By Nurul Islam Laskar,
Guwahati, November 18: The Ajmal Group has ushered a silent revolution in the field of education in the rural areas of Assam. This fact came out from the deliberation of Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal MP at a meeting held in Guwahati on Friday. Ajmal said he is now all set to establish a university, a medical college, a B Ed College besides establishing a girls’ hostel in Guwahati to enable girl students from rural areas to pursue their higher education in the city.
The meeting on Friday was organised as a curtain raiser to The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) holding their 22nd international convention and gala award programme in Guwahati on December 28-29, 2013. Every year a different city is chosen for this convention and this would be the first time that it will be held anywhere in the North Eastern region of India. The highlight of the gala award programme is that the rank holders from the minority community students at the Board and Council examinations of all the 28 Indian states and 7 union territories would be awarded medals, certificates and cash on the occasion. Ajmal Foundation and Markazul Maarif are the host partners collaborating with AFMI for this mega event in Guwahati.
While brisk preparations are already on to take care of the various aspects to make this event a big success, a meeting was held on Friday at the Auro Grace Auditorium in Jayanagar in the city to apprise other like-minded organisations of the State about the significance of this Convention and to seek their support, help and participation in it. Representatives of more than 40 NGOs, educational societies and welfare organisations participated in the meeting.
At the outset, Khasrul Islam, Manager, Ajmal Foundation informed that AFMI is working towards attaining 100% literacy among the Muslims of India; and for the educational advancement of the community, they have set up schools and colleges in different parts of the country. Ajmal Foundation lays equal emphasis on education and 70% of its CSR funds are earmarked for educational purposes alone.
Maulana Badaruddin Ajmal, MP, requested all the organisations to synergise their energies to bring about an educational revolution. He said, “If you take care of others, God will take care of you.” Hafiz Basir Kasimi, MLA, lamented about the low rate of education in rural and char areas but at the same time lauded the good work done by the 14 colleges and 20 schools run by the Ajmal Group in rural areas of Assam.
The meeting was presided over by Prof Abdul Mannan of Gauhati University who also coordinated another programme at the same venue in which 50 post graduate students, 26 girls and 24 boys, were handed over stipend for their good academic performance. An aggregate amount of Rs 3 lakh was extended by AFMI, Ajmal Foundation & Markazul Maarif for this purpose.
