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Sir Syed Ahmad a great visionary, ahead of his times: Muzaffar Ali
Muzaffar Ali was speaking as the chief guest for Sir Syed Day commemorative function held in AMU to mark the 207th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of the university and one of the architects of modern India.
Agra The great understanding of the trajectory of his time and his vision for future made Sir Syed Ahmad Khan a great visionary ahead of his times, as well as a true leader whose relevance was felt all the more today to address present day challenges, said noted filmmaker, writer, author and celebrated painter, Muzaffar Ali on Thursday.
Muzaffar Ali was speaking as the chief guest for Sir Syed Day commemorative function held in AMU to mark the 207th birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, the founder of the university and one of the architects of modern India.
‘Sir Syed’s multi-faceted vision of serving British and at the same time giving a direction to Muslims to strive to attain education and stand alongside other developed communities and be compassionate to them, makes him a true leader whose relevance is felt even today to address the challenges of our times,” said Muzaffar Ali.
Guest of honour, Snehlata Shrivastava (retd. IAS officer and former secretary, ministry of law and justice and secretary general, Lok Sabha) said it was amazing to see that Sir Syed had such a great vision to revolutionize the educational portals of the country, from female education to the spread of scientific and technological knowledge, which was still relevant after more than 100 years of the establishment of this historic institution.
Jaya Varma Sinha (retd IRTS and former chairperson, Railway Board of India), who also spoke as a guest of honour, said that Sir Syed was committed to social reforms, promoting the importance of social justice, women’s education and eradication of illiteracy.
Another guest of honour, Ajay Chaudhry, an IPS officer, Special Commissioner (Traffic), Delhi Police and an author and an alumnus of the university, said that AMU was not merely a structure of brick and mortar, and could not be compared with any other institution in the world.
In her presidential remarks, vice-chancellor Prof Naima Khatoon lauded Sir Syed’s vision and mission and his constant quest for knowledge production, which she related to the university’s present focus on research and development.
Joining the programme online from New York, USA, Prof Frances W. Pritchett, the winner of the Sir Syed Excellence Award (International) for this year, thanked AMU for her selection for the prestigious award.
Speaking on behalf of the Ghalib Institute, New Delhi, the recipient of the Sir Syed Excellence Award (National), its director, Dr Idrees Ahmad said that it was a historic moment for his organization to receive the prestigious award from an institution of national importance.
