Two Gems

 India has lost two of its diamonds in quick succession. First it was tabla virtuoso, an artist par excellence, a born genius and a goodwill ambassador of Indian classical music Ustad Zakir Hussain, who bade adieu to this world, leaving the Indian music scene poorer by several notches. His death in US was most unexpected  and sudden that left his millions of admirers and the connoisseurs of pure music stunned.

Yesterday, the architect of financial reforms of 1991, an economist par excellence, a scholar and a politician, the likes of which are much required today when the sanity is a much desired requirement in public life, Dr Manmohan Singh breathed his last. 

The common between both the above persons was their gentlemanliness that went much beyond their mastery in their respective fields – music and economics. They were humility personified, of balanced temperament, humble in spite of being super successful and true representatives of what India and its culture is all about. 

There’s no superlatives in this world. There will be more incisive economists and more talented musicians. But someone as talented as them and yet so much rooted to the ground is a rarity and for reemergence of such persons, we may have to wait , may be for infinitely long period.