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Saturday, January 16, 2010 12:47:07 PM, Pervez
Bari, ummid.com
Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan, Professor of Linguistics in Kuwait
University, addressing audience in the seminar
Bhopal: The three-day international seminar on "Arabic Panchatantra
and Indo-Arab Cultural Relations" which concluded here in
Bhopal on Thursday passed a seven-point resolution demanding inter-alia
that in order to give a fillip to the Indo-Arab relations the
Government of India should hold a broad based an international
seminar on "Panchatantra" (five chapters), the oldest
collection of Indian fables which was originally in Sanskrit,
and its Arabic translation "Kalilah wa Dimnah". This
would enable the new generation to get acquainted with the master-piece
literatures of these classical languages namely Sanskrit and Arabic.
Another resolution passed on the occasion appealed the Bharatiya
Janata Party ruled Madhya Pradesh Government to include the world
famous Arabic text-book "Kalilah wa Dimnah" in the syllabi
of colleges and universities of the state. Besides this establish
a research centre in Barkatullah University so that scholars could
do research work on these two master-piece classical literature
and related matter to this is collected and preserved herein.
It may be pointed out here that "Panchatantra" was originally
written in Sanskrit by a great Hindu scholar, Pandit Vishnu Sharma.
However, it was lost and it perished in sands of time after being
translated into Pahlavi (literary Persian) language in the 6th
century. Thereafter, it was translated into Arabic in the 8th
century by Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa and it was christened as "Kalilah
wa Dimnah".
It was resolved to establish a general library in New Delhi where
Arabic books from all over the world are made available. It was
also resolved to publish all the 30 papers read in the seminar
and Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan, Professor of Linguistics in Kuwait
University, offered to bear the cost of getting it printed.
The committee which drafted the resolutions included Dr. Laila
Khalf Al-Sabaan of Kuwait University; Mrs. Ayisha Rais, Dean Faculty
of Arts, Barkatullah University; Maulana Dr. Arif Junaid Nadwi,
Senior Lecturer in DIET, and Khaledah Siddiqui, Arabic research
scholar.
Meanwhile, the valedictory function of the seminar was presided
over by Mohammad Hassan Khan, Head of the Arabic Department of
Barkatullah University, Bhopal.
Speaking on the occasion Dr. Laila Khalf Al-Sabaan of Kuwait University,
said since 4th Hijri Arabs enriched themselves from various civilizations
of the world. They were very strong culturally and translated
all books of knowledge in different languages of the world into
Arabic of which "Kalilah wa Dimnah" is a classical example.
Dr. Laila was all praise and thankful to Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa,
the author of "Kalilah wa Dimnah", for providing an
opportunity to Arabs and Indians to understand and come closer
to each other. He give them a chance to analyze and give boost
to their literary works. She said the resolutions passed at the
seminar should be well publicized not only in India but also in
Kuwait.
She said what she had read and heard about India and its people
in Kuwait saw much more than that on her maiden visit to this
country.
"I found the Indians open-minded, very friendly natured and
having overwhelming love for the Arabic literature", she
remarked
Dr. Laila after her speech read out some couplets in Arabic praising
"Kalilah wa Dimnah" and its author Abdallah Ibn al-Maqaffa.
Dr. Syed Jahangir, ex-chairperson of Centre of Arabic Studies,
the English & Foreign Languages University, also rendered
couplets in Arabic in praise of the seminar thereby reciprocating
Dr. Laila's poetic gesture.
Prof. Manzoor Ahmad of Kashmir University said the seminar was
a very meaningful exercise. He felt that as in the good olden
days India's cultural forays had been through Sanskrit into Arab
world via Persian and Arabic languages the same was experienced
in this seminar also. Now real cultural exchange is taking place
between Arab world and India.
Prof. Manzoor requested Dr. Laila to donate Arabic books on literature
to Indian institutes. The sister duo of Dr. Laila and Prof. Laila
Usman assured to take up the matter with the Kuwaiti Government
authorities for necessary action in this respect on return.
Maulana Shoeb Koti said through "Kalilah wa Dimnah"
the moral values aspect dominated the seminar. He congratulated
Dr. Hassan and Dr. Ayisha Rais for the success of the seminar
and bringing the old cultural and moral values together which
is most needed today.
Maulana Dr. Arif Junaid Nadwi speaking on the occasion said the
seminar on "Kalilah wa Dimnah" has propagated the "Ganga-Jamuna
Tahzeeb" (harmonious culture) of two classical languages
viz.
Sanskrit and Arabic and brought together people of India and Arab
world. He said at present the world is divided into two in the
clash of civilization. The United States of America representing
the negative attitude is waging war in the name of war on terrorism
to subjugate the smaller and weaker countries in Arab world and
plunder its natural resources of oil. While the other half of
the world of which India is a part is propagating peace and communal
harmony through its age-old cultural forays and principle of "live
and let-live".
Earlier, Dr. Mahira Parveen of Bio-Sciences, who is studying Arabic
language, was felicitated on the occasion by Dr. Laila for being
honoured with Young Indian Scientist Award-2009. Prof. Ayisha
Rais proposed a vote of thanks.
It may be mentioned here that the international seminar was orgnised
by Barkatullah University, Bhopal wherein eminent scholars from
Kuwait, Lanka and from all over India participated. The inaugural
function was presided over by the Barkatullah University Vice
Chancellor Prof. Ravindra Jain while Maulana Mohammad Saeed Mujaddadi
(Peer Saeed Miyan), Rector Dar-ul-Uloom Taj-ul-Masajid, Bhopal
was the chief guest on the occasion.
It may be recalled that Prof. Ravindra Jain in his presidential
address had said in the inaugural function that Arabs are very
intelligent people and are ahead of Indians. They took full advantage
of the literature in Sanskrit and Hindi which flourished in India
during the period of the Rig-Veda and Upanishads (from 1500 B.C.
to 500 B.C.) and translated it into Persian and Arabic.
In all 30 papers were presented in the seminar were in Arabic,
Persian, Urdu, English and Hindi languages in total six sessions
spread over three days. The foreign participants were Dr. Laila
Al-Sabaan & Prof. Laila Usman (both from Kuwait University,
Kuwait) and Prof. Humdoon Mohiuddin (Sri Lanka). Among the Indian
scholars who presented their papers included Prof. Abdul Ali &
Prof. Kafeel Ahmad Qasmi (both from Aligarh Muslim University),
Prof. Abdul Qadir Jafari & Prof. Fayyaz-ul-Huq (both from
Allahabad University), Prof. Manzoor Ahmad (Kashmir University),
Prof. Mustafa Shareef, Prof. Abdul Majeed, Dr. Abdul Jameel Khan
& Dr. Syed Abdurrahman (all four from Osmania University,
Hyderabad), Prof. Iqbal Hussain & Dr. Syed Jahangir (both
from English & Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad), Dr.
Fazlullah Shareef (Avanti College, Hyderabad), Maulana Shoeb Koti
(Mumbai), Maulana Dr. Afroz Qasmi, Sr. Journalist Arif Aziz; Dr.
Iftekhar Masood; Maulana Syed Sharafat Ali Nadwi, Maulana Ahsan
Ali Khan Nadwi, Maulana Dr. Javed Zafar Nadwi, Ms Khaledah Siddiqui,
Dr. Marzia Arif, Dr. Sangeeta Gundecha, Dr. Shamsa Arif, Dr. Joshna
Nigam, Dr. Maya Dube, Dr. Mohammad Hassan Khan & Prof. Ayisha
Rais (all from Bhopal) etc. http://www.ummid.com/news/2010/January/16.01.2010/indian_govt_urged_to_hold_con_on_indo_arab_culture.htm
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