Annual Conference of Darshan Parishad at Azamgarh will provide impetus to locals

    My friend Ravindra Nath Tripathi, an Advocate practising in the courts of Azamgarh has sent me an invite to the annual conference of Uttar Bharat Darshan Parishad, which is being organised on the campus of the prestigious Children College and Schools of Azamgarh. In a way, it is the most appropriate place to hold this annual conference. This conference will impel the new generation of students to develop and broaden the horizon of their rational thinking. It is situated a few kilometres away from the din and bustle of the town in a tranquil ambience of the village Belaisa. It is being held for three days from 15^th to 17^th July. Azamgarh is the land of Rishi Duravasa. A village named after Rishi Durvasa is located on the confluence of rivers-Tamsa and Majhui and it has acquired the status of a pious pilgrim centre, where people from far-off places assemble for three days in the month Kartik for holy dips in the Sangam.

     Azamgarh has been systematically impoverished by the Moghuls and Britishers. It is said that the water of the river Tamsa has the ingredients of rebellion, which is traced back to Rishi Durvasa. It was the centre of the first war of Independence of 1857. It finds mention in the famous book of Vir Savarkar, wherein he described the valour and the bravery of the people under the leadership of Babu Kunwar Singh, who had set up his camp at Atraulia some 35 km away in the west of Azamgarh while marching towards Lucknow.

   Azamgarh, as the name suggests was found in 1665 by Azam, son of Vikramajit Singh. Vikramajit Singh was a descendant of Gautam Rajput of Mehnagar, who had embraced Islam. He had a Muslim wife who bore him two sons Azam and Azmat. While Azam gave his name to the town of Azamgarh. Azmat constructed the fort and settled the bazaar Azmatgarh of Pargana Sagri. Another Bais Muslim Rajput, Shibli Nomani worked hard for Pan Islamism and set up the famous Shibli National College and Darul Mussanfin in Azamgarh. His brothers were educated in England and one of them became the Judge of the Allahabad High Court.

   Shibli Nomani had although taught at Aligarh Muslim University yet had serious differences with Sir Syed Ahmed Khan and always found the atmosphere of the Aligarh intellectually very suffocating. Shibli was inspired by the progress of science and education in the West, but his attitude was sectarian and not broad-based.

   The name of Kedarnath Pandey aka Rahul Sankrityayan, known for his itinerary and philosophical writings is also associated with it. But those who gave new heights to literature and philosophy were Pandit Ayodhya Singh Upadhyay Hariaudh, Pandit Shyam Narayan Pandey and Pandit Channu Lal Mishra. My classmate at Banaras Hindu University and aficionado of Indian Philosophy Dr RK Mishra, who expired last year due to COVID would have been the happiest person to have participated in this philosophical congregation as he, like me, also belonged to Azamgarh. Although I am in not able to participate in the programme due to many reasons, it would have been a celebratory occasion for me as it was going to provide a good opportunity to meet and listen to philosophical expositions of scholars. Moreover, it is being held in Azamgarh, where eminent thinker-teacher of Philosophy Dr Sabhajit Mishra is being honoured by the Parishad.

  Bhai Ravindra Nath ji, I send my best wishes for the roaring success of the annual conference, being organised under the illustrious guidance of Professor Bajrang Tripathi.

Parmanand Pandey