AMU draws programme for Sir Syed’s bicentennial birth anniversary celebrations

The Aligarh Muslim University has chalked out several programmes to commemorate the bicentennial birth anniversary of its founder, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, which is falling on October 17, 2017.

As an apt measure to revive Sir Syed’s educational mission, the Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah, has appealed to all Muslim NGOs and community leaders to initiate steps for setting up quality educational institutions. These institutions, according to Gen. Shah, 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 like IITs, IIMs, AIIMS, NDA etc.

The committee, constituted to this effect by the Vice Chancellor under the chairmanship of Prof. A. R. Kidwai, Director, UGC Human Resource Development Centre and, in its recently held meeting, has also drawn a comprehensive programme to celebrate the birth anniversary of the great social reformer in a befitting manner.

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

The committee has proposed to publish a biography of Sir Syed in Hindi while quality research on Sir Syed may be undertaken at various Departments of Study in the University. It has also decided to encourage first-rate publications on Sir Syed 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 Sir Syed Memorial lectures and National Seminars on Sir Syed’s mission will be organized at the various Departments of Study and Halls of residence during the period from October 2016 to October 2017. Besides, an International Seminar on Sir Syed will also be held in October 2017.

The Committee has further decided to organize 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, besides bringing out a reprint 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 Aligarh Muslim University will organize 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 for entire year of 2017. A movie on Sir Syed’s life and mission will 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. AMU alumni and well wishers will be roped in to organize awareness rallies about Sir Syed’s educational mission in various cities and towns all over the country. A directory of the prominent AMU Alumni will also be published on this occasion.

In order to make this historic event a grand success, Prof. A. R. Kidwai has urged the members of the AMU community and AMU alumni to share their opinion and send suggestions to the Chairman, Organizing Committee on email ssbcelebration@gmail.com.

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