Indica News Bureau-
The Aligarh Muslim University Alumni Association of Northern California marked Sir Syed Day, who founded the school, at the India Community Center in Milpitas, in the San Francisco bay area, on Nov. 17 in an annual event that also featured a fundraiser for the Aligarh Education Endowment Fund, the organization announced in a press release..
“As you know, we are gathered here today to honor our founder Sir Syed Ahmed Khan. And there is no better way than to further his vision of education which our association has been promoting for the past 23 years,” Suhail Farrukh said in the Presidential Address. “Many in this hall have benefitted from an AMU education, and it is our job to help others who may not be as fortunate to do the same. Many of you have helped us in the past, and we are hoping that you will continue that support by the end of this evening.”
The sold-out annual gathering of alumni, known as Aligs, featured a program conducted in Urdu, and the dinner menu was in the Mughlai tradition. Amtul Suhail was the event’s emcees, and M. Zaid Khan kicked off the ceremonies with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an in the Aligarh tradition.
The event included a Mushaira, or Urdu poetry recital featured one of India’s pre-eminent Urdu poets, Bollywood lyricist and screenwriter, political activist Javed Akhtar, with appearances by Pirzada Qasim from Pakistan and Manzar Bhopali, according to AMUAA-CA.
In attendance were Indian Consul General Sanjay Panda, Patron of the Association Abdus Salam Qureshi, and the great-grandchildren of Indian President Zakir Husain. Retired Justice Markandey Katju, an Indian jurist, according to the release.
Also known as Sir Syed Ahmad Taqvi bin Syed Muhammad Muttaqi and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Syed lived from 1817 to 1898 and was a Muslim leader and reformer active in the legal and educational fields.
