IGNOU Education

National Round Table Conference on "Telecom Sector in Educational Development"
Mr. Thiru A Raja, Hon'ble Union Minister for Communications & IT, Government of India shall inaugurate the National Round Table Conference on "Telecom Sector in Educational Development on 4th Nov 08 at 3 pm.

This is being organized jointly by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and Communication and Manufacturing Association (CMAI) in SCOPE Complex, Tagore Hall, Lodhi Road, New Delhi.

Prof. V. N. Rajasekharan Pillai, VC, IGNOU shall be the Guest of Honour. Shri G. S. Grover, Member Services, Department of Telecom, Ministry of Communication & IT, Government of India, Shri N. K. Goyal, President, CMAI and Mr. R. K. Gupta, Senior Consultant, IGNOU shall also address the conference.

The keynote address shall be delivered by Shri Praveen Vishakantaiah, President-Intel India.
There shall be presentations and open house discussions also during this conference.

Centre urged to bring BSZ's remains home, instill history in today's youth
New Delhi : Do Indian youths today know why the Khoonee Darwaja in the Capital's Delhi Gate was so named? Or, the exact location in Delhi of Zafar Mahal where lived the country's last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar (BSZ) in 19th century India? Or, can they identify the Delhi villages outside the Walls which fought British army during country's first war of Independence in 1857? If you have sensitive ears to hear the footprints of pristine Delhi, you may still find awesome history galloping steadily toward you, rather more than what Red Fort's 'Sound and Music' tries to communicate.

Yet the history is buried in books only and a subject for research for most youths of 21st century India today. It is not harnessed in day to day practical life. As a result, they find pleasures in the West – currently in the USA – and are unaware of their heritage. They are on the brink of losing to the very people from whom the country's sovereignty was wrested. This retreat of Indian youths pains the ageing freedom-fighters who spent their own youth to wrench freedom of the country.

Heavy hearted thoughts came live in steady flow at an inner lawn of the Red Fort annexe Akbar's seat of throne, at the public meeting, to celebrate BSZ birth anniversary, convened by the Centre for Freedom Struggle Studies, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), in collaboration with Capital-based Freedom Movement Memorial Committee (FMMC).
Speakers after speakers poured their heart-felt angst, as the meeting took a three-point resolution and even got spontaneous endorsement from the huge gathering spearheaded by 500-odd immaculate freedom fighters.

Almost all speakers lamented that only Muslims are being singled out for all terrorist activities in the country, even as recent finds exposed some Hindu fanatics' hands in it. "Terrorism does not have a community or religion. It is everywhere, and is condemnable always, why single out the Muslims alone for it? -- asked a CPI secretary Ms Amarjeet Kaur.

Vice Chancellor of IGNOU, Professor VN Rajasekharan Pillai invoked the necessity of preserving the past for the posterity and assured all intellectual and curricular help to the great cause of the nation.

Addressing the gathering Professor Pillai said, "Propagation of the commendable activities of great freedom fighters like Bahadur Shah Zafar to the vast millions of youth in the country is very essential for fighting terrorism and other antisocial movements. The role of educational institutions in this endeavour is enormous. There has to be mechanism in place in our universities for preservation and effective dissemination of the secular ideals and practices preached and successfully implemented by the activists, thinkers and writers who contributed to the political, social and cultural upheaval of our country."

Haryana Governor Dr AR Kidwai, who presided over the meeting, former MP Governor and currently Minority Commission Chairman Mohd. Shafi Qureshi and All India Congress Committee General Secretary Mirza Irshad Baig in their speeches to the gathering promised that a deputation would be taken to the Prime Minister to start work on implementation of these resolutions.

The three-point resolutions are:
First, the mortal remains of Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar -- who was exiled to erstwhile Ragoon (now Yangon), where he died and was buried there unceremoniously by the British -- be exhumed and brought back to Delhi and re-buried at his own home Zafar Mahal in Mehrauli. To get two yards of land for his final abode was the Emperor's cherished unfulfilled desire.
Second, a National Monument be constructed in Delhi in honour of those who laid down their lives in fighting the British for freedom of the country. "We have many monuments, but none to glorify the real fighters for freedom," said Mr Shashi Bhushan, President of the FMMC.
Third, the history books, which create an impression that BSZ surrendered after defeat, should be corrected. He never surrendered, he gave away all his properties to help the freedom struggle and was defeated in brave battles, was arrested and exiled. To humiliate and demoralise his spirit for the struggle, the British colonialists beheaded his two sons and a grandson at Khuni Darwaja and sent their heads to him in a platter, yet his mission for freedom could not be daunted. The epitaph inscribing small letters about the sordid cruelty does not communicate his sacrifice well. The history books must be corrected to carry the real story, which would bond the Hindu-Muslim amity.

Among other speakers were Union minister Ram Vilas Paswan, Swami Sarvanand Saraswati and Shauaib Iqbal, Deputy Speaker of Delhi Assembly.

Union minister Ram Bilas Paswan said to the gathering that over 700 freedom fighters from eastern India, particularly from Bihar, could not reach the meeting due to disturbance in Bihar as fall-out of parochial troubles kicked up in Maharashtra against North Indians.