Articles
Haddis Alemayehu’s Versatile Personality
12:59 |
| Haddis' autobiographicaly piece, Tizita (en- Remembrance) |
Just a few weeks ago, the late
Haddis Alemayehu’s 95th birthday was observed, posthumously. Academics, scholars,
lecturers, authors as well as literary critics were among the people who
partook in the occasion that almost coincided with the first commemoration of
his death. During the tribute, his works as teacher, diplomat, thinker and
author were more or less discussed placed in an Ethiopian context evaluated from
the point of view of the person’s exceptionally long life and his precious
contribution in the spheres of Ethiopian politics, literature, culture and
education, as a whole.
Certainly, Haddis Alemayehu is
a household name to the educated. But his name is also well known among those
who even without having had the chance to go to school, had nevertheless got
the occasion to listen to the radio narration of his famous masterpiece: ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር (Love Until the Grave). (This classic tragedy is currently being
narrated nationwide on Radio Ethiopia). In fact, this narration is being
broadcast for the third time, as it had been aired the first time, during the Derg Regime, when it was recorded for
the popular radio program called “ከመጻህፍት ዓለም”, (The World of Books) by the renowned
Artist Wegayehu Nigatu. (I remember the author’s admiration for Wegayehu, the
narrator, for ‘giving life to the
characters in the story’. Haddis paid tribute to the exceptional artistic
skills of the narrator. ) The novel was again on air when the author celebrated
his 85th birthday, while the current must be a tribute to the
author’s passing away. A deserved tribute.
Although ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር’ is the most celebrated of
the books written by Dr. Haddis, he has written two other long novels after
this, as part of a trilogy covering different generations of Ethiopian life. ‘የልምዣት’, (Nightmare) and ‘ወንጀለኛው ዳኛ’, (The Criminal Judge) also reflect
Ethiopian society, witnessing to the exceptional pen of the author, not only as
a creator and narrator of stories with vivid and palatable language, but also
intensity, lucidity and honesty that you rarely encounter in Amharic books.
They testify to the author’s exceptional qualities as a keen observer of mores
and costumes, with extraordinary skills of externalizing and interpreting them,
placed in a certain Ethiopian time frame.
Besides these novels, Haddis has also
written plays and essays based on Ethiopian socio-political realities,
mirroring Ethiopian life with pondered suggestions of how to effect changes.
That is where Haddis poses as a real thinker. In these dissertations, the
writer has tried to share with his compatriots his vision of a new and
developed Ethiopia. These rotated around how to transform Ethiopian society,
based on a valid and compatible educational policy and an updated system of
government, (two specific areas in which he was closely involved in his public
service). Haddis has also written a sort of autobiographical essay ትዝታ (Remembrance)
recollecting the ordeal he underwent while surviving in exile in Fascist Italy,
describing the hardship his generation had to pass through.
Be that as it may, in all Haddis’ works,
his patriotic personality and experience emerge markedly. Haddis begins writing
at an early age, while still at school, showing talent, imagination and skills.
His creation has always been critical of the system in vigor, and dreams of
changes. Expressing his mind not only with sincerity, but also great courage,
he seems not to bother about whom he could irritate, (most importantly the
powerful advocates of the system, the beneficiaries of the system), and perhaps
fall into trouble. Even if the then monarch did not feel involved in the problems
raised, (as he too considered himself as an agent of advancement, with a clear
vision, trying to change the retrograde society then in vogue), there were
nevertheless others in the Imperial Court or adjacent who might have
misunderstood the ideas of Haddis and worked to efface him, along with his
ideas. In fact, many were surprised to see that the emperor himself
acknowledged the excellence of his work, by awarding him with his maximum award
for literature for ‘‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር’. Haddis was also awarded the
‘Golden Mercury’ for literature, beside a lifetime achievement Doctorate Degree
from Addis Ababa University (along with Dr.
Kebede Michael, the other celebrated Ethiopian literary giant everybody
recalls with fondness).
Many agree that ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር is more than a novel. Seriously critical of
the whole socio-political, legal and customary system of traditional Ethiopia,
it meticulously goes through all the various social mores (family, marriage,
mourning, duels, tenancy, celebrations, feasts, religion, superstitions...) in
a clear perspective of change, then unimaginable. Haddis highlights the sort of
injustice that reigned in the land tenure system, the hierarchies that thrived
with the philosophy and social background behind them. The book even dwells on
tax imposition, the corvé etc by the various landlords and chieftains on the
poor tenants, all part and parcel of a firmly established system that hailed
from ancestors.
What is even more alarming was his
criticism of the Ethiopian clergy, a taboo. He calls on such venerated
establishment as the Church to expose the negative facets at various junctures
in the narration. And for such courage and lucidity, along with a truly
fascinating suspense-filled love story, between a member of the nobility and
one of the wretched, the novel received acclamation as the best ever in its
genre.
Haddis Alemayehu and ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር are hence, in many ways, inseparable and unforgettable. If anyone wants to talk about Haddis, one cannot exclude ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር and vice-versa. But as Haddis has written seven other books as well, it is astonishing that the impact of this adored tragic love story has ended up diminishing the importance and validity of the others. However, given the timing and originality of the other works, they should have had more attention, like for instance the book on ‘education’, on ‘why is Ethiopia not liberated from dire poverty’, or ‘what kind of government does Ethiopia need?’
Haddis Alemayehu and ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር are hence, in many ways, inseparable and unforgettable. If anyone wants to talk about Haddis, one cannot exclude ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር and vice-versa. But as Haddis has written seven other books as well, it is astonishing that the impact of this adored tragic love story has ended up diminishing the importance and validity of the others. However, given the timing and originality of the other works, they should have had more attention, like for instance the book on ‘education’, on ‘why is Ethiopia not liberated from dire poverty’, or ‘what kind of government does Ethiopia need?’
In these works, a number of visionary
proposals have been made, while going deep in the analysis of the facts on the
ground, supported by the author’s rich experience and exposure to other
cultures/systems. His exposure to education sector, his high position in
government and his posting as diplomatic envoy had enriched his intellect,
creating the occasions to ponder at length.
Describing his life and thoughts, career
and achievements, the academics who participated at the celebrations of the
author’s posthumous birthday, paid tribute to the modest personality Haddis was
endowed with. They said throughout his long life, Haddis Alemayehu had lived a
very active and productive life. Born in the former Governorate-General of Gojjam,
(today the Amhara National Regional State) in a small village called Endodam Kidane Mihret in 1909, the
young Haddis was brought up in a relatively well off family, blessed with all
the attention a child of his age would need, including the exceptional
attention of a grandfather, (as his father was away in the far south on a
mission). He was conferred with high level traditional education, (in Ge’ez,
the origin of Amharic language, and clerical education, Kenie (ቅኔ),
poetry, ዝማሬ (hymns), etc)
that was to be the background and launching pad to an outstanding literary
personality. Until his early adolescence, he learned everything that was
available at that level in that area, and growing bigger, his educational
ambition grew correspondingly, eventually leading him to Addis. Here, he was
fortunate enough to attend a Swedish
Mission and then the illustrious Tafari
Makonnen School.
In these two modern institutions, much of
his early mind was shaped. His passion for literature was evident. In fact, it
was here that he wrote his first play where the Emperor himself, along with his
entire entourage came to watch, showering him with admiration. He later served
as a teacher, and when the Fascist invasion of Ethiopia disrupted every
beginning of the positive activities in the country, Haddis’ educational life
and career likewise had to suffer an abrupt halt. Like many of his friends and
colleagues, he as well had to join the then Resistance Movement, symbol of
Ethiopians’ fight for independence and sovereignty. Everyone had to combat
against the Fascist occupation of Ethiopia by Mussolini’s troops. It was in
this struggle that the young Haddis was subjected to cruel deportation into an
island in southern Italy, along with two of his peers, Ras Imiru Haile Selassie and Lij
Yilma Deressa, both of whom were close relatives of the Emperor, and
destined to be protagonists in the post-occupation Ethiopian political
scenario.
When the Fascist forces were finally
driven out of Ethiopia, after five years, Haddis was still in prison in Panza and Lipari islands, in Italy, and it was with the efforts of the
Emperor that he and his two friends were freed before joining the new Ethiopian
establishment. Soon, Haddis was to be recruited in the Ministry of Information and later on in the Foreign Ministry,
serving at progressively higher and higher positions. In the diplomatic world,
Haddis is recalled for his remarkable contributions, including the bringing
about the seat of the Economic
Commission for Africa to Addis, (despite the resistance of several
hierarchies of the Ethiopian government who hated the closeness of foreigners
in their land). He also served as Ethiopian ambassador in the US and Britain,
served as Consul and First Secretary in Israel (where he met and married his
spouse, W/ro Kibebe-Tsehai Belay),
and Washington DC, as a long time Ethiopian envoy and representative (where he
conceived ‘ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር).
Back in Ethiopia, among others, he served as Governor of his original home
region, Gojjam, and Minister of Posts, and State Minister of Foreign Affairs in
Aklilu Habte Wolde’s cabinet, before
retiring as Senator.
During his decades long services, Haddis
was always praised for his humbleness, integrity and sincerity, posing as an
epitome for others. Overall, his modesty and far sight were unsurpassed. And he
always longed for better administration, for changes that could bring Ethiopia
into the modern era. But he did not opt for the total uprooting of the
Ethiopian traditional culture, because he envisioned a system that could
accommodate both, the modern and traditional with a balance of the positive
from each. He thought Ethiopians should not be thought only Western culture,
but first and foremost theirs, and then proceed to the modern one, to the
extent compatible. Ethiopians should not see themselves from the stand point of
the West, he argued. That was a mistake. They should rather prospect internal
solutions for their problems without negating the advances of science and
technology. Education, he wrote in “Education
and the Significance of Schools”, should be imparted to children very
carefully, especially at the earliest stages, with compatibility of our values
by stages: the family, schools, and the society at large. And in all his works,
speeches and interviews, Haddis advocated openly innovative thoughts. He was a
thinker, first and foremost. He cherished a free and united Ethiopia for
eternity. Certainly, his works will remain a valid testimony to his mind, and
Ethiopians will always remember him for that. And that is what academics such
as Dr. Fekade Azeze of AAU, Dr Yonas Admassu and Ato Asfaw Damte did underline during
the memorabilia of Haddis.
The scholars pointed that the kind of
attention given to our literary giants leaves a lot to be desired, let alone
cherish the hope to value and encourage the smaller talents. We need to
recognize and support our authors and writers, valuing our stories, our plays, and
our dramas. We need to give them the deserved place in our life, in our
society, because they are not creations out of the blue, but a reflection of
our society. They serve us as a mirror to observe and assess ourselves. As echoes,
as reflections, they measure our society, our growth, our development,
shortcomings and strengths, level of education, maturity. Hence, they need
focus and encouragement, support.
The excessive attention being given to
foreign culture, music, films, books, art, paintings etc and our consuming,
inhaling of these diminishes, if not denigrate, in the long run, our own
values. It finally ends up by creating a sort of vacuum in our identity,
engulfing us, overwhelming us. Identifying ourselves totally with alien
cultures and mores, kills our own, swamping it. This is obviously something
absolutely unacceptable. A people without identity, without culture would not
be a people at all, and there can be no corresponding country without people.
That is why the words of Professor Haile
Gerima, director and producer of films are unforgettable:
“We
need to make our own films, we need to narrate our own stories, we need to
value our own culture and identity, without denigrating that of others. Everyone
can live glorifying one’s identity, but without impacting negatively on others.
There could be a spirit of interchangeability of culture, mutual tolerance and
understanding, and not imposition of one on others. And in a society such as
ours, where there are a plethora of ethnicities, cultures, languages and
creeds, such mutual exchange and acceptance is fundamental for our need to
build a common and solid country.”
Haile’s words are indeed true.
Similarly, Haddis was a true Ethiopianist, and advocated for
positive, forward looking change. He had lived long enough outside Ethiopia,
especially in the advanced world, but was never tempted to barter his
fundamental identity for an alien one. He just longed for the betterment of his
land without denying his fundamental local culture and values. That is what can
be considered as the legacy of Haddis Alemayehu, a true teacher, a thinker, a
patriot, diplomat, administrator and literary giant all in one. Celebrating the
works and ideas of Haddis, we need to look with one eye at the future of our
current generation of writers, authors and literary talents, while with the
other, work and try to change for the advancement of Ethiopian values, culture
and tradition. Building monuments or just observing yearly anniversaries can
not suffice to contribute to the growth of our home made authors or literature.
To add to such efforts and contributions, as has done the late Haddis Alemayehu,
to capitalize on them can pave one extra step towards our cherished goal of
societal development.
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