The personality of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad remains a guiding light for today’s youth; by following his example Indian Muslims can still achieve progress” said the Governor of Bihar, Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) today at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU). He was speaking as the chief guest during Maulana Azad Memorial lecture organized in connection with National Education Day to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Highly decorated General appreciated the huge contribution made by Muslims working in Indian army. He said that he himself used to raise Jai Vishnu slogans in Sri Lanka as the religion of a commander is the religion of his soldiers. He also narrated the example of a Hindu commander who used to pray five times and fast for whole month along with Muslim soldiers. The veteran of several battles was categorical in asserting that Indian Army is the most secular institution in the country.
Governor of Bihar asked the students to develop leadership qualities. He said that the best leadership is collaborative in which you work in cooperation with others. Team spirit is necessary for such a leadership. ‘One cannot win war without collaborative leadership,‘ said Veteran. According to the Governor of Bihar, students need to read history in order to face the challenges of the present day. It was not only Havildar Abdul Hamid but also brave men like Lieutenant Hanifuddin who sacrificed their lives to defend India’s borders. Yet, in the present day, very few people are aware of the sacrifices made by these Muslim heroes, he added. Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain welcomed the all-round progress of MANUU and expressed immense pleasure in addressing its students, who are imbued with a spirit of nationalism.
He expressed hope that MANUU graduates, who are already flying the flag of success in various walks of life, will also perform distinguished service within the Indian Army. He urged students not to get caught up solely in the race for science, technology, and artificial intelligence, but also to focus on the social sciences. According to him, the social sciences equip students to tackle all kinds of challenges even today.
Earlier, Prof. Syed Ainul Hasan, Vice-Chancellor, MANUU in his welcome address briefed about the vision and mission of MANUU. He stated that over the past 28 years, the Urdu University has worked specifically to provide education to that segment of Indian society which can pursue higher education only through the medium of Urdu. According to him, another key objective behind the establishment of the Urdu University is to educate women and integrate them into the mainstream of society.
The Vice-Chancellor described the visit of the Governor of Bihar, Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain, to the Urdu University as an auspicious development. He expressed the hope that, under his patronage, MANUU would be able to expand its educational network into the Seemanchal region of Bihar as well.
The guest of honour, Prof. Faizan Mustafa, Vice-Chancellor, CNLU, Patna in his address said that Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a great champion of national integration and inter-religious brotherhood. Prof Mustafa said that Maulana Azad and Muslim clergy rightly rejected the faulty and erroneous two nation theory as Hindus and Muslims are one nation and partition was a historic blunder.
Prof. Ishtiaque Ahmed, Registrar proposed vote of thanks. He remarked that the Urdu University embodies an inclusive policy—focusing on the empowerment of marginalized sections and women—while also representing the diversity of India. He added that MANUU’s eco-friendly campus serves as an excellent reflection of the university itself, and commended all the teaching and non-teaching staff for this achievement.
Prof. M.A. Sami Siddiqui, Convener, Azad Day Celebrations convened the programme.
