'Tackling divisive media is need of hour, scientific achievements a result of Sir Syed's vision'

Shams Ur Rehman Alavi

NewsBits.in

BHOPAL: Sir Syed established one of the biggest educational institutions but what the passouts from AMU are doing to tackle the immense damage that is being made to society by divisive TV channels and media?

This important question was raised on the occasion of Sir Syed Day in Bhopal. 

Retired top cop, MW Ansari, who retired from the rank of director general of police in Chhattisgarh, raised the issue at a gathering in the Madhya Pradesh capital. 

'How much forward the mission of Sir Syed was taken ahead by graduates and passouts of AMU, especially, the education mission, the Aligarh movement and the aim for a classless and caste less society. The country is today facing multiple issues and a section of media is busy in propaganda, trying to divide the society on communal lines", said Ansari.

What are these AMU products doing to stop this menace of fake news and communal propaganda, he asked. "The students and alumni can play an important role in taking the propaganda of media, headon. apart from ensuring communal harmony in the society in these difficult times".

Recalling the past and giving multiple examples, Ansari said that when Sir Syed set up the institution, he wanted Muslims to move ahead and progress though many ordinary Muslims felt that 'modern or English' education would weaken their faith and turn them towards other religion and it will create a chaos in Islamic society, however, this proved to be wrong. Sir Syed wanted that there should be equal stress on religious education as well as modern education. 

Ansari mentioned particular lines and quoted from Sir Syed's article in Tahzibul Akhlaq to remind society that how he wanted Muslims to move ahead, grow into a prosperous society and get rid of social backwardness. He said that Aligs or the AMU graduates and postgradates apart from large number of other passouts should work towards helping people found and start new schools and institutions.

The retired IPS said that there was need for pledge to work and not just remember the past. He spoke at length about Sir Syed's contribution towards development of scientific temper in society and said that it was a result of his and other major personalities' vision that today society has come to the point where India's scientific achievements are seen with respect across the world.