04 special report

SPECIAL REPORT

International Convention on Education and Gala Awards Ceremony held in Guwahati In order to motivate the students to excel in education, AFMI has till date awarded over 2,000 gold, silver and bronze medals and certificates to meritorious students of X and XII of various states and union territories of India.

By EC Special Correspondent

T

he American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) held its 22nd International Convention on Education and Gala Awards Ceremony on December 28-29, 2013 at Pragjyoti - ITA Centre, Machkhowa in Guwahati, Assam this time. It was the first of its kind prestigious event ever held in the North East region of India.

The programme was co-hosted by premier Muslim NGOs, Markazul Ma’arif and Ajmal Foundation with support from a mass of other local not-for-profit establishments with Mr. Sirajuddin Ajmal – MLA and AIUDF leader – as chairman of the reception committee.

Mr. Devanand Konwar- the honourable Governor of Tripura, Mr. K. Rahman Khan- Minority Affairs Minister of India, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma- Education and Health Minister of Assam, Maul. Badruddin

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Ajmal – MP and AIUDF president, Dr. AR Nakadar - Founding Trustee of AFMI from USA and Mr. Ayub Khan – president of AFMI from Canada with a host of national and international dignitaries deliberated on pros and cons of education in India. The event’s main attraction was the distribution of around 133 gold, silver and bronze medals along with costly trophies and certificates to the 3 toppers of class 10th and 12th from each state and union territory of India. The star-achievers coming

together from as far as Jammu and Kashmir and Karela at one place in Northeast India was a marvellous experience.

The three Muslim toppers in both class X and XII board exams of 2013 were: (1) Iqra Bashir Makdoomi who scored 99.60 percent in Jammu & Kashmir SSC board, (2) Khaja Ausafullah, 99.40 percent in Andhra Pradesh HSC and (3) Ammarah Wani Muzaffar 98.00 percent, again from Jammu & Kashmir HSC board exams. Notably the state of J&K is

Convention volunteers on stage with AIUDF MLAs and dignataries.

SPECIAL REPORT the most turbulent state among all for education and safety of children yet the 1st and 3rd positions of all Muslim toppers of India went to that state.

It was also eye-catching that a young student who is disabled and blind could procure the gold medal for his state’s SSC board exams. That is rightly befitting the famous proverb – ‘If you have will you can move mountains’ and the girls from J&K and the disabled boy from Gujarat have proved that practically by their outstanding performances in their respective board exams, thanks to the children, their parents and teachers.

In addition, there were a number of technical sessions in both the days on several subjects such as one on ‘Enhancing Learning and Leadership Opportunities for Children and Youths’ where Dr. Qutbuddin Ahmad (Indiana, USA), Mr. Shafi Lokhandwala (Detroit, USA).

Mr. Tayeb Poonawala (London, UK) Maul. Burhanuddin Qasmi (Editor, Eastern Crescent and Director, MMERC Mumbai), Dr. Mohd. Baniyamuddin (Asstt.

Regional Director, IGNOU, from Manipur), Prof. Munirul Hussain (Gauhati University) and Prof.

Shahiuzzaman (S.P.P. College, Sibsagar, Assam) put their scholarly observations before the hall packed with students and educationists.

‘Muslim Education in the North East - Challenges and Opportunities’ and ‘Empowering Women as Key Agents of Change’ were also some of the very useful business sessions where experts gave their insights on the subjects.

These topics were addressed by a number of educationists from North

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East too who included Prof. Mridul Hazarika- Vice Chancellor Gauhati University, Prof. P.K Abdul Aziz- Vice Chancellor USTM, Prof. Amarjyoti Choudhury- Pro Vice Chancellor Tezpur University, Dr. K.M. Baharul Islam- IIM, Kashipur, Prof. Abdul Mannan, Gauhati University and Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmad former principal Karimganj College, Assam.

The other international

To motivate the students to excel in education, AFMI has so far awarded over 2,000 gold, silver and bronze medals and certificates to meritorious students... speakers, to mention a few, were Dr H. Nagamia (USA), Mr. Ali Quraishi (USA), Mr. Siraj Thakur (Canada), Ms. Darakhshan Khan (Singapore), Ms. Shazia Kidwai (Dubai, UAE) and Dr. Miss Sanauddin Ahmad (USA).

The international convention of AFMI in Guwahati offered ‘Sir Syed Award’ to Maulana Badruddin Ajmal for his outstanding educational services in the northeast region of India and ‘Mir Taqi Mir Award’ to Dr. Nawaz Deobandi, the famous Urdu poet, for his excellent contribution to the Urdu language The awardees received beautiful trophies along with certificates of appreciation from the organizers.

Maul. Badruddin Ajmal was also offered the title of Mohsin-e Millat (the benefactor of community) through a resolution passed at the concluding session of this international convention for his farsighted and extraordinary endeavour

in social and political sectors in India.

It is to be noted that AFMI is a philanthropic, service based and issueorientated, organisation formed by Muslim Americans of Indian origin in 1989. It strives to work towards the educational and economic upliftment of Indian Muslims by seeking cooperation among Americans and Indians.

AFMI strives to achieve 100 per cent literacy among Indian Muslims. Towards this goal AFMI has built schools in many Indian villages and has adopted many schools with students numbering in thousands.

In order to motivate the students to excel in education, AFMI has so far awarded over 2,000 gold, silver and bronze medals and certificates to meritorious students of X and XII of various states and union territories of India. It also provides scholarships to needy and deserving students. As part of its coio-economic upliftment, AFMI has built hospitals, conducted medical camps, provided relief and rehabilitation during epidemics, natural and man-made disasters.

It is also important to note that Ajmal CSR organisations— Markazul Ma’arif and Ajmal Foundation etc. are running 17 English medium schools, 13 colleges, 7 orphanages, 4 hospitals along with various technical and religious educational institutes in rural areas of Assam and northeast nurturing thousands of disadvantageous students. And this mega event in Guwahati was a collaborated effort by both Ajmal CSR organizations and AFMI. The successful convention will hopefully result in a greater

SPECIAL REPORT collaboration in the field of education by the Indo-American organisations.

The management skill of the event’s reception committee was applauded.

The three main functionaries – Mr. SH Chaudhury, President (in-charge) Markazul Ma’arif, Mr. Khasrul Islam, Manager Ajmal Foundation and Mr. Aziz Dosadia Manager AFMI (India chapter) were specially lauded and felicitated at the end on behalf of their teams for their hard work and painstaking endeavour.

The international convection on education has come out with a neatly crafted souvenir titled ‘LUIT’ which carries research articles on education and northeast by scholars and eminent writers from different spectrum of academia.

The entire two-day event was beautifully compered by Mr. Nazrul Islam Laskar, Executive EditorEastern Chronicle and Miss. Modhura Banerjee, Faculty Dept. of EnglishMaryam Ajmal Women’s College of Science andTechnology, Hojai.

The convention came to end with a set of resolutions and declarations, as under, which were read by Mr. Ayub Khan of Canada and Maul. Burhanuddin Qasmi of Mumbai and was approved by the participants by raising their hands in support.

Mr. Ayub Khan, AFMI President

Ms. Shazia Kidwai from Dubai, UAE is welcomed by traditional Assamese gamusa of Ajmal Group of awardee students with education tree infront of them Dr. Kamaluddin Ahmad, Dr. Nagamia, Mr. NI Lasker, Prof. A. Mannan and Dr. KM Baharul Islam on stage

Dr. AR Nakadar - Founding Trustee of AFMI LUIT - the souvenir is released by the Hon’ble Governor of Taripura

Dr Nawaz Deobandi is recieving ‘Mir Taqi Mir Award’ from His Excillency Mr. Devanand Konwar- the Governor of Tripura

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SPECIAL REPORT M. Burhanuddin Qasmi and AR Ajmal, MLA, are awarding the physically challenged student who pocketed gold medal for his state Mr. Shafi Lokhandwala from Detroit, USA is welcomed Mr. Aziz Dosadia, Manager AFMI (India chapter), is falicitated

by K Rahman Khan and Himanta Biswa Sarma

LUIT - the souvenir is released by the Hon’ble Governor of Taripura

Mr. Sirajuddin Ajmal, Chairman of the Convention Maul. Badruddin Ajmal is recieving ‘Sir Syed Award’ from His Excillency Mr. Devanand Konwar- the Governor of Tripura and Dr. AR Nakadar, AFMI Trustee

Mr. K. Rahman Khan- Minority Affairs Minister of India delivering his speech

Group of awardee students with education tree infront of them.

Mr. Khasrul Islam, Manager Ajmal Foundation, is falicitated by K Rahman Khan and Himanta Biswa Sarma Maryam Ajmal Women’s College of Sceince & Technology students are to attend the Convention

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SPECIAL REPORT

RESOLUTIONS & DECLARATIONS This 22nd International Convention on Education and Gala Award Ceremony of American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) held at Pragjoyti Hall, ITA Centre Machkowa, Guwahati, Assam, on December 28th and 29th (Sat., Sun.) 2013, organized by Ajmal Foundation and Markazul Ma’arif along with the support from 60+ other North East based NGOs resolves and declares today that: 1. Be it resolved: That the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) thanks Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, Hon’ble MP and CEO of Ajmal CSR, Mr. Sirajuddin Ajmal, Hon’ble MLA and Convention Chairman, and the entire team of Ajmal Foundation and Markazul Ma’arif for hosting this historic Convention for the first time in North East India.

2. Be it resolved: That this Convention is greatly impressed by the beauty of the North East India and the tremendous hospitality of its people.

3. Be it resolved: That all the participants of this convention will aim for a 100% literate India.

4. Be it resolved: That this Convention appeals to the respected Governments at all levels to give high priority to the weaker and vulnerable sections of the society, especially Indian Muslims.

5. Be it resolved: That this Convention hopes for better co-ordination between all stake holders involved in the socio-economic and educational development of all communities of India and benefit from each others’ resources, knowledge and experience.

6. Be it resolved: That this Convention registers its serious concern about the relatively low literacy and educational levels of Muslims in the North East India, especially girl education. We request the State and Central Governments to take all necessary steps in alleviating this educational imbalance in the society.

7. Be it resolved: That this Convention is greatly inspired by the philanthropic standards set by the late Haji Ajmal Ali Saheb and the late Maryamun- Nisa Ajmal Saheba. And that AFMI delegates visited various institutions run by the Ajmal Foundation and Markazul Ma’arif. We hope all the NGOs follow their models. We also hope that the corporate houses in India will follow the exemplary CSR model set by the Ajmal group of companies.

8. Be it resolved: That this International Convention confers the title of “MOHSIN-E MILLAT” (Benefactor of the Community) to Hazrat Maulana Badruddin Ajmal Saheb for his outstanding services in the socio-economic and educational sectors.

9. Be it resolved: That we thank all the delegates and attendees of the Convention who have come from near and far and we thank all the volunteers, supporters, affiliates and everyone who has contributed to the success of this Convention by any means, whatsoever.

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