In AMU’s year-long celebration, mission to revive minority education

As an “apt measure” to revive Sir Syed’s educational mission, Shah has appealed to all Muslim NGOs and community leaders to initiate steps to set up quality educational institutions.

“These, according to the V-C, would serve as feeder institutions producing highly motivated and bright students who will get admission to the prestigious medical, engineering and other professional courses in the leading institutions such as IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NDA etc.” said university spokesperson Rahat Abrar.

The Committee, which has Professor Abu Sufiyan Islahi of Department of Arabic as its convener, has also decided to publish Commemorative Volumes on Sir Syed’s contribution to Arabic, Urdu and English with articles by reputed scholars from across the world. Moreover, a Sir Syed Album containing his and his associates’ photographs and quotations will also be published along with a bibliography on Sir Syed in world’s leading languages.

The committee has also proposed to publish a biography of Sir Syed in Hindi and has suggested that quality research on him may be undertaken at various Departments of Study in the University and has also decided to encourage “first-rate publications” on him by AMU faculty members. A translation project to convert Sir Syed’s select books into English also figures in the list of programmes.

A series of memorial lectures and national seminars on Sir Syed’s mission will be organised at the various Departments of Study and Halls of residence between October 2016 and October 2017. An International Seminar on Sir Syed is also scheduled for October 2017.

The Committee has also decided to organise an International Essay Writing Competition on Sir Syed in English, Hindi and Urdu, while the University’s Urdu monthly Tahzibul Akhlaq will publish two special issues on Sir Syed in March 2017 and October 2017 and will reprint an edition of Tahzibul Akhlaq of Sir Syed’s period. A special issue of another literary magazine, Fikro-Nazar will be published on Sir Syed in January 2017.

The University will also organise Sir Syed Exhibition at the University Art Gallery throughout the year 2017 while a Light and Sound Show on Sir Syed and the Aligarh Movement will be commissioned at Sir Syed House – once his residence – for the entire 2017. A movie on Sir Syed’s life and mission will also be produced and the Department of Post and Telegraph of the Government of India will be urged to release a postal stamp on Sir Syed. Further, a dedicated website on Sir Syed’s Bicentenary Celebration will be launched.

Abrar said that “AMU alumni and well wishers will be roped in to organise awareness rallies on Sir Syed’s educational mission all over the country. A directory of the prominent AMU Alumni will also be published on this occasion.”

“In order to make this event a grand success, Prof Kidwai has urged the members of the AMU community and the alumni to share their opinion and email suggestions to the Chairman, Organising Committee on ssbcelebration@gmail.com,” the PRO said.