988, Richardson was the catalyst in establishing the journal Revolutionary History, which is perhaps better known in France, Argentina and Sri Lanka than in Britain. He remained its driving force, editing issues on revolutionary movements in Europe, Asia and Latin America and stimulating work on neglected topics, from the writings of Alfred Rosmer to mutinies in the British armed forces. Richardson was born and brought up in a religious, mining family in Barnsley. A scholarship boy, absorbed in Latin and Greek, passionate about ancient Egypt, he took a first in theology at Hull University in 1962, became a lecturer at Exeter University and began a doctoral thesis on Gnosticism. After a flirtation with the Communist Party, he passed from religion to revolution by reading Isaac Deutscher's three-volume biography of Leon Trotsky. After resigning his lectureship, Richardson became a history teacher in London, where he gravitated from Gerry Healy's Socialist Labour League to the International Marxist Group (I.M.G.). Also active in the Institute of Workers' Control and the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign, his radicalization was sealed after he hitch-hiked to Paris and took part in the events of May 1968. The IMG's concentration on building "red bases in the universities" clashed with Richardson's belief in work within the trade unions and the Labour Party. Expelled at the end of the 1960s, he co-founded the Chartist Group, which worked through the following decade to revolutionize the Labour left. At Forest Hill School, south London, where he worked for 30 years, Richardson was an indefatigable union activist and a charismatic teacher, earning the respect of colleagues and the devotion of pupils. He had little time for pedagogic fashion, seeing education in traditional terms, as demanding discipline and commitment. He was a regular visitor to Egypt, an avid collector of books on its antiquities and a pillar of the Egypt Exploration Society. He taught himself Geez, the liturgical language of the Coptic church, and specialized in translations of Rameside inscriptions, many of which were published by Liverpool University. He combined this with the creation of perhaps the most complete archive of Trotskyism in Britain and, in 2002, brought out, with Francis Boutle, Trotsky And The Origins Of Trotskyism. A dedicated drinking man and organizer of the Karl Marx Memorial Pub Crawls, he was a hammer of Stalinism and political correctness, increasingly embracing the persona of the blunt Yorkshire man. He defended fox-hunting - citing Engels - complained about computers and dreamed of tablets of stone. Under a forbidding exterior he was a kind man, a loyal friend and a patient, painstaking teacher. He is survived by his two children, Eric and Charlotte. John
Mcllroy
|
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya
Newspapers Ltd. All rights reserved. |
