Shams Ur Rehman Alavi
It’s an inspiriting story that how the dedication of few individuals, who took up cudgels and decided to set up and run the educational institutions, has brought about a change in two districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Besides, it shows how people can come forward and do their bit–instead of expecting government to do things for them. The Kanpur and Unnao model shows success as Old Boys of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) managed to go beyond discussions and implemented the plan on the ground.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan’s role as a reformer & educationist is part of history and everyone knows about it. The varsity that he set up, led to emergence of an educated class in India, long before the dawn of independence.
Though AMU gave a fillip to education, after it was founded, more such institutions didn’t come up in other regions of North India, especially, districts of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
For decades, it was seen as if education was in the hands of the state and as if it was the government’s prerogative alone to open schools and colleges.
The Sir Syed Public Schools in Kanpur & Unnao are examples of how active and focused Alig alumni can bring about a major positive change in society. In fact, varsity old boys’ active interest can bring about a transformation in the North.
In contrast, decades ago, people in South India decided to stop looking at just the government and they started building private colleges, schools and institutions.
Sensing need to provide affordable education and a safe campus with teachers who guide the students, schools were opened in Kanpur and Unnao. In the recently held event at the Sir Syed Public School in Kanpur, prominent personalities from different fields and other states, participated. Former DG Chhattisgarh police, MW Ansari, Idris Ahmad & AMU fraternity members were present. Students were given scholarships under Raftaar scheme.
Unlike UP, states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka& Andhra (now AP and Telangana are separate states), had taken early lead in this regard. Due to the push in Deccan, a number of minority owned educational institutes were set up in Southern India.
From the chain of Anjuman Islam institutes in Maharashtra in the past to the Azam Campus in Pune, Al Amin group in Karnataka and Hyderabad based societies took up cudgels and worked in the education sector. In fact, the 1949 order led to a unique situation in UP,
Urdu was given a raw deal and that way, the state with the highest concentration of Muslims in India, witnessed removal of Urdu from education system and it affected generations.
Students across the state found it hard to cope when the language was suddenly dropped and even as third language, it was practically not given space in schools and replaced by Sanskrit.
The importance of private schools and more campuses that can provide education in accordance with the need of the girls amid safe and secure environment, is essential.
Aligarh Muslim University has its alumni, excel in diverse fields across the world, and the Old Boys’ associations, too, exist in most countries.
Initiatives at district and regional level can go a long way in bringing the much needed change.
Sir Syed Educational Society and the Human Welfare Foundation (HWF) awarded scholarships to children who lost their fathers at an early age. The children’s mothers were also invited for the programme.
