The two-day 22nd international convention on education as part of American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) several initiatives for the cause of education came to an end in Guwahati on Sunday. Speaking as the chief guest on the valedictory day, Dr K Rahman Khan, Union Minister for Minority Affairs said, “My appeal to the Muslims is that don’t always feel neglected and not taken care of. Find out what your own responsibility is and discharge it.” He lauded the initiative of the Ajmal Group in Assam in promoting education in the rural areas and expressed the hope that this would be replicated by others.
Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam Minister for Education & Healthcare, was present as the guest of honour. He too emphasised the role of the civil society in creating awareness about the need for promoting education. For the Muslim concentration Dhubri District of Assam, he announced construction of 20 new hospitals and provision of at least 3 teachers in each primary school of the district before the end of the next year.
Dr Sarma formally unveiled a book on career guidance, authored by Prof MA Hussain and published by Ajmal Foundation. The book contains over 3,000 career options for the youth. The Minister presented one book each to the medal winning students who were present at the event.
Another distinguished guest, Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Tezpur University, highlighted the peaceful existence of various ethnic groups which was so evident when he was a child. He appealed for bringing back those golden days of Assam back again.
Badruddin Ajmal, MP reminded the participants that that they should understand the Quran and the teachings of the prophet (pbuh) to realise the high position Islam bestows on the woman.
Earlier in the day, a panel discussion on ‘Muslim education in the North East: Challenges & Opportunities’ was held in which the participants were Dr H Nagamia, Cardiologist (Tampa USA), Dr KM Baharul Islam (IIM Kashipur), Sayeedulla Nongrum, former Minister (Shillong, Meghalaya), Prof Abdul Mannan, Dept of Statistics (Gauhati University) and Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed, former Principal, Karimganj College (Assam). The discussion was moderated by NI Laskar, Executive Editor, Easter Chronicle (Guwahati).
Another panel discussion on ‘Empowering women as key agents of change’ was also held in the backdrop of a packed audience. The discussion moderated by Shazia Kidwai (Dubai) was participated by Husena Poonawala (UK); Padmashri Patricia Mukhim, Chief Editor, The Shillong Times (Meghalaya); Teresa Rehman, Managing Editor, The Thumb Print (Guwahati); Dr Gayatree Goswamee, HoD, Dept of Education (Gauhati University); and Dr Mahfuza Rahman, HoD, Dept of Geography, Cotton College (Guwahati).
At the end of the Convention, Dr AR Nakadar announced that the 23rd National Convention of AFMI will take place at Kozhikode in Kerala in December 2014. The resolutions adopted at the Guwahati Convention were read out jointly by Dr Ayub Khan and Md Burhan Uddin Qasimi, foremost among the resolutions being “every participant at the Convention would aim at and work for 100 percent literate India.”
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