Delhiwale: A retired man

Tassadaque Hussain, a retired archivist, shares insights on happiness, friendships, and memories during a stroll in Lodhi Garden after an AI panel discussion.

After attending a panel discussion on “Artificial Intelligence and Northeast” at the India International Centre, Tassadaque Hussain walks into adjacent Lodhi Garden for an evening stroll. Sitting on a bench, the Dwarka dweller agrees to become a part of our Proust Questionnaire series, in which citizens are nudged to make “Parisian parlour confessions”, all to explore our distinct experiences.

Tassadaque Hussain walks into adjacent Lodhi Garden for an evening stroll. (HT)

Your favourite occupation.

I retired in 2020 as deputy director of the National Archives of India. Having worked there for 32 years, one gets used to seeing old documents. But I vividly remember the thrill when I touched, for the first time, the handwritten 18th century manuscripts on the weekly activities of the East India Company. Or the Gilgit manuscripts from the 5th and 6th centuries…

Where would you like to live?

I have lived a good part of my life in Delhi, almost 47 years. Studied history in Hindu College… but I miss my native Jorhat in Assam.

What do you appreciate the most in your friends?

I’m 66, and these days my mind goes back more and more towards the childhood friendships.

Walking in Lodhi Garden, and seeing Bada Gumbad and Sheesh Gumbad monuments at different times of the day… by the way, if you consider the plain flooring pattern of Bada Gumbad, and the fact that all its four sides are open, then it becomes clear that it wasn’t a tomb but a gateway—that’s my reading. Actually, I’m happy being around any Delhi monument.

Your heroes in real life.

My father, the late Inamul Husain, went far beyond the milieu of his world. My mother, Eliza, for raising four children. And my home tutor Mazifur Rahman, who stirred my interest in academics, helping me make the life-changing transition from Balya Bhavan, a Jorhat school, to Indore’s Daly College, one of India’s best public schools.

Your favourite food.

Homemade meals, especially when made by Mita, my wife. She teaches history in Bhagat Singh College.

What is your present state of mind?

I’m thinking of these birds chirping and flying… I have no idea how far they are intending to travel.