Opinion - Letters to the Editor

A shining star

Sir, — In the passing away of Prof. S. Gopal (April 21), the world of scientific and secular history has lost a bright shining star from its horizon.

Prof. Gopal was known not only for his path breaking research in modern history in general and contemporary Indian history in particular; he was also famous for his high-profile lectures.

In the tradition of the all-time great English orators such as Edmund Burke, Fox and Sheridan, Prof. Gopal had a flair for spoken English. His impeccable Oxford accent, long and winding sentences full of rhythm and rhetoric was always a treat to the audience.

Those who came to listen to him were not necessarily from the discipline of history.

Students and scholars from every branch of knowledge loved to attend his lectures for the mere beauty of the English prose that flowed from his tongue.

The language, its syntax, the analytical and logical arguments with apt examples and with no trace of any acrimony or malice to any, were a separate stamp of Prof. Gopal.

Through his books, he became an inspiration to many scholars in history for whom he was an icon. But, more importantly, through his biographical studies on Jawaharlal Nehru and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, he showed how historical research should be pursued with a much-needed scientific approach.

Following the Rankian approach, Prof. Gopal set such standards in the writing of history that pursuing a scientific and secular approach in the furthering of historical research, without straying into a sectarian line of projecting history, would be the highest tribute that we can pay to the man. He was a professor of professors all his life.

K.S.S. Seshan,
Hyderabad

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