Sir Syed Day observed with traditional fervor at AMUOBA

By: Syed Iqbal Hasan Rizvi

KARACHI, October 18 – Speakers paid rich homage to great reformer and educationist, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan on the occasion of his 195th birth anniversary observed under the auspices of Aligarh Muslim University Old Boys Association (AMUOBA) with a call by President AMUOBA and Chancellor SSUET, Z.A. Nizami, for acquisition of latest knowledge in science and technology.

“Acquiring scientific and technological knowledge is the only solution for the problems being faced by the Muslims”, he said and declared that the mission which was undertaken by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for emancipation of Muslims of South Asia.

Nizami said that establishment of Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology was a big step towards the desired direction. He said today SSUET was regarded as the top engineering university of Pakistan having collaboration with top 11 universities of USA.           

He said Sir Syed’s aim was not just to establish a college at Aligarh, but pursue the Muslims to acquire modern education to lift them up from a down fall and devoted whole of his life for this purpose.

Speaking on the occasion, Azad Bin Haider, a renowned politicians of his days and a writer and researcher now, said that it was the great reformer Sir Syed who gave a new direction to the Muslims of South Asia and it was due to his movement that many more new movements for Muslim’s renaissance started in South Asia.

He said that observance of Sir Syed Day by AMUOBA every year is a highly fruitful act and Pakistan can be led to the path of progress if the motives behind Pakistan Movement are remembered.

He described Sir Syed a real motivator who launched a movement for Muslims to acquire modern education and created a wave of awakening in them. He exhorted the youth to focus on their education which is the only solution to every problem.

Prof. Dr. Waqar Rizvi, a religious scholar and writer presented a paper on Pakistan Movement and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and said that it was the national spirit behind the mission undertaken by him which can truly be regarded as the foundation for the creation of Pakistan.

Renowned scholar, columnist and Pakistan Movement Gold Medalist, Saeed Siddiqui said that the past of nation is the pride of nation.  He said those nations who forget their history are bound to annihilate.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, he said, was a great visionary, statesman and Muslim reformer of the 19th century who worked tooth and nail to make the community progressive and lead them to the cherished objective. 

He said Syed was the first Indian Muslim to contribute to the intellectual and institutional foundation of Muslim’s modernization in South Asia.

He said in 1862 he formed a scientific society, and 13 years later he assisted in establishing the Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which prospered and became the key intellectual center for Indian Muslims - The Aligarh Muslim University. The success of the college was largely due to his leadership and a curriculum embodying both Western and Oriental studies.

Ali Zafar affridi, a senior Aligarian presented a detail chronology of the life and achievements of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan while Khumar Farooqi, a renowned poet and writer paid poetic homage to the great reformer and educationist and drew a big applause.

A significant feature of the function was highly impressive speeches on the life and achievements of Sir Syed Ahmed Khan by SSUET students Umer Khan in Urdu and Umer Ali Kazmi in English. The audience highly appreciated their knowledge about the great reformer.

 Another feature of the function was singing of Tarana-e-Aligarh” sung by boys and girls of Sir Syed University.