The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Zameer Uddin Shah announced that the proposed Centre for Strategic Studies will be named Tipu Sultan Centre for Strategic Studies. He was delivering presidential address at a Seminar on Life and Work of Tipu Sultan” to mark the 214th death anniversary of the great ruler of Mysore. The seminar was organised by Sir Syed Awareness Forum (SAF) on 3 May.
Gen. Shah said that military men had a great sense of history and he was a great admirer of Tipu Sultan. He said that Tipu Sultan sacrificed his life for the sake of the country. He was a true secular ruler of distinguished character. He was a right statesman and right soldier who donated a huge amount for the construction of temples.
Chief Guest Yusuf Ansari, Senior Journalist from New Delhi, said communal forces have always tried to malign the image of Tipu Sultan by calling him a bigot and fanatic. They say Sultan forcibly converted Hindus to Islam but historical facts have proved that he was a true secular ruler and provided grants to about 150 temples. He said the sacrifice of Tipu Sultan paved the way for the Freedom Struggle of the country. He also expressed his unhappiness over the role of media which turned its eye from sacrifice and contributions of Tipu Sultan.
The Director, UGC Academic Staff College, AMU, Prof A.R. Kidwai said Tipu was a great Indian freedom fighter and Sir Syed Awareness Forum especially its President Dr.ShakeelSamdani should be congratulated for this achievement.
Dr.ShakeelSamdani said it was a matter of great pride for him that the AMU Vice Chancellor accepted to preside over the seminar on the legendary ruler ShaheedTipu Sultan. He said that the personality of Tipu Sultan did not need any introduction, however the negative portrayal of Tipu in media and propaganda by communal forces have made people biased towards his contributions. He said the younger generation is unaware of his achievements and extraordinary contributions towards the country.
Dr.Samdani stressed that Tipu was not only the ‘Sher-e-Mysore’ and ‘Sher-e-Hind’ but in fact was ‘Sher-e-Mashriq’ (Lion of the East). He said one can also not compare Tipu Sultan with Napoleon Bonaparte, as Napoleon reconciled with English people but Tipu happily sacrificed his life for the sake of the country. He also requested the Vice Chancellor to establish a study centre in the name of Tipu Sultan and urged the central government that the airport of Mysore should be named after Tipu Sultan and a chapter on Tipu should be included in NCERT books. He said that Bhagwan S. Gidwani showed his scholarly pursuits and put the record on right track by writing ‘The Sword of Tipu Sultan’ and Sanjay Khan worked hard to wipe out the negative dirt on the character of Tipu Sultan by airing a serial on him.
Speaking at the seminar, Prof. M Saud AlamQasmi, Dean, Faculty of Theology said that ShaheedTipu Sultan was a role model for the present generation. He said that Tipu Sultan was a true patriot and started freedom struggle for the freedom of our beloved country. He said that Tipu persuaded three objectives – freedom of the country, development of new military techniques and promoting religious tolerance.
Prof. Ali Atharof Department of History said it was a pity that Tipu Sultan’s descendants were living in misery in Kolkata and other places and were running dhabas or pulling rickshaws. He said the government of West Bengal has confiscated land pieces allotted to the family members of Tipu Sultan and has not even given compensation to them. He said that Prof. MuhibulHasan and Prof. B. Sheikh Ali have written wonderful books on Tipu Sultan. He urged the students to go through them as the detailed description of Tipu’s administration and his warfare techniques will provide them with ample knowledge of that period.
Prof N.A.K Durrani, former Chairman, Department of Mass Communication said he belongs to the land of Tipu Sultan and has seen his palaces and other monuments many a time. He said it was disappointing to see these monuments in a very bad condition. He said Tipu was a highly educated knowledgeable person. He established a well-equipped library and developed an excellent dam system.
Dr.MohibulHaque of Department of Political Science said that historical facts have always been distorted and the case of Tipu Sultan is not an exception.
Dr. S. Jawed Akhtar said the aim of the seminar is to highlight the whole life and exemplary work of Tipu Sultan. Secretary of the forum, MansoorIlahi said that the forum is pursuing its objective with full dedication.
Earlier, Dr.Obaid Iqbal Asim commenced the programme with recitation from Holy Qur’ān and FawazShaheen welcomed the guests. NasharhHaiderRizvi highlighted the objectives of the forum and Mina Mahmood proposed vote of thanks.
The seminar was attended by a large number of faculty members, social activists, students including Prof. HumayunMurad, Ex-Proctor, AMU; Prof. ZakariaSiddiqui, former Dean, Faculty of Law;Dr.RahatAbrar, PRO; A.R. Khan, Station Superintendent, Aligarh and others.