The Governor of West Bengal, Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi on June 7 urged the Aligarh Muslim University to play an important role in ‘exploring the deprived sections of society including women who suffered from lack of education’.
Mr. Gandhi was addressing the 59th Annual Convocation of the Aligarh Muslim University. He observed that the common man and woman continue to face inflation with poverty, extravagance with squalor, corruption with defeat. The man of the street is constantly harassed whether it is a phone connection or a change of name in the electric metre bill or a birth certificate or a land – mutation or a driving licence. Men in the authority delay and deny what is done. The common man and woman face cheats and conman posing as facilitators in their everyday existence, he noted.
While paying rich tribute to the University, Mr. Gandhi observed that the AMU had a golden history, it enjoyed a distinct educational status, its writings are deep, its language is high and its voice always was heard with attentiveness.
Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi said that AMU has to its credit its amazing alumni who have influenced history. Its present and future generations, have a clear and positive role to play. He hoped that AMU will enable, enrich and strengthen India, and India can give to the world a unique lead that can save environment, including the endangered ice-cap that sustains both India and Pakistan.
Mr. Gandhi said that preservation of peace and harmony in our neighbourhood, should be a priority. He said we should draw a clear distinction between the purveyors of hatred and violence inspired by and represented by the Taliban and the mass of the people of Pakistan who want amity and peace between the two countries.
The Aligarh Muslim University conferred honorary doctorate degree upon world fame Indian musician, A.R. Rahman and noted Urdu writer, Professor Gopichand Narang for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields of art and literature.
Accepting the honorary degree, A.R. Rahman said AMU is not only one of the oldest Universities of India, but also a major centre of quality education. It is the quality education that matters in the present day world, he added.
Mr. Rahman disclosed that Indian tradition and philosophy have always given him direction in life and it is only with these values and the people who support him that he achieved success both nationally and internationally.
AMU Vice Chancellor, Professor P.K. Abdul Azis said Rahman’s music is a unique fusion of East and West and eloquently reflects the composite culture of India. Professor Azis mentioned that Rahman was a role model for young India and his success in blending music and technology is a remarkable fiat that is cutting across international barrier.
He described Professor Gopichand Narang as an outstanding scholar, critic, writer and master of one of the most beautiful languages of the world.
Presenting the Annual Report, Professor P.K. Abdul Azis appealed to the Muslim community to observe a ‘Decade of Education’ so that every Muslim should get educated and can participate in nation building activities in a meaningful manner.
Professor Azis said the AMU community has shown immense warmth, hospitality and goodwill towards him and extended unstinted support that led to remarkable all round development of the University.
Professor Azis pointed out that AMU has a rare distinction and privilege of offering education to boys and girls starting from nursery to post doctoral research; its educational spectrum is vast as it offers 325 courses.
Professor Azis said the University has made rapid progress and succeeded in providing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities for all its staff and students with 24-hour internet connectivity and efforts are on the anvil to further expand ICT through wireless system and high speed cable in the near future.
Professor Azis has mentioned that as part of creating a global branding for the AMU, the University has undertaken a special drive to enlist the support of its alumni spread across the world for creating partnership with prestigious universities and research institutions.
For the first time in the history of the University admission test centres were set up at Bhopal, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Lucknow and Hyderabad to regain the national character of AMU.
Professor Gopichand Narang, while delivering his acceptance speech, described AMU as a shining chapter of the history of Urdu language and literature. To consider Urdu merely a language and limit it to the VIII schedule amounts to gross injustice as Urdu is a way of life, a way of thinking and a way of living, he added.
Justice A.M. Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India and Chancellor, Aligarh Muslim University, presided over the Convocation.
Controller of Examinations, Professor Mohammad Irfan announced the list of students who were awarded medals in various courses. Prachi Mehdi Datta, an MBBS student secured largest number of 14 medals and created a history.
Professor V.K. Abdul Jaleel, Registrar, AMU conducted the function.
Mr. Gopalkrishna Gandhi, A.R. Rahman, Professor Gopichand Narang, Justice A.M. Ahmadi and AMU Vice Chancellor paid a floral tribute at Sir Syed’s mazar and laid chadar soon after the Convocation was over.