IndiaTomorrow.net,
New Delhi, Oct 18: Grand and glamorous dinners on the occasion of Sir Syed Day – the birthday of Aligarh Muslim University’s founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan – have become a custom, just short of a religious one, for the alumni of the university wherever they live on the planet. But a Delhi-based social group Khudai Khidmatgar hosted a very different kind of dinner on this Sir Syed Day (17th October), which was also 200th birth anniversary of the 19th century great educationist.
Khudai Khidmatgar, headed by a law graduate of AMU Faisal Khan, organised a dinner gathering with rag-pickers living in a slum in Delhi’s Madanpur area. Most of the volunteers of Khudai Khidmatgar were AMU alumni.
The dinner was attended by a large number of women, children and youths. The slum children did literary and art performance showing their creativity. Women had discussions on the issues related to the education for their children.
On why this dinner of its own kind, Khan said: “The mission of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan is to empower the community by providing them with education…Apart from education services, he involved (himself) in various social reform activities, united the hearts of the people, especially Muslims and Hindus… Khudai Khidmatgar celebrated his birthday to spread his message to the marginalised sections (Rag-pickers) who are unaware of Sir Syed.”
Khan also assured the children and their parents of support in resuming their education.
We noticed during interaction with the parents that several students dropped out from schools due to lack of awareness and no education counsellors reached them to inform them about the process and dates of getting enrolled in the schools, he said adding that Khudai Khidmatgar assured them of help. Its volunteers will organise such gathering in the end of every week or once in every 15 days.
“Soon we will start an “Education and Care Center” during evening time for the children of rag-pickers,” said Khan.
The Aligarh Muslim University grew out of the work of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, who in the aftermath of the Indian War of Independence of 1857 felt that it was important for Muslims to gain education and become involved in the public life and government services in India. In 1877, Sir Syed founded the Muhammadan Anglo Oriental College in Aligarh, which later became a university.
Dr. Kahkashan, Assistant Professor from Hamdard Medical College, New Delhi, was the Chief Guest at the event.
