Hyderabad: Home Minister, Mohammed Mahmood Ali, criticised attempts being made to distort history and play down the contribution of Muslims in India. Contrary to the impression being created, Mughals did not loot India. On the other hand, they scripted history and enriched the country. “Unfortunately those who built the Taj Mahal, the epitome of love, are being targeted”, he remarked.
The Home Minister was speaking after releasing the book, India’s Architectural Heritage, at a programme held at Media Plus auditorium here on Friday evening. The coffee table book authored by photojournalist, K.N. Wasif, has over 150 attention-grabbing pictures of historic monuments, forts and palaces of medieval India.
The 140-page book designed by Ayaz Siddique is Wasif’s labour of love spanning four decades of hard work. “This book is the essence of my life, my love and my passion for photography,” says the veteran shutterbug who earlier worked for many newspapers in Hyderabad, including Siasat, Deccan Chronicle and Indian Express. The book is the result of efforts made by Wasif during his annual vacations from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia back home to visit the historic sites and capture pictures of all their beauty.
Senior journalist, Mir Ayoob Ali Khan, appreciated the efforts made by Wasif to bring out the pictorial book. He said it should be kept in schools and libraries for the benefit of people at large. Another senior journalist who praised the work of Wasif was J S Ifthekhar who formerly worked with the Hindu.
Pictures in the book, Mahmood Ali said, brought back the glorious past and highlighted the rich legacy left behind by the Muslim rulers. He congratulated Wasif for publishing the pictorial book and said those interested in history and heritage should add it to their collection.
The programme organised by Bazme Urdu Toast Masters Club had a good number of Gulf-based NRIs. Responding to a query raised by one of the speakers, the Home Minister said it was a good idea to utilise the expertise of persons who served in high posts in the Gulf countries in the state administration. He promised to discuss the matter with the Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao. Referring to the levy being imposed by the Saudi government on expatriates residing in the kingdom, Mahmood Ali said it was an unfortunate move. A large number of Indians were working in Saudi Arabia and this tax was a big burden on them and their dependents.
The Home Minister touched upon various subjects in his brief speech. He particularly stressed the importance of education and asked Muslim students to get into civil services. Huffaz (Quran memorisers) are industrious and have a sharp memory and they should be made to pursue civil services. He faulted the trend among youth to fritter away their time and energy in idle pursuits. In this connection, he recalled how the Telangana government was extending a scholarship of Rs 20 lakh to poor students who want to study abroad.
Stating that honesty and hard work would pay off, Mr. Mahmood Ali said how the Chief Minister reposed trust in him and gave him important portfolios like Home and Revenue. Everyone was surprised when he was the only minister to be sworn in along with KCR as the Chief Minister for the second term. Initially many dissuaded him from joining the TRS as they thought Telangana was a pipe dream. But he stuck with the party steadily.
Earlier, Syed Ziaur Rahman of Toast Masters Club welcomed the guests. Muzaffar Hussain Ansari, former Portfolio Investment Manager, King Faisal Foundation, presided over the programme. Engineer M.A. Nayeem, Engineer Abdul Hameed and Afsar Khan were among the chief guests.
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