Sunday, October 16, 2011

LIVE ALIGARH MOVEMENT

While I was writing this note date turned to 17 Oct, the Sir Syed Day. I am reading messages coming for Aligarian across the world. The social media sites and other networks are flooded with wishes. In the university student as well as alumni associations will celebrate it with beautiful nostalgic poetry, Tarana followed by dinner which will end yet another founder’s day. I have just received the invitation from the Alumni Association of UAE that it is organising the dinner on 21 October as it is the first weekend after 17 October 2011.

First thought that shook my senses after the getting the invitation was if I shall attend it or not. I don’t want to be disrespectful to the founder and the history his movement igintied. But I thought if Sir Syed would have been alive today how he would have felt after visiting any of these functions. In last year’s function organisers in UAE were not even able to speak proper Urdu or English, the minimum that was expected from university graduates. The organisers were more interested to showcase themselves as the key organisers. Majority of the senior alumnis preferred to stay away from it. In short the event demeant the meaning of celebrating Sir Syed day.

I am neither a student of history nor very close observers of Sir Syed’s life, I am writing this with my limited knowledge that I have gained through my stay at the university and my readings on his life. In this capacity I would like to share a few observation with my seniors and concerned Aligarians. If we try to generalise the programs organised around the world to celebrate the day then we can easily conclude towards Popular Mushairas in West, Gala Dinners in Middle East and chaotic dinner in AMU as well as other parts of India. As a deep admirer of Sir Syed, I have always been searching for his messages, his essence, his persona, his movement on the day. Surely there would be some who would be trying to resurrect the movement and work on the expected lines but they are heavily out-numbered by the ‘BOTI & ROTI’ crowd who merely gather on the day to enjoy their dinner.

Sir Syed's writing like Ain-e-Akbari, Asaar-us-sanadeed etc. were embedded in our rich history, he higlighted our past glory. After the revolt of 1857 his writings like Asbaad Baghawate Hind enlightened the community about the reasons behind failure against the mighty British. Later he tried to take us forward through his works such as Scientific Society, Tahzeeb-Ul Akhlaq and ultimately founding the MAO college. Conclusively he followed history to dig the shortcomings and find way forward to meet the trajectory of future. I strongly believe that we Aligarians have failed to live the Aligarh Movement. We have reduce the day to mere remembrance of our university days, no matter how we performed in our studies during our stay, no matter if we ever read his writings…..(no reason to stretch the list).

I am a recent pass out from the university so I definitely cannot compare the past glory of the university with present but I would request the seniors and elders who have seen the history and are aware about the present to rejuvenating the essence of Aligarh. Let us not succumb Sir Syed Day to tarana and dinner but use the occasion to revisit his vision, mission and the movement that he is a great symbol of.

LET US LIVE THE ALIGARH MOVEMENT ONCE AGAIN…

Published in AMUNETWORK.

2 comments:

rehan said...

As salaam olaeykum Yasir Bhai !!!

I feel proud to be an alumni and got as nostalgic as any other alig who will be , after reading this !!!

Unknown said...

Thanks Rehan - But it hurts when we see oursleves not living spirit of Aligarh