By IANS
Kabul : For many in Afghanistan, both old and young, the name of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India, rings familiar.
This was evident from a lecture organised here by the India Cultural Centre (ICC), Kabul, which saw scholars of repute like 83-year-old Afghan poet Maulvi Zeinollah Manalai hold forth on the life and philosophy of Maulana Azad.
Manalai said to the older generations of Afghans that Maulana Azad represented the sublime values of Muslim intellectual renaissance; he was a symbol of a progressive outlook and the freedom struggle against the British.
For the young, Maulana Azad was founder-president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), which is today a household name with its popular scheme of scholarships for India.
The special lecture on Maulana Azad – the first of a series – attracted around 70 eager listeners. Giving his inaugural remarks, Indian Ambassador Rakesh Sood spoke about the life and achievements of Azad and his contribution to the education sector in India.
In an erudite and detailed presentation, Manalai – a scholar and writer of repute – touched on various aspects of Maulana Azad’s life. He explained in detail the thoughts and philosophy of the Indian leader with specific references to Maulana Azad’s work “Gubar-e-Khatir”.
Manalai has himself translated “Gubar-e-Khatir” into the Pashto language. His one-hour presentation was heard with rapt attention by the audience.
On this occasion, Nilab Rahimi, director, Public Libraries, Ministry of Information and Culture, and Golnoor Bahman, a well-known poet and writer, also spoke about the life and times of Maulana Azad.
The audience’s enthusiastic response was quite evident in the subsequent question-and-answer session. For many, it was an interesting and educative event.
For Manalai, it was a totally different experience. With a glint in his eyes, the gentle octogenarian said, “This is one of the memorable days for me. I never thought there would be an occasion like this. I want to thank ICC and the Indian embassy for giving me this opportunity.”