Indian academic system needs to be seen in a broader academic and intellectual context, not by linking it to religion and worship: Professor Saroj Sharma

.
A university level seminar was organized on the topic of "Role and services of Urdu literature in the Indian academic system" by the Department of Urdu, Ranchi University. The program was presided over by Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Ali, president of Urdu Department. The address of the patron of the seminar and Vice Chancellor of the University Prof. Saroj Sharma was very comprehensive, thoughtful and practical in nature.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Saroj Sharma said that today language, religion, color and society are divided into narrow circles, while the Indian academic system has a tradition of opening closed doors and bringing man closer to the wider human consciousness and nature. It should not be seen as limited to Vedic literature, but also the various traditions of Vedanta, Upanishads, Buddhist literature, Sufi thought and Indian philosophy need to be understood in its broader context.
He said that the literature of intellectuals like Al-Biruni and Dara Shikoh needs to be seen with a new environment and a new thought. Dara Shikoh served as an important bridge between Indian and Islamic intellectual and intellectual traditions through his understanding of Indian philosophy and his translations. Professor Saroj Sharma mentioned the ancient international relations of India and said that since the 5th and 6th centuries, India has had exchange of knowledge and trade with various civilizations and regions. This broadened the scholarly tradition and strengthened the mutual relations of different languages. He also highlighted the important role of Indian academic tradition in the fields of mathematics, algebra and astronomy etc.
He said that Kabir, poets of Sufi and Bhakti tradition, Rahim and Raskhan enriched the common cultural consciousness of Indian society. The broad message of humanity, love and unity is seen in the literature of these creators. He said that in terms of literature and poetry, he likes both Urdu and Bangla very much.
The Vice-Chancellor criticized the colonial system of education and said that Macaulay's system of education served to alienate the Indian society from its own intellectual tradition. In contrast, in the Indian education system, knowledge was seen as linked to life, nature and society. He said that despite the different religious and cultural traditions of India, the people here have a beautiful common historical and cultural heritage. The freedom movement was also the result of this common consciousness, in which people of different classes and communities fought together. He said in the context of the current situation that today there is a danger of creating cultural dependence through corporate culture and branded consumerism. India's identity lies in its Gangetic civilization and pluralistic cultural consciousness.
Professor Saroj Sharma specifically said that the Indian scholarly tradition should not be seen to be associated with any one religion or mode of worship. Serious and scientific research is needed on this subject. He emphasized on the need to consider the social, physical and spiritual aspects of rituals such as sanctity of Ganga water, fasting, fasting and prayers. He said that the Indian academic tradition should be further enriched through new debates and research while promoting intellectual consciousness in today's era.
During the seminar, two important books of Urdu literature were also launched. After the death of Sikander Ahmed, the book "New Critical Angles" compiled by his wife Rogla Sikander and the collection of ghazals by Shakeel Qamar "Waqt-e-Safar" were launched by the Vice Chancellor of Ranchi University and the patron of the seminar Prof. Saroj Sharma and special guest Prof. Artza Karim. It was declared as a remarkable development. "New Critical Angles" was hailed as an important effort to preserve and advance Sikandar Ahmed's literary and critical legacy, while "Waqt-e-Safar" was hailed as an important collection of Ghazals by Shakeel Qamar.
Prof. Ertza Karim called Urdu literature an essential part of Indian academic tradition Former director of National Council for the Promotion of Urdu Language, New Delhi Professor Ertza Karim said that the literature of several poets and writers including Kabir, Raskhan, Amir Khusro and Nazir Akbarabadi is closely related to the Indian academic tradition. He said that although the discussion of "Indian scholarly tradition" has come up especially in the present era, these creators had spoken about religious tolerance, human unity and cultural harmony centuries ago.

Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Ali integrated Indian philosophical traditions with Urdu literature.
While presiding over the seminar, Dr. Muhammad Rizwan Ali, president of the Urdu department, presented an overview of various academic traditions of Vedas, Vedanta, Upanishads, tribal philosophy, Vedic literature and Buddhist literature. He presented references to Swami Vivekananda's concept of 'Purana' and Mirza Ghalib's poetry while integrating various traditions of Indian philosophy with Sufi thought. He said that the greatest feature of the Indian academic tradition is its breadth, harmony and dialogic mood.

On this occasion, Dr. Manzar Hussain, the former president of the Urdu Department, also expressed his views. He highlighted various aspects of Indian scholarly tradition and the valuable heritage of Urdu literature.

Dr. Abrar Ahmed, President of Mathematics Department, Dr. Shri Prakash Singh, In-charge of Sanskrit Department, Bharti Dwivedi, Dr. Gautam Mukherjee, Dr. Ranjan Laha, Dr. Hiranand Prasad, Engineer Uzair Ahmed, Dr. Bhagat, Dr. Ravi Bhushan, Dr. Arshad Aslam, Dr. Shakeel Ahmed, Dr. Shakeel Khan, Dr. Ghalib Nishtar, Dr. Afsana Khatun, Dr. Abdul Basit, Dr. Afsana Khatu, Dr. Arzoo Parveen, Professor Manzoor, Many teachers, research scholars and students of the university including Shakeel Qamar, Dr. Afsana Parveen participated.

In the program, Dr. Ejaz Ahmed presented the introduction of the topic, while Dr. Arshad Aslam presented the words of thanks.

The aim of the program was to highlight the broader meaning of the Indian scholarly tradition and make the all-round role and services of Urdu literature a part of scholarly and intellectual debate. Speakers in the seminar emphasized that Urdu literature needs to be seen not just as a language or a literary tradition, but as an important document of the common cultural, intellectual and intellectual heritage of Indian society.