By TCN News
Aligarh: Sir Sayyed Awareness Forum organised its eighth National Seminar on ‘Sir Sayyed and Tolerance’ at Muktakash Manch, Aligarh on Wednesday, March 2. While addressing the seminar, Chief Guest, Umesh Chandra Srivastava, District Judge, said that Sir Sayyed always treated each and every religion equally. He was also a critic of religious superstitions and he always supported modern education, science and technology. He further said that Sir Sayyed had no hesitation in accepting rational thinking if the same stood the test of reasoning. He asked the audience to take lessons from the life of Sir Sayyed.
The guest of honour, Dr Asfar Ali Khan, Registrar, Aligarh Muslim University, said that Sir Sayyed was an example of religious tolerance and communal harmony. He quoted Sir Sayyed’s lecture delivered at Lahore in which he said that the doors of the college are open for all. He further said that in the modern context Sir Sayyed’s ideology and his life history is very important.
In his key note address, Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor NAK Durrani said that our reactions should not be based on emotions rather it should be based on logic and reasoning. He highlighted the secular approach of Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan and said that Sir Sayyed was not only secular in theory but in practice.
Presiding over the seminar, Professor Shakeel Samdani, President, Sir Sayyed Awareness Forum highlighted various contributions of Sir Sayyed in building communal harmony in the nation. He said that Sir Sayyed was not only an educationist but he was a great law giver which is proved by the fact that he was instrumental in making many laws. He further said that Sir Sayyed always talked about Hindu Muslim unity. The best example of the trust reposed by the Hindus is that during 1857 mutiny the Hindus of Bijnore requested the British officers to hand over the charge of the district to Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan because they had full faith in him.
Presenting her paper Ayesha Ansari said that throughout his life, Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan stood for Hindu Muslim unity and amity and strove for the betterment of Indian people as a whole. In religious matters Sir Sayyed Ahmad Khan stood for tolerance, broad mindedness and catholicity of views.
Throughout his life, Sayyed Ahmad Khan worked in collaboration of Hindus who never hesitated to give him all possible help, material and moral.