Iftikhar Gilani receives IOS Twelfth Shah Waliullah Award

April 3, 2017 at Conference Hall, FTK Centre for Information Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi


Justice A.M. Ahmadi, Former Chief Justice of India presents Twelfth Shah Waliullah Award to Mr. S. Iftikhar Gilani, Editor (Strategic Affairs) and Chief of National Bureau of DNA

The Twelfth Shah Waliullah Award on “Media, Society and Indian Muslims” was presented to Syed Iftikhar Gilani, editor (strategic affairs) and chief of national bureau of DNA by Justice AM Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India at a function organised by the Institute of Objective Studies (IOS) on April 3, 2017 at the conference hall, FTK Centre for Information Technology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. The award carries a cheque of Rs. 1 lakh, presented by Dr. Syed Farooq, President, Tasmia Educational Foundation, and a scroll of honour was presented by Prof. ZM Khan, Secretary General, IOS. The award instituted by the IOS is given every year to a person whose contribution to a selected field is worthy of recognition. Prof. Haseena Hashia, a member of the governing council, IOS, presented a cheque for Rs. 25,000, and a certificate, as prize for the best essay to Dr. Nasheed Imtiaz, asstt. professor, Deptt. of Psychology, AMU, Aligarh.

A view of book release

The occasion was also marked by the release of senior journalist and correspondent of the Voice of America (Urdu) Suhail Anjum’s book Dini Rasayel ki Sahafati Khidmaat (Journalistic Contribution of Religious Journals) by Justice Ahmadi.

Justice AM Ahmadi, former Chief Justice of India

Presiding over the function, Justice Ahmadi underlined the importance of Article 32 of the Constitution. This Article guarantees the enforceability of Fundamental Rights. The Article also provides the mechanism to enforce these rights. The scope of Article 21 was expanded by the Supreme Court to stipulate that life must be worth living. Freedom of speech did not explicitly provide for freedom of press, but the interpretation of Article 19 made it clear that such freedom was inherent. Describing the Indian Constitution as a wonderful document, he opined that a reading of the Constituent Assembly debates dispelled several misconstruals about the intention of the Constitution. He said that both his lawyer son and lawyer daughter read the Constituent Assembly debates everyday for half an hour before going to bed in order to understand the true spirit of the Constitution. He was dismayed that even 50 years after the Supreme Court’s directive for free and compulsory education to 6-14 year age group, no headway had been made so far. Terming it as a serious matter needing urgent attention, he said enough number of schools should be opened with required number of teachers.

Commenting on the political environment in the country, Justice Ahmadi said that only one party was ruling almost the entire country. Opposition parties were not welcome in the prevailing situation. Shouting brigades had become law unto themselves and democracy was in dire straits. This was not the democracy that the framers of the Constitution had envisaged. He noted that democracy meant opportunity to everybody and it was up to us to decide which form of democracy we wanted. He advised Gilani to freely express his views on the current political situation of the country. At a time when democratic institutions had lost the voice of reason, it was the duty of the media to highlight the perils looming large over the polity. Thus independent and bold voices were required to forestall any attempt at gagging the press. Comparing the present press with that in the past, he said that articles contributed by secular writers were hardly seen today. Newspapers in general avoided carrying well-meaning articles. This trend did not augur well for democracy, he added.