SIR SYED AHMAD KHAN: MAN WITH A GREAT VISION

“Sir Syed was a prophet of education” (Mahatma Gandhi) Sir Syed Ahmed Khan (1817-1898) was a great visionary, statesman and Muslim/Social reformer, educator, jurist, politician, author and many others to count. He flourished in the second half of the 19th century. His talent, deep-insight, love for Islam and hard work played a major role in the revival of Muslims in India.

Sir Syed was born in an aristocratic family of Delhi, the capital of Mughal Empire, at a time when rebellious governors, regional insurrections and the British colonialism had diminished the extent and power of the Mughal state, reducing its monarch to figurehead. With his elder brother Syed Muhammad Khan, Sir Syed was raised in a large house in a wealthy area of the city. They were raised in strict accordance with Mughal noble traditions and exposed to politics. Their mother Azis-un-Nisa played a formative role in Sir Syed's life, raising him with rigid discipline with a strong emphasis on education. Sir Syed was taught to read and understand the Qur'an by a female tutor, which was unusual at the time. He received an education traditional to Muslim nobility in Delhi. Under the charge of Hamiduddin, Sir Syed was trained in Persian, Arabic, Urdu and religious subjects. He read the works of Muslim scholars and writers such as Sahbai, Rumi and Ghalib Other tutors instructed him in mathematics, astronomy and Islamic jurisprudence.

However Sir Syed Ahmed Khan attempted to make the community and country progressive and take them forward on modern lines. His contributions for the betterment and empowerment of the Muslims are great. His position in the judicial department left him time to be active in many fields. His career as an author in Urdu started at the age of 23. In 1847 he brought out an important book "Monuments of the Great" on the antiquities of Delhi. Even more important was his pamphlet "The Causes of the Indian Revolt". His interest in religion was also active and lifelong. He wrote on the Life of Prophet Muhammad (Sal-am) and devoted himself to write several volumes of a modernist commentary on the holy Quran. In these works he explained how the Islamic faith could go with progressive scientific and political ideas of his time.

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During the war of Independence he saved the lives of many Englishmen. The Government centered the title of Sir on him. Thus, he won the confidence of the British Government. After the war of Independence the Muslims were passing through a critical phase. By refusing to acquire western education they were not keeping pace with modern times. The Muslims hated English language and culture. They kept their children away from the schools and colleges. But in this manner they were unconsciously damaging the interests of the Muslim Community. Their ignorance of the English language and lack of modem education kept them away from respectable government posts. On the other hand the Hindus acquired modem knowledge and dominated the government jobs. Syed Ahmed Khan was the first Muslim leader to realize the gravity of the situation. He was greatly pained to see the miserable condition of the Muslims everywhere. He decided to devote his full efforts for the welfare of the Muslims. The first need was the removal of mistrust about the Muslims from the minds of British rulers. For this purpose he wrote – Essay on the causes of Indian Revolt in which he proved that there were many factors which led to the uprising of 1857 and that only the Muslims were not to be held responsible for it. In addition he wrote “Loyal Muhammadans of India” in which too he defended the Muslims against the charges of disloyalty. These works restored confidence of the British in the Muslims to a large extent. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan turned his attention towards the educational uplift of his co-religionists. He told the Muslims that without acquiring modern education they could not compete with the Hindus. He pleaded that there was no harm in adopting western sciences and in learning English language. He issued a magazine named “Tahzib-ul-Ikhlaq” which projected adoptable European manners. Shortly afterwards Syed Ahmed Khan wrote a commentary on the Holy Quran. In this work Syed Ahmed Khan interpreted Islam on logical and scientific basis. Syed Ahmed Khan was one of the pioneers of the Two Nation Theory.

All his life, Syed Ahmad Khan protested against the practices of purdah, polygamy, easy divorce and many other superstitions. Promotion of modern western education, however, was his priority. He believed that progress was possible only if the Muslims adopted western scientific knowledge and culture. In AD 1864, he founded the Translation Society at Aligarh. It was later renamed the Scientific Society. Also it was the historical beginning of Muslim education in India. This society published Urdu translations of books on science and literature at

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its early times. Later it became as a World Wide familiar such Aligarh Muslim University. He also established many schools in different parts of the country. Let us discuss below.

HIS CONTRIBUTIONS TOWARDS EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTION

Through the 1850s, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan began developing a strong passion for education. While pursuing studies of different subjects including European [jurisprudence], Sir Syed began to realise the advantages of Western-style education, which was being offered at newly established colleges across India. Despite being a devout Muslim, Sir Syed criticized the influence of traditional dogma and religious orthodoxy, which had made most Indian Muslims suspicious of British influences. Sir Syed began feeling increasingly concerned for the future of Muslim communities. A scion of Mughal nobility, Sir Syed had been reared in the finest traditions of Muslim élite culture and was aware of the steady decline of Muslim political power across India. The animosity between the British and Muslims before and after the rebellion (Independence War) of 1857 threatened to marginalize Muslim communities across India for many generations. Sir Syed intensified his work to promote co-operation with British authorities, promoting loyalty to the Empire amongst Indian Muslims. Committed to working for the upliftment of Muslims, Sir Syed founded a modern madrassa in Muradabad in 1859; this was one of the first religious schools to impart scientific education. Sir Syed also worked on social causes, helping to organize relief for the famine-struck people of North-West Province in 1860. He established another modern school in Ghazipur in 1863.

Upon his transfer to Aligarh in 1864, Sir Syed began working wholeheartedly as an educator. He founded the Scientific Society of Aligarh, the first scientific association of its kind in India. Modeling it after the Royal Society and the Royal Asiatic Society, Sir Syed assembled Muslim scholars from different parts of the country. The Society held annual conferences, disbursed funds for educational causes and regularly published a journal on scientific subjects in English and Urdu. Sir Syed felt that the socio-economic future of Muslims was threatened by their orthodox aversions to modern science and technology. He published many writings promoting liberal, rational interpretations of In face of pressure from religious Muslims. Sir Syed avoided

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discussing religious subjects in his writings, focusing instead on promoting education.

He started his career as a humble judicial official in the English East India Company. Later on he served on important jobs. Sir Syed Ahmed Khan alone among his contemporizes realized that the plight of Muslims could not be improved without a revolution in their attitude towards education. The Muslims were inimical to western education for three reasons: 1. They considered it inferior to traditional Islamic learning.

2. It was being forced upon them by a foreign people, and

3. They thought that an education saturated with Christianity might corrupt their beliefs.

Empowerment comes with knowledge, awareness, character and social identity. Sir Syed knew that in a country with such variety there should be a sense of unity in the community to bring out meaning full changes in governance and implement significant changes right from grass root level. Sir Syed once said that, “Do not show the face of Islam to others; instead show your face as the follower of true Islam representing character, knowledge, tolerance and piety.” He tried to make the community aware of the glorious past and feel proud of the great civilization with such rich collection of culture and tradition. Referring to the community he once said that we should not, by remaining ignorant and illiterate tarnish the image of our able elders. Sir Syed famous speech which he made while foundation of MAO College which was laid down by Lord Lytton on 18th January, 1877 is the soul of Aligarh Movement. Sir Syed said: “from the seed which we sow today, there may spring up a mighty tree, whose branches, like those of the banyan of the soil, shall in their turn strike firm roots into the earth, and themselves send forth new and vigorous saplings”. Sir Syed’s words are very rightly proved by the institution which calls itself a citadel of learning, imparting knowledge without any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed or religion.

Salient features of the political, educational and religious contributions of Syed Ahmed Khan are as given below

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1. In 1863 Sir Syed Ahmed Khan established a Scientific Society. The purpose of this society was translation of English books into Urdu language.

2. During his stay at Aligarh he issued a weekly Gazette called “Aligarh Institute Gazette”.

3. In 1869 Syed Ahmed Khan visited England. There he studied the system of Education. Moreover he wrote Khutbat-e-Ahmedya in reply to Sir William Muir’s book “Life of Muhammad”.

4. In 1870 he issued his famous magazine named “Tehzib-ul-Ikhlaq” in order to apprise the Muslims of their social evils and moral short comings. This magazine promoted Urdu language immensely.

Shortly afterwards Syed Ahmed Khan wrote a commentary on the Holy Quran. In this work Syed Ahmed Khan interpreted Islam on logical and scientific basis. Syed Ahmed Khan was one of the pioneers of the Two Nation Theory. He openly declared that the Hindus and the Muslims were two different communities with different interests. He advised the Muslims to refrain from Joining Indian National Congress. In May 1875, Syed Ahmed Khan founded Muhammadan Anglo Oriental High School at Aligarh. Two years later in 1877 this school was elevated to the status of a college by Lord Lytton the British Viceroy himself. M.A.O College Aligarh was a residential institution. It rendered great services in imparting modern education to the Muslims. It boasted of the services of many renowned scholars of that period like professor T.W. Arnold in Philosophy, Sir Walter Raleigh in English, Maulana Shibli in Persian and Jadu Nath Chakarwati in Mathematics. In 1921 M.A.O College was raised to the status of Aligarh University. This seat of teaming played a significant part in infusing spirit of Islamic nationalism among the Muslim students. These students later on became the torch bearers of the freedom movement in Indo-Pakistan. With the view of promoting the educational cause of 70 million Indian Muslims, Sir Syed founded, in 1886, the Muhammadan Educational Conference which held its meeting at various places to provide a forum for discussing problems that affected the Muslims at large. The principal aims of the Conference were:

To make an effort to spread among the Muslims western education to the higher standard.

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To enquire into the state of religious education in English schools founded and endowed by the Muslims, and to find out means to conduct it in the best possible way.

To give some strengthened support to the instruction voluntarily imparted by Muslim divines in religious and other oriental learning’s and adopt some measures to maintain it as a living concern.

To examine a state of education and instruction in the indigenous primary schools and take steps to remove their present state of decay in directing them onto the path of progress. Muhammadan Educational Conference used to hold its annual meetings in various cities where by the cooperation of local Muslims steps were taken for the progress of Education.

The ‘Aligarh movement’ launched by Sir Syed Ahmed Khan influenced the Muslims in the country, particularly in South India. The Souvenir brought out on the occasion of the Centenary Celebration of Ambur Muslim Educational Society on 4th September 2006 mentions as follows inter-alia:

Sir Syed organized the Mohammedan (later Muslim) Educational

Conference. Its branches were established in cities and towns to report on the educational needs of the community. This conference used to meet annually at several important cities in the country and carried the message of modern education far and wide.

The 5th session of the Conference was held at Madras in 1901 and set in a

brainwave all over the South. Like their brethren in other parts of the country the Muslims of the Madras presidency were also antagonistic towards the English education and therefore they were far behind their other fellow countrymen in public service. Nawab Mohsinul Mulk Mohsinud Dowla from Aligarh inspired the Conference with the saga of adventure which Sir Syed has brought into being in the North.

On 16th December 1905 the Management of the Chowk Masjid madrasa which was in existence then was taken over and later re-named as Madrasa-e-Mazharul Uloom. Janab T.Abdullah sahib visited Aligarh, observed the

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educational developments there and inspired by it prepared a plan for a Muslim school in Ambur meant for all religions and communities without any discrimination whatsoever. It was primarily his aim to create for young Muslims a good institution for their educational, cultural and social developments.

Many educational institutions came up in Tamil Nadu as a result of the

Aligarh movement. Today by the grace of Allah there are 11 (eleven) fully fledged engineering colleges and hundreds of Science and Arts Colleges, Higher Secondary and Elementary Schools in difference parts of Tamil Nadu. Many Muslim organizations like All India Islamic Foundation, Sadaq Trust, The South India Education Trust, The Muslim Educational Association of Southern India, Ambur Muslim Educational Society, Vaniyambadi Muslim Educational Society etc. have been playing a very important role in establishing institutions and imparting modern education to Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

Finally it has termed the Off-campus centers of Aligarh Muslim University as a new boost to the educational uplift of the wole Indian Muslims. In Mursidabad Campus (West Bengal) and Malappuram Campus (Kerala) (27th April 2010) is an exotic credit of the Aligarh Movement’s history. And it is the clear proof to the wide acceptance and successes of his mission among India. Here we have to close to the subject.

WOMEN’S STATUS IN KHAN’S PREMISES

It was very orthodox and domestic concepts are ruled in the surrounds of late upcoming era of Sir syed Ahmed Khan in 19th century. Women’s education in India at the turn of the 19th century was a heavily debated subject. Critics argued that women could not- and should not- be educated equivalently to men. They argued that women were mentally unequal to men, and would not be able to comprehend or find use in higher education. In addition, the archaic belief that women belonged in the home, performing domestic chores and tending to a family, created the idea that higher education was not suitable for the 'role' of women. Instead, many women were expected to be educated for domestic work by their

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mothers after leaving any elementary schooling they may have had. The only skills they were allowed to acquire were knitting, cooking and embroidery.

From these low expectations of the mind and role of women, it was a rare challenge for a woman to aim to become a scholar in the beginning of the 19th century. However, attitudes were beginning to change. Many progressive thinkers of the 19th century began to champion the idea of educational equality between men and women. In ancient India, women and girls received less education than men. This was due to the set social norms. Interestingly, in the Vedic period women had access to education, but gradually they had lost this right. Women education in ancient India prevailed during the early Vedic period. In addition to that Indian scriptures Rig Veda and Upanishads mention about several women sages and seers. Women enjoyed equivalent position and rights in the early Vedic era. However, after 500 B.C, the position of women started to decline. The role of an Indian woman was completely different and held far more responsibility than that of a white woman of that era. Indian woman did all the farming, raised the children, took care of household responsibilities, and performed other odd jobs. The men were mainly responsible for hunting and not much more. Women could also hold respectful jobs such as prophets, midwives, medicine women, and even warriors. It was common to have big families.

This was a stressful life for these women, who often felt overwhelmed with all of their responsibilities, and it was not uncommon for them to commit suicide. Women education in medieval India further weakened and declined with the introduction of Purdah system. Different customs and conventions of diverse religions like Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity further deteriorated and depreciated the state of women in the country. A range of socio religious movements contributed to the development of women literacy in the country. Many leaders took several initiatives to make education available to the women of India. The ordered form of women education in India was incorporated in the early centuries of the Christian era. Especially Muslim women are trapped in the darkness of residence and they sealed as slaves of their husbands, by the foolish leadership of conservative Islamic scholars and rulers. They are totally de-centralized from the community and society.

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The poor and challenged situations make Sir Syed to rethink about Islamic theologies and abandoned ideology of it. He spent his efforts to encourage the educational level of Indian people commonly and the Muslims specially. He quoted:“ Yes the main purpose of this college (MAO) is to impart modern education to Muslims who are suffering because of lack of it but this institution is for all, Hindus and Muslims alike. Both of them need education.” “We (Hindus and Muslims) eat the same crop, drink water from the same rivers and breathe the same air. As a matter of fact Hindus and Muslims are the two eyes of the beautiful bride that is Hindustan. Weakness of any one of them will spoil the beauty of the bride (dulhan)”

ROLE OF 'ALIGARH MOVEMENT’ IN WOMEN’S EDUCATION

The history of educating women in India is very old. In Jainism, women enjoyed freedom of learning various subjects from the era of the first Teerthankar, i.e. ford maker. According to Jain mythology, Rishabh, the first ford maker of Jainism educated his daughters Bambhi (Brahmi) and Sundari. Brahmi was specially educated in script, while Sundari was specially educated in Mathematics. The story of Rishabh tells us that he taught 64 arts or subjects to women.

In Vedic era, we find many women who were well educated in various subjects. Many of the Vedic verses are written by women.

But the educated women in ancient India belonged to either royal families or Brahmins. The girls belonging to these two classes were taught at home as there is no reference to girl students admitted to the Gurukuls, the ancient Indian system of education. No Mass Education System for girls was available. However, women interested in learning writing and reading where taught in temples. The Muslim women totally neglected even these limited rights also, by their own Mullas and Leaders.

In fact men and women in India were able to get necessary education at home or workplaces by tradition as well as at temples and mosques and other places in villages. The subject which was taught there included Reading and Writing, Mathematics, Religion, Philosophy, Ethics, Astrology etc. However the education given in temples was not available for outcast people.

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After establishment of British rule in India, the Britishers needed native people to work for them. Obviously they wanted that the people should learn through Western education system. This was beginning of modern western education for masses in India. British and American Christian Missionaries are the pioneers of establishing primary schools giving Western of type education in India. They established many schools in various parts of the country. Today most of the schools in India follow the role model of the missionary schools.

In this time Muslims are de-centralized from the main path, mainly women are remained trapped in the darkness of houses by their own fathers and husbands themselves. They thought the knowledge would be led to wrong way to hell, they believe that knowledge is not much better for life and survive, so they prevented their girls and women from earn knowledge. It was horrible situation for Muslim community that to misconception about Islamic thoughts and scriptures. Here we could understand the huge relevance of Sir Syed’s presence and his contributions.

Syed Ahmad Khan was the first man to start a reform movement among the Muslims quite especially Muslim Women in India. This movement was known as the Aligarh Movement. To him Quran was the only authentic scripture for Islam and all other Islamic writings are secondary and misnomer. For the safety of the Muslim community in India, he wanted to maintain cordial relation between the Muslims and the Bruisers. Further, he wanted to provide modern education to the Muslims.

For educating the Muslim society, Ahmad Khan established an English Medium School at Ghazipur in 1864. Later on he established 'Vegan Samaj' for translating English books to impart scientific knowledge to the Muslims.

To materialize his dream, he established Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh which developed into Aligarh Muslim University in 1890, thus, the Aligarh movement was instrumental in spreading western education among the Muslims and developing religious fundamentalism within them.

For achieving that end, he organized a Mohammedan Educational Conference which fostered unity among the Muslims and spread western education among them. Taking chance of it, Theodore Back, the first principal of the

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Mohammedan Anglo Oriental College and his successor Mr. Morrison spread communalism among the educated Muslims. , he saw that the whole key to the future of the Muslims in India was education. To this end, he first set up the Scientific Society of Aligarh, which become, with the support of the governor, the Mohammadan Anglo-Oriental College, and later still, the Muslim University. Here, while Islamic studies were not neglected, western science and languages were also taught

The Aligarh Movement was instrumental in the social, economic and educational progress of the Muslims in India. Due to the predominance of the Hindus in the national awakening, Ahmad Khan launched this movement to safeguard the Muslim interest. Being deeply impressed by the western education and culture, Ahmad Khan wanted to incline towards the English administrators of India and advised the Muslims to remain loyal to the British authority.

After establishing the MAO College at Aligarh, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and his associates in Aligarh Movement started to realize the need for women’s education. In 1896, the annual executive session of Muslim Educational Conference was held in Aligarh and a proposal to start a women education section in Muslim Educational Conference was accepted and Justice Karamat Hussain was appointed as its Founding Secretary. Nawab Mohsinul Mulk, Sahabzada Aftab Ahmad Khan, Janab Sultan Ahmad and Haji Ismail Khan were asked to assist Justice Karamat Hussain.

In the annual session of Muslim Educational Conference of 1898 in Lahore, a separate department of women’s education was established and Sahabzada Aftab Ahmad Khan was elected its Secretary. This started a wrath from the conservative Muslims but a dedicated team of Janab Ummid Ali, Ghulam-us-Saqlain and Haji Ismail Khan wrote several letters and article in Aligarh Institute Gazette and other reputed journals to defend the decision of Muslim Educational Conference to start a women’s educational movement. Justice Amir Ali presided over the annual session of MEC in 1899 at Calcutta and the idea to start girl’s schools is all of the state capital was accepted. It was also agreed that the Ulema will be consulted to develop the curriculum of the schools and the modern subjects of Science and Social Science will also be included the syllabus. In the session of December 1902

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in Delhi under the leadership of H.H. Sir Agha Khan, young Shaikh Abdullah was appointed as Secretary to look into the women’s educational project and was asked to start the activities very aggressively.

Shaikh Abdullah’s leadership shaped the women’s educational movement and played a very important role for the future of women’s education in India. Young Shaikh Abdullah and his team started writing articles in favor of women’s education in different journals. A special issue of “Aligarh Monthly” in November 1903 was published on women, entitled “Hum aur hamari khawateen”. Articles related to women’s education and their problems were written by, Syed Ghulam Neerang, Syed Sajjad Haider Yaldaram, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Maulvi Muhammad Akhtar. To further promote the cause of women’s education, in 1904, Shaikh Abdullah published a journal “Khatoon” from Aligarh which enabled the foundation of “Female Education Association”. The journal was continuously published till 1914 and the articles of Nawab Mohsinul Mulk, Mualvi Zakaullah Khan, Justice Karamat Hussain, Shaikh Abdul Qadir, Syed Ahmad Dehlavi, Maulana Aslam Jairajpuri, Muhammadi begum, Nazar Sajjad, Nafees Dulhan (wife of Maulana Habibur Rahman Khan Sherwani), Z.K.S. (daughter of Nawab Muzammilullah Khan) and Sughra Humayun Mirza were regularly published to this journals. In the annual session of 1905 at Aligarh, Begum Zahra Faizi (Murood-Janjeerah Bombay) lead the women education section and with the help of President of the session, Khalifa Muhhamad Hussain, Minister, State of Patialah, a resolution to start girls school under the Islamic tradition of ‘purdah’ and with modern science and sports activities were approved. This was the idea of Shaikh Abdullah which he had spread among the supporters of women’s education.

Shaikh Abdullah also established the Female Education Association and organized meetings in different parts of the country to discuss issues related to education. Her Highness Sultan Jahna Begum of Bhopal - a dedicated patron of education for Indian Muslims - who later became chancellor of AMU was the first one to financially support the cause and agreed to give an initial grant of 100 rupees per month for the madrasa. Boarding facilities were established in 1906 in small a rented house, and initially, 17 girls enrolled in the institute. The madrasa slowly grew and in 1909, it boasted

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of 100 girls. Abdullah’s wife and her sisters were charged with the running of the madrasa. The unprecedented and irrefutable success of the madrasa brought recognition and funding from government grants too. Abdullah duly bought an old orchard for the new building of the school where this grand institution now stands. The foundation of the school building was laid in 1911 by Lady Porter, wife of the acting Lieutenant Governor of U.P. The editors have gathered precious old photographs, personal and official documents and the available remaining literature for the book. It has several pictures of Shaikh M. Abdullah’s family, his supporters and friends.

In 1908, Shaikh Abdullah bought Fourteen Beegha of land which was known as “Rai Bag” at that time. Shaikh Abdullah wrote to United Province state government for help the state government allocated Seventeen Thousand Rupee for building of the school and a regular grant of two hundred fifty Rupees were allocated for Girls School. On 7th November, 1911, foundation stone for the school building was laid down by H.H. Lady Porter, wife of Lt. Governor of United Province. A building for hostel was also constructed, which was named as “Waheedia Hostel”. The school and hostel buildings were inaugurated on 1st march, 1914 by H.H. Begum Sultan Jahan, ruler of Bhopal. In 1916, foundation stone of another hostel, “Sultania Hostel” was laid down by Begum Sultan Jahan, the ruler of Bhopal. In 1917, for the first time, the girls of this school appeared in Middle School Examination and one of the students, Hanifa Begum secured First Position and a scholarship was awarded to her. In 1919, the first batch of this school appeared in Matriculation examination of UP Board and all of them were successful. Begum Sultan Jahan, the founding Chancellor of newly formed Aligarh Muslim University was Chief Guest in the annual function of 1922 and emphasized the need of women’s education and requested AMU authorities to adopt this school as the role model of women’s education.

In 1929, the school became Intermediate College and in 1930, during the Vice-Chancellorship of Sir Ross Masood, Dr. Ziauddin Ahmad made a recommendation and girl’s college became women’s college under the affiliation of Aligarh Muslim University and till date is an integral part of Aligarh Muslim University. In 1932, Begum Khatun Jahan, daughter of Shaikh Abdullah, who had just returned from England after completing her M.A. in Education from Ladies

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University, was appointed as Principal of Women’s College. In 1935, graduation course of B.A. was introduced in the college. UP Government helped to establish new hostels and Science laboratories. In 1937, Shaikh Abdullah’s another daughter Mumtaz Jahan was appointed as Principal and she served for more than 30 years as Principal of women’s college.

There is a long list of prominent alumni who graduated from Women’s College and made a reputation in their respective walk of life. Begum Khatun Jahan, Mrs. Mumtaz Jahan Haider, Khursheed Jahan and Birjis Jahan (daughters of Shaikh Abdullah, Papa Mian) were among the early alumni of this college. Later the ranks were joined by literary giants like Ismat Chugtai and Dr. Salma Siddiqi, a prolific fiction writer, biographical sketcher and daughter of Prof. Rasheed Ahmad Siddiqi, famous painting artist based in United States of America, Zarina Hashm, Nayyar Sultana, a well know actress of Pakistan and well known Hindi and Sanskrit writer, Mrs. Kusum Ansal. Begum Abida Ahmad, wife of President of India, Mr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad, Mrs. Salma Ansari, wife of present Vice-president of India, Mr. Hamid Ansari also belongs to the same fraternity. Dr. Qudsia Tahseen, first female of Aligarh Muslim University to become a Fellow of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore is a proud alumni of Women’s College of Aligarh Muslim University.

The secretary of FEA Prof. Zakia Siddiqi said that: “Still we have a long way to go. There is tremendous competition in every walk of life. Women should accept the challenges of modern times and make a place for themselves in society by proving their worth. Emphasis should be given to vocational training so that women can become economically independent and are not a burden and liability on the society. At a time when intolerance and communalism are out to destroy the unity and integrity of the country, a positive thinking and broad-based movement has to be launched. The need of the hour is not only to propagate literacy but also to educate the minds of masses to dispel communalism, casteism, indifference to atrocities on weaker sections of society, girl-child abuse, over-population, which are quite commonly prevalent in our society even today. The number of girls desiring qualitative education has increased with time so much that we have to find some other ways to generate more money for this association in order to provide them better facilities and opportunity for self-reliance by being self-employed.”

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“The relevance of Female Education Association has not diminished with the passage of time. It is our duty to popularize this movement with the same dedication and zest so that we can face the challenges of the 21st century and join the main stream without losing our individuality and identity, which are deep-rooted in the Indian ethos and value system.”

-By the grace of Almighty, thank you-

-Submitted by: ABDUSSAMED. K Kaniyathodi (House) Vadakkangara (post) Malappuram (District) Kerala- 679324

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