History’s Residue

Time is always on the wings. Even though it’s fluttering is something intangible, it alone belongs to us when we have nothing else. And it can never be impartial: either it will prove to be a close friend or a fierce foe. All depends on how we treat time.

Remembering bygone days is an advantageous exercise since those who can’t remember them are condemned to live them again. Carl Sandburg said, “Past is nothing but a bucket of ashes”. But won’t it be appropriate to call it a ‘bucket of records’? ‘Ashes’ relate to residuum which is often execrable and useless, whilst ‘records’ serve as evidence which can become a reference for future. More precisely, ‘records’ is another name of history.

Needless to say, a parallel ideology also exists. A Northern Irish writer Edna Longley idiosyncratically believes that Irish history ought to be treated by “raising a monument to Amnesia, and forgetting where we put it.” It hints at being better off simply by forgetting the grudge-filled chronicles and getting on with living our lives.

However, taken in a different context, it holds partly true. During the American Civil War, Lincoln, to please a politician, signed an order transfer­ring certain regiments. But Stanton, Secretary of State, refused to implement it saying, “Lin­coln is a damn fool for ever signing it.” The remark was leaked to Lincoln, who agreed: “If Stanton said I am a damn fool, then I must be, for he is nearly always right. I’ll step over and see him.” Likewise, President Roosevelt once said that he remembers one out of every four decisions he made was probably wrong.

Very few people have the moral courage to recollect and own their wrong decisions and prejudiced policies. Conversely, people have a tendency to manipulate and brag about so-called grandiosity to wrap their blunders. And then, stepping over, owning your misdemeanors is an act that needs a strong character. People in chairs beg and beseech the powers that may be to stay on and on for loading up their nasty bucket of records. How ridiculous!

Perhaps those in chairs, big or small, fail to understand that one day the bucket will get filled up and then start leaking its content. The spillover is enough to get them down unceremoniously. It’s the irrefutable fate of those who believe everything is everlasting and puff out their shallow size.

History is the record. After the beginning of World War II, Japan without having openly declared war, bombarded the huge American military base at Pearl Harbour, destroying it com­pletely. As an immediate major naval victory, it was a matter for Japanese jubila­tion, but as a piece of military strategy it was ill-conceived because it had the effect of bringing the USA directly into the war, whereas the latter’s involvement prior to this had been only indirect. At this point America then formed a united front with Britain and the USSR, which came to be known as the Allied Powers. Matters came to a head in August 1945 when America dropped the first atom bombs in the his­tory of mankind on the Japanese towns of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, completely ob­literating both these industrial centers and bringing to an end the military power of Japan.

The bombing of Pearl Harbour was, un­doubtedly, Japan’s greatest military blunder. It quite unnecessarily brought the USA into the war. But Japan, realizing how great a mistake this had been, refrained from com­mitting another. A defeated, but still living nation, it opted for adjustment to the new set of circumstances rather than putting up re­sistance to them. In this way, Japan opened up for itself new and splendid possibilities. Finding no opportunities in the military field, the Japanese put all their efforts into the fields of education and industry. Within a period of thirty years, Japan became far more powerful than before. Of the original incident which set in motion this unexpected train of events, a commentator wrote:

“That is queer culmination of Pearl Harbour, but history has many contrived corridors and perhaps Pearl Harbour was one of them”. (Al­-Risala magazine).

Men and nations are always in the making of history. Some demean themselves and thus disgrace the history. They leave the malicious records as well as memories behind and become hatefully invisible for the rest.

However, few rise up to do well to all and be just with the affairs they handle. Such persons have deep insight and acumen gained from their rich background and genuine exposure. They don’t prance like dust particles. Nor do they speak self-eulogies or delusional descriptions. They are composed and humble. They have the grey-matter to understand:

‘…Kahti Hai Tuj Ko Khaliq-i-Khuda Ghaiyibana Kya?’

And that’s why such people alone can kick the bucket bravely and leave the scene gracefully.