Education key to minorities development, opine leaders

A seminar on ‘Educational Development of Minorities in India: Successful Experiments’ was organised by the Islamic Center of Naperville (ICN) in Ogden in the USA, recently.

Delivering an address at the seminar, Zafar Javeed Convener, Central Paned for India, Islamic Development Bank, Jeddah and Secretary, Sultan-ul-uloom Educational Society, Hyderabad said, “Karnataka,

Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have emerged as role models in establishing a network of minority-managed educational institutions and in finding enduring solutions to the educational problems of minorities.”

He appreciated the governments of these states for the help given to minorities there.“While southern and western regions of India, which account for 35.16 per cent of the Muslim population have done reasonably well for the educational development of minorities,

it is a matter of serious concern that the eastern and northern regions, which account for a whopping 34 per cent and 30.84 per cent respectively, of the Muslim population, seriously lagged behind and as a result the educational problems of minorities continue to be unattended,” opined Javeed.

Javeed paid rich tributes to the contribution of late Sir Syed Ahmed Khan for playing a revolutionary role, among other things, in creating awareness among Muslims about the importance of education in solving their multidimensional problems. He called upon the need for emergence of similar leadership, at grass roots levels.

Speaking at the seminar, Dr Ausaf Sayeed, Consul General of India in Chicago, said that the Union Ministry of HRD and the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in India have conceptualised and launched innovative schemes in order to solve the problems of minorities.

He called upon the leaders of minority communities to create wider awareness about these schemes. Dr Sayeed opined that the literacy rate, educational attainments and the work participation rate on the part of minority women leave much to be desired.

“The social, educational and economic development of minorities can be achieved, in full measure, only when minority women participate in the developmental initiatives in large numbers,” he added.

Aamer Javeed, a youth leader, urged the youth to come forward to serve the society. “There are multiple opportunities for youth in the US, too to take up political leadership as a viable career option and they should come forward and tap these exciting opportunities fully,” he said.

The seminar was attended by eminent persons from different walks of life including Dr Talat Khan, President of American Association of Retired Asians, Ghousia Sultana an eminent litterateur,

Ashfaq Hussain Syed Banker and Community leader, Maqood Quadri, Azeem Shareef, Ahsan Hafeez, Sami Siddiqi, Syed W Abedi, Aiman Baig, Rasheed Ahmed, Tasneem Osmani and Rashid Salam.