By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The faculty members and students of Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) have been hosting Iftaar mehfils for the medical fraternity and their well-wishers during the month of Ramadan since 1999. In keeping with the tradition, a solemn and traditional Iftaar mehfil was organised at the Haji Musafirkhana in the city on Wednesday evening.
The evening’s discourse started with a deliberation by Dr Taufiqur Rahman Borbora, former Principal of Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College, Barpeta, on ‘Medical Science & the Quran’. Borbora elaborated on different principles of physiology, healthcare and medicine in the light of the Holy Quran.
Thereafter, Dr Joydev Sarma, Professor of Anatomy, GMCH, spoke on the topic ‘Present situation of Assam and the duty of the Muslim community.’ He recalled the atmosphere of love and respect prevailing among different communities living in the state in the decades after independence.
“It is very unfortunate that fundamental elements both among the Hindus and Muslims are now trying to polarise the communities, and if they succeed, then Assam is going to have a very major crisis in the days to come.” He appealed to the youth to spread the message of love and thwart the plans of the fundamentalists at any cost.
Following recitation from the Holy Quran by Affan Khan, student of GMCH and supplication by Maulana Abdul Basit, Iftaar was served to about 400 persons who congregated on the occasion. On completion of the Maghrib prayers, Nurul Laskar, media and PR consultant, spoke about the heroic fight of Brigadier Osman (1948 Pakistani infiltration), Havildar Abdul Hamid (1965 Pakistan war) and Captain Hanifuddin (1999 Kargil war) who sacrificed their lives for the sake of motherland. He urged upon the Muslim youth to seek inspiration from the life of these martyrs.
Dr Ilias Ali, former HoD Emergency Medicine, GMCH, who presided over the function, stressed on the need for health care awareness and family welfare amongst the Muslims in general and the dwellers of char (river island) areas in particular. Dr S Ali, former HoD Medicine, GMCH was also present on the occasion.
Mukhtar Ahmed and Nazrul Islam Ahmed, organising secretaries of the Iftaar Mehfil, informed that the entire expense for the programme was raised from the doctors’ and students’ contribution without resorting to any outside collection. They expressed satisfaction that more than 400 persons from all communities, including girl students in overwhelming, numbers participated in the programme. All present were treated to dinner at the end of the programme.
TCN series: Ramadan 1436