Date: 4 March 1912
Location: Bombay
Speaker: Aga Khan III
Source: Speeches of Aga Khan III – K K Aziz
Full Text
All evils due to lack of education – need for greater effort – call to become missionaries in the cause of education – scientific and commercial education- the example ofJ apan- representation of all Muslims in the institution – natural regeneration.
H. H. the Aga Khan, addressing the students after the distribution of prizes said he need not tell them all the evils from which the Mussulmans of India suffered, but there was one thing to which mainly they might be attributed and that was the lack of edu cation. If they wished to find a remedy for any social evil then education was necessary – moral education, physical education, or scientific education, but at any rate some form of education.
Perhaps he need not have repeated such a truism in such a building, because here was an institution, which put it into prac tice, but to have the results which it should have required efforts much greater than the efforts which had so far been put forward.
The work which was now being done for the education of the Mussulmans in India ought to have been attempted 30 years ago, but progress better late than never, provided they made great efforts and made up for lost time. His Highness commented with regret on the fact that only three scholars from the institution matriculated last year and also on the statement that the number in the upper standards was very small. He observed that the numbers should have been much greater and urged all to become missionaries in the cause of education. He quite admitted that there was one great danger in any community taking up higher education on a large scale, viz., the divorce which had taken place between higher education and commer cial activity in the country, but there was evidence that this country was waking up and that a reaction was taking place. The facilities for commercial and scientific education, which would immortalise the present Governor, he hoped would be taken advantage of by far more than at present.
Emphasising how necessary education – and united action in education- is, His Highness pointed to the progress of Japan, which he said had no great reformer, but was a nation of Bismarcks. The only way to remedy the particular evil from which India had suffered so far was in the spread of higher education.
In this institution was a great opportunity. It was almo~t the only school in Bombay, which had unity. Every section of the Moslem community benefitted by it, it was the centre which had brought every section of Moslem society together. Might it long continue to do sol But if they wanted to achieve great results then every individual must do his best to see that as many as possible partici pated in the benefits of the school and then and then only would there be wonderful results … “It is for you to work out your own natural regeneration on your own natural lines of evolution” were His Highness’s closing words.
Source: The Times of India, Bombay, 5 March 1912.
The full report of the function at the school as carried by the newspaper is as follows: “The pupils of the Madrasah-i-Anjuman-i-Islam, Bombay, the only Moham medan High School in the Bombay Presidency, on Monday, evening at the Anjuman Hall, Bombay Road, received the prizes won during the scholastic year from H. H. the Aga Khan. To mark the visit of His Highness Mr. Abdeen bhoy Peerbhoy Danyee gave the school a donation of Rs. 1000 to found a scholarship for a Mahommadan student. “In the annual report presented by the honorary secretaries (the Hon. Mr.
Fazalbhoy Currimbhoy and Mr. Mirza Ali Mahomed Khan), the progress of the school from its establishment in 1880 was traced, and it was shown that the number of pupils had increased during the past year from 600 to 658. The average daily attendance had been between 70 and 83 per cent. The develop ment of the Nagpada branch into a full middle school had especially been serviceable to the young students of the northern part of the city, and had been a thorough success. In the higher classes the extreme poverty of many intelligent boys which cut short their educational careers had to be contended against. The school authorities did their utmost to check this tendency by giving free studentships and on an average no less than 44 per cent were admitted free on the production of a satisfactory certificate of poverty. During the year a donation of Rs. 100 had been received from Lodge Islam, Rs. 200 from Mr. N.
V. Mandlik and Rs. 1,500 from Mrs. Shirinbai. Satisfactory progress was reported in the school examinations and it was recorded also that a girls’ school had long been under contemplation, but its realisation had had to stand over for the present till sufficient funds were forthcoming and qualified teachers were available. “The Anjuman-i-Islam Schools,” the report proceeded, “have been instrumental in carrying the light of learning to some of the poorest of Mahom medan homes in this large and influential city. We cannot, however, help regretting that its efforts have not met with that encouragement, which, we submit, it has a right to expect from its co-religionists. As for our financial position, Government with a grant of Rs. 6,000 a year, the Municipality with a grant of Rs. 5,000 a year, and H. H. the Aga Khan with a grant of Rs. 5,000 a year, are our chief supporters. When the Government grant for Rs. 6,000 a year was first made in 1880, we had a staff of three teachers and a single school where 50 students attended. Since then the school has developed. We have three branches and a staff of 33 teachers with 658 students on our rolls. In our last report hopes were expressed for raising our institution to the status of a College. But in the meanwhile the more comprehensive question of the establishment of a Muslim university arose; and the collection of necessary funds in this connection led to the postponement of the question of starting a Mahommedan college in Bombay for some time to come.” Another question which the honorary secretaries thought needed earnest attention was the encouragement among the Moslems of the city of the study of Arabic. To their mind it was sad that throughout the Presidency there should be only four or five Musselmans going on for the various university examinations with Arabic as their second language, but the student was afforded no facilities for taking up the language. The school should encourage the study of Arabic, but the funds were not in a position to bear the burden. “Sir Currimbhoy Ibrahim, through his son (Mr. Mahomedbhai Currimbhoy) proposed a vote of thanks to the Chairman. ‘This is not the first time that His Highness has presided at the distribution of prizes to the deserving students of the Anjuman.’ He said: ‘It is, however, the first time that His Highness has graced the chair on an occasion like the present during my term of office as President of the Anjuman. I am glad that this opportunity has been offered to me, of expressing on behalf of the Anjuman our deep gratitude to His Highness for the great interest he takes in the welfare of our society, as owing to advanced age I am leaving my office as President of the Anjuman and I take this oppor tunity to express my thankfulness to the Anjuman for the ready help they have always accorded me. I have tried, to the best of my ability, to do all I could for the furtherance of the objects of the Anjuman, and I hope my work has met with your appreciation and approval. Though I may not remain as your President yet I assure you my interest in the affairs of the Anjuman will never flag and I shall continue to do for it what I can, to maintain the high prestige of the Anjuman i-Islam, the foundation of which was laid by my late revered friend, the Hon.
Mr. Justice Badruddin Tayabjee, and in which work I too had my humble share.’ “The vote of thanks was heartily passed.”