Brig. Ali also led a commemorative march from Bab-e-Syed to Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Park to pay tributes to Dr. Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar, popularly known as Father of Indian Constitution, in which more than a thousand teachers, staff and students participated with unprecedented zeal. Deans of faculties, Provosts of Halls of residence, Chairmen of various departments and the members of Proctorial team were prominent who partook in the march.
The Centre for Interfaith Understanding, working under the auspices of Sir Syed Academy of the University, which organized the march, later held a commemorative meeting at Sir Syed House.
Presenting a brief introduction to Dr. Ambedkar’s life and work, Prof. Iqbal Ali Khan, Incharge Dr. Ambedkar Chair of Legal Studies and Research, Department of Law, said that Dr. Ambedkar was a brilliant intellectual, a profound scholar, an eminent lawyer, an able administrator, a noted constitutional expert, a gifted orator, a seasoned parliamentarian, a core democrat and a champion of social justice. He said that Dr. Ambedkar’s thoughts and ideas are of even greater relevance in the context of today’s resurgent India which is poised for a stronger economy, industrial diversification, skill development, empowerment of women and social guarantee for vulnerable classes, ensuring equal opportunities to all.
Addressing on the occasion, Brig. S. Ahmad Ali said that Baba Saheb Ambedkar was not only the drafter of the Indian Constitution but he was the main spirit behind the massive social churning that took place during the last fifty years in India. He said that Dr. Ambedkar was responsible for many things in India, which he not only fought for all his life, but made the governments of time to transform his ideas into practice. It was he who introduced the eight hour working schedule for employees as the labour minister.
Brig. Ali said that Dr. Ambedkar stressed on the knowledge of English language and urged the country to engage with United States of America, which he thought was the future leader of the world. He, an ardent champion of social justice and benefactor of the marginalized sections of society, impressed upon the very thought process of the country and strengthened the democratic values, added Brig. Ali.
Prof. Tariq Ahmad, Director, Sir Syed Academy welcomed the guests and Dr. S. Husain Haider conducted the programme.
Addressing the inaugural session of a two-day National Workshop on “Urdu Translation of Ambedkar’s Writings” at the Arts Faculty lounge, Prof. Rajkumar from the Department of English, University of Delhi, said that today “invoking Ambedkar has become an important political act even by those who have nothing to do with Ambedkarism”.
Paying rich tributes to Dr. Ambedkar, Prof. Rajkumar said that Ambedkar believed that democracy was meaningless if it did not enable members of the deprived and depressed classes to be dignified citizens of the country. Doubting the credentials of Indian democracy, Dr. Ambedkar felt the need for a strong opposition, equality before law, an administrative constitutional morality, a strong and active moral sense in society and presence of public conscience.
In his presidential remarks, Acting Vice Chancellor Brig. S. Ahmad Ali said that for translating Dr. Ambedkar’s writings into Urdu language, Aligarh Muslim University was the best choice and AMU will do justice to the ambitious project.
Prof. Farhatuallah Khan emphasized the need for translating Ambedkar’s works with an aesthetic sensibility, instead of confusing the lexical and connotative meanings of terminologies used by Dr. Ambedkar.
Prof. Asim Siddiqui, the Managing Editor of the Translation Project elaborated on the details of the project. He said that out of total 37 English volumes of Dr. Ambedkar’s works, five volumes have already been released while the remaining 32 volumes are in different stages of translation and will be published within one year or so.
Prof. Samina Khan conducted the programme, while Dr. Ashraf presented a vote of thanks.
No comments:
Post a Comment