Srinagar: The University of Kashmir on Sunday organised a seminar and a ‘Sufiyana Mehfil’ in connection with the celebration of the ‘Iconic Week Festival’.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Talat Ahmad presided over the day-long seminar ‘Shaikh-ul-Alam (RA): An embodiment of Kashmir’s syncretic culture’ at the main campus. The seminar, organised by J&K Higher Education Department and University of Kashmir, was followed by recitation of ‘Kalam-i-Shaikh-ul-Aalam’ and a ‘Sufiyana Mehfil’.
In his presidential address, Prof Talat described Kashmir as a place whose traditions of tolerance embodied by personalities like Shaikh-ul-Aalam (RA) were very old.
“Shaikh-ul-Aalam (RA) was not only a social reformer but also a naturalist whose thinking process was very advanced,” he said.
Registrar Dr Nisar Ahmad Mir, who was a special guest, called upon the university fraternity to recognise the importance of Shaikh-ul Aalam (RA) as an iconic figure whose life and teachings need to be explored from an interdisciplinary approach.
In his welcome address, Chairman, Centre for Shaikh-ul-Aalam Studies (CSAS), Prof GN Khaki, described Shaikh-ul-Aalam (RA) as a figure of immense significance who inaugurated a new age of communal harmony in Kashmir while promoting the ideas of oneness of mankind and human integration.
Prof Gulshan Majeed, former director, Centre of Central Asian Studies, delivered the keynote address and affirmed that many of Kashmir’s prominent scholars have constantly reinforced Shaikh-ul Aalam’s message of syncretism in their writings.
Prof Shad Ramzan, former Head, Department of Kashmiri, in his address as a special guest, described Shaikh-ul Aalam (RA) as a multi-dimensional personality who needs to be read and explored beyond his otherwise circumscribed dimension of a mystic.
The poetry recitation competition and ‘Sufiyana Mehfil’ were organised by the varsity’s Department of Students Welfare (DSW) under the mentorship of Dean Students Welfare Prof Raies A Qadri. Scores of students participated in the events.
Two journals of ‘Alamdar’ (2019 and 2020) published by CSAS were also released by the Vice-Chancellor, while eight research papers on various aspects of Shaikh-ul Aalam (RA) were presented during the technical session chaired by Prof Aejaz Mohammad Sheikh, Head, Department of Urdu. The paper presenters included Prof Manzoor Ahmad Bhat, Dr Maroof Shah, Prof Aejaz Mohammad Sheikh, Dr Muhammad Ilham, Dr Sabreen Javid, Dr Fayaz Ahmad and Dr Saltanat Farooq.
Dr Muhammad Ilham, faculty member CSAS conducted proceedings of the inaugural session and presented a vote of thanks.

KR Desk