By TCN Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: Rich tributes were paid to renowned economist, civil servant, and diplomat late Abid Hussain at Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI) here. Abid Hussain was the chairman of the Court of Governors at ASCI.
Many high profile civil servants including former governors of Reserve Bank of India Y.V. Reddy and M. Narshiman, former member of Planning Commission CH. Hanumanth Rao, former chief secretary of Andhra Pradesh B.P.R. VIthal recalled their involvement with Abid Hussain.
Mr. Y.V. Reddy in his speech recollected his memories of his first posting as Assistant collector of Vishakapatnam district where Abid Hussain was the district collector. He said working under Abid Hussain taught him many special things and those experiences left a mark on his whole bureaucratic career.
M. Narsimhan, Abid Hussain’s longtime friend said his posting as ambassador to USA from 1990 to 1992 where he played a lead role in converting suspicious relationship into mutual cooperation is the big achievement of his diplomatic career, which resulted in his dramatic rise in Indian bureaucratic community.
Mr. B.P.R Vittal who was Mr. Hussain’s classmate in 1942 at Nizam College said Abid Hussain was an intellectual since his student days and was having a sharp ability to spot out a talent. C.H. Hanumanth Rao said Hussain was a personality full of life. In the age of 85 years just four months before passing away Hussain gave a lecture for whole one hour in Urdu at Hyderabad Central University.
Other family friends of Abid Hussain remembered him as a great human being with peaceful mind. His close aide in USA, G.V. Krishna Reddy, chairman of G.V.K group also spoke on the occasion and shared his experiences with an enthusiastic diplomat.
Abid Hussain was born in December 26, 1926 in Hyderabad. He was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1988, and he passed away on June 21, 2012 at age of 85 in London. At the time of his death, Dr. Abid Hussain was Chancellor of English and Foreign Languages University Hyderabad; Chancellor of ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, Member on the Board of Trustees of India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (Ministry of External Affairs), Member of International Panel on Democracy & Development of UNESCO; Prof Emeritus at Indian Institute of Foreign Trade; Prof. Emeritus at the Foreign Service Institute of Ministry of External Affairs; Chairman of Ghalib Academy and Vice President of Rumi Foundation.
He was chairman of the Court of Governors of Administrative Staff College of India. He was also President of Katha, Chairman of Research Council of National Institute of Science Technology & Development Studies (CSIR); India-China Economic & Cultural Council, Member of the Board of Trustees of the Observer Research Foundation, Member of the Board of Governors of Himgiri Zee University. He was a member of the Nehru Memorial Fund; the Asia Society, Population Foundation of India, Foundation for Academic Excellence & Access, Shankar Lall Murli Dhar Memorial Society, and the Governing Council of Ranbaxy Science Foundation.