Sir Arthur C.Clarke:

A visionary of our times

By Kalakeerthi Edwin Ariyadasa

“Whatever that be within us that feels, thinks, desires and animates, is something celestial, divine and consequently, imperishable.”

- Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)
Greek philosopher.

Sir. Arthur C. Clarke

In most instances, the immortality of a given individual needs ages to get firmly established. But Arthur C. Clarke, is a phenomenal exception to this ‘Immortality rule.’

From the time the first functional communications satellite was lifted 21,300 miles up into the sky in 1965, as dictated by the formula he outlined in 1945 in the paper titled “Extra-terrestrial relays”, Arthur C. Clarke earned a strange kind of immortality.

Of the seven billion people inhabiting the planet earth today, there is hardly anyone – whatever the age – who is not touched by the far – reaching communications revolution, Arthur C. Clarke's concept brought about.

The person who sends or receives an international telephone call, is utilising a social benefit endowed upon man by Arthur C. Clarke.

An international news item, that you come upon in your newspaper, would have been transmitted via satellite.

‘Live’ presentations are galore in television fare and in sound broadcasting.

The Facebook relationships that exceed seven billion are built on messages exchanged through communications satellite.

The internet, which is almost a universal source of instant information, derives its being, from Arthur C's, communications wisdom.

Applications of his original communications concept are numerous. You have i-pods, i-pads, i-phones of a vast variety of brands.

Mobile phones and related communications instruments occur in an extensive variety of formats.

As things are, his central concept has enabled the birth of an e-world, which has brought into it the whole range of human professions, disciplines and interests. This revolution has begun to elbow out the traditional modes of personal and intimate human communications.

By shrinking the human community into a ‘global family’, he made the ‘global village’ obsolete.

When the ramifications of his communications revolution continue to spread further afield, there is the strongest likelihood of the emergence of a “global individual”, capable of being in touch with the massive world outside, unceasingly. The future proliferations from the central concept presented by Sir Arthur are beyond one's imagination. The outcome of all this is, that Arthur C. Clarke's wisdom is embedded in the mass-mind of the global population. Even the so-called ordinary men and women too are affected day and night by the global communications transformations be authored.

If an individual is ensconced in the psyche of the global community, and also if this is going to continue into the far future, isn't that individual immortal by any definitions we may apply?

Since, he has become part of the routine life-styles of almost all human beings, Arthur C. Clarke's immortality can quite justifiably be described as “ordinary immortality.”

Had he lived – this, ‘ordinary immortal’ - would be 96 years on December 16. He passed away at the age of 90. This “immortal sage” spent more than half of his lifespan in Sri Lanka.

But what should irk many a thoughtful Sri Lankan today is that, when a universal immortal of this stature lived among us for so long, we were not able to derive the benefits of his presence.

We may perhaps have to realise, with deep pangs of regret and sorrow that we may have failed both as a nation and as Individuals.

Sir. Arthur C. Clarke entertained immense hopes for a marvellous future for man. Words he spoke way back in 1999 uphold this view quite effectively.

This is what he said: “a future of infinite promise lies ahead. We may yet have a splendid and inspiring role to play on a stage wider and more marvellous than ever dreamed of by any poet or dramatist of the past.

For it may be that the old astrologers had the truth exactly reversed, when they believed that the stars controlled the destinies of men. The time may come when men control the destinies of stars.”

These words are not empty, baseless effusions of an irresponsible person given to hyperbole.

On the other hand, those golden words emerge from an immortal, who was keenly focused upon the joint future destiny of the totality of the human community.

We have to adequately heed these profound prophetic pronouncements and to form our attitudes to reap the best from those possibilities, that had come within the vision of this immortal, who resided among as.

Generally (nor always, of course), we in this country tend to neglect our human treasures, when they are around and alive and lament loudly when they are gone.

When we made the 96th birthday of this immortal we had with us, let us resolve, as least, to produce an authoritative work about Arthur C. Clarke's days, in Sri Lanka.

I am sure, state sponsorship would be forthcoming for such a noble, national project.