Connoisseurs of Urdu poetry had a gala evening.
The Aligarh Alumni Association of Northern California (AMUAA-NC) held its 19th Sir Syed Day program in the San Francisco Bay Area on August 13th.
The well- attended event held at the India Community Center in Milpitas attracted not only dedicated AMU Alumni from the region but also area connoisseurs of fine Urdu poetry and prose. This year was somewhat unique because there was no keynote speech by an outside speaker. The formalities this time were conducted by local officers and friends of the organization themselves, according to a press release.
Sir Syed Ahmad Khan was born on October 17, 1817 in Delhi and next year is his bi-centennial birthday celebration. His legacy remains a rich one as he provided India’s Muslims a path towards modern scientific education while most of them remained mired in old traditions unable to compete in the emerging technologies of the time during the late 19th century.
The California event also saw a fine dinner in the Mughlai tradition catered by Chandni Restaurant, Newark. There was a recitation from the Holy Qur’an and a brief introduction by segment emcee Mrs. Amtul Suhail.
Dr. Shaheer Khan informed the audience that the Aligarh Education Endowment Fund (AEEF) is conducting to help some struggling or less fortunate in India get their education through a fundraiser. He explained that the goal was to collect $100,000 annually out of which $60,000 had already been collected and this fundraising was for the remaining $40,000 shortfall.
AMUAA President Suhail Farrukh thanked the main sponsors of the program: Drs. Kamil and Talat Hasan, Dr. Ashraf Habibullah (Computers and Structures Inc.) Mr. and Mrs. Syed Sarwat (Chandni Restaurant), Mr. and Mrs. Jamal Qureishi (JQ American Corporation), Mr. and Mrs. Zaheed Kajani and the Amana Mutual Funds Trust.
Also, K. Venkata Ramana, Consul (Community Affairs, Information & Culture), Consulate General of India in San Francisco honored Tashie Zaheer and Khalid Rana of the Urdu Academy.