Gujral doctrine of love, peace and interfaith studies

FORMER Indian prime minister, IK Gujral, while addressing a seminar at Quaid-e-Azam Law College (QLC), shared with the audience his student life experiences when he studied in Lahore. He said during the Quit India Movement his speeches inspired one of his women colleagues. He said she gave her class notes for his MA when he was released from prison, where he was sent in connection with his political activities. She used to come and listen to his public speeches at youth rallies against the government, said Mr Gujral. They fell into love and ultimately married. Mr Gujral said the present generations was fortunate that they were getting co-education. He encouraged students to marry their fellows if possible.

He gave a message of goodness, openness and optimism and asked the future generation to start positive moves to establish an indiscriminate system. The former Indian premier suggested the students to strive for a system that does not discriminate on the basis of wealth, religion and education. He asked the students to start friendship, social reforms, justice and education movements. Mr Gujral also recommended interfaith studies to expand their knowledge.

DEFENCE Housing Authority (DHA) Public School and College System junior campus students are striving for peace, faith and love with the hope of ending depression and despair. Junior students at the 2004 Annual Excellence Award Ceremony held at the DHA Auditorium spread the message through a symbolic performance.

Apart from the tableau shows, an impressive performance got the thumbs up when two children entered as ‘The Four Candles’ (The title of the segment). The candles of peace, faith and love were lit.

“Nobody can keep me lit. I believe I will go out,” said the peace candle before diminishing. “I am no longer indispensable, so it does not makes sense that I stay lit any longer,” said the faith candle before it went out completely. “I have not got the strength to stay lit. People set me aside and do not understand my importance. They even forget to love those who are nearest to them,” remarked the love candle before its flame vanished. The children started crying as they supposed that the three candles would stay lit till the end. Then suddenly the fourth candle comes on, saying, “Don’t be afraid. I am still burning and will light all the three candles again. I am hope.”

The children with shining eyes took the candle of hope and lit the other candles with the message, “The flame of hope should never go out from your life.”

Mrs Shahid Aziz, wife of the Lahore corps commander, was chief guest. Summan Fatima, Uswah Rasul Sahi, Muhammad Rizwan Qaiser and Paryana Syed spoke on the occasion.



DHA institutions held their orientation meeting coordinated by Mahjabeen Zaheer. Brigadier Abdul Jalil Khan was chief guest at the opening session. Mr Khan praised the DHA Education Branch’s efforts to organise the event. He also praised the artwork exhibited by the teachers from DHA institutions. He encouraged the participants to work hard and promised them that DHA would provide them with every possibly facility to exhibit their work at national and international level.



ADMISSIONS to United Kingdom institutions for the January intake started from October 1 and the British Council is receiving applications. The British Council’s Student Select Scheme is helping students in visa procedures.



THE British Council is also organising a teacher-training programme in collaboration with University of Cambridge International Examinations (UCIE). The university is introducing modern and traditional training in Pakistan, which includes face-to-face and online teachers training. The UCIE recently announced an agreement with Fieldwork Online Training that will help UCIE introduce new modules of online teacher-training courses.

THE deadline for the British Chevening Scholarship scheme, which is considered the most prestigious scholarship for international students, has been extended to October 26.



BEACONHOUSE National University’s Department of Applied Psychology organised a lecture on depression. Psychiatrists say depression us the third largest disease in the world. Professor Muhammad Riaz Bhatti, head of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, King Edward Medical College, said there was little awareness about depression in Pakistan. He said if depression was not treated on time, it could become a chronic illness.



FORMANITES Journalism Society’s new governing body has been formed. Professor Saleem Abbas Qaisar, in charge, and Professor Nadia Bruce Khan, coordinator, announced the new officials. M Junaid will be the president of the governing body while SM Muttaqi will be the senior vice president, Ali Jawad vice president, Muhammad Yar general secretary, Umair Naeem Butt deputy general secretary, Mudasar Iqbal joint secretary, M Bashir finance secretary, Kamran Munawar assistant finance secretary, M Naeemul Hasan and Naveed Ahmed office secretaries and Asif Hayat will be the deputy office secretary. The Society was established after the denationalisation of Forman Christian College last year.



BARGAD Pakistan, a non-government organisation, arranged a seminar on ‘Engaging Youth with Millennium Development Goals’ at Holiday Inn Hotel in Lahore. Ali Salman, who representative Pakistan in the UN Youth Summit and Pan Asian Youth Leadership Summit in Hiroshima, Japan on September 20, spoke on the occasion. Barrister Mujtaba Jamal, Usman Akhtar and Sarmad Raza Nayak were on the panel of experts. After a presentation on prospects of engagement of youth with Millennium Development Goals, the house held an open discussion. The University of Engineering and Technology, National College of Arts, Punjab University, Kinnaird College for Women and Beaconhouse National University students participated in the discussion. waqar gillani

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