Even after a century, the impressions of Gandhiji are fresh

Patna, September 29: Governor Bihar Lt Gen (retd) Syed Atta Hasnain has said that the society of Bihar is a cohesive society and believes in mutual harmony, this social stability is the biggest strength of the state. Gandhiji also felt the social mood of Bihar. He who needs peace of mind should come to Bihar. He said that social stability is indispensable for any developed country and Bihar will play an important role in building a prosperous India. He was addressing the opening session of the two-day national seminar organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's visit to the library on September 29, 1925 at Khuda Baksh Library on Tuesday. The theme of the seminar is "Mahatma Gandhi's Theory of Language, Literature and Culture". The Governor described Khudabakhsh Library as a "symbol of knowledge society" and said that libraries of this type are rarely seen in the world. Preservation of rare manuscripts and ancient books is a big challenge, but Khudabaksh Library has preserved its precious academic heritage with great care and order.
This historic seminar was inaugurated by Governor Bihar and Chairman Khuda Baksh Library Board Syed Atta Hasnain by lighting a candle. On this occasion, Dr. Muhammad Zahidul Haque, director of the library, while welcoming the guests, said that Gandhiji's visit to the Khuda Bakhsh Library on September 29, 1925 is a historical and valuable asset for the institution. Today marks the centenary of this historic moment, which is in keeping with the library's scholarly ethos.
Professor Ramvachan Roy, Chairman Bihar Legislative Council, said that Gandhiji's visit to the Khudabaksh Library has made it a "Tirth" of sorts. He said that language, literature and culture are intimately connected with each other. Gandhiji was a supporter of indigenous languages ​​and an advocate of the Indian language.
Former Chief Secretary to the Government of Bihar Aamir Subhani termed the organization of the seminar as a valuable scholarly effort of Dr. Muhammad Zahidul Haq and said that Gandhiji's visit to the Khudabaksh Library proved to be auspicious and this historic event has now become a permanent part of the library's history.
On this occasion, the joint issue of Khuda Baksh Library Journal for January to December 2025 was also published. The salient feature of the issue is the first in the history of Urdu literary magazines, "Kaleemuddin Ahmad Special Issue", which includes articles in Urdu, Hindi, English and Persian languages.
After the inaugural session, Arvind Mohan delivered the keynote address, in which he highlighted various aspects of Gandhiji's ideas and thoughts regarding language, literature and culture. The meeting was presided over by Prof. Ram Vachan Roy. The theme of the first session of the seminar was "Gandhiji's Theory of Literature", which was presided over by Abhay Kumar Thakur, IRS, Principal Commissioner, Income Tax, Patna and Prof. Safdar Imam Qadri, former President of Urdu Department, College of Commerce. In the session, papers were presented on various aspects including Gandhiji's theory of literature, new education, moral and spiritual thought and reality-based literature. The session was chaired by Prof. Odheesh Pradhan and Prof. Gyandev Mani Tripathi. Various speakers shed light on Gandhiji's social concepts and their significance. In both the sessions, research scholars and intellectuals also asked questions, to which the speakers gave detailed answers. The second phase of the seminar will be held on September 30, in which the ideas and concepts of Gandhiji in relation to education, culture and language will be discussed in three more sessions.