THE 195th birth anniversary of the revolutionary Muslim leader and scholar, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, was recently celebrated in Mumbai.
The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association (AMUAA) of Maharashtra held their annual Sir Syed Day event at Alkesh Dinesh Modi Hall, Mumbai University on October 17, 2012.
Kuldeep Nayar, an eminent Journalist, was the Chief Guest on the accassion. He emphasised on the role of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan in revolutionising Education. He called on Muslims of India to wake up and don’t consider themselves as minority, “There is no minority or Majority in the country, India belongs to all who live here.” He was of the opinion that Indian Muslims can become a force to reckon with if they take up education seriously.
Guest of Honour, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer, highlighted Sir Syed’s resolve in establishing the MAO college, which later became AMU, in spite of facing severe criticism from clerics and religious heads. He said, “It is the prime duty of every Alig to ensure that Sir Syed’s legacy lives on, a continuous effort should be made to promote education in the community.”
Another eminent guest and social activist, Teesta Setalvad, emphasised on imparting secular education through all educational institutions and praised AMU in its efforts of promoting peace and harmony across communities.
The president of AMUAAM, Tanweer Alam, appealed to State Government for the establishment of proposed “AMU Centre” in Aurangabad . He also talked about the various programs, seminars and events AMUAAM had organised during the last one year in promoting education, communal harmony and community programs.
Zohair Rizvi, Coordinator of AMU Old Boys Association of Mumbai, talked about the tradition of AMU which unites the AMU Alumni in carrying the vision of Sir Syed forward.
Brigadier Aziz presided over the function. He also shed light on the role of AMU In bringing education to the doorstep of many by the opening of five new (AMU) centres in Bihar, Kerala, Maharashtra, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.
AMUAAM also felicitated a few individuals for their role in their respective fields including, Teesta Setalvad for social work, Tahir Ali, an alumni and a tennis player of national level, for his role in promoting tennis, Dr G.M. Khan for his services in the field of medical sciences, Anwar Hussain and Tariq (AMUAAM members) for their role in organising programmes, and Siwagat Ullah Siddiqui for his overall services.
The program ended with the singing of AMU Tarana, penned by the great poet Majaz. It was followed by the traditional dinner, which was attended by more than 700 attendees.