The chancellor said that the money for the centre was given quite generously by the chief guest and an AMU alumnus Bashir Malik. The centre would deal with the entire country’s irrigation problems.
The memorial ceremony was organised by the SSUET in collaboration with the AMU Old Boys Association on Monday night. It kicked off with a naat and the Tarana-e-Aligarh.
The elderly gentlemen were dressed smartly in black sherwanis and three-piece suits. They tapped their feet and sang the tarana with the students. Fatima Saima then spoke about Sir Syed Khan, followed by a similar speech in Urdu by Omer Ali Kazmi. Noted Udru poet Khumar Farooqi took to the stage and recited a few verses in tribute to the university’s founder. According to the chancellor, the SSUET had kept Sir Syed Ahmed Khan’s spirit alive by making Pakistan studies, the Aligarh movement and Pakistan movement compulsory subjects.
The chief guest went on to talk about how people like Sir Syed were remembered because of what they had accomplished - in this case it was AMU. He said the AMU students had invested in the freedom movement and it was because of them we are living in a free country. He added that today, the country was divided despite the efforts made by Sir Syed. Noted writer and poet Muslim Shamim talked about Sir Syed’s life and how Asbab Baghawat-i-Hind was written then translated into English and sent to the British government. AMU alumnus Saeed Siddiqi said that Khan was the man behind the reason we have Pakistan and can live freely.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 19th, 2011.
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