The celebrations organized by the Public Relations Office, AMU took place at the Kennedy Hall Auditorium.
Prof Prakash added that he is glad to see that AMU has the aspirations to lead the university rankings and its teachers, students and scholars are working in the right direction. He however emphasized the need to search and retain people, who generate thoughts.
Prof Prakash laid stress on attaining knowledge, wisdom and then truth, which would eventually lead people to connect with the ultimate light of truth from the Almighty.
Stressing on time management and hard labour as the ‘Mantra’ of success, Prof Prakash urged the students to gain upper hand in the technological advancements of the day.
He added that he is pleased to read the memorandum handed over to him by the AMUSU president, Mr Faizul Hasan which stated that AMU needs an aeronautical engineering department in the Faculty of Engineering, a faculty of pharmacology and new courses in agricultural sciences, bachelors in journalism and mass communications among other new courses. “These demands show that students in the university are thinking in the right direction and they are on the path of taking this university to new heights.
Delivering the presidential address, AMU Vice Chancellor, Lt General Zameer Uddin Shah (Veteran) said that AMU is now a year away from the bicentennial celebrations of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s birth Anniversary.
“Before AMU reaches the next ‘Sir Syed Day’, students should ponder on what is the best way to celebrate the 200th birth Anniversary of AMU founder,” asked the AMU Vice Chancellor.
Gen Shah added that students can celebrate next year’s Sir Syed Day by doing research, which not only marks the importance of the occasion but takes the University standards to a new level. He further said that this will be a better way of celebrations than merely giving speeches.
On the occasion, the Vice Chancellor also announced to extend university’s cooperation and support to noted film maker, Begum Nilofer Shama, who is making a feature film on the life of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan.
He thanked the Alumni, for sharing three Ts – Time, Talent and Treasure with students during the recently concluded Alumni-Meet and urged students to attain the three Ts – of Taleem, Tehzeeb and Tarbiyat.
During his address, Gen Shah also requested the UGC Chairman to grant permission of appointing more teachers and non-teaching staff. He further said that the University also needs Training and Placement Officer and a Security Officer.
While delivering the welcome address, AMU Pro Vice Chancellor, Brigadier S Ahmad Ali (Veteran) briefed about Prof Ved Prakash, who has a colossal stature in academia.
Brig Ali said that there is no doubt that AMU was founded to uplift Muslims, but the University was always open to all communities. He pointed out that the first AMU graduate, Mr Ishwari Prasad was a Hindu and not a Muslim and the University boosts of representation of people from different communities in various faculties, departments and offices.
During the welcome address, Brig Ali also announced to mark the bicentennial celebrations of Sir Syed’s Birth Anniversary; there will special programmes like book releases, various competitions and seminars along with other events. While concluding his speech, Brig Ali said that infrastructure in the university has improved and soon AMU will be the best in the country.
Dr Akbar Joseph Arjun Syed, Department of English said that the sacrifice, intellectual vision and philosophical sagacity of the founder of Aligarh Muslim University, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is reflected in these lines from Mattew Arnolds’s poem, Memorial Verses April 1850, “He took the suffering of the human race; he read each wound, each weakness clear.”
Dr Abdul Moied, Department of Urdu said that Sir Syed was embraced by people, who opposed him during his life time. “The famous poet Akbar Allahabadi initially perceived Sir Syed as deceiving Muslims to embrace the Western culture but when Sir Syed died, Akbar Allahabadi was pained and quoted to have said that only Sir Syed did real work while the rest were only talking,” said Dr Moied.
AMUSU President, Mr Faizul Hasan said Sir Syed wanted to make the community and country progressive and take them forward on modern lines. “His supreme interest was intellectual development of the people through modern education to contribute for intellectual and institutional foundation of Muslim modernization.
B A Final Year student, Ms Aiman Jafri and B A II Year student, Mr Mateen Ashraf said that Sir Syed’s aim to establish a college at Aligarh and spreading education and empowerment among the people by establishing educational institutions in every nook and corner of the country. They added that Sir Syed established the 'All India Muslim Educational Conference' to achieve the goal.
The Chief Guest also distributed prizes to the winners of the ‘All India Essay Writing Competition’ organized to mark the 199th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. The Topic of the essay was “To fulfill Sir Syed’s dream of making AMU ‘The Oxford of the East’, what steps should AMU take to climb to the top spot in University rankings?”. The first prize of Rs 25,000, was bagged by Hannah Bickan, a Phd scholar at the Centre of Arabic and African Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Abdul Sabur Kidwai, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh won second place with a cash prize of Rs 15,000 and Raj Vardhan Tiwari, Chanakya National Law University, Patna, Bihar won the third of Rs 10,000. Cash prizes worth Rs 5,000 were also given to State toppers from colleges and universities from all over the country.
Meanwhile, Mr Tarique Ahmad Khan, Ms Sabiha Jameel and Arisha Fatima received the first, second and third prizes respectively in the ‘Stamp Design Competition.’
The Chief Guest, Prof Prakash also received a memento, a portrait of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan painted by Ms Afreen Khan and a portrait of himself painted by Dr Asma Kazmi.
Professor Habibur Rahman, Honarary Treasurer, AMU was also present.
On the occasion, nine books were released.
Professor F S Sheerani and Dr Faiza Abbasi conducted the programme while Prof Jamshed Siddiqui, DSW proposed the vote of thanks.
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