Sindh Madressah completes 134 years

Academics recall contribution of the institution in Pakistan movement

KARACHI: Sindh Madressatul Islam (SMI), the alma mater of Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, completed 134 years of its existence today - September 1.

The school was established in 1885 by some enlightened Muslims of Sindh led by Hassanally Effendi. The institution with its old stat-of-art building, which is now a protected heritage site, is located in downtown on street running between II Chundrigar Road and MA Jinnah Road.

Within two years of its establishment, Jinnah got enrolled in the SMI and studied there from July 1887 to June 1892. Throughout his life, Jinnah remained emotionally attached to his alma mater and in 1943 he personally inaugurated the Sindh Madressah College.



A number of prominent Muslim leaders who struggled for the separation of Sindh from Bombay (Mumbai) Presidency and later for a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent, studied in Sindh Madressah. They included Sir Abdullah Haroon, Sir Ghulam Hussain Hidayatullah, Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto, Mohammad Ayub Khuhro, Shaikh Abdul Majid Sindhi and others.

"That's why the Sindh Madressatul Islam is called Child of Sindh and Mother of Pakistan," said Dr Muhammad Ali Shaikh, while quoting Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah. Dr Shaikh became first vice chancellor when SMI was elevated to the status of university in 2012. He said that besides the freedom fighters this institution had produced several educationalists, jurists and men of letters such as Allama II Kazi, Allama Umer Bin Mohamamd Daudpota, AK Brohi, Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Ali Ahmed Brohi, Ghulam Mohammad Malik and others.

Celebrating the SMI's 134 years at a local hotel on Friday, Dr Shaikh said that Jinnah bequeathed one-third of his property for Sindh Madressah.

Former prime minister, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, was one of the visiting faculty members of the college.

In 2012, the SMI was elevated to the status of a university and it currently has a student population of more than 3,000 from all over Pakistan.

Spread over eight acres of land, the SMIU has five departments, including media studies and communication, education, environmental sciences, business administration and management sciences and computer science.

Sindh government has additionally allotted the SMIU 100 acress of land in the Education City, Malir, and another 10 acres of land in Hawks Bay. The construction of its campus in Malir is underway and according to SMIU officials one of its departments will soon be shifted to the new campus.

Currently, two of its oldest buildings adjacent to the campus are in possession of Sindh government's education department and officials believe that the SMIU management can open at least five new departments if Sindh government hands over these buildings to university.

Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister on Works and Services, Nisar Ahmed Khuhro, said the students of the SMI had laid foundation of Pakistan. "Those great students of the SMI played the historic role and contributed, directly and indirectly, in creation of Pakistan," he said.

Khuhro said that Effendi had founded the SMI for the children belonging to the middle class so that they could become better and productive individuals of the society.

Dr Shaikh said that Effendi was the first person in Sindh who realized that the Muslims of Sindh could not progress unless they equipped themselves with modern education. It was with burden on his mind that Effendi established this institution seeing that people belonging to other communities were more advanced in the field of education in those times.

He said that once the great Muslim reformist and educationist, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, told Effendi that the SMI must progress to the level of a university, adding that Khan's dream came true after years of his demise.



SMIU VC said that this institution had played a vital part in changing the whole region after its establishment.

Celebrations

Students of the SMIU displayed the cultural colours of Pakistan with their performances, showing how Pakistan is rich in culture and traditions. The events marking the celebrations were attended by diplomats, including United States and Turkish, senior educationists, business community, faculty members and students.

Speaking on the occasion, Justice (R) Sarmad Jalal Usmani who also heads the selection board of the SMIU said he was deeply impressed by the students' performance. He said he was proud to be part of an institution which was alma mater of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 1^st, 2019.