The Sufi Bhakti movement gave a new dimension to Bihar's cultural identity, literary tradition and social harmony.

Inauguration of two-day national seminar at Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library, scholars stress preservation and promotion of joint cultural heritage

Patna, July 17 (ABN) A two-day national seminar commenced at Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library to conduct an in-depth review of the profound and lasting impact of the Sufi Bhakti movement on Bihar's literature, culture, civilization, and social life. The seminar aims to transfer the intellectual, spiritual, and cultural heritage of the movement to the new generation and promote the joint Indian culture.

In the inaugural session, the country's prominent writers, historians, critics, researchers, and scholars agreed that the Sufi Bhakti movement laid strong foundations for religious tolerance, human equality, love, brotherhood, and Ganga-Jamuni culture, which played an extraordinary role in shaping Bihar's and the entire subcontinent's literary, cultural, and social formation.

Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library Director Professor Mohammad Zaid Haque said in his welcome address that this academic gathering marks the beginning of a new intellectual direction for the library. He stated that organizing a national seminar of this nature within just a month of assuming his responsibilities is clear evidence that the Khuda Bakhsh Library has once again embarked on its glorious academic tradition.

The seminar was inaugurated by renowned storyteller, poet, and scholar Shafie Mushhadi. He said that after a long time, the Khuda Bakhsh Library has been blessed with dynamic, active, and insightful leadership that will not only consolidate the institution's academic identity but also make it a center for intellectual and research activities at the national level once again. He emphasized that the Sufi Bhakti movement promoted values such as humanity, love, tolerance, mutual respect, and brotherhood, which are needed more than ever in today's society.

In his thought-provoking keynote address, prominent critic and researcher Professor Safdar Imam Qadri raised important questions regarding the historical texts of the Sufi Bhakti movement, emphasizing the need for research integrity in historiography. He expressed hope that the new generation of historians and researchers will remove these historical ambiguities through serious research.

Presiding over the inaugural session, prominent historian Professor Ratneshwar Mishra said that although the Sufi Bhakti movement has its roots in centuries past, it reached its intellectual and social pinnacle in the 16th century. The movement honored local languages, strengthened regional literary traditions, and successfully presented spiritual thoughts in the common man's language.

Bihar government's Additional Secretary Nadim ul Ghaffar Siddiqui stressed the importance of digitization for preserving ancient academic treasures and manuscripts. He appealed to all academic institutions to make joint efforts in this direction, warning that if this intellectual heritage is not protected through modern technology, future generations will be deprived of it.

Former Chairman of the Bihar Public Service Commission Imtiaz Ahmed Karimi said that the Sufi Bhakti movement not only promoted religious or spiritual thought but also gave new meaning to Bihar's literature, culture, society, and human values. He emphasized that spirituality is a means of connecting humans to God as well as to each other.

Former Chairman of the Government Urdu Library Arshad Firoz said that the Khuda Bakhsh Library is an academic and cultural institution whose voice is heard with great respect in global academic circles. He noted that the Sufi Bhakti movement lit the lamp of human unity, equality, tolerance, and mutual respect, whose light still illuminates society today.

Quami Tanzeem newspaper's Chief Editor Ashraf Fareed said that the Sufi Bhakti movement provided a strong foundation for India's joint Ganga-Jamuni culture, promoting a universal message of humanity, love, and brotherhood that transcends religion, caste, language, and class and remains effective and applicable today.

During the inaugural session, the latest issue of the Khuda Bakhsh Library's prestigious quarterly research journal was also launched. It was announced that the journal, which had been suspended since April 2024, has been revived under the current director's special interest and supervision, and a combined issue for April to December 2024 has been published within a short period.

The first academic session was held after the inaugural session, jointly presided over by former Vice-Chancellor Professor Ejaz Ali Arshad and Patliputra University's History Department Head Professor Rajesh Shukla. The session featured research papers by Mausam Aziz Kazmi on the literary services of Gaya's khanqahs and Sufi saints, Professor Mohammad Arif on the role of Sufis in promoting social harmony in medieval Bihar, Dr. Shiv Kumar Mishra on the social impacts of Mithila's Sufi saints, and Professor Tabir Kalam on the promotion of Indian languages by Bihar's Sufis in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Finally, Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library Director Professor Mohammad Zaid Haque thanked all the guests, speakers, researchers, and seminar participants, stating that the participation of scholars is the library's real capital. He expressed confidence that the Khuda Bakhsh Library will continue to organize such standard academic, research, and cultural programs in the future, further strengthening Bihar's academic and cultural tradition at the national and international levels.

The event was moderated by Patna University's Urdu Department Assistant Professor Dr. Afshan Bano. The occasion was also attended by prominent storyteller Mushataq Ahmed Nuri, journalist Dr. Rehan Ghani, journalist Asfar Faridi, journalist Dr. Anwar ul Huda, and Dr. Zakir Hussain, among other dignitaries.